Twin Cities Senior Expo Standout Players

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2nd annual Twin Cities Senior Expo took place last night, with some of the top unsigned seniors in the Twin Cities competing at Concordia St. Paul. I was in attendance and these are some of the names who stood out in the games that I saw!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1178256"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Elias' combination of explosiveness and effort alone are enough to make an impact on a game. He was making hustle plays that made an impact on both ends of the floor, as he crashed the offensive glass hard for second chance points, chased down a player in transition for a highlight reel block, and he was also scrapping for loose balls to gain possession for his team. On the offensive end he showcased a confident shot from three when given too much space, and used his quick burst to get to the basket and finish off of two feet. One of the most explosive guards in the 2023 class who can make an impact on both ends of the floor.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["1221142"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Even in an event where guys are playing with players who they may be unfamiliar with, Jalen was finding ways to get all of his teammates involved. A true floor general, Jalen was making some high level passes out of the pick u0026amp; roll, and made sure the ball wasn't sticking on offense. He dictates the pace of the game and even when other players were starting to get sloppy, he got the game under control. Jalen has a big and strong frame that he uses to finish through contact at the basket, but I was also impressed with how well he shot the ball from three, including a few makes from beyond the college line.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["1225652"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='1225652' first='Romelle' last='Bell'] was finding success getting into his pull-up jumper, as he gets good elevation and only needs a little bit of space to step into his shot and rise up from mid-range. Both off the catch and dribble, Romelle was getting good looks to elevate and knock down shots from mid-range and three. Bell has a strong frame as a guard that allows him to compete on the glass against bigger players and should help him translate defensively at the next level. Had a strong senior season scoring 20 ppg for Hiawatha as they played a challenging non-conference schedule.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["1288764"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"PJ was running the floor in a way that not many 6'7 forwards can on Tuesday night. He has a long stride, good straight line speed, and can also fluidly weave through defenders while handling the ball to get to the basket. Pounds was a threat in transition because of how he could glide to the rim to finish off the glass or explode off the floor for a dunk. On the defensive end he has some strength to hold his ground on the block, and was also a shot blocking threat from the helpside. Utilizes his physical attributes to make big plays in the paint on both ends of the floor.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["962210"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Quyavant was one of the state's leading scorers over the winter, and once again he had no problem putting points on the board in a variety of ways. He plays with good change of speed, and because of his ability to either explode towards the basket or stop on a dime for a pull-up jumper, defenders are often left jumping or getting caught on their heels from his hesitation moves. Douglas does a good job of reading his defender to dictate whether he pulls up or attacks, and although he was able to get to his spots just about any time he wanted to, he wasn't forcing his shots and was making sure to share the ball. Knocked down his jumpers at a high rate when I watched, and he also showed off some explosiveness in the open floor with a couple of dunks towards the end of the night.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["1221165"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"Martez was one of the most explosive players in attendance, and he put that athleticism to use in transition. Not only was he picking up some dunks in the open floor, but he also hustled back on defense for a chase-down block that erased an easy two points. Martez does the bulk of his offensive work around the rim with quick cuts from the short corner or rolling to the basket. He also flashed a short/mid-range jumper though that he could get to off the dribble. Wise fought for offensive rebounds and quickly turned them into two points with the ability to go back up towards the basket, or elevate for a short jumper.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_6_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_6_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_6_player_details_player_name":"De'Vaun Simmons","_player_evaluations_6_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_6_player_details_graduating_class":"2023","_player_evaluations_6_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_6_player_details_height":"6'1u0022","_player_evaluations_6_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_6_player_details_position":"77244","_player_evaluations_6_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_6_player_details_school":"South St. Paul","_player_evaluations_6_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_6_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_6_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_6_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_6_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"De'Vaun brought a lot of toughness to the defensive end. He's a scrappy player who's going to pressure the ball, and does a nice job of forcing turnovers with his off-ball defense and ability to step in and take a charge. On the offensive end he was fearless attacking the basket, utilizing his ability to hang in the air and contort his body to finish against size. Has a quick first step that allows him to beat his man off the dribble, and he can also go coast-to-coast for transition buckets.","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":7,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6424a92b58e13"} /-->