NHR State Tournament: Max's Wing Standouts

Seven of the wing prospects who impressed over the weekend at the NHR State Tournament!    The potential is sky high for [player_tooltip player_id='2435240' first='Zeke' last='Gilbert']. He's shot up in height since last spring, now standing at 6'5 while possessing explosive athleticism. In the 15u semi-finals he was a major threat in transition, able to go coast-to-coast and throw down two handed dunks or finish contested lay-ups off the glass. In the half-court Zeke showed he can knock down the open jumper, hitting a pull-up three from the top of the key. He has the potential to be a high level defender as he can move his feet with smaller wings/guards, and has imposing length at 6'5 on the wing.     [player_tooltip player_id='2140590' first='Cody' last='Benson'] is an athletic slasher who does the work off the ball to create easy looks around the basket. In the semi-finals and finals games Cody was such an active cutter out on the wing. He was consistently catching his man sleeping and beating him backdoor for some easy lay-ups. I really liked his effort to crash the glass as well, and it was that effort that helped him shoot 10-14 in the championship game. Highly efficient finisher who seems to produce every time I see him play.     [player_tooltip player_id='2412724' first='Dre' last='Collins'] was putting on a show over the weekend running with [program_tooltip program_id='2075685' first='Minnesota' last='Select']. The high flying wing out of Richfield was finishing above the rim with ease, mixing in transition dunks, alley-oops, and putbacks to put together an impressive highlight reel. The 6'3+ slasher wasn't just throwing down dunks though, he was swatting shots in bulk defensively, provided an extra rebounding presence, and used his length to come up with steals out on the perimeter. This Select team loves to play fast, and the addition of Dre to their team has only improved their play over the past couple of weeks.     The Next Level Basketball Academy puts out a huge lineup, which gives Austin the freedom to either play out on the wing or take smaller players into the post. Versatile 6'6 prospect out of Moorhead can stretch the floor from three, make plays in transition, and is a rim protecting presence inside. In the half-court he can go to work with his back to the basket, and has no problem playing through contact. One of a handful of young prospects to keep an eye on out of Moorhead.     You won't find many players with a nose for the rim like Ethan has. Once he sees a small gap to attack, there isn't much you can do to slow him down. With a nice first step at 6'4, he can gain the edge on his defender, and from there has the strength to keep him on his hip as he extends to finish at the rim. Does a nice job of keeping his balance through contact, allowing him to finish at a high percentage. He helped lead his team to a dominant win against MN Laceup, as the defense seemed to have no answer for him.     Amari always impressed me early in his career with his defensive versatility. He was able to go and shut down opposing wings, or move his feet with guards while using his long frame to make every shot difficult. He still has that ability to make an impact defensively, and has put in the work to improve as a shooter on the offensive end. Whereas in the past he was mostly an inside finisher, Amari was connecting at a high percentage from three in the two games I watched. He was moving off the ball to hit catch-and-shoot threes, and wasn't afraid to pull-up off the dribble when his man sagged off. If Amari can prove to be a consistent shooter, the state needs to watch out.     I saw Nathan running with Minnesota Takeoff 16u over the weekend, where he showcased his versatility at 6'5. He can create his own looks off the dribble, is comfortable playing out of the post, and has soft touch to finish from a variety of angles. Nathan is a fluid athlete with a long frame at 6'5, and defended just about every spot on the floor in the game I watched. Someone who is able to pull in a defensive rebound and can instantly start the break on their own, as he can effortlessly weave in and out of defenders in the open floor.

Seven of the wing prospects who impressed over the weekend at the NHR State Tournament!