Twin Cities Takedown: Sunday's 15u Top Preformers At Armstrong

Sunday had just as many impressive 15U prospects show out at Armstrong High School. Let's get right into the top performers from Sunday's games.    Colin Michaelis did it all for Elevate Skills on Sunday. For starters, his playmaking vision is elite. He read the game at a level beyond his years and impressed with his decision-making on the move. He launched skip passes with ease and created many open looks for his team. He was able to read the defense and make these passes in a moment's notice. On the break, he was great at finding his teammates up the floor for easy looks. What really enhanced his passing though, was his ability to score the ball at all three levels. He hit multiple deep, off-the-catch threes in the game I watched, and he was able to hit these shots with a hand in his face using his very quick jump shot. His scoring doesn't stop there, though; he was great at getting to his floater off two feet near the basket. He did this with his fluid change of pace and shooting ability. This also allowed him to score midrange pull-ups as well, and he hit these shots over contests easily. Defense was another strength of Colin's game. He displayed high awareness and hustle, blocking shots and jumping passing lanes constantly for steals.     Jarrell Fungafatt was one of the most impressive raw prospects that I saw play at the Twin Cities Takedown event. His skill level at his size and age is truly special and made him stand out amongst his peers. Jarrell is a guard in a big man's body. His most impressive skill at his size is his shooting. He has very delicate touch and very solid, fluid mechanics for a player with his length at his age. He hit multiple threes in the game that I watched him play, and those shots routinely barely hit the rim. His shot has a high arc, and he can pull it off the catch with no issues. He was one of the best big man shooters I saw play at this event, and that ability also was showcased on his free throws, where he was very efficient and again showed his fluid shooting mechanics. His handle was also pretty solid, and he was able to drive to the basket and draw fouls. His floater was another shot that made him special. He can catch in the short roll and score over defenders with ease, while also rebounding his own misses and converting second-chance looks. As a passer, he read the game very well, and he was great at finding his teammates on the fast break. Even with all of his offensive skills, his defense was even more impressive. He showcased great footwork and fluidity on the perimeter, while also being able to switch and stick with bigger opponents. Around the rim, he was elite as a rim protector, blocking multiple shots and making attempts around the rim very tough for the opposing team, leading to many missed shots, as his length was very bothersome for opponents.     Taylor Wilson showed his scoring, shot creation, and playmaking abilities throughout this showcase. Taylor has great length and size, but it does not hinder his ball handling one bit. He is a very smooth operator who understands space and knows when and where to punish defenders. His jump shot was very pretty, and he pulled up and hit over defenders with ease. His change of pace really shakes defenders, and he was able to use his driving threat, combined with his step-back jumper, to hit multiple off-the-bounce threes from deep range. He barely needs any space to convert jumpers, and he gains that space with his elite handle. The intermediate areas of his scoring were very impressive. He was great at putting defenders in tough situations and using his body to wall them off and pull up for floaters. With how difficult he is to stop in isolation, he received much attention from the defense, and he was elite at making layered reads at high speeds. He launched many impressive skip passes with one hand right on target, and he was great at driving in, drawing help, and kicking out to open shooters. He was also effective defensively, using his quick hands to get steals and blocking jump shots with his length.     [player_tooltip player_id='2919128' first='Theo' last='Juffer'] was one of the most unique players I saw play at the Twin Cities Takedown, mostly due to his elite playmaking vision and ball placement. Theo threw many impressive and surgical passes to teammates off cuts for wide-open layups. His passing abilities would be impressive for guards at his age; however, Theo is a big man and still possesses these skills. He was absolutely elite in dribble handoff action, and he created many assists with this action. His vision, combined with solid screens, was a recipe for open shots for his team. He lobbed passes over defenders' heads where only his target could catch them, and there were many times when, positioned on the elbow, he made very intuitive reads and put the ball right in the shooting pocket. He could score as well, though. He displayed nice arc on his floater, and he was very efficient around the rim. He was also a very effective defensive presence on the floor. He got steals with his quick hands in the gaps, and he was great at staying vertical and blocking shots.     [player_tooltip player_id='2834297' first='Josiah' last='Halverson'] was the offensive engine for [program_tooltip program_id='2075693' first='MN' last='Crossfire'] throughout the game I watched. His burst, elite handle, and understanding of space made him a problem for the opposing defense. He exploded through the smallest gaps and got to the paint at will. In the paint, he finished many tough layups through contact and around contests. He displayed delicate touch with both hands and scored through the second layer of the defense with precision on the glass. This nonstop rim pressure, combined with his physical driving ability, allowed him to draw many fouls. His presence in the paint made the defense collapse on his drives consistently, and he was elite at spraying out to shooters in these situations. Even with many arms in the way waiting to deflect his passes, he still found a way to launch the ball right on the money to his teammates. He was also a very engaged and smart defender who stayed straight up, blocked shots, and made life difficult for opposing guards.

Sunday had just as many impressive 15U prospects show out at Armstrong High School. Let's get right into the top performers from Sunday's games.