Prep Hoops Stomping Grounds: 17U-13U Standout Hoopers Series

Prep Hoops Stomping Grounds is in the books. So now it's time to highlight the standout prospects from the tournament. There's a large number of names to mention, so we will have to turn this into a series of articles.   I wanted to mention some of the standouts that I was able to see live before going back and watching games on BallerTV.   I won't particularly have full evaluations on the prospects, with the main goal being mentioning as many deserving players as possible. Here are 12 hoopers that caught my eye.    Keegen gives out full effort and energy on both ends of the court. He straps in defensively every possession, looking to lock up his man. Quick feet and great anticipation on defense. Offensively, he has a full weaponry to work with. It derives from his quickness, and he can get to the hoop, score creatively from the middle area, and can pop threes on the ball or off the pass. I think Keegen did a lot for his stock. I think he can be around #25-#30, rather than in the 50 range.     The South Dakota 2026 rankings update later this afternoon, and Paulsen only helped his stock at Prep Hoops Stomping Grounds. Although, he turns the ball over at times, I think he's slowing himself down more and the turnovers are steadily decreasing. His scoring ability surprised me and he was able to get into the lane and showed a high-level midrange game.     Prior to the tournament, I had only seen highlights of Miles. They were some impressive highlights for a 2029 guard, and he backed things up at Stomping Grounds. He looked the part and was very dynamic. His ball-handling was on another level, which made him a frequent visitor to the deep part of the lane right at the hoop. He can stop-and-pop a three, so he needs to be guarded from there as well. A tough defensive matchup for his opponents.     Lane, along with teammate [player_tooltip player_id='2277844' first='Brady' last='Jewett'], rose his stock majorly. I hadn't seen much of him prior to the tournament, but I would predict him to be an impact varsity player for Tea Area next season. He may not be a go-to guy with Shawd and Wiebenga there, but Siebert will help the team win games. He's an aggressive and tough guard that can attack the rim hard and finish when he gets there. An intense player that plays very hard.     I would consider Jack as one of the most underrated prospects in South Dakota. If he sticks with Sioux Falls Lincoln as his school, then he will have a hard time seeing valuable varsity minutes until his Senior year, with Lincoln having a top 3 roster in the state and high-end prospects ahead of him. But he can play some ball. He is a point guard that has been playing off the ball for [program_tooltip program_id='2228190' first='TEAM' last='Warwick'] 16U-Knight, but Teller can score the rock and shoot the three at a high level. He nailed three treys in a short period of time in one of the games on Sunday. Stock is up.     There were about 4-5 [program_tooltip program_id='2075302' first='Sacred' last='Hoops'] 16U prospects that did a ton of help for their stocks and South Dakota 2027 rankings status. They went 4-0 and Heier was a crucial playmaker for them. He impacts a game from start to finish, consistently and not having any periods of disappearing from the game. He plays fast in transition and puts a ton of pressure on the defense and will attack defenders. His ability to finish at the hoop won them some games.     The fourth stock-riser from [program_tooltip program_id='2075302' first='Sacred' last='Hoops'] 16U put himself on notice some. He was quick off the dribble and looked fairly explosive overall. I can't say he was a go-to scorer for them, but showed suddeness on both ends and played hard. He really helped them, I thought.     DeJong, I've been a little lower on in the past. He hasn't grown taller but he's becoming more effective around the hoop and his ability to pull down rebounds with strength stoodout. He was the power and inside presence for the 4-0 [program_tooltip program_id='2075302' first='Sacred' last='Hoops'] 16U squad. Very crucial for them going undefeated.     Braden plays alongside Thompson in the backcourt and I think they complement each other well. They have similar games, both able to go off the dribble and shoot the three. They shared the ball well and were dishing off to each other for buckets and having fun.     I haven't seen much of Ben, but I did see him hit a couple big threes late in a game to send it to overtime. So, to me, right now, he's “Big Shot Ben”. It almost seemed like he wanted the last shot. He looked confident shooting the ball from range.     It seems as though Jackson is not afraid of any competition. He will always play with his aggressive offensive playstyle and take it at defenders or shoot the long ball. He can score in bunches and should be one of the leading scorers in AA next season with Watertown. He could get up to 20 points per game.     Tietz is a well-known last name in the Groton Area. Trey's brother was a standout guard for Groton Area and is now at D2 Northern State University. So Trey definitely has things in his favor and he already looks the part as well. A quick guard that can handle it and maneuver through traffic in transition. His elite handle allows him to move with the ball at full speed and it seemed like defenders were struggling to keep up with him. He's an up-and-comer to keep tabs on in South Dakota.

Prep Hoops Stomping Grounds is in the books. So now it's time to highlight the standout prospects from the tournament. There's a large number of names to mention, so we will have to turn this into a series of articles.