Upper Midwest Finals: Max's Post Standouts

Six of the post prospects who stood out over the weekend at the Prep Hoops Upper Midwest Finals!    Andy was one of the new names who caught my eye over the weekend. Now standing at 6'8, he's a long forward who moves pretty well at his size, and is a true floor stretcher on the offensive end. I saw his Select team during the 8am game on Saturday, and Andy was knocking down pick & pop threes, while also showing touch with either hand around the basket. He'll still have to continue adding strength to compete at higher levels, but you don't find too many guys his size with his level of touch and skill.     AJ is one of the most versatile forwards in Minnesota. Running with Elevate Skills you'll see him play a point-forward role as his handle and vision is just that good for a player his size. AJ can dish out assists from the perimeter, or face up out of the high post where he has the ability to pass, drive, or hit the mid-range jumper. He's always had soft touch on his shot, and is continuing to extend his range to become more consistent out beyond the arc. Someone who always seems to stuff the box score by the end of each game.     Although his [program_tooltip program_id='2075674' first='Minnesota' last='Heat'] team suffered a loss to the eventual champs [program_tooltip program_id='2076003' first='West' last='Central United'], Zeid still had a strong showing on Saturday. It didn't take him long to get involved in the game, maneuvering his way to the basket for two early finishes, before powerfully rejecting a shot off the backboard on the other end. Moves well laterally which allows him to take opposing bigs off the dribble offensively, while defensively he's always putting himself in positions to make plays at the rim. Consistent double-double guy as he cleans up everything on the glass.     Oliver is one of the best screen-setters you'll see play this spring. He takes full advantage of his big 6'9 frame to free up his guards out on the perimeter. He's not afraid to set a hard screen, and from there he rolls hard to the basket making the most of every chance he gets diving to the rim. Throughout the weekend he showed good hands to catch in traffic, and the patience to gather his balance before going up to finish. His strength allows him to still power through contact when he gets defenders in the air with a shot fake.     Mario was one of the hardest working players I saw all weekend, and also one of the strongest. He would go up against guys 3-4 inches taller than him in the paint, and come out on top consistently. Every time he caught on the block Mario was instantly going to work, bullying his way into deep post position and finishing strong through contact. On either end of the floor he seemed to come up with any rebound remotely in his area. High effort player who simply won't be beat for a loose ball.     Joe is another gritty post prospect who doesn't mind doing the dirty work for his team. He's constantly setting hard screens on the offensive end, battling for low-post position, and putting a body on a man after every shot that goes up. Those little things led to him rebounding in bulk, helping his team pick up stops after one shot. On the defensive end Joe does a great job of walling up to contest while avoiding getting into foul trouble. Able to take contact to the chest and remain straight up around the rim.

Six of the post prospects who stood out over the weekend at the Prep Hoops Upper Midwest Finals!