Max’s Midweek Prospect Standouts
In this article:
Seven prospects who impressed in the two games I saw on Tuesday and Wednesday! JJ Ware MN #20 SF #6 HEIGHT 6'6" POS SF CLASS 2023 View Profile JJ Ware Instagram Twitter State: Minnesota School: Park Center Club: Gain Elite…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingSeven prospects who impressed in the two games I saw on Tuesday and Wednesday!
JJ Ware JJ Ware 6’6″ | SF Park Center | 2023 State MN continued to produce at a high level as a senior. Against Osseo he had a team high 19 points in a win. Ware is one of the best three point shooters I’ve seen this winter, combining his 6’6 frame with excellent elevation to make it difficult for defenders to contest. With all of the talent around him, JJ does a nice job of not wasting any dribbles or holding on to the ball too long. He catches ready to shoot, and if you don’t get a hand up quickly he’s going to let it fly and hit at a high percentage. I also like how he was competing on the glass, using his quick bounce off the floor to pull in offensive boards and go right back up with the ball.
I really like how hard this 2024 post plays. Osseo really struggled to rebound the ball against a bigger and more athletic Park Center team, but that wasn’t the case when Aaron was on the floor. Even though he missed chunks of time with foul trouble, he finished the game with 9 points and 8 rebounds. Offensively he makes himself big to provide an easy target for entry passes on the block, and he has no hesitation to go up and finish in traffic. On the defensive end he may not be the quickest big, but he works hard to move his feet when he has to hedge and recover, and he does a nice job of walling up around the rim.
Highlights
Andy has an offer from St. Thomas, and last night just about the whole staff was in attendance watching him drop 23 points and 10 assists in a win over Totino-Grace. Andy seems to have an extra set of eyes with the way he sees the slightest opening to hit a teammate for an open look, and it’s his change of speed that gets him into the paint leading to those passing opportunities. Andy used his body well to shield off defenders before extending and finish at the rim, and he excelled at laying the ball in off the glass from a variety of angles.
After a sloppy first couple of minutes Taison went on to finish with 19 points and 8 assists on an efficient 8-12 shooting. He was patiently waiting for the right moments to attack, able to go from 0-60 about as quick as anyone in the state, and he covers so much ground with each stride when he attacks. He wasn’t over-shooting, but if you sagged off too much Taison wasn’t afraid to let it fly from three. Taison did a nice job of passing the ball up ahead leading to some transition buckets for his team, and was delivering accurate post entry passes leading to easy scorers in the paint for his bigs.
Jordan had a hot start to the game that put Minnetonka ahead for good. Over just the first few minutes of the game, he had 9 points off of a three, a pair of transition finishes, and a mid-range jumper. During that time he also slid into help-side position on the baseline to draw a charge. Cain plays extremely hard, is fearless attacking the basket, and has a combination of strength and bounce that makes him difficult to stop at the rim. Finished with a team high 24 points and capped off the game with an explosive transition dunk.
Joe brought an extra level of grit that allowed Park Center to dominate on the glass against Osseo. Any time a shot went up, he was crashing the glass hard looking for a putback opportunity. Had the poise to finish in traffic on his way to 13 points, and also threw down a transition dunk. Park Center was missing their starting big, so Burgess spent some time guarding in the paint while also showing his ability to move his feet on the perimeter against smaller wings.
Patrick produced at a high level last night for Totino-Grace to help keep them in the game. Minnetonka doesn’t have a true big, so the Eagles were looking to feed Bath in the paint constantly. He did a nice job of creating seals allowing for easy entry passes that allowed him to quickly go up and finish. Showcased his quick spin move for a baseline dunk through contact during the second half. Bath is relentless going in for offensive boards and has a quick second leap allowing him to go right back up with the ball. Strong and explosive frontcourt player who finished with 31 points and 12 rebounds.