Top 250 Expo Session 2: The GameChangers
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This content series is sponsored by GameChanger – The Official Scorekeeping, Stats, Team Management & Technology Partner of Prep Redzone. There was a lot of expectation and interest leading up to Session 2 of the Minnesota Top 250 Expo. There…
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There was a lot of expectation and interest leading up to Session 2 of the Minnesota Top 250 Expo. There were a lot of talented players on display for the event. The seven players listed performances caught my attention and are worthy of recognition.
Jaxon blew me away with the shooting performance he put on his second game of the day on Saturday. He was usually one of the smaller players on the floor, but that did not stop him from creating space to get his shots off from the perimeter. He was letting it fly from a couple steps beyond the three-point line, even pulling up in transition sometimes. Boschee also attacked the rim well, showing that he was able to finish through defenders larger than him.
Lubab Kambalo
Lubab Kambalo
Lubab was one of my favorite players to watch on Saturday, as he was flying around and making plays all game. He may lack size as he stands at 5-foot-7, but he more than makes up for it with his ability to make plays with the ball in his hands. He is a knockdown shooter and was hitting looks from deep off the catch and after creating separation off the dribble. Kambalo is an excellent passer and had some creative ways of finding his teammates as well.
Carson was a player that I was pleasantly surprised with on Saturday, as I was not very familiar with his game coming into the event. He was on a stacked team with a lot of ball dominant scorers, but still found a way to get his. He is a lights out shooter who was getting shots off instantly off the catch with no hesitation. He was a threat from all three levels on his way to an extremely efficient performance with at least a total of 20 points.
Julius Ellis
Julius Ellis
I was able to watch Julius a lot on the Prep Hoops Circuit this past spring and summer, as he was running with D1MN Coker. I was used to him being used more as an interior player, going to work in the post and guarding opposing bigs. On Saturday, he was able to play more on the perimeter, putting himself in different scenarios to impact the game. Ellis knocked down a couple attempts from deep and even showed flashes of what he can do handling the ball in space.
Tyler really stuck out to me on Saturday with his athleticism and ability to play at full speed. He specialized in transition situations, where he could get out in space and use his speed to go coast-to-coast. I watched slam home multiple dunk attempts, showing his leaping ability. Thompson also has excellent body control which he used when rising up for finishes through traffic to avoid his shot from being blocked.
Highlights
Finn was another player that I was familiar with after the spring and summer season on the Prep Hoops Circuit. The junior forward stands at 6-foot-6 and is very versatile with the many ways that he can impact the game. He can use his size to work inside, being able to score out of the post and hold down the paint defensively. Norman has also shown the ability to run the floor in transition and handle the ball in the half court.
Highlights
Anthony was an all-around offensive weapon on Saturday, mixing in some facilitating and scoring for his team. I was most impressed with his ability to finish around the rim through traffic. He showed that he was able to hang in the air and contort his body to convert inside. Ortiz also had many ways he could get himself around defenders where he could then continue to drive or kick out to a teammate for an assist.