MBCA Camp: Ten Things to Watch For

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We are just over 48 hours from the MBCA Camp coming together bringing the best talent from Minnesota, South Dakota and Noarth Dakota together. What are some things we are watching for? Here are those items!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Division One Opportunity</strong>. There are five chances each year to play in front of division one coaches during the spring/summer: one AAU chance in May, two high school chances in June, and two AAU chances in July. That is not many chances and Minnesota only does one high school event for Minnesota kids its four weekends. With the Summit League losing talent to the mid major level in bulk they need to find talent and that should be local high school talent. [player_tooltip player_id='2362161' first='Matthew' last='Johnson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2533408' first='Deon' last='Wallace-Johnson'] just got their first offers at the D1 level which is great to see. Could [player_tooltip player_id='2417301' first='Hunter' last='Vinkemeier'], [player_tooltip player_id='2126447' first='Briggs' last='Sheridan'], [player_tooltip player_id='2126464' first='Gavyn' last='Lorenson'], [player_tooltip player_id='2436914' first='Kellen' last='Troup'], [player_tooltip player_id='2126458' first='Luke' last='Schroeder'] or [player_tooltip player_id='2126466' first='Kobby' last='Sambrew'] be next? This week we might find out. So far twenty D1 schools have been announced at least another dozen to two dozen are about to register before the weekend starts. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Backing Up the Offer</strong>. Offers have been announced: [player_tooltip player_id='2126117' first='Malachi' last='Hill'] from Montana, [player_tooltip player_id='2533408' first='Deon' last='Wallace-Johnson'] from Florida International, [player_tooltip player_id='2126115' first='Vincent' last='Cronin'] from Cal Baptist, [player_tooltip player_id='2126118' first='Tyler' last='Forrest'] from Ohio, [player_tooltip player_id='2416947' first='Ayden' last='Green'] from Alabama A&amp;M, [player_tooltip player_id='2362161' first='Matthew' last='Johnson'] from Wyoming, [player_tooltip player_id='2420169' first='Ahmed' last='Nur'] from San Diego State, etc. But we know offers can go as fast as they came in with the modern game. Will these players (and others) see those schools at the MBCA Camp? If those schools really want those players they should be in the crowd. And if those schools are there, will those players continue to show their talent in the way that the schools are hoping?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Next up at D2</strong>. A dozen D2 NSIC schools have registered for the event and you can expect that number to increase to 14 or 15, plus other D2 programs like Northern Michigan, Black Hills State, South Dakota State School of Mines and others will come looking. With the Summit and other leagues starting to close in on some of the top NSIC targets, that would likely mean that other local prospects have their chance to step into opportunity. Guys like [player_tooltip player_id='2126126' first='Ray' last='Brau'], [player_tooltip player_id='2877054' first='Asher' last='Wieberdink'], [player_tooltip player_id='2824358' first='Nicholas' last='Taylor'], [player_tooltip player_id='2381221' first='Carter' last='Lowis'], [player_tooltip player_id='2412724' first='Dre' last='Collins'], [player_tooltip player_id='2569233' first='De'Anthony' last='Sells'], [player_tooltip player_id='2140675' first='Owen' last='Brezinski'], [player_tooltip player_id='3594077' first='Samuel' last='Afagwu'], [player_tooltip player_id='2126455' first='Peyton' last='Gholson'], [player_tooltip player_id='1956268' first='Shay' last='Jackson'], [player_tooltip player_id='2527108' first='Jaxson' last='Austin'] and others. This weekend might be the weekend big impressions are made. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Who is the Best Prospect in 2027</strong>? Nationally the answer is [player_tooltip player_id='2420169' first='Ahmed' last='Nur']. [player_tooltip player_id='2126467' first='Baboucarr' last='Ann'] has the spot now after an all state junior season but Nur has had an excellent spring and is making a ton of noise as a player, a prospect and with college coaches. Purdue is one of a number of schools coming to the MBCA Camp to look at Nur and it's a chance for Ahmed to show he is the top guy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Who is the Best Prospect in 2028</strong>? [player_tooltip player_id='2560499' first='Kevin' last='Wilson Jr.'] had by far the best season of any sophomore in the state. He is widely viewed as the top player. But at 6'7/6'8, agile and skilled, [player_tooltip player_id='2557528' first='Ichima' last='Idoko'] is a rare prospect that has a high major frame and set of skills that they are looking for. If he can be more consistent, he looks like the prospect that could get the most college coach attention at the high major level. The player with the most steam right now? That would be [player_tooltip player_id='2395557' first='Gus' last='McKenna'] from Pequot Lakes. I'm not saying he will overtake Wilson or Idoko but he sure is making himself comfortable near them. Throw in [player_tooltip player_id='2560534' first='Tre' last='Moore'] who just had a great weekend and a guy like [player_tooltip player_id='2560458' first='Emmanuel' last='Oyesanmi'], or [player_tooltip player_id='2387331' first='Grant' last='King'], or [player_tooltip player_id='1895712' first='Daniel' last='Zoa'], and in this event we get a chance to see the best at their best. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Who is the Best Prospect in 2029?</strong> There are very few 2029 players in this event because naturally they are young and they have two more years to be in this event. There are only nine Minnesota sophomores-to-be in the event and most of them are players with size because they event needs a lot more size to balance things out than it needs young guards. Guys like [player_tooltip player_id='2917657' first='Ethan' last='Payne'], [player_tooltip player_id='2393884' first='Dexter' last='Simmons'], [player_tooltip player_id='2841981' first='Jed' last='Keenan'], Mehki Abner, and Noah Woods from South Dakota. There are wings/forwards in that 6'4-6'7 rang like [player_tooltip player_id='2521853' first='Justus' last='Dayee'], [player_tooltip player_id='3665699' first='Kolden' last='Johnson'], [player_tooltip player_id='2954736' first='Mal' last='Jock'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2454248' first='Elijah' last='Christenson'], and then just one off guard ([player_tooltip player_id='2853260' first='Beckham' last='Nelson']) and no point guards from this class (there are 26 already). So who is the best prospect? Could it [player_tooltip player_id='2821845' first='Malik' last='Martin'] (didn't sign up) who isn't in the event? There is a ton of steam from [player_tooltip player_id='2521853' first='Justus' last='Dayee'] right now, skilled size is something colleges love, and you have Jock who is a great scorer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Who Wins the top Guard Match-Ups</strong>? This past weekend we saw [player_tooltip player_id='2560534' first='Tre' last='Moore'] did a great job against [player_tooltip player_id='2560499' first='Kevin' last='Wilson Jr.'] Will Wilson get a chance against Tre this weekend? What could the KJ Wilson vs [player_tooltip player_id='2126117' first='Malachi' last='Hill'] battles look like? Then you have Hill vs Forest vs Wallace-Johnson vs [player_tooltip player_id='2126128' first='Isaiah' last='Asuma'] in the senior point guard battles.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Who are the top senior bigs?</strong> If the guards can get the ball inside some of these post match-ups should be awesome. You have great size in [player_tooltip player_id='2126447' first='Briggs' last='Sheridan'] vs [player_tooltip player_id='2126126' first='Ray' last='Brau'] vs [player_tooltip player_id='2381221' first='Carter' last='Lowis'] vs [player_tooltip player_id='2417301' first='Hunter' last='Vinkemeier'] vs [player_tooltip player_id='1819128' first='Bryce' last='Gaustad']. When they go head to head, who will look better in the eyes of the college coaches? And who will earn opportunity?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Can we stop some guards from thinking it's their day to just jack shots?</strong> We are looking at you high school coaches. If you see a player just jacking shots, how are you going to handle it? And shot jackers, are you going to be smart? College coaches aren't looking for shot jackers. They don't want that. There are shot jackers that are not at this event. College coaches want to see the ball move and then come back to shooters to shoot good shots, not one on one creations without ball movement. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Be Professional from the time you enter to the time you leave</strong>. If you skip a drill, college coaches see that. If you are late skipping a session, college coaches see that. If you fight with your coach or teammate, college coaches see that. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Make the extra pass, defend hard, move the ball, congratulate your teammates, etc etc etc. Do the things that college coaches want in their programs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->