#PHMadnessInTheMidwest: Max’s 2027 Standouts
In this article:
Seven of the freshmen who stood out in Appleton at Prep Hoops Madness In The Midwest! Jaden Boyd POS WG CLASS 2027 View Profile Jaden Boyd State: Wisconsin Jaden was the best passer I saw over the weekend. The point…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingSeven of the freshmen who stood out in Appleton at Prep Hoops Madness In The Midwest!
Jaden was the best passer I saw over the weekend. The point guard has vision you rarely see in a freshman, and was dropping dimes both in transition and in the half-court. Defenders just couldn’t keep him out of the paint, and his ability to deliver no look passes allowed him to look off defenders to create an opening for his forwards around the rim. If the dump-off pass wasn’t there, Jaden could also deliver a tough cross-body pass out to an open shooter on the perimeter. Good on-ball defender with the quickness to pressure the ball hard. Was able to come up with a couple of steals leading to easy lay-ups in transition.
Already at 6’8, Macallan has size you can’t teach. The Kimberly prospect is still raw at this early stage, but showed some nice flashes in the games I was able to watch. He has solid mobility on the offensive end which made him a pick & roll threat, and he also had a quick turn to beat his man on the baseline and finish at the rim in one game. Utilized his 6’8 frame to send an opposing player’s shot flying off the court on Saturday night. Still has years to go in his development, but Macallan showed a promising combination of size and touch around the basket.
Another Kimberly prospect who impressed was Christopher Thao Christopher Thao 5’10” Kimberly High School | 2027 WI . The 5’11 guard excelled at getting to the basket, utilizing a shifty handle to beat defenders off the dribble and get downhill. Good speed in the open floor to beat defenders in transition, and good poise in the half-court to let his screeners get set before coming off tight to attack the basket. Part of a balanced All Wisconsin team that went 4-1 on the weekend.
J’cobi Mathis
J’cobi Mathis
Mathis was playing up at the 16u level with Bradley Elite, and didn’t look anywhere out of place. He was a constant threat to score whenever the ball was in his hands, as he has electric change of speed to beat his defender with limited dribbles. Did a nice job of utilizing a jab step or shot fake before blowing by his man to get to the paint. Mathis is already a proven varsity contributor having averaged over 22 points per game in the winter for St. Augustine, and it showed with his play on Friday night for Bradley Elite.
Don’t let his size fool you, Jackson brought some big game to the floor for Wisconsin Playmakers . He’s a sharpshooter from beyond the arc, and on Friday night showed he can put points on the board in a hurry as he knocked down three 3’s within a couple of minutes to get his team going. Defenders constantly have to be aware of Jackson as he does a great job of passing and moving, and if you lose track of him for just a second he’ll make you pay with his quick release. Does a nice job of utilizing shot fakes to get defenders in the air as he quickly becomes recognized as an outside shooting threat.
Highlights
Good luck keeping JJ off the glass. Edmonson was one of the most dominant rebounders I saw all weekend, as opposing players just couldn’t contain him around the basket. He’s a bit of a tweener positionally as his playstyle if that of a big, but he has the size and athleticism of a wing. The multi-sport athlete was constantly in attack mode looking to get to the rim off the drive, and made a living with putback buckets off of his teammates’ misses. At this stage he’s faster and stronger than most wings that will be defending him, but it’s his grit and effort that really sets him apart. When he goes in for a rebound or loose ball, you can just tell that JJ wants it more than anyone else.
Highlights
I’m not sure I saw a player take more hits driving to the basket than Jackson, and he just kept on getting up. He was absolutely fearless attacking the rim against size, and converted on some tough looks through contact. In the span of a couple of minutes Jackson had a tough and-one finish, then added a bucket in transition before drawing a charge on the other end. Defensively he’s one of those players who always seemed to be in the right spots to make a play, and isn’t afraid to withstand some contact to pick up a charge call.