Max’s Mid-Week Standouts: Week 8

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Seven of the top performers I saw across two games on Tuesday and Wednesday this week!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1617786"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6793dafd2140b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">It was a breakout game for [player_tooltip player_id='1617786' first='Nigel' last='Caldwell'] on Wednesday night, helping push Park Center to a win at Coon Rapids. We've seen the potential of Nigel in camp settings, as he's a long and lanky guard with some explosive athleticism and shooting touch. On Wednesday night he put those tools together with a 29 point performance, hitting a pair of threes early on that really boosted his confidence. From there he was flying up the floor in transition, including jumping a pair of passes that led to open dunks. Park Center has struggled early in the year with some injuries and figuring out their identity after graduating a loaded 2024 class, but Nigel's emergence could help them finish off the season strong.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1454976"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6793dafd2148f"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Perhaps a bit overlooked due to Wayzata's loaded 2026 class, Wyatt simply goes out and produces, and on Tuesday night he showed why he made the initial Mr. Basketball watchlist. The 6'6 forward was cutting hard off the ball and battling for offensive rebounds, leading to plenty of high percentage looks inside. Everytime his team needed a boost, Wyatt seemed to deliver with a big play, and was getting his team/home crowd fired up with some vocal reactions. Really helped to limit any second chance opportunities for Hopkins with his rebounding, and was extremely efficient with his 17 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2402639"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6793dafd214fd"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Despite the loss to Park Center, it was another impressive shooting performance from Taigan. Taigan is proving to be one of the best shooters in the state, having hit 41% of his threes at the mid-way point of the season, and likely boosted that percentage a bit against Park Center. He has such a smooth release, and was active off the ball looking for pockets of space to catch and shoot. Taigan knocked down 8 3's, and found cutting teammates for a handful of assists. Has a projectable frame as well, as he stands at 6'3 with the athleticism to make plays on either end.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1560867"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6793dafd21570"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Christian came out on Tuesday night looking to make a statement. The 2026 guard threw down an explosive dunk in transition, was powering his way to the rim to finish, and showcased his shooting touch from beyond the arc. Christian has always been a threat from three, but now stands at 6'5, and has put on a good amount of muscle over the past 1-2 years, making him tough to stop when he's in attack mode. On the defensive end, Christian is able to defend just about every spot on the floor at the high school level, and provides an additional rebounding presence for his team inside. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1560778"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6793dafd215e1"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1560867' first='Christian' last='Wiggins'] got Wayzata out to an initial lead, and it was Nolen who put the nail in the coffin in the second half. Exploding for 23 second half points, Nolen was constantly moving off the ball leading to good looks. He excels at catching on the move, quickly getting his feet squared up, and knocking down a three in rhythm. He has no shortage of confidence, and when defender by a smaller wing he's not afraid to pull-up with a hand in his face. Threw down a powerful baseline dunk late in the game that sealed the deal for his team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1574214"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6793dafd2164e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">It wasn't the prettiest game for Temi, but the 6'5 forward went out and produced. His combination of size, strength, and energy allowed him to battle for rebounds inside, and he did a great job of drawing contact and earning trips to the free throw line. He's not afraid of playing physical inside, and was constantly drawing fouls, knocking down his free throws at a solid percentage to work his way to 16 points. High energy forward who always goes out and plays with intensity and effort.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":[2842020],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6793dafd216c0"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">With the level of confidence Xaviahn played with on Tuesday night, you never would have been able to guess that he had also just played in the JV game beforehand. In the varsity game, Ivey provided a spark with his impressive lateral quickness, moving his feet well to defend Hopkins' talented backcourt. Offensively he keeps the ball moving, but isn't afraid to take and make a jumper when he finds himself in space. Xaviahn is an impressive athlete, and in the JV game he got out in transition and exploded off the floor for a powerful dunk. One to keep an eye on over the next couple of years at Wayzata.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->