#PHMidwestShowdown: Max’s Saturday Standouts
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Seven of the prospects who impressed on Saturday in Appleton at Prep Hoops Midwest Showdown! Joey LaChapell WI #31 PG #3 HEIGHT 5'10" POS PG CLASS 2024 View Profile Joey LaChapell Instagram Twitter State: Wisconsin School: Appleton East Club: Wisconsin…
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Continue ReadingSeven of the prospects who impressed on Saturday in Appleton at Prep Hoops Midwest Showdown!
I really liked how Joey ran the offense for Playmakers in their two games yesterday. He showed he can control the game as a floor general but also take over as a scorer when needed. So good at threading the needle through tight gaps to hit his guys cutting backdoor along the baseline, but could also get two feet in the paint and kick it out to his open shooters. Joey has excellent body control that allowed him to take off up the floor in transition, go right into contact, and still maintain his balance to finish over taller players at the rim. Tough defender who seemed to force multiple turnovers in both games I watched him play.
I really like how Isaiah was utilized in the high post against Elite 8. He was so good at facing up and finding guys with a quick high-low pass around the rim, but could also see if he had any shooters open on the perimeter. Allen was just racking up assists with his vision and ability to zip in passes over the top of defenders at 6’4. Once his man started to play the pass a little more, Isaiah showed he can just elevate for the short/mid-range jumper with ease. Also showed some of his explosiveness with a dunk over the top of a defender along the baseline.
Jamal had one of the more impressive scoring performances on the day for Start Strong. The unsigned senior was so dangerous as an isolation scorer due to his change of speed on the ball and ability to stop on a dime for a pull-up jumper. Multiple times in the second half I saw him beat his man, pin him on his hip, and then elevate for a mid-range jumper all while drawing a foul from behind. Did a nice job of coming off ball-screens tight, and then reading the defense to determine how he attacked. Jamal gets great elevation on his pull-up jumper making it difficult to get a clean contest on.
Omar showed some nice flashes for Minnesota Heat in a win over Midwest Kings on Saturday afternoon. The 6’7 forward started off the game with three finishes inside and a pair of blocks in the first 4-5 minutes. He showed good hands to catch in traffic, and the coordination to get around defenders for clean finishes at the rim. Missed a couple of bunnies in the second half that I’m sure he’d like to get back, but for the most part showcased soft touch off the glass. Defensively he’s a very long and active help-side defender with good timing to get up and block shots. Showed some mobility at 6’7 leaking out in transition and throwing down a two-handed dunk to get his team fired up.
Chapman Academy came up short against a loaded Wisconsin PGC team, but I liked the toughness that Logan displayed throughout the game. At 6’2 he spent a large portion of the game defending taller players, and was making them work for every inch of space they got. He was constantly fighting to pull in rebounds against size, and wasn’t afraid to step in and take a hit to draw a charge. Offensively Logan was going right at the PGC size for some tough finishes at the rim, showcasing good body control in the process.
TJ has the green light with this Chapman Academy team, and yesterday he was making defenders pay for giving him even an inch of space on the perimeter. The 2024 guard out of Marquette can heat up in a hurry from three, and yesterday he showcased a quick release off the catch to put points on the board in bulk at times. Constantly has his hands and feet ready to shoot when off the ball, which allows him to get into his shot as soon as he touches the ball. Helped lead Chapman Academy to a big win over Elite 8.
Amari had some moments of dominance for Wisconsin PGC 2025 in a pair of wins on Saturday. At 6’7 he spent most of his time playing point guard for his team, handling the ball well under pressure to get his team into their offense. Amari was a force in transition, using his length to pick off or tip passes, and then taking off towards the rim for dunk after dunk in the open floor. Could also attack in the half-court, take a bump on his shoulder, and then finish with the opposite hand off the glass. Good mid-range shooter as well who can get to his spot off one or two dribbles and elevate for the jumper.