Top Playmakers at the Hardwood Classic

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This weekend's Hardwood Classic brought some top talent together in KC. Here are a handful of playmakers who stood out (in alphabetical order):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2321567' first='DJ' last='Brown']</strong>, 6-foot-4 forward, 2025, Wichita Southeast, PE34:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This guy jumps out at you instantly. Brown is long and slender, with athleticism to spare. He really handles the ball: guarded, full-speed in transition, in the paint, it doesn't faze him as he puts it on the deck with his eyes up. He made some nice passes in transition and in the paint. The lefty showed nice touch on midrange jumpers and around the goal. He contested shots and went after the boards with toughness.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1624971' first='Coley' last='Burgess'], 6-foot guard, 2025, Rock Creek, SSA:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Burgess fearlessly probes defenses on the bounce, constantly in control and confident in his ability to slice in and out of defenses looking to make plays. He has a great handle and vision. He can dish to opponents or create shots, even against bigger opponents. Burgess is scrappy, supremely competitive, and sneaky athletic.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1300857' first='Logan' last='Garner'], 5-foot-10 guard, 2024, El Dorado, Wichita Padres:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Garner has been impressing with his play making for a couple of years now, and he's ready for a big senior season. On a team with a lot of scorers and play makers, he stands out as the guy with the ball in his hands in crunch time. Similar to Burgess, Garner is always under control when he gets into the paint, handling the ball and using his body to create angles to get shots off. He's smart and experienced, so he stands out regardless the competition at events like the Hardwood Classic.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1588380' first='Alan' last='Hanna'], 6-foot-2 forward, 2025, Maize, MOKAN:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the most explosive athletes in the gym, Hanna can run and jump with the best of them. He's a defensive stopper, blocking shots and disrupting passing lanes. He attacks defenses on the bounce and showed an ability to hit from deep. At times Hanna simply outruns opponents to get to easy shots.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1402310' first='Jaalan' last='Watson'], 5-foot-8 guard, Olathe North, PAC:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Watson was smiling non-stop at the Hardwood Classic. Is this game that easy for him? It appears to be. He has the ball on a string and can seemingly break down a defender to get to the bucket whenever he sets his mind to it. He distributes the ball unselfishly and opens shots up by penetrating deep into defenses. Watson can shoot it from deep, get to shots in the midrange, or beat a defense to the goal. He will be one of Kansas' best guards the next two years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1512900' first='Mikey' last='Williams']</strong>, 6-foot-1 guard, 2025, Highland Park, VWBA:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An under-the-radar guard due to the depth at his high school, Williams earns a lot of respect at club events. As he continues to grow and fill out, he develops more ability to use his body to get to the bucket and make shots. His skills are sharp as a ballhandler, distributor and shooter. He can finish at the goal and rebounds and defends well, thanks to his intelligence and work ethic.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->