Made Hoops Spring Warm Up/Recruit Look Showcase: Top Performers
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CHICAGO — Ahead of the spring evaluation period, Made Hoops and Recruit Look each hosted an event in Chicago over the weekend. Here’s a look at the top individual performers from Wisconsin… Amari Allen Amari Allen 6'7" | SG IMG…
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Continue ReadingCHICAGO — Ahead of the spring evaluation period, Made Hoops and Recruit Look each hosted an event in Chicago over the weekend. Here’s a look at the top individual performers from Wisconsin…
Amari Allen Amari Allen 6'7" | SG IMG Academy | 2025 State #53 Nation FL – 2024 – SF – Wisconsin Playground Club
Allen ended Saturday with a 24-point performance. Thought he was consistently very good throughout the weekend. A big, strong, athletic wing who’s able to even play a little point guard, Allen is a huge mismatch problem, even for shoe company teams. The former Kaukauna product, now at IMG Academy, Allen is a really good-looking prospect. He’s a legit 6-6, 6-7 that’s a handful when he attacks the rim. Also a gifted passer, Allen can get into the teeth of the defense, draw defenders, and find the open man, even if he’s not making eye contact with a teammate. Outside shot needs to become consistent, but when Allen’s got his jumper going, there’s just not a whole lot defenders are going to be able to do.
Elijah Griffin Elijah Griffin 6'1" | PG Westosha Central | 2025 State #352 Nation WI – 2025 – PG – Team Herro
Different role for Griffin this spring, but I really like the way he plays it. Griffin comes off the bench and runs the second unit for Team Herro. Put the ball in Griffin’s hands and good things will happen. A ball-dominant point guard who can really control the flow and dictate the tempo, Griffin is at his best at the controls where he can make plays for himself and others. Thought for most of the weekend, he played mistake-free basketball, took calculated risks, and made others around him better. The 6-foot-1 guard looks to push the pace and generate easy offense, but he’ll get it done in the halfcourt as well. Griffin runs and excellent pick n’ roll offense and sees the entire floor even when he’s playing in tight areas.
Davion Hannah Davion Hannah 6'5" | SF Nicolet | 2025 State #33 Nation WI – 2025 – SF – Mac Irvin Fire
One of the best rim finishers in the country, the touch this kid has around the rim is elite. When Hannah goes up, he can finish with either hand, off-balance, and just lets the ball roll off his fingers in unorthodox ways that you don’t see from other players. The No. 1 ranked player in Wisconsin after the 2022-23 season, Hannah was able to separate himself with an outstanding state tournament performance and start to gain consistency in his mid-range and 3-point shooting ability. What also stands out about Hannah — he’s a terrific athlete and obviously does a lot of damage in transition, but he’s equally lethal in the halfcourt and can score in a more methodical pace with the way he slithers in traffic and knock down shots with a hand in his face.
Jake Hansen Jake Hansen 6'1" | SG Wauwatosa West | 2025 State #331 Nation WI – 2025 – SG – Wisconsin Playground Club
Hansen opened the Recruit Looks Chicago Showcase with 32 points in a win over Mac Irvin Fire. The Wauwatosa West sniper almost didn’t miss from beyond the arc. Hansen does a great job of playing off dribble penetration, moving himself when needed into a passing window. When needed, Hansen can get to his pump fake, one-driblle pull-up, taking advantage of defenders flying out to him on the arc. In a game where PGC really struggled to get easy points around the rim, Hansen’s 3-point shooting, not only led his team back into the game after falling behind in the second half, but it blew the doors open a bit late in the game and allowed PGC to close things out. Saturday evening, Hansen was almost just as good, scoring 24 points to beat George Hill All-Indy. Hansen was just lethal in transition, getting up the floor ahead of the defense, and always ready to shoot.
Jaquan Johnson Jaquan Johnson 5'10" | PG Pius XI | 2024 State WI – 2024 – PG – Wisconsin Playground Club
I’m not even surprised at this point. Johnson’s been doing this for 3-plus years. For whatever reason, the Pius XI guard just doesn’t get his due in this state. Saturday night, Johnson put PGC on his back and led a come-from-behind win over Full Package with 28 points and three assists. It was a slow start for his group, but Johnson just never threw in the towel and elevated his game when his team needed it. The bulldog 5-foot-9 point guard has a deadly combination of upper body strength and speed on the ball. He’ll blow by defenders, go through them — whatever he’s gotta do. Constantly in attack mode, Johnson is also a strong shooter on the ball. While he’s a score-first point guard, he’s certainly talented enough as a facilitator and can make the flashy passes in traffic. Obviously, the size will push some mid-major programs away, but to me, Johnson is the exception to the rule in a lot of ways. I’ve seen him enough at a national level to know he’ll continue to produce like this against D1 talent.
Highlights
Zach Kinziger Zach Kinziger 6'3" | SG De Pere | 2025 State #127 Nation WI – 2025 – SG – Team Herro
Kinziger just got better and better as the weekend wore on. Coming off a state title run with De Pere, Kinziger’s not buried on that roster, but obviously, he’s not getting the same opportunities as most top 10 prospects would. Chicago was a good reminder of how lethal Kinziger is as a scorer. Of all the players I saw, didn’t see anybody create on the ball at the level of Kinziger, who just fooled defenders with crossover, step-back jumpers. The 6-foot-3 sophomore is never going to hit you with the same move twice and is extremely cognizant of how he beat his defender the first time — going to a blow-by after defenders start to play him for a pull-up. As a spot-up shooter, Kinziger almost doesn’t miss when left open. He’s also one of the best in the state at getting defenders off their feet with a pump fake, able to trade a good look for a great one.
Xzavion Mitchell Xzavion Mitchell 6'6" | SF Oshkosh North | 2025 State #119 Nation WI – 2025 – F – Team Herro
Weren’t any players who were checking Mitchell in Chicago. The Oshkosh North product dominated around the rim throughout the weekend, leading Team Herro to a 4-0 record. The 6-foot-7 forward might not say a lot on the floor, but his game and his motor do the talking. Mitchell really gets after the offensive glass, can jump start the fast break himself, and plays the enforcer role on defense really well as an impact shot blocker. Extremely effective in the high post, Mitchell has perfected the ability to catch from around 10-12 feet and score, often using a soft floater. While he averages well north of 20 points per game in high school, Mitchell is a very underrated passer as well, speficially when he can turn and face in the mid-range. Also starting to improve his outside shot, Mitchell will almost never settle, but now that he’s knocking it down from deep, it’s just turning him into a much better prospect than he was a year ago.
Kaiden Simpson – 2026 – G – Team Haliburton
Simpson showed a lot of stuff against Mac Irvin Fire on Saturday. A plus-length guard who can score it from all three levels, Simpson attacked an athletic team really well. Not only is the 6-foot-2 freshman a knockdown shooter, he’s got some downhill-minded swagger about him as well and showed terrific touch to score over shot blockers. Simpson was smooth and decisive on the ball, making his move to the rim with limited dribbles. Needs to take better care of the ball and cut down on turnovers, but Simpson can be effective both in transition and in the halfcourt. In addition to his well-rounded scoring package, Simpson has some tools to be a really good defender in the coming years as well. In addition to his length, Simpson can slide laterally, anticipate in the gaps, and likely guard multiple positions as he fills out.