Minnesota The Expo: Max's New Names To Know

Seven prospects who made their names known in the games I watched on Sunday at The Expo!    Markus had some nice flashes of potential on Sunday afternoon at East Ridge. At 6'5 he has a long and lanky frame, moves well at his size, and is more than just a big body you put in the post. Markus took a defensive rebound and went coast-to-coast for a dunk on one play, showing he can handle it in the open floor while having the explosive pop to make plays above the rim. Defensively he used his long frame to alter shots around the basket as well.     Israel was racking up steals in bunches in the game I watched. Whether he was sitting deep in a stance and forcing turnovers with his ball pressure, or jumping passes before getting out in transition, Israel was a defensive playmaker. Once in the open floor he knew what to do with the ball, as Israel has a nose for the rim and showcased impressive body control to explode off two feet and hang in the air for some tough finishes in traffic. Nice two-way performance from the Rogers guard.     Salifou is a power guard who can take on a number of roles at 6'2. Throughout the game I saw he was able to simply bully his way to the rim at times, as his strong frame allowed him to overpower opposing guards. When matched up with a bigger defender though, Salifou showed some finesse to create space off the dribble, and the touch to knock down outside shots. Has the explosiveness to finish above the rim in the open floor.     Woeser is coming off a productive 17u season, and will now look to step into a bigger role for Prior Lake as a senior. This is a 6'3 wing with impressive shooting touch out on the perimeter, with the confidence to match. When left open he has no hesitation letting it fly, and he's one of those players who can catch fire and knock down a handful of shots within a couple of minutes when he gets going. He showcased that scoring ability during the 3v3 game of his I watched.     I was really impressed with the defensive effort that Brevon was competing with on Sunday. He wasn't backing down from a challenge of guarding top prospects, and was making them work on every possession. Brevon showed quick feet moving laterally, and he was putting in the effort to sit deep in a stance and consistently cut guys off when they looked to drive. Hard working player who has some length at 6'2 that could allow him to guard the 1-3 spots this season for Fridley.     Abdulahi had an impressive scoring display in the game I watched on Sunday. At 6'1 he looks much longer than his height, with a long wing-span and wiry frame out on the perimeter. He showed fluid change of direction on the ball, and the change of speed to crossover and explode into space for a pull-up jumper. Axmed was hitting three after three in the game I watched, making defenders pay for leaving a hand down when he had the ball.     DaRoyce started to breakthrough at the varsity level last season at Park Center, averaging just over 3 ppg in 12 appearances, but is now at Blaine where he'll look to jump into an even bigger role as a senior. Physically he has the profile of a prospect, standing at 6'2 with good length and explosive athleticism. In the game I watched he was able to leak out in transition and elevate to finish above the rim. Defensively he's going to come out and compete, using his long frame to get up in passing lanes and make plays.

Seven prospects who made their names known in the games I watched on Sunday at The Expo!