#PHMidwestMelee: Max’s Early Standouts

In Saturday’s 8am matchup Ethan Carter Ethan Carter 6'2″ | PG St. Paul Academy | 2024 State MN impressed in a big win for BSB. It started on the defensive end where he not only did a good job of pressuring the ball, but forced a few turnovers and blocked some shots in the process. In the first two minutes of the game he swatted a shot off the floor and also cut his man off before ripping the ball from him for a steal. On the other end he was making the simple kick out passes to hit his open shooters right in the hands, and also did a nice job of exploding through gaps to get to the rim and finish. Showcased a smooth release from three as well. Good start to the weekend for the St. Paul Academy point guard.

JJ is a threat to score just about any time he touches the ball in the half-court. He has deep range beyond the arc, but is perhaps at his most dangerous attacking the basket. Most guys who try to finish off one foot are often unbalanced or try to force their way through contact, but JJ puts his long frame to use with euro-steps to get around defenders for easy finishes. He can cover so much ground in one step to put himself into space, and has a high release combined with soft touch off the glass that allows him to finish at a high level. Just about any time he attacked he was finishing or heading to the FT line. Defensively he puts his length to use tipping passes and blocking/altering shots at the rim.

Cooper had a nice game helping lead World Hoops Elite to a win on Saturday morning. At 6’4 he has a lean and mobile frame that allows him to make plays in the paint while also being able to run the floor hard in transition. Defensively he plays a lot stronger than he looks, holding his ground on the block, walling up to contest shots, and battling for any rebound he can get his finger tips on. Utilizes simple but effective post moves on the block and powers his way up through contact to finish efficiently. Had a key transition finish late in what was a very tight game.

Tysen was another player who stood out in the day’s 8am matchup. Any time he caught on the block he was looking to go right at his man, able to use his strength to get into deep position before turning over his left shoulder to finish with a soft hook shot. Good low-post player but also showed he can handle the ball in the open floor in a way that not every big can. Had a near double-double using his frame to clear out space and pull in 8 rebounds to go with his 15 points in a win.

Logan helped lead Wisconsin Blizzard to a win over a tough Real Phenom team on Friday night. Even though he missed some time in foul trouble, he made a huge impact when he was on the floor. Logan just has a nose for the basket, and has an explosive first step that allowed him to capitalize any time his man was out of position. Sipple was really aggressive attacking the basket, and has good body control combined with the athleticism to just hang in the air to finish in a variety of ways. Had some strong buckets in the paint to help his team come away with the W.

Charles had some nice moments on Friday night for Real Phenom. From first watching him he really impressed with his smooth jumper from three combined with his 6’4 frame. He’s continued to develop and now looks good putting the ball on the floor and getting to the rack. Composed finisher off one or two feet with good touch off the glass. Someone who can get into his own shot but also play off the ball as a catch-and-shoot threat. Spends a lot of time guarding bigger forwards but can also defend on the wing.

After the opposing team’s best player got off to a hot start, Ballers Elite had Mekhi faceguard him and make things difficult for him the rest of the half. Even giving up 7 inches, Mekhi was making things difficult with his strong frame and quickness that allowed him to get right up on his man and not give him an inch of breathing room. Tough as nails defender on the ball. Offensively he had success using his bruising frame to attack the basket, body off defenders, and extend to finish. Had a strong first half for Ballers Elite 2025.