Pacesetter Sweet 16: Max’s Prospect Standouts
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The Pacesetter Sweet 16 tournament took place over the weekend in the St. Cloud area, with 16 teams across all classes coming to compete. Delano took home the title with some impressive wins over the two days of play. These…
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Continue ReadingThe Pacesetter Sweet 16 tournament took place over the weekend in the St. Cloud area, with 16 teams across all classes coming to compete. Delano took home the title with some impressive wins over the two days of play. These are seven prospects who stood out in the handful of games that I was able to catch!
Tyler has made some impressive improvements to his game since his sophomore season at TG. He’s grown to 6’5+, added some bounce, and is much more than just a catch-and-shoot threat now. Wagner threw down the dunk of the weekend as he took flight in transition and threw it down over a defender through some contact. Knocked down some threes off the catch, and proved to be dangerous attacking off the dribble. Does a great job of playing off two feet, allowing him to rise up for a mid-range jumper if the space is there, while also keeping his balance to kick it back out if he doesn’t have a good look. His positional size allows him to pick his spots and get shots off with ease over smaller guards. Defensively he’s able to defend against smaller guards which comes in handy as Totino-Grace often puts a ton of size out on the floor that very few high school teams can match.
Highlights
Mankato East made a nice run, and Lucas had a strong game to help them get by Cherry in the opening round. The 2026 guard is a lights out shooter from three, and on Saturday morning that included a make from half-court to beat the halftime buzzer! Playing alongside Brogan Madson Brogan Madson 6’1″ | PG Mankato East | 2025 State MN who can get into the paint just about anytime he wants to, Lucas does a great job of moving off the ball allowing for some easy kickout passes right into his hands. Always ready to shoot, Lucas has a quick release to get his shot off before a closeout can arrive.
Highlights
Chase showed why D1 coaches will have a close eye on him over his next two years of high school. Even without his high major committed teammate, he helped lead Alexandria past Hopkins in an overtime thriller on Saturday. At 6’8 not many guys in the state can match his size and fluid mobility, and that was the case in this game as he was a mismatch all over the court. Hopkins bigs couldn’t stick with him on the perimeter where he knocked down a few threes but could also attack off the bounce and finish in a variety of ways at the rim. Showed a low-post game as well using his frame to establish deep position, and on multiple occasions beating his man with a quick spin move to the rack. Hit some clutch shots down the stretch to bring his team back and force overtime.
Highlights
Daveion Hart
Daveion Hart
Perhaps a bit overshadowed by some of his talented teammates at Hopkins, Daveion is developing into a really good player as well. Defensively he stands out as a versatile player who can move his feet on the wing and plays much bigger than his height. His impressive wingspan allowed him to block a handful of shots against Alexandria, as well as provide a rebounding presence inside. Hart was a force in transition as he can handle it on his own, or sprint ahead and catch deep passes from his teammates. Threw down an explosive dunk in the open floor while also using his athleticism to get up and finish in traffic on multiple occasions.
Jackson stood out as Park Center rolled past Cass Lake-Bena in the opening round. The 6’4 senior showed why he’s one of the top defenders in the state in my opinion, as he was constantly applying ball pressure against smaller guards, and forced a 10 second call picking up full-court on his own. Offensively he was knocking down his shots from three at a high rate, was able to break down his man off the dribble to get to the rim, and threw down a couple of explosive dunks. With all of the athletes around him, he creates plenty of transition opportunities for his team with his constant ball pressure.
Dothan has some physical attributes you rarely find in a sophomore-to-be. He stands at 6’6, is an explosive athlete off one or two feet, and has a solid frame with room to continue adding strength. Quick first step at his size allowed him to get downhill to the rim for multiple dunks in the half-court, and he also impressed with his ever-improving perimeter game. Was able to create his own jumpers off the dribble, and was dangerous knocking down a handful of mid-range jumpers. Didn’t look fazed at all elevating and hitting shots with a hand right in his face.
Carson Brown Carson Brown 6’0″ | PG Cherry | 2025 State MN was knocking down shot after shot from three to help keep his team in it against a talented Class AAA team in Mankato East. Provided another scoring presence alongside Isaac Asuma Isaac Asuma 6’3″ | PG Cherry | 2024 State #102 Nation MN , and he really helped open up driving lanes with his deep range, forcing his defender to stay with him beyond the arc. Good activity off the ball to open up catch-and-shoot opportunities, and also sprinted the floor in transition leading to some easy buckets in the open floor. Will play a key role for one of the top teams in Class A this winter.