Midwest Melee: Saturday Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was a great day of hoops at the Prep Hoops Circuit Midwest Melee! Which prospects stood out on Saturday in Illinois?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Tony Balaganayi -- F -- Team Ignite</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Balaganayi did plenty of things that won't necessarily show up on a stat sheet. With the opposing squad playing a zone defense, the forward was planted around the free-throw line for large portions of the game. I thought that Balaganayi did an awesome job making the smart pass. Even if it didn't lead to an assist, Balaganayi's high-IQ plays flipped the defense and forced them to scramble in rotations. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kyle Irwin -- SG -- Team Ignite</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Irwin was no doubt one of my favorite prospects to watch on Saturday. The Team Ignite shooting guard was able to make several plays around the rim. From the opening tip, Irwin's fingerprints were all over the game. Not only was he aggressive as a scorer, but the shooting guard also was effective as a facilitator. He did a really nice job getting his teammates involved in the scoring action. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Brayden Hermsdorf -- PF -- Wisconsin Wizards</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hermsdorf is almost certainly going to be a top prospect in Wisconsin for years to come. The Wisconsin Wizards power forward played an impressive game on Saturday morning. I love how the power forward used his size to dominate in the paint. He is simply much bigger than opposing defenders. He knows this. In a win for Wisconsin Wizards, Hermsdorf finished tough layups around the paint and proved to be an elite rebounder on both ends of the floor. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jarvis Tolbert -- G -- Indiana Game</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tolbert is a really solid prospect. The Indiana Game guard was feasting at the rim. When he puts his head down and attacks the paint, he is very difficult to slow down. I really like the toughness that Tolbert brings to the table. Regardless of the situation, Tolbert will play hard and won't get rattled. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2272829' first='Jalen' last='Wilson'] -- G -- Indiana Game</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wilson's name has been on my radar this spring. The Indiana Game guard is a very gifted scorer. He can get downhill and attack the cup or step outside and swish jumpers. Overall, Wilson has proven himself as a top prospect this spring. I look forward to watching him play in the near future! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Brendan Beaumont -- SF -- M14 Hoops</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I thought that Beaumont did plenty of impressive things on Saturday afternoon. The small forward was able to display an outside jumper while also scoring well from inside the arc. Beaumont also did plenty of little things. He made some key hustle plays that grabbed my attention. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ian Polonowski -- SF -- Full Package </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Polonowski's 6-foot-5 frame makes him an intriguing prospect. The Full Package small forward displayed plenty of skill on Saturday, too. Polonowski has a smooth long-range shot. If he can consistently make three-point shots, he is poised for greatness at the next level. Polonowski is also a talented rebounder and defender. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->