Summer Radar: Ballers to Track

Summer's is basically in the books, but it left behind a whole lot to sort through. From up-and-coming underclassmen to seasoned upperclassmen, ballers from strong programs and hidden gyms alike put together runs this offseason that were hard to ignore. Some of it came from catching games in person, some from breaking down film, and some from the buzz that kept coming up in conversations with coaches. Either way, these are the names that are hard to ignore.   In this piece, we're pulling together a group of standouts who put in the work over the summer and let their game do the talking. Lock these names in now, they have potential. Whether they turn into breakout stars, take a real leap, or just quietly become the kind of solid role player every good team need, these are the ballers worth watching this season.   Ballers to Track    Reports are that Mr. Cotton had a great summer. Austin is a great shooter. He is extremely smart and hoops with a high IQ. HCV has intrigue and the pieces to be a very solid team in Class A Region 2. They have a new head coach, Thomas Gieske, it will be fun to see what the Burros can do this winter.     Bergy is coming off an All-State season and helped the Jays win 26 games with a 3rd Place finish at State B. This offseason, he was in the gym non-stop, working and honing his game. Blake ran with Pack in club ball and had some bright moments. He also shined with the Jays in team events and camps. This kid lives in the gym and is always grinding. Good luck finding a more skilled player. Expect a rockstar junior season from Bergy.     Kerzmann played well with Bearstail in club ball and helped the team win a boatload of games. He certainly knows what it takes to win. Brady is a nice-sized left-handed player with shooting and scoring ability. With Terry's departure from St. Mary's, Kerzmann will have a chance to be a playmaker and scorer for the Saints. Let's see what he can do in his sophomore season in the WDA.     He is another Burro who had a great summer/offseason. Mitzel is a strong and versatile ball player. He does good work getting to the rim and makes positive plays while using his length. He is a difference-maker and impacts the game on the defensive end of the floor.     Lanning looked good this summer and is ready to put it all together as a senior/returning starter. Josh spent the summer in the weight room and gym. He was the first member of Washburn's "Swishes and Sweats Club". He went above and beyond 18K shots and 70 workouts in the offseason. Lanning was great in the Hazen summer league and locked down opposing perimeter players. Washburn is a dark horse in Class B and Josh will be an key player for the Cards.     Friesz put together a strong offseason and the Bulldogs looked like one of the better teams in Class B this summer. Kelton is Mr. Reliable for Flasher. He does all the little things correctly. Kelton is a high-quality athlete and a playmaker. The Bulldogs need him to grow/thrive as a leader and he looked the part this summer.     Littlewind had a noteworthy offseason and looks to be an impact player for the Indians in Class B. Expect Keyson to play heavy minutes this winter. He is playing with control on both ends of the floor. Expect Littlewind to have a strong junior season.     Max had an impressive season with NLBA and also looked good with the Spartans. Dahms put in the work over the summer and added weight/muscle. He has always been an above-average shooter and now his ability to get to the rim is greatly improved. Dahms is a tireless worker who got up a ton of shots and is always looking to get on the shooting machine. Max is a hungry player who will push for varsity burn. He was a bright spot for the Spartans this summer.     Mr. Woods had an amazing spring/summer. He is a nationally ranked prospect in some publications. Noah is BLOWING up! He has multiple BIG10/high level offers and I imagine that will only increase. He is set to take Class AA South Dakota basketball by storm. If you don't know the name yet, write it down! [player_tooltip player_id='2480721' first='Noah' last='Woods']     Trueblood had a standout club season and was named First Team 17U All-Dakotas. He proved himself as a deadly scorer and bucket-getter. Oak capped off the summer with a commitment to Northern State. In his senior season, Trueblood is projected to be a 1st Team All-Stater and has a good shot to be a Mr. Basketball candidate. Will he lead the Magi to the State Tournament?     He open-enrolled from Wahpeton last year, so he only played JV for the Warbirds. Zac had a nice year, averaging 15 ppg, 11 rpg, and 3/4 bpg. He played a ton of ball this summer with his high school squad and NLBA. He game definitely grew! Monari is very wiry and plays much stronger than he looks. He is still raw but has serious upside. He will give W/L heavy minutes and even dominate at times. If he keeps improving at this clip, look out in Class B!    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/PHD.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/PHD.jpg?w=400" alt="" class="wp-image-1272514" /></a></figure>

Summer's is basically in the books, but it left behind a whole lot to sort through. From up-and-coming underclassmen to seasoned upperclassmen, ballers from strong programs and hidden gyms alike put together runs this offseason that were hard to ignore. Some of it came from catching games in person, some from breaking down film, and some from the buzz that kept coming up in conversations with coaches. Either way, these are the names that are hard to ignore.