Madness in the Midwest: Jack’s Opening Night Stars

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Friday night of the Madness in the Midwest was full of talented matchups which led to some key performers that caught my eye. Here are my top seven!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1288812"],"_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":"u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eThe final game of the night was the [player_tooltip player_id='1288812' first='Alvin' last='Payne'] show. Alvin could not be stopped from attacking the rim with his elite ability to convert through traffic. He was able to absorb contact from defenders and finish like they were never even there. He is a springy jumper and used that to hang in the air to avoid his shots from being blocked. He also used that to fly high and grab rebounds where he would then immediately begin pushing the ball up the floor. Payne is an unselfish player who had many key assists in kick out situations and with long outlet passes. The 2024 guard averaged over 11 points per game this past high school season at Blaine. u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6443da4eb3004"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Rayquon Gary","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'11u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"77246","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Cretin-Derham Hall","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Minnesota Heat Jones 2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eRayquon really stood out to me on Friday night as a two-way player. The level of intensity that the 5'11” guard plays with was a major factor in him being able to truly dominate on both ends. He picked up numerous steals, making opposing ball handlers lives very difficult in the process. The freshman guard then has the ability to outrun retreating defenders and finish at the basket at full speed. That is when he found the most success, pushing the ball up the floor and maintaining control while making a tough layup. Many of his finishes came with contact, but that did not bother him as he converted on multiple three point plays. u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6443da4eb30c8"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1284165"],"_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":"u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eI really admired the energy that [player_tooltip player_id='1284165' first='Kaydin' last='Lee'] brought off the bench in Minnesota Chill's Friday night win. He impacted the game in a variety of ways, scoring from inside and outside, while also giving maximum effort on the defensive end, hounding opposing ball handlers all game. One of the sequences that stood out to me from Kaydin was a made three-pointer, then immediately pressuring the ball, poking the ball loose, then jumping on it to force a jump ball. Lee also had some really crafty finishes at the rim, showcasing some impressive balance. He is coming off of a very productive junior year this past season at Cass Lake-Bena. u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6443da4eb312b"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1930636' first='Anton' last='Kilde']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'3u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"77244","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Portage","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Wisconsin Truth","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eAnton made a lot of versatile plays on Friday and intrigued me as a prospect while I was watching him. He stands at 6'3” and contributed as a main ball handler and facilitator for his team. He also incorporated a lot of inside scoring in his game, sometimes having his back to the basket in post-up-like situations. He has great touch near the hoop as he has the ability to float a shot off the backboard, sometimes from outside the paint, making it very unpredictable and hard to prepare for. He has great size for the guard position but I could see him being able to play the 3 as well. Kilde can fit into many schemes with his skillset and frame. u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6443da4eb31c7"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Alvin Jones Jr.","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2023","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'1u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"77244","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Osseo","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Minnesota Chill","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eAlvin and the Minnesota Chill backcourt were monumental in their big win over Wisconsin Truth on Friday night. The unsigned senior brings a combination of steady ball handling and lockdown on-ball defense all game. He has a deep bag of moves he can go to when attempting to get around his defender and showed flashes of his vision as well. Where he stuck out to me most was on the defensive side of the ball. I was really impressed with the way he moved his feet and didn't rely on using his hands to guard his opponents. You can tell he takes pride in how he defends and it was very evident. Jones fits very well into this Chill team. u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6443da4eb325f"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Joseph Ware","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'1u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"77245","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Oshkosh West","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"All Wisconsin","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eJoseph impressed me with the way he held down the painted area in their Friday night matchup with Minnesota Heat. The freshman forward used his size and strength to his advantage with some contested rebounds, some coming on the offensive end that led to some self-made second chance baskets for himself. Ware also played superb post-defense, staying straight up and using his body to keep his opponent from getting anywhere. He moves well for his size as well running up and down the floor. u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6443da4eb32f4"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Henry Queenan","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"DeLaSalle","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'2u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"77248","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"2024","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Minnesota Heat Moronge 2024","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eHenry did a little bit of everything in their blowout win. He started the game off super hot, scoring a quick seven points to give his team an early 9-2 lead. Minnesota Heat did not look back after that and stayed in control the entire game. Queenan began with a catch-and-shoot corner three-pointer then had numerous transition finishes off of outlet passes from teammates. The DeLaSalle junior was also really good at jumping passing lanes, coming away with several steals. He also crashed the boards and rebounded well for his size. u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6443da4eb3389"} /-->