Midwest Players Classic: The Minnesota Standouts
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Seven Minnesota prospects who impressed over the weekend at the Midwest Players Classic in La Crosse! Jackson Fowlkes MN #19 SG #2 HEIGHT 6'4" POS SG CLASS 2024 View Profile Jackson Fowlkes Instagram Twitter State: Minnesota School: Park Center Club:…
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Continue ReadingSeven Minnesota prospects who impressed over the weekend at the Midwest Players Classic in La Crosse!
Not sure there’s a better sixth man in the state of Minnesota than Jackson. He was one of the only players on either team who managed to stay out of foul trouble against West Salem, and he did so while consistently picking up full court against players half a foot shorter than him. Jackson was sitting deep in a stance and showcasing the ability to cover a lot of ground laterally. Has excellent timing and utilized his long wingspan to poke the ball free multiple times leading to easy finishes. Scrapped for rebounds on both ends of the floor, and was an unselfish passer on the offensive end. Has the ability to score when needed, and you never have to doubt what type of defensive effort you’re going to get out of him.
Larry Perkins
Larry Perkins
Larry continues to be one of the breakout players of the year in Minneapolis. North’s starters only played roughly half the game, but Larry still managed to make an impact on both ends. He has plenty of length and athleticism that allows him to excel in North’s full court press. He’s able to fly all over the floor to jump long passes or trap the ball. Offensively he found success attacking the basket off the dribble, and showed off his high flying athleticism with a put-back dunk. Larry also showed a shooting touch that he hadn’t shown as much early in the season as he confidently knocked down a pair of threes.
Carter started off a little sloppy as the opposing zone was looking to trap him and speed him up down low. Once he got settled in though he got La Crescent into cruise control the rest of the game. If he caught the ball on the block and the double didn’t come, he was able to drop-step and power up to the rim to score. However, when extra defenders came his way he stayed calm and found a lot of success either kicking it out to an open shooter or scooping it to the other block to a wide open big. Poised player with some size and skill to play the 3 or 4 spots.
Caledonia is a young team without a lot of size, so as a 6’3 sophomore Ethan is relied upon to compete in the paint on both ends. He has a pretty long frame and is a springy athlete who was rebounding the ball at a high level. Was not only impressed by his bounce but also how quick of a second leap he has allowing him to go right back up after pulling in an offensive board. Was defending against opposing size but also has the athleticism to switch on pick & rolls and defend guards on the perimeter.
JJ Ware JJ Ware 6’6″ | SF Park Center | 2023 State MN has been coming up big for Park Center lately, and with some key players missing the bulk of the first half in foul trouble he stepped up again on Saturday night. The 6’5-6’6 small forward stretched the floor as he knocked down three outside shots, showcasing impressive elevation on his jumper. He’s put on a good amount of muscle over the past two years as well, and it showed as he was banging in the post to pull down rebounds and also power through contact for tough finishes at the rim. Finished with 21 points and 8 rebounds in a hard fought win.
Jalyn Simmons
Jalyn Simmons
You won’t find many forwards with a higher motor than Jalyn. He just never stops and it shows with the way he rebounds the ball. As soon as a shot goes up you can bet he’s finding a body to box out, and he doesn’t just wait for the ball to come to him, instead he attacks it at it’s highest point with two hands. Chins the ball hard to keep possession in traffic, and on the offensive end he has the physical abilities to power right back up with a teammate’s miss for two points. In the half-court he moves well at 6’5 allowing him to take his man off the dribble from the wing to get to the rim. Finished the game with 12 points and 11 rebounds against a tough Waunakee team.
Brady Grupa
Brady Grupa
Brady came up big on the defensive end on Saturday morning. Against a 6’5 wing scoring just under 30 ppg, his team gave up a few quick buckets. Then Brady stepped up to the defensive challenge and was pressuring him the rest of the game, not giving him an inch of breathing room. If his man attempted to dribble, Brady was there to cut him off immediately. Brady may have been giving up size, but he has a strong frame and quickness that allowed him to keep his man out of the paint and make every shot difficult. Did a great job holding his man to well below his scoring average, helping his team to a big win.
Tameron continued to put up big numbers against a tough Waunakee team. Finishing with 28 points, he was able to get to any spot on the floor off the dribble. Plays with great pace and has a dangerous hesitation move to pause his defender before blowing right by. Can get all the way to the rim to finish, but also has good awareness to know when to pull up for the short jumper or floater to avoid a charge. Defensively he has some of the quickest hands in the state as he picked up 7 steals and turned them into easy offense on the other end.