Wednesday And Thursday Night Standouts
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Seven of the prospects who impressed in the games I watched on Wednesday and Thursday night! I saw Minneapolis Southwest defeat Minneapolis Edison, as well as Park Center stay undefeated with a win over Totino-Grace. Caden Sullivan MN #81 SG…
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Continue ReadingSeven of the prospects who impressed in the games I watched on Wednesday and Thursday night! I saw Minneapolis Southwest defeat Minneapolis Edison, as well as Park Center stay undefeated with a win over Totino-Grace.
Caden came out firing on the road against Edison, putting up an impressive 20 points in the first half alone. At 6’4 he often mans the point for his team, and has been typically been known as a facilitator for his team. This game was different though as he was looking to score early, including a smooth finish right off of the opening tip. Caden knocked down a handful of threes off the catch, and had a really smooth spin move into a mid-range jumper for two more points. As always he brought a bunch of energy and intensity to the floor with his vocal leadership on defense. At 6’4 he has plenty of length which allows him to guard the 1-3 spots, and he’s the type of player who’s going to get on the floor for every single loose ball.
Not sure there’s been a single big game this year that Cash hasn’t impressed in. He thrives off of tough competition and a big crowd, and always seems to deliver when his team needs it the most. Against Totino-Grace that was the case once again, as he made play after play on both ends of the floor. Defensively he was constantly pressuring the ball, and his quick burst allowed him to poke the ball free and take off for transition buckets on 3+ occasions. Two of those resulted in explosive dunks that got the crowd going. Not many players can turn the corner and get downhill to the basket as quickly as Chavis, and his body control once at the rim allows him to finish in impressive fashion. Also flashed that improved touch from beyond the arc as he was taking pull-up jumpers and knocking them down with confidence, whereas last season he would be hesitant to take open threes.
Highlights
Deidrick has been one of the top point guards in the City Conference, and it showed as he put up 29 points on Wednesday night. He’s so quick changing directions on the ball, and was able to get to any spot he wanted to over the course of the game. At 5’8 he’s fearless attacking the basket, and always keeps his eyes at the rim allowing him to finish at a higher percentage than most. Because of his size he’s adapted to avoid getting his shots blocked by taller defenders, and with that he has excellent touch to place the ball high off the backboard and still finish. Defensively he’s one of those players who seems to be all over the place making plays. He utilized his quickness to pressure the ball in the full court, jumped a passing lane leading to an open lay-up, and also tipped a pass and dove on the floor which lead to another turnover.
Highlights
Taison had the type of scoring performance last night that we had been waiting to see all year. He’s such a gifted shot creator, and was looking to exploit any defensive mismatch on him by getting his shots in a variety of ways. Sag off and he was pulling up from three. If he had a speed advantage he was looking to blow by and get to the basket. Taison was also getting into his mid-range jumper, and because of his pace on the ball it’s so hard for defenders to predict when he’s going to pull-up. Ohio State commit finished with 23 points as Totino-Grace went down to the wire with Park Center.
There aren’t many players who are more dangerous running off screens than Liam is. He works hard off the ball to get into space, and is so skilled at catching and squaring up with the basket in one fluid motion that defenders are at his mercy if he gets out in front of them. Liam’s lightning quick release allowed him to hit a handful of threes without even needing a dribble against Edison on Wednesday night. He’s not just a shooter though as Farniok displayed some wiggle off the dribble to get into the paint where he was able to dish it out for 3+ assists. Liam has had a breakout season and has developed into one of the top players in the Minneapolis City Conference as a junior.
Highlights
JJ Ware JJ Ware 6’6″ | SF Park Center | 2023 State MN has had a really nice senior season, and after struggling with some injuries over his first few seasons I think he’s been a big stock riser this year. At 6’5-6’6 he has good positional size on the wing, and is the type of shooter that you can’t give any space to because he can quickly elevate for his shot. You don’t see many shooters his size get the type of lift on their outside jumper that JJ gets. Against Totino-Grace there were multiple times where he caught the ball and quickly elevated to get his shot off over a college sized defender. Doesn’t over dribble the ball, and is an efficient scorer with the looks he gets. Defensively he has very long arms and can cover a lot of ground with his stride to defend on the ball. Has also continued to add strength each year and can withstand contact around the basket to avoid fouling when his man tries to get to the rim.
Isiah Ayala Isiah Ayala 6’6″ | SF Minnesota Prep | 2025 MN is an intriguing player in the 2024 class. With his long and lanky frame at 6’5 he was making plays on the defensive end with his ability to block shots around the basket, and also get up in passing lanes to tip passes. I had seen him in fall league before, but he proved to be a better shooter than I knew as he hit a pair of threes and dribbled into a mid-range pull-up with the left hand. Edison doesn’t really have a true big man, so Isiah doubled as a pick & roll threat and had a handful of strong finishes at the rim getting his balanced and powering up off of two feet to finish.