Prep Hoops Midwest Showdown: 17U standouts

A look at some the 17U standouts from Wisconsin who competed Saturday at the Prep Hoops Midwest Showdown in Appleton:    A smooth lead guard who can shadow opponents on defense with his lateral quickness, Allen makes up for his lack of size with his speed, quickness and skill. Very capable of breaking down opposing backcourt players with his stop-and-go dribble, his shiftiness and his quickness, Allen got to the basket often against a solid Minnesota Powerhouse squad and finished in double figures in a loss. He also can stop on a dime and rise up for mid-range jump shots. Coming off a very good junior season, Allen averaged 19.5 points and picked up second-team all-league recognition in the Eastern Division of the Woodland Conference.     A physically strong wing prospect who can run the floor, score in transition and hit the glass, Thompson was a key performer for the [program_tooltip program_id='2075258' first='ABC' last='Young Lions'] in their 58-47 loss to a very good Powerhouse Minnesota program Saturday morning. Thompson as able to guard on the perimeter and in the paint, score off the dribble, and rip down rebounds in traffic. Thompson is one of several players from the 2025 class -- [player_tooltip player_id='2279894' first='Zayn' last='Young'] of Pius XI Catholic, [player_tooltip player_id='2423538' first='Daniel' last='Franklin'] of Oak Creek, among the others -- competing with the Lions this spring, hoping to catch the attention of some collegiate coaches in an effort to latch on with a program at the next level for the 2025-26 season.     Even in the face of intense pressure from a bunch of backcourt standouts from the D1 Minnesota 3SSB squad who figure to play at the NCAA Division I level after high school, Prochnow competed with poise and skill. Like his teammates, Prochnow had a difficult time finding openings in the D1 Minnesota defense, but somehow he still managed to pop in a three-point basket and score off the dribble over the incredible size of the D1 Minnesota forwards. Later in the day, Prochnow was even more impressive with his ball handling, passing and overall basketball IQ as [program_tooltip program_id='2828974' first='Manitowoc' last='United'] posted a 50-48 win over Minnesota Powerhouse. The son of Reedsville coach Ron Prochnow, [player_tooltip player_id='1561897' first='Ben' last='Prochnow'] plays like a coach on the floor, making strong decisions to put his team in position to earn wins.     The shots from deep were not falling for Cowley against D1 Minnesota so he instead went to his penetration game, getting to the basket to score against a team loaded with tremendous size and length. He and his teammates had a difficult time getting good looks against one of the best club teams in the Midwest, but he fared much better when [program_tooltip program_id='2828974' first='Manitowoc' last='United'] played Powerhouse Minnesota, another quality team but not a show circuit team like D1 Minnesota. Cowley made some mid-range shots, got to the foul line and finished off the dribble as [program_tooltip program_id='2828974' first='Manitowoc' last='United'] posted an impressive 50-48 victory. A stat-sheet stuffer, Cowley had a very impressive junior season at Roncalli, leading the Jets to a 24-3 record by averaging 18.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists.     One of the more improved players taking part in the Prep Hoops Midwest Showdown, Frozena missed [program_tooltip program_id='2828974' first='Manitowoc' last='United']'s first game against D1 Minnesota due to the fact he was playing in a baseball game for Roncalli. However, he was outstanding in [program_tooltip program_id='2828974' first='Manitowoc' last='United']'s win over Minnesota Powerhouse. He was good on the glass, scored in the lane, passed the ball exceptionally well and defended with some physicality and his size in the paint. Frozena has added some weight and strength over the past 12 months, and that has helped him become more of a force around the basket. Frozena also can step outside and pass out of the high post or even take some from outside the three-point arc. Frozena averaged 9.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists as a junior for the Jets.     A combination guard with good strength, confidence to take the ball to the basket and the toughness required to make a difference on defense, Williams played a strong overall floor game in helping [program_tooltip program_id='2076031' first='Wisconsin' last='Hoops Select'] turn back [program_tooltip program_id='2830359' first='Team' last='Compete'] in a competitive game that went down to the last minute. Williams scored well off the bounce, handled the ball against pressure defense and was able to utilize his athleticism and jumping ability to grab rebounds on both ends of the court. A three-year varsity performer for Lancaster, Williams averaged 12.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists as a junior and is one of several key returning players for coach Brian Knapp.     An intriguing prospect with good size, strength and length, Ayite Atayi is a good on-ball defender and he can probe defenses off the dribble to either score at the rim or find a teammate with his strong court vision. He appears to be a player with his best basketball still ahead of him as he continues to hone his skills. He can develop into a defensive stopper in the backcourt and figures to push for big minutes at Verona in 2025-26 after coming off the bench for a team that went 20-7 a year ago. Ayite Atayi had a couple of big outings as a junior, scoring 14 points in a win over Stoughton and 10 in a triumph over Janesville Parker.     Keleher was a player [program_tooltip program_id='2076031' first='Wisconsin' last='Hoops Select'] had to be aware of at all times as he was able to score off the dribble, outside the arc and from the foul line. A very cerebral player who was always keeping his head up with the ball in his hands and surveying the defense while also trying to locate open teammates, Keleher can affect the game in positive ways from either guard position. His ability to handle and pass the ball are apparent as is his ranginess and aggressiveness when attacking the basket. Fresh from a strong junior campaign at Southwestern where he averaged 15.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.3 steals, Keleher is a versatile backcourt prospect who gets things done for his team.     One of the sleeper prospects uncovered from the Prep Hoops Midwest Showdown in Appleton, Kinney is a player with size, skill and upside. He can score from outside the arc with a smooth jump shot, get into the paint and use his size to score over smaller defenders, and is a capable rebounder on both ends. He runs the court well and is a guy who can move the ball, set screens and pop out to drill shots from deep. Kinney averaged 10.0 points, 1.9 assists and 2.0 steals as a junior at Fennimore on the way to earning honorable mention all-SWAL honors. A player who figures to get better as he continues to add strength and develop his skills, Kinney performed well for new [program_tooltip program_id='2830359' first='Team' last='Compete'] program.     Marks and his teammates from [program_tooltip program_id='2225511' first='All-Wisconsin' last=''] faced the head-on challenge of playing one of the better teams in the Midwest when they took on D1 Minnesota 3SSB on Saturday. They met the huge hurdle head on. Despite being handed a 79-58 setback, Marks and Co. had their moments competing against a team with crazy size and length. Marks had 18 points in the contest and was able to score with his deft moves in the lane that left defenders lunging for air. He also got to the foul line and made some mid-range jump shots for [program_tooltip program_id='2225511' first='All-Wisconsin' last='']. A three-year varsity performer at Seymour, Marks averaged 21.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists as a junior for coach Bobby Kuchta. He is a key returning piece for a Seymour program many expect to contend for the championship in the Bay Conference in 2025-26.     Like Prochnow, Schwartz plays bigger than his height and competes with a tremendous feel for the game. His speed, confidence and uncanny ability to use the glass while finishing off drives with baskets over taller defenders was on full display for All-Wisconsin in its loss to D1 Minnesota 17U. He is a good long-distance shooter, handles the ball with ease and can push the ball in transition. One of the better point guard prospects in the state's 2026 class, Schwartz had a big junior campaign for Winnebago Lutheran, averaging 22.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.7 steals en route to earning Player of the Year honors in the Flyway Conference.     A wire-to-score backcourt player with a quick release from well beyond the three-point arc, Sherman is a supremely confident player who can knock down shots in the blink of a eye. A quick player with the ball in his hands, Sherman is aggressive in hunting scoring opportunities. He can be difficult to cover at times as he can launch shots from all over the floor while also using his speed to beat defenders off the bounce. As a junior at Shorewood, Sherman averaged 14.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists while playing for coach Chris Robinson and the Greyhounds.

A look at some the 17U standouts from Wisconsin who competed Saturday at the Prep Hoops Midwest Showdown in Appleton: