Young Guns Shine At Mile High Madness

I covered the 15U division at Mile High Madness, which is a very new group from what I typically cover, and came away impressed of what Colorado basketball will look like for the next few seasons. These prospects in this article played up as some are still in middle school, and others are just getting into high school, but were still able to be impactful and stood out on the weekend. Here's who caught my attention in multiple games watched.   It's also showcase season, and this is the perfect time to lock in and get signed up for our events to get further evaluation as you're now on our radar! Some of the biggest risers in our rankings started by showing up & showing out at a showcase & they're approaching quickly!   Your showcase evaluation could be the one that changes everything.   Freshman & Sophomore Showcase - August 8th (Rankings Immediately following)    Use Colorado26PH25OFF at checkout for 25% OFF & receive a custom registered graphic that comes with it! Lock in now!    Nolan is a guard who just kept popping in games for Mile High Select, and he offers so much gravity with his outside shot and ability to mix it up and get inside as well that defenses had a hard time figuring out how to stop this team. They had a mix of solid guard play and a big man in the middle who fed off of him, which made Nolen's life easier. The smooth left was hitting deep shots, got hot in the two games that I watched from him an was aggressive. I also like how he defended in help side as he knew when to step over and stunt on plays and covered holes defensively for his team. He's a player worth adding to the radar as a young standout who played well in 15U.     Kaiden needed a game to adjust to being the lone big body for UFO Boyz, who was playing up a couple of years, but once he got his confidence under him and saw a few and 1's go through the basket, that's when we got to see just how impactful he could be. He started battling on the boards, going down on the block and trying to get a couple of second-chance opportunities for his team and coming up with stops. He has solid size, rebounds out of his area, and his athleticism is going to separate him. I applaud a big man who is playing up as that is the biggest advantage that teams have, and he held his own.     Moats was one of my favorite watches in 15U over the weekend as he's a true PG who's willing to make plays for teammates. He appears to be a two-way standout who got a couple of steals with his activity pressures high, worked hard defensively, and then got the ball and was assertive. Mile High Select puts the ball in his hands and lets him operate. He was hitting shots as he has a quick trigger, he used the screen and saw what defenses was giving him and didn't need much room to score. He's a willing passer who was making the defense collapse and either looked to score or kicked it out to teammates. Can't wait for him to learn how play downhill, but right now all of the tools are there to be a solid player that I am sure we hear a ton about in the next few years.     Silas was a game-changer as he played off of momentum all weekend. He's a glue guy who impacted the game in various ways and seems to cover so much ground. He's all over the place, just trying to make plays happen. He ran the break correctly and scored in transition, he attacked off the dribble in the half-court set, and he also hit a couple of and-1 baskets in the game that we saw from him at Mountain Range as well. Silas is a two-way player who battles on every possession, and it's easy to keep those kinds of players on the floor.     Clarke is another glue guy who doesn't need the ball to be effective, but continues to find ways to make his mark in the game. I watched the Mile High Select team play a couple of time and I like how well coached they are, but I also like how they competed despite playing up, and Clarke was a player who did a bit of everything for me. He's doing a ton of the small things that often go unnoticed. Clarke uses his length and size to alter shots. He also got a couple of blocks, he boxes out and then locates the ball, which seems to be a lost art, and you can tell that he's a high-IQ prospect. He was finding holes in the defense for baskets, he got rebounds out of his area, and is figuring it out. He's a player I can see being a bit of a late bloomer, but when it all comes together, he's going to be a very dangerous player to watch. Solid long-term prospect.     Steven or “S3” is a player who, despite being so young is a prospect that we've seen before. His game is maturing as he doesn't look sped up despite playing up multiple years, and after adjusting and getting more aggressive after the first game he found a groove. He scored 20 points in the next two games and found his confidence from deep. He created separation, which is key for his size, he got quality looks and started mixing in the soft floater when defenders closed out. As the weekend went on, he found ways to produce within the flow of the offense and get teammates involved, which only made the game easier for himself. This was another solid showing for him, and he'll undoubtedly be a name to follow.     Keon is going to be a problem. He's confident and aggressive and made plays on both ends of the floor this weekend. He shoots it, gets downhill, and is a 3-level scorer. Keon doesn't shy away from contact, can finish amongst the trees, and only has to see one shot go in to get within a flow, and that was on display in the few games that we saw. UFO Boyz played against a solid Top Flight squad with size and physicality who thought they would just overpower the 13U squad, and it was Keon who got them going. He started scoring, he was chirping back, and nothing came easy. Keon turned defense to offense, matched energy, and made it a game, and that's something that comes from within. He'll be a name to watch that I'm sure will get PLENTY of attention when his time comes. Solid weekend for him.     Nicholson was my favorite discovery on the entire weekend, and with him not yet being in high school, I can admit, I am a fan. This was my first time watching him, and I could only imagine what it looks like when he plays his own age group. He has a mature game; he's efficient and plays at his own pace. Nicholson shot the 3-ball at a high clip, consistently hit mid-range, and had a few up-and-downers. The game slowed down for him, and he was still able to be effective despite playing against bigger, stronger, and faster players. He found a way. In the first game, he had to have 25+ points to keep them competitive. He showed up in every game and was able to impact the game in various ways. I am curious to see how he looks the next time I see him, but this is one I'd buy stock in early.

I covered the 15U division at Mile High Madness, which is a very new group from what I typically cover, and came away impressed of what Colorado basketball will look like for the next few seasons. These prospects in this article played up as some are still in middle school, and others are just getting into high school, but were still able to be impactful and stood out on the weekend. Here's who caught my attention in multiple games watched.