Max’s Midweek Standouts: Week 7
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Seven prospects who have impressed through the first two games I’ve watched this week! I’ve seen Holy Family take down Minnehaha Academy as well as Eagan defeat Duluth East. Kole Hanson MN #14 PG #6 HEIGHT 6'2" POS PG CLASS…
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Continue ReadingSeven prospects who have impressed through the first two games I’ve watched this week! I’ve seen Holy Family take down Minnehaha Academy as well as Eagan defeat Duluth East.
Kole Hanson Kole Hanson 6’2″ | PG Holy Family | 2024 State MN had one of the best stat-lines of the season as he went off for 44 points in Holy Family’s win on Monday, and although I haven’t seen an official number I’ve heard he also recorded 12 assists. Going back through the film that number seems realistic as he was excellent at getting into dangerous areas and kicking it out to open shooters, while also showing the ability to thread the needle to his bigs out of pick & rolls. When looking to score Kole has one of the quickest releases you’ll see in the state, meaning he only needed to create a little bit of space to get a shot off. Kole showed he can utilize a shifty handle or step-back to make his own shot, but also has the change of speed to hesitate and then blow by his man to get to the rim. When Kole gets going there aren’t many players in the state who can put up points as quickly as he does.
Highlights
You won’t find many players who play has hard as Emmanuel does. It really shows in his defensive and rebounding efforts. Even if there’s only a 1% chance he’ll be able to grab a rebound, he’s going to charge into a crowd just to try to get a hand on the ball and give his team any chance of securing possession. Defensively he showed his versatility spending time guarding a 6’8 post while also moving his feet on the perimeter with smaller guards. Picked up a couple of steals leading to easy transition buckets including a two hand dunk in the second half. Schmitter showed a smooth shot from three, the ability to drive and finish, and also a nice post game with the ability to back down smaller guards and just finish over the top. Finished with 19 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals in the win.
It was already crazy enough having one player score 44 points in a game, but Boden wasn’t fire behind putting up an efficient 35 of his own against Minnehaha. From the very first possession Holy Family looked to get Boden the ball on the block as he scored with an easy hook shot. He was a difficult mismatch all game long as he had the size advantage to go to work on the block, but was also forcing opposing players to move with him on the perimeter and he was able to break loose for a handful of threes. The athletic improvements that Boden has made over the last 1.5 years has also been fun to watch, and it led to a handful of explosive dunks as he can move in a way that not many 6’10+ players can. Defensively showed the strength to hold his ground on the block, did a nice job of walling up around the basket, and had the mobility to move and defend in his team’s full-court press.
Oscar missed his junior season with an injury, but is back as a senior and has helped Eagan get off to a 7-5 start against a tough schedule. Last night he was extremely efficient as he put up 16 points on 5-7 shooting while adding in 3 steals. He won’t be the biggest or most athletic guard on the floor, but he’s very crafty with the ball and can shoot the lights out. Off the dribble he knows how to push the ball into space and finds ways to get to dangerous spots on the floor to either force defenders to collapse leading to open looks for his teammates. Plays off of two feet so he always seems to be in control and on balance with the ball.
Michael was doing everything he could to keep Duluth East in it last night both as a facilitator and scorer. He showed a quick first step with the ability to beat his man off the dribble to get into the lane. Once there he did a great job of playing off of two feet, allowing him to stop and see the floor. Had some excellent bounce passes to cutting teammates but could also go up and finish on his own in traffic. Showed a soft touch on his jumper beyond the arc as well.
Jerome was one of the few bright spots for Minnehaha in a tough loss to Holy Family. His quickness just couldn’t be matched, and even against a team with a pair of 6’10 bigs he was fearless attacking the basket. Does a great job of elevating off two feet around the rim, which gives him the ability to angle his jump more to the side allowing him to finish away from a rim protector. Looks to push the tempo a lot off of defensive rebounds which helps give his team a numbers advantage at times. Shots weren’t always falling for his teammates but Jerome did a nice job of driving and kicking it out to wide open shooters to give his team good looks.
Highlights
Rocco Paulson
Rocco Paulson
Rocco is a big body down low and had some success taking advantage of his size against a smaller Eagan team. Has decent mobility at 6’8 and had a couple of nice quick cuts from the dunker spot leading to strong finishes. Has the strength to power through contact but also the soft touch to lay it in off the glass. From previous viewings of Rocco he can also utilize his footwork to score with his back to the basket. Hard working defender and rebounder with strong hands to secure missed shots.