MBCA Showcase: The Finale

<p>The MBCA Showcase is complete and all the awards are in. Before closing the doors on the MBCA, there's still one final hooray. The <em>Finale </em>is set on reviewing the MBCA Showcase and presenting all data gathered in a lucid manner.</p>   <p>The <em>Finale </em>is vastly player-driven, with less wasted strokes of the key.<br><br>—The <em>Finale </em>outline—</p>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Division 1 college coaching staffs in attendance</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Post-MBCA Showcase offers</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Hopkins 2027 6'9” Wing/Forward [player_tooltip player_id='2420169' first='Ahmed' last='Nur'] Top 100 National prospect (247Sports)</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Post-MBCA Minnesota 2027 Rankings update (Highlighting the strength of the class and it's emergence)</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>MBCA: The All Event Team (Ryan James (Minnesota)</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>MBCA Dakotas All-Showcase Team (top South Dakota and North Dakota performers)</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Minnesota “My Guys”<br></li> </ul>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Division I programs in attendance</h3>   <p>Air Force, Boston College, Citadel, Davidson, Drake University, Iowa, Iowa St., Minnesota, Nebraska, Northern Iowa, Notre Dame, University of North Dakota, North Dakota State Univeristy, University of St. Thomas, University of South Dakota, and South Dakota State University.</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Post-MBCA Showcase offers </h3>   <p>Colleges in attendance that offered attending players a few days or sooner after the MBCA Showcase—</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1560868' first='Joseph' last='Mitchell III'] picks up University of South Dakota offer</h4>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/joejoemiii/status/1937667872563863850?s=61 </div></figure>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='2828718' first='Sage' last='Hanson'] picks up offer from Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM)</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='2118833' first='Kevin' last='Kemp'] picks up offer from Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM)</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1560839' first='Xavier' last='Frelix'] picks up offer from University of Sioux Falls </li> </ul>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">6'9” [player_tooltip player_id='2420169' first='Ahmed' last='Nur'] of Hopkins rises to top 100 prospect in country</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.instagram.com/p/DLU5bMFR_wA/?igsh=MWt2ZW9nMzk3dDN1Yw== </div></figure>   <p>Per 247Sports basketball recruiting, Nur is now considered a top 100 prospect in the country after the MBCA Showcase. His recruitment will now be having a brand new makeover.</p>   <p>At 6'9” length, Nur was quite literally playing like a guard. How comfortable he was handling the ball and fluid he was with the ball on the go was probably the most impressive thing that I witnessed at the MBCA. He was also nailing jumpers from everywhere, and you could see the expectation he had for himself and his jumpshot. I'm not sure what he's been doing in his off-time, but it sure looks like he's been dribbling and and shooting the ball a heck-ton.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">MBCA Minnesota 2027 Rankings Update</h2>   <p>Directly after the MBCA Showcase, the Minnesota 2027 rankings were wisely and timely updated on Prep Hoops' Minnesota website.</p>   <p>To further grasp the prestige of the MBCA Showcase, the entire top 5 were MBCA attendees.</p>   <p>In an unneeded side measure, after seeing the tops of the 2027 class at the MBCA Showcase all in one place, with a constant comparative thought process. I will admit, I've been dwelling on the Minnesota 2027 class an unexpected amount of time in my head since the MBCA Showcase.</p>   <p>Not under pure randomness, because I know the class as 14U prospects and have been following along from a distance.</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Minnesota 2027 Top 5 Prospects </h3>   <p>#1 [player_tooltip player_id='2126094' first='Ty' last='Schlagel'] </p>   <p>#2 [player_tooltip player_id='2126467' first='Baboucarr' last='Ann']</p>   <p>#3 [player_tooltip player_id='2420169' first='Ahmed' last='Nur']</p>   <p>#4 [player_tooltip player_id='2126446' first='Mustafa' last='Mohamed'] </p>   <p>#5 [player_tooltip player_id='2126117' first='Malachi' last='Hill']</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h1 class="wp-block-heading">MBCA: The All Event Team</h1>   <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/IMG_3912.png?1750932435"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/IMG_3912.png?1750932435" alt="" class="wp-image-2889662" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='1560868' first='Joseph' last='Mitchell III']</figcaption></figure>   <h1 class="wp-block-heading">First Team</h1>    <p class="text-gray-700">Offers: Illinois State, Illinois-Chicago, Montana, Northern Iowa, Ohio, Toledo</p>   <p>If you have been completely entrenched under a rock or if you took a three weeks long hiatus and cut yourself off of social media, you most likely stumbled upon [player_tooltip player_id='1560778' first='Nolen' last='Anderson'] and the MBCA Showcase. Well, he was good.</p>   <p>Elite 3-point shot-maker at 6'7”, finishes around the hoop, gets up and dunks to improve his absurd shooting and efficiency numbers.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Everyone knows Schlagel, his profile, and what he can do. My main takeaway from the MBCA was from one game. Or maybe half of the game, because that's all I saw. I have zero inclination as to why, but Ty decided to shoot the three at an exaggerated outliering frequency. I had never seen him pull from three so much. And he kept hitting them and the scores were into the high 90's-100. If Ty can be an elite 3-point guy that takes volume, I'm actually not too sure what to think. Because what I think I should say and project could be cause for detainment.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='2126467' first='Baboucarr' last='Ann'] is becoming more and more recruitable by top programs as we speak. The only two things that I can pick at are that he loses control and security with the ball through heavy traffic and isn't an elite self-creating 3-point guy yet. He has NBA aspirations and will work on everything he needs to.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Mitchell came into the MBCA Showcase with a South Dakota State University offer and added another South Dakota Division I offer, with University of South Dakota appreciating his play at the MBCA and extending a scholarship offer. The [program_tooltip program_id='2455790' first='Howard' last='Pulley'] guard was one that quickly caught my attention. I knew of mostly all the top Minnesota guards going into the MBCA, but Mitchell was most definitely the best guard I didn't know. It was between he and the guard that I'm about to mention below, as top overall guard from the MBCA.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Jayden was playing with home court advantage at Hopkins High School, but he also had advantages in almost every other aspect when it comes to performing on a basketball court.</p>   <p class="text-gray-700">I'm going to bluntly and sharply say that, if Jayden is tall and long, he's an NBA dude.</p>    <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/Tyler-Forrest.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/Tyler-Forrest.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2483839" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='2126118' first='Tyler' last='Forrest']</figcaption></figure>   <h1 class="wp-block-heading">Second Team </h1>    <p></p>     <p class="text-gray-700">I was introduced to Malachi the same time as [player_tooltip player_id='2126094' first='Ty' last='Schlagel'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2126467' first='Baboucarr' last='Ann']. I hadn't been following him quite as closely, but he's clearly on optimal trajectory as the #5 overall and #1 ranked point guard. He doesn't need help hyping his game up, he does plenty of that on his own on the court.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Forrest's overall fluidity and movement surprised me. It's been a couple years since I've seen him live, and he took the approach to become more lean and fluid on the court. He's utilizing his frame and movement to now call himself the #2 2027 point guard, because his handle is reaching elite level, his distribution might already be there, and his jumpshot is seeing growth in accuracy and creation.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Sage's size stoodout and immediately grabs D2 coaches attention and leads to offers without any resent afterwards. He currently holds one D1 offer from University of North Dakota, and while I hold zero intel on his recruitment, another offer or two from a D1 wouldn't cause me any questioning. I don't see much weaknesses to his profile, and if starts he out at a D2, he outpaces that level after his Sophomore season and is transferred into a D1 waiting with wide open arms, anyways.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700"></p>    <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/220A92DC-2088-41A9-BE7A-F5BC77178EEA-e1750670710260.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/220A92DC-2088-41A9-BE7A-F5BC77178EEA-e1750670710260.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2887057" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='2126446' first='Mustafa' last='Mohamed'] </figcaption></figure>   <h1 class="wp-block-heading">Third Team</h1>    <p class="text-gray-700">I'm putting in the card before the clock starts to draft Idoko on the Minneasota “My Guys” if Ryan James doesn't place him on the MBCA Third-Team. Just watch the lengthy lefty 2028 prospect go to work at the MBCA.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/freshcoasthoops/status/1937564705268146394?s=46u0026amp;t=SEhj4b0vN7ZkDxMDlm1_Uw </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">Brady seems like he's a prospect that is wildy undersold because he doesn't have anything differently about him nor does he possess elite physical traits.</p>   <p>While the MBCA most likely wasn't a long haul for him to travel to, he treated it as a life-deciding, path-paving business trip. He had zero interest in making a wasted step or any wasted movements with the ball. If he scored or made a shot, he was in instant search of his defensive matchup, while also making sure the hoop was adequately defended. It takes a whole lot for a high school basketball player to send a spark of motivation to my ventral tegmental area (VTA), and I think I felt it with Lam's intense focus and reflex on the court.</p>     <p>The MBCA Showcase happened to be an Arcane reservior capable of containing the two basketball Unicorns of the aforementioned [player_tooltip player_id='2420169' first='Ahmed' last='Nur'] and the similar high school basketball rarity, 6'10” 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2126446' first='Mustafa' last='Mohamed']. Nearly identical players, with Mohamed an inch taller and more clearing power at the rim and Nur extending his perimeter skill advantage.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/freshcoasthoops/status/1936782978740580443?s=61 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700"></p>     <p class="text-gray-700"></p>    <h1 class="wp-block-heading">Fourth Team</h1>    <p class="text-gray-700"></p>     <p class="text-gray-700"></p>     <p class="text-gray-700"></p>     <p class="text-gray-700"></p>     <p class="text-gray-700"></p>    <h1 class="wp-block-heading">Fifth Team</h1>    <p>Thomas is in that group of 2027's that I have familiarity with. He's the #8 ranked 2027 prospect, and in a more median-lieing class, he's on average a top-3 prospect by my uneducated estimation. I have high appreciation of his simple, easy, and explosive functional athleticism and game-breaking play.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/freshcoasthoops/status/1936834605233185015?s=46u0026amp;t=SEhj4b0vN7ZkDxMDlm1_Uw </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700"></p>     <p class="text-gray-700"></p>     <p class="text-gray-700"></p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Dre made made my opening article with analysis from the MBCA. Mentioning his controlled style as a big-leaping wing.</p>    <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">MBCA Showcase: Dakotas All-Showcase Team</h2>   <h1 class="wp-block-heading">First Team</h1>    <p class="text-gray-700">Brant's development in becoming one of the top prospects in the Midwest with a group of niches to their profile of positional length, fluidity, shiftiness, and playmaking passing is one of the more fascinating stories. It seems like one of things that he himself didn't predict. I think many had an envisionment that Brant would be a dominant scorer that would continually be playing above the rim. Don't confuse the just-said statement, Brant is one of best dunkers in South Dakota. But he wisely gets the ball on the glass quickly with an instant swish-finish, rather the slower-developing and contact inviting wind-up dunk. I think he's limiting his risk for injury. You hardly ever see Brant take a hard fall to the ground.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700"></p>     <p class="text-gray-700">I mentioned Gibson previously, but I didn't mention his one dribble pull-up game and midrange ability. Definitely worth noting because it made him to be an even tougher cover.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">The University of North Dakota commit put forth a showing of well-roundnesses. I knew his game, but his playmaking passing was better than I had anticipated. His ability to hang in the air and absorb contact from any direction and finish was impressive enough to mention.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Ericsson may have put on the most impressive shooting display out of every showcase attendee. He wasn't able to gain the separation he normally does with the ball, but if he saw the rim in full and got his full extension on his shot, he maybe missed twice. </p>    <h1 class="wp-block-heading">Second Team</h1>    <p class="text-gray-700">The #1 2026 prospect in South Dakota wasn't fully featured at the MBCA Showcase. He got paired on a team with some high-volume shooting guards that were set on showing college coaches that they could score the ball. This fact is just a part of the recruiting landscape, but Blake thrives in a different offensive environment. Positivity on the way for Ellwein in the near future. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Colby was a major post-MBCA Showcase 2027 rankings stock-riser. He knew the opportunity he had in front of so many Division II college coaches. I've never seen him so locked-in and focused on a basketball court. The MBCA proved to everyone that his profile translates to the Division II level.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1919285' first='Will' last='Kuhl'] approached the MBCA Showcase with a highly noticeable amount of calmness and stoicism. Unphased by the gathering of college coaches and phasing out the surroundings. I have never seen this from Will and it helped him to score in the paint and from the midrange at a surprisingly efficient rate, given the circumstances.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Sam looked good and clearly showed he belongs on the court with top Midwest talent. Holds D2 offers from Northern State University, Augustana University, and University of Sioux Falls. Shot the ball well, played in transition. His length helps him greatly to score over defenders with cleanliness off the glass. He did his normal high-pointing rebounding then an immediate transition push up the court.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Nissley is one of the most underrated prospects in the Midwest. Some coaches may overlook him because he lacks an eye-popping frame. He's big enough and is on-court play is gigantic. Defensively sound, all the while a defensive playmaker on the ball.</p>    <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h1 class="wp-block-heading">Minnesota “My Guys”</h1>    <p class="text-gray-700">While I'm feeling bold and honest, I will be fair enough to say that a college coach will not be able to find a prospect in the Midwest with the level of depth of intangibles on and off the court than Mr. Theis. If you're looking for the ultimate teammate, glue guy, and everything else in between that great teams desire and need, just put Prior Lake High School into your preferred navigation system. Also, he's at the MBCA Showcase and he's a top 20 prospect in the Minnesota 2027 class when they toss up and ball and keep score, as well. Recruit [player_tooltip player_id='2052332' first='Trey' last='Theis'].</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">I first saw Tyrel as a 15U prospect on the Prep Hoops Circuit. He had a clear athletic advantage. He still owns an elite package of athleticism. He's elite in every aspect of testing the trait/skill. Explosion with the ball in the open, vertical and a quick leaper and double jumper.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Kirsch impressed me majorly. His offensive fluidity on the ball was something I have not seen very many times. His ball-handling, body control, and on the move finishing was something you see from the best players around. That is not an overreaction. He's one of those few kids that you wish was graced with a 6'5” frame because his recruitment would be much different.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">James is a different specimen. Size, strength, motor, speed, and vertical are all top-tier. He's all over the offensive boards and runs the floor quicker than most elite guards. His on-court play is there at the high school level, but he'll need to grow or slowly force his way to play on the perimeter and be a kamikaze wing that harasses the O-boards at will.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">A powerful wing that is more long speed and gets up and dunks the ball quite easily. And he has been doing it for some time now, even though he's a 2028. I don't think Zoa can continue his path of being a big power wing that thrives in a straight line downhill. He doesn't need to eliminate that, but I'm unsure if it's a lasting go-to that will work his entire career. </p>   <p>If I'm molding the future developed [player_tooltip player_id='1895712' first='Daniel' last='Zoa'], he's a 6'7” wing with above average BMI, power and muscular strength towards the top 90 percentile in whichever pool is his highest level. </p>   <p>In more important keys, he has a consistentcy of working on his handle and jumpshot in a standstill and a one and two bounce pull-up. A true elite wing weapon that can do what he does now and punish with a wide open three and a one to two dribble pull-up with a high-point and high frequency of going straight down the net, barley touching anything with much direct contact.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Evan was a little bit of a storyline because his rostered name read incorrectly as “Ethan.” Though frustrating at the time, it may have been a “blessing in disguise”, because it got people talking about him. His overall two-way play was noticeable as well. A stance-sitting defender that mirrored the ball and could handle speed off the dribble. Passed the ball well off the dribble for dimes.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">You can tell Riewer hits the weight room and may focus on developing mobility to perform. Broad and cut shoulders and elite movement for his size. Versatility as a defender.</p>

The MBCA Showcase is complete and all the awards are in. Before closing the doors on the MBCA, there's still one final hooray. The Finale is set on reviewing the MBCA Showcase and presenting all data gathered in a lucid manner.