Prep Hoops Nationals: the Elite Eight Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We go team by team and offer up the player that caught our attention the most this past weekend at the Prep Hoops Nationals. And why!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='2075431' first='D1' last='Minnesota']</strong>: [player_tooltip player_id='1169136' first='Mason' last='Klabo']. Mason looks like a different player in terms of the way he is physically moving. His burst off the dribble, his lift to the rim, lift into his shot, all of it looks like a player that could come into a mid major or low major and both handle as well as score for a team. In the title game Mason had 29 points on 12 of 15 shooting. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Watching Closest: That would likely go to North Dakota State who had their head coach in town watching. North Dakota and Wyoming were also regulars for all the games. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>ETG</strong>: Jacob Webber. Webber is a 6'6 shooter in the 2026 class and the first time I ever saw him play he scored 35 points! And he balanced those points between 18 in the first half and 17 in the second half. Then I saw him hit six threes in another game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Watching Closest: The Iowa Hawkeyes recently offered and they had two different assistants in town looking on. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='2075685' first='Minnesota' last='Select']:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1574221' first='Max' last='Lorenson']. Max has had a very good July. I think he adjusted from spring to fall as well as anybody and with the better attack lanes taken, with the better shots taken, he's been scoring more with a higher percentage. And Max is a good athlete as a two guard, the type that I think will have a great senior season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Watching Closest: I would say Superior is a team that seemed to be following everything Max does with the head coach and/or assistant.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Buffalo Legacy</strong>: I am going to say [player_tooltip player_id='2423572' first='Jordy' last='Sorenson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2104439' first='Ty' last='Torgrimson']. I am not sure the numbers matched the roster I had so I will just say both players had a strong event. Both guards were key pieces of the top six for Buffalo last year and they've had an outstanding 17u season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Watching Closest: I would lean towards Concordia-Moorhead or North Central seemed to be looking at them most consistently.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='2075672' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] Shepherd</strong>: [player_tooltip player_id='1454976' first='Wyatt' last='McBeth']. McBeth may have pushed himself forward in a big way with that strong game against [program_tooltip program_id='2075431' first='D1' last='Minnesota']. Going against players like [player_tooltip player_id='1572690' first='Chase' last='Thompson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1484016' first='Brady' last='Wooley'], McBeth got his length on those players causing issues, he scored in intelligent ways using intelligence, patience and skill.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Watching Closest: I would lean towards Concordia St-Paul who had three coaches at the event and they seemed to be tracking Fury Shepherd pretty close of course because of committed [player_tooltip player_id='1617679' first='Alex' last='Kopetzki'] but the way McBeth was playing this weekend, eyes were likely there too. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='2075672' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] Wilde</strong>: Lucas Wherley. Wherley looks like a good size, agile, and skilled shooting small forward right now that for some teams could be a fourth guard/big wing on the floor for small line-up. It was another strong weekend for Wherley who leads my "next up for D2s" list. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Watching Closest: Tough to pick a certain one here, I saw several of the dozen Northern Sun schools watching. The Fury is always playing against other good teams so there are always colleges watching. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='2078372' first='ECI' last='']: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1177143' first='Parker' last='Brodina']. I did not get a chance to see [program_tooltip program_id='2078372' first='ECI' last=''] this weekend so I can't give you a top player from them, but I can tell you I have been impressed with Parker this year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Watching Closest: Valley City State recently offered Parker a scholarship after watching him in the Chicago live period and Great Plains Alliance. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Minnesota Lightning</strong>: [player_tooltip player_id='1437495' first='Evan' last='Weichert'] had a pair of high teens scoring games when I was able to see him play and he is starting to show that his ankle is heeling and he's the type of scoring wing with size that defenders have a tough time dealing with. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Watching Closest: I would look to Hamline, Bethany, and Superior as teams that seemed to be tracking the Lightning closest and likely have their weights on Evan. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->