National Open Championship: Scotty B’s Friday Notebook

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prep Hoops National Open Championship is powered by VKTRY</strong> - the world's best performance insoles. Jump higher. Run faster. Reduce injuries. <a href="https://vktry.com/?utm_source=Prep+Network&amp;utm_medium=Tournament&amp;utm_campaign=Indy_July">Shop the insoles trusted by 500+ pro/college teams. </a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The National Open Championship kicked off on Friday night in Indianapolis.&nbsp; I spent the first night at Farmers Bank Fieldhouse checking out a trio of great 15U games.&nbsp; Here we dive into it with the <strong>National Open Championship: Scotty B's Friday Notebook</strong>!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Illinois Bears 15U Make Statement to Open Event</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We started the evening out with the Illinois Bears talented 15U squad.&nbsp; Like what this group brings to the table from a depth standpoint and at a young age everyone knows their roles.&nbsp; They won 64-33 over Midwest Flyers out of Ohio to begin play in Indy.&nbsp; It was all about the backcourt for the Bears in this one.&nbsp; Marion 6'0” combo guard Makhi House put his name on my radar with a strong outing.&nbsp; Long arms and a good frame that he should continue to grow.&nbsp; Power guard that posted up weaker defenders, got on the offensive glass, and was an active defender for 15 points.&nbsp; Sparta slick handling lead guard DJ Hayes was so smooth with it in his hands getting wherever he wanted all game long.&nbsp; Sliced his way to the rim along with threading the needle.&nbsp; Scored 11 points.&nbsp; The Carterville twins both had solid outings.&nbsp; Harper Lustenberger is the taller guard who had some excellent passing early then crafty finishes for 14 points.&nbsp; His brother Max Lustenberger also makes good decisions as a distributor on the fly and racked up 7 points.&nbsp; Carbondale wing William Lehman is the super utility guy for this team that does whatever is asked of him.&nbsp; High-motor, rebounds, passes, defends, etc.&nbsp; Okawville big man Aidan Foley is pretty raw, but there is size and tools to work with as he swatted a handful of shots while getting to the line scoring 6 points.&nbsp; JJ Gwaltney of Herrin is a lights out perimeter shooter with a sweet lefty stroke who drained a pair en route to 8 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Early in the game for the Midwest Flyers Malakyi Hall really jumped off the floor to us as a point guard with good size and athleticism.&nbsp; Put a ton of pressure on the rim getting downhill to the rack.&nbsp; Flashed some passing instincts.&nbsp; Unfortunately he went down with an ankle/foot injury that held him out about ¾ of the game.&nbsp; Dylan Dent really stepped up in his absence.&nbsp; Tough as nails guard that lived in the paint for soft touch finishes and getting to the charity stripe as he racked up 15 points.&nbsp; Another guard in Remmi Partin had a nice outing as the crafty southpaw had some baseline jumpers and floaters en route to 18 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Davis Brothers Elite Balance Too Much for D1 Minnesota 15U</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In this game Davis Brothers Elite out of Wisconsin raced out to a big lead at the half 39-20 against a very talented D1 Minnesota squad.&nbsp; Credit to D1 as they fought back in the second half especially on the defensive end, but it wasn't enough as Davis Brothers scored the victory 64-59.&nbsp; Jaxson Wyngaard was absolutely lethal in the first half!&nbsp; The sharp shooter was lighting them up from beyond the arc as he finished with 5 triples for 21 points in the game.&nbsp; Also scored in the open floor a little.&nbsp; He was the clear go to guy, but what we loved about this group was how well they shared the ball.&nbsp; Tyler Schwabach is a lead guard with size and a high IQ for the game.&nbsp; Tyler Kowal is a skilled shooting guard that consistently used his handles to get in the paint for scores.&nbsp; Emmett Wassil and Gavin McRoberts were two other rock solid wings that contributed to the win.&nbsp; Their main inside presence was Mason Wallace.&nbsp; Strong bodied post that had nice footwork in the paint and rebounded well on both ends.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Emmanuel Oyesanmi is a top 5 prospect in the state of Minnesota for a reason.&nbsp; The upside is certainly there as the 6'3” strong, long, and athletic wing has a lot of tools to work with.&nbsp; Explosive slasher that regularly got to the cup.&nbsp; Missed a few bunnies, but also got to the line a decent amount.&nbsp; Silas Cohen is a rangy two guard with projectability that has a feathery shot from distance and flashed some more off the bounce than we saw in the spring including a nice drive for a left handed finish along with some passing on the move.&nbsp; Daniel Zoa is a big wing with a strong frame.&nbsp; He can play above the rim catching an alley-oop along with finishing through contact.&nbsp; Posts up weaker defenders and gets on the offensive glass.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Canadian Program London Venom 2029 Big Man Puts on Clinic</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The best player we saw on Friday night was in the last game as London Venom won 53-31 over Illinois Warriors.&nbsp; They have a group of mostly 2029 prospects and they put on an absolute show particularly their big man Mason Comie.&nbsp; He is listed at 6'6” with broad shoulders and a frame of an upperclassmen already.&nbsp; Much more than just a big body as this kid has game!&nbsp; He was so good at using angles and sealing on the block.&nbsp; Did it over and over again.&nbsp; Liked one where he set a screen then slipped to the hoop for a score.&nbsp; Soft touch around the hoop when needed, finished through contact, and mauled on the glass both offensively and defensively.&nbsp; Played some facing up along with displaying some passing instincts for a young post.&nbsp; What we liked too was how well he shot it from the line which means he could turn into a stretch big down the line.&nbsp; He had 18 of his 22 points in the first half.&nbsp; Point guard Yaniss Lugogo is another one to watch.&nbsp; Left handed guard that can shoot it from three and pushes ahead in the open floor.&nbsp; Plays with speed.&nbsp; Micah Kanicki is another to watch as a jumbo guard that can create his own offense with his size and athleticism.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Decatur MacArthur shooting guard KT Thomas continues to show why he is a ranked 2028 prospect.&nbsp; Has the projectability and his game is improving.&nbsp; Long and lanky guard that is so fast with the ball going coast to coast on the regular.&nbsp; He constantly attacks the cup with burst and acceleration.&nbsp; Crisp mid-range pull up and played some on the ball showing flashes as a passer off live dribble.&nbsp; Has a chance defensively.&nbsp; Jenner Pals of Effingham is a two guard to track that has some intangibles and skill to his game.&nbsp; Like the upside of Decatur MacArthur post Gabe Frazier.&nbsp; Struggled against Comie's physicality as a long and lean post, but there are some intriguing tools to work with at his size and with fluid athleticism.&nbsp; Eisenhower guard Mishari Halbrook is a wing that has a smooth looking shot, lengthy frame, and soft touch finishing game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->