Five Standouts from the 5 Seasons Shoot Out Part 2

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Standouts from the 5 Seasons Shout Out in Cedar Rapids on Saturday, April 25.<br><br><a href="https://prephoops.com/2026/04/five-standouts-from-the-5-seasons-shoot-out/">Five Standouts from the 5 Seasons Shoot Out</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2164515"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69ef8bce2298c"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">One of the top prospects in attendance, Cedar Rapids Kennedy's leading scorer for the season, [player_tooltip player_id='2164515' first='Jaxson' last='Bean'] served as Splash Bros' lead guard at the Shoot Out on Saturday. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Handling the rock on the perimeter and bringing it up the court, Bean was always in attack mode, looking to score at every chance -- whether for himself or for others. One play in particular stands out, when Bean took an inbound pass after a made basket by an opponent and went full quarterback-mode, looking for the full-court pass for a layup. Just out of the reach of his teammate's hands, the ball went out of bounds, but still, the aggression from Bean stands out as a tone-setting move by Splash Bros' lead guard.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With a long wingspan and a smooth jumper, one could tell that Bean has played his fair share of hoops, and he may be a name to watch as one of the top players in the Cedar Rapids metro again next season. This winter, he put up 12.5 points, 5.4 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["3219056"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69efd20c0ede4"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">A long, tough wing, [player_tooltip player_id='3219056' first='Peter' last='Graening'] was one of the better defenders in attendance on Saturday. Effectively using his defensive stance and his strong lower half to keep pressure on ball-handlers, Graening maintains leverage defensively, making it difficult for ball-handlers to blow by him. Using his length well, too, Graening forces opposing guards to keep a tight handle of the ball, not giving them a single possession off. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Turning defense into offense, Graening uses his prowess as a defender to get out in transition, either taking the ball coast-to-coast himself or filling lanes and getting up the floor for easy layups. With soft touch, he can finish with either hand at the rim. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2918369"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69ef8bce22a0e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Right behind Bean this season for Kennedy in scoring output -- as a freshman, no less -- was [player_tooltip player_id='2918369' first='Kaden' last='Gomez']. The 6-foot wing scored 10.3 points per game, while adding 3 rebounds per contest. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A shooter with an abundance of confidence, especially for his age, Gomez consistently gets his feet set before firing from deep, looking the exact same every time he launches the rock from three. Whether he's got a hand in his face or not, Gomez is a knockdown shooter with heaps of potential going forward, assuming he continues to work on his jumper. Reminiscent of Tate Sage at Iowa this season, Gomez is an unflappable youngster that plays beyond his years in self-belief. His catch-and-shoot ability has to be amongst the best in his class, shooting just shy of 45% from three last season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2828826"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69ef8bce22a65"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Deceptively athletic and smooth, [player_tooltip player_id='2828826' first='Lawson' last='Neighbor'] is amongst the treasure trove of combo guards on Kennedy's roster that retun next season. Another ball-handler that can attack the rim and finish with either hand, showing the ability to scoop it up and into the rim, or to step out and shoot it with a good-looking stroke.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Neighbor put all of those attributes on display in Cedar Rapids over the weekend, serving as a steady guard that filled the gaps and complemented what his high-scoring teammates did with jumpers or getting out in transition for easy twos. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["3219734"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69efd20c0eed0"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Like Kennedy's abundance of combo guards, Waverly-Shell Rock brings in a slew of long wings that use said length to defend with some of the best in their area. [player_tooltip player_id='3219734' first='Elijah' last='Wheeler'] is one of those 6-foot-3 to 6-foot-5, switchable wings that can defend multiple positions with strength and size. A shot-blocker against smaller guards and a tough defender against wings and forwards, Wheeler is a major asset to his squad on that end of the floor. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If he uses this summer to continue to sharpen his offensive game, potentially stepping out and shooting it a bit more and also working on his handle, he could be one of the better players in the area around WSR. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->