Stock Risers from Harvest Prep Events
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Harvest Prep hosted an event right before the new year (Holiday Hoop Fest) and right after the new year (New Year’s Bash) and in this article we’ll break down some stock risers from those two events. We posted top performer…
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Continue ReadingHarvest Prep hosted an event right before the new year (Holiday Hoop Fest) and right after the new year (New Year’s Bash) and in this article we’ll break down some stock risers from those two events. We posted top performer articles from both events, click here for Holiday Hoop Fest and here for New Year’s Bash.
The headline match-up of both events was Cincinnati St Xavier Vs Cleveland Heights Lutheran East. This was a battle that went down to the wire but the Bombers did enough to get their marquee win of the season. Walekowski led his team with 15 points as he can really shoot it from the outside. With his size, basketball IQ and shooting ability, Walekowski looks like a scholarship level prospect. His best play of the day came when he pump faked an aggressive closeout and side stepped for a dagger jumper. Walekowski had a slow start to his Junior season, being held under 10 points in his first five contests. Since then, he’s scored 28, 21 and 15 to regain his form.
Another GCL standout, Rakestraw helped lead a balanced Chaminade Julienne effort that included four of their five starters scoring either 14 or 15 points. Proficient with his back to the basket, Rakestraw is a force in the paint and teams without a physical presence will struggle to contain him. On the first play of the game Rakestraw finished through contact for an and-1 bucket and that was a sign of things to come. Rakestraw was efficient, only missing one of his seven field goal attempts on Saturday. A small college priority, Rakestraw has taken visits to numerous small college powerhouses in the summer and fall to set his recruitment up.
Parkersburg South was one of the few teams that played in both events, getting good competition against Ohio talent. Smith had a strong effort on Tuesday as he played hard around the rim and got a couple putback layups due to his motor. Combine that with his 3-point shooting ability off the wing on spot-ups or running off screens and it’s easy to see why Smith is so highly regarded in West Virginia’s 2024 class.
Another Parkersburg South standout, Hewitt is an impressive wing athlete who had a couple strong drive and finishes at the rim. A confident pull-up shooter, Hewitt also had a couple foot on the line jumpers in addition to a 3-pointer. In the fourth quarter on Tuesday’s battle with Gahanna, Hewitt had a tough take to the rim to tie the game late. I was impressed with Hewitt’s burst at the point of attack, able to get by the primary defender when the ball was in his hands. Hewitt is a name to watch in West Virginia’s 2025 class.