Max’s Weekend Prospect Standouts
In this article:
Eight of the prospects who stood out in the games I watched on Friday and Saturday! Jonathan Mekonnen MN #9 PF #3 HEIGHT 6'8" POS PF CLASS 2024 View Profile Jonathan Mekonnen Instagram Twitter State: Minnesota School: Eastview Club: D1…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingEight of the prospects who stood out in the games I watched on Friday and Saturday!
Despite missing some time with foul trouble, Mekonnen still put up a game high 23 points in a win for Eastview. Now listed at 6’8, Jonathan possesses quickness and a handle that you rarely see in guys his size. Most teams won’t have an athlete with enough length to slow him down, and if you guard him with a smaller wing he’ll just find a way to get to the rim and finish over the top. So skilled at beating his man off the dribble and then gathering his balance to finish off two feet. Showed off his explosiveness with an impressive alley-oop dunk that saw him catch the ball at chest level and still throw it down with one hand. Mekonnen just continues to get better and better each time I see him play.
Marcus put up a game high 17 points for Jefferson to help lead them past Hiawatha Collegiate, and did so in a variety of ways. The sophomore guard hit two three, got to the rim for some strong finishes, and pulled up for a mid-range shot on the baseline. Was really patient and took what the defense gave him. You never saw him hold the ball too long, as he either looked to attack right away or kept the ball moving. Was really good at catching in the corner and ripping the ball to attack baseline.
For a while it seemed like Totino-Grace was going to put the game out of reach, but in the second half Anthony caught fire and actually had Hopkins leading at times down the stretch. Smith is capable of putting points on the board about as fast as anyone in the state, and he showed that as he knocked down shot after shot from beyond the arc. Because of his quick release and deep range, if he has a bit of space he’s capable of putting points on the board nearly anywhere in the half-court. Uses his quickness to stay active off the ball and find openings to catch and quickly shoot. Finished with 31 points in the close loss.
Unfortunately Romelle went down with an injury with about five minutes to play in the first half, but I think his play leading up to then was worthy of a mention. Matched up against a top-100 ranked guard, Romelle held his man to just 2 points in the first 13 minutes while also scoring 7 of his own. He has such a physically strong frame at 6’2, so he has no problem defending the paint but can also move his feet on the perimeter. Offensively Hiawatha uses him a ton out of the high post where they run guys off of him and he can make the decision to hand it off, face up and shoot, or face up and attack the basket. So dangerous because of his ability to knock down pull-up jumpers or power his way to the rim and finish.
Highlights
Dylan Omweno Dylan Omweno 6’0″ | PG Eastview | 2023 State MN has been coming off the bench and providing a massive spark for a very talented Eastview team. In the first half there was a sequence that saw Dylan knock down a pull-up jumper, hustle back to pick up a steal and save the ball from going out of bounds, and then he got up the floor again to knock down another pull-up jumper! He’s the type of player that can heat up in a hurry with his confidence growing with every made shot. Dylan has deep shooting range and is one of the fastest players in the state when he gets out in the open floor. In transition he was dangerous with his decision making regarding when to pass or when to keep it and finish.
Highlights
Jalen’s outside shot may not have been falling like it usually does, but he still made some big plays as a scorer and facilitator. Jalen has a creative handle to get into the paint offensively, where he showed he can finish or dish it out at the last second. Creates a ton of separation with his left to right crossover that he can use to get his shot off or get into a drive. Showed some crafty finishing ability inside on his way to 17 points against a tough Eastview team.
One thing that really stood out about Patrick yesterday was his relentlessness on the glass. He may not have finished as well as he would’ve liked, but even after a miss he was attacking the ball off the rim to pull in the offensive board before eventually finishing the possession with 2 points. He has a strong and explosive frame, and when you combine that with his work ethic in the paint it leads to consistent production in both scoring and rebounding. Defensively he also did a great job of staying on his feet against arguably the craftiest big in the state, and holding him to just 2 points. Had a big block as well as an explosive dunk early on in the game. Hopkins may have had a ton of success knocking down jumpers to make it an intense game, but Patrick made it known that the paint was his.
Jayden Moore Jayden Moore 6’0″ | PG Hopkins | 2026 State MN once again put up some ridiculous numbers as a freshman, and did so against a team with college level size and a handful of future D1 players. He was the quickest player on the floor and no one could stay in front of him. Totino-Grace tried a handful of players on him but Jayden was able to get by all of them to get into a pull-up jumper or floater to finish over size. Last year he wasn’t much of a shooter, but he’s now been showing the range to knock down threes consistently, which forces defenders to step out even further on him. Excellent passer as well who consistently draws in extra defenders and immediately locates his open shooters on the perimeter. Jayden put up a game high 34 points pushing the reigning state champs down to the wire.