Minnesota Freshman Showcase: Max's Top Performers

Six of the top overall prospects I saw yesterday at the Prep Hoops Minnesota Freshman Showcase!    Henry is such an intriguing long-term prospect. He already stands at 6'6 with a very long frame, and moves with fluidity on the ball. Henry was comfortably pulling up for threes over the top of defenders, and was finishing above the rim with ease in the open floor. Really good coordination and balance for a young forward at his size. He played through contact around the rim, scoring with efficiency inside-and-out. On the defensive end he made an impact as a shot blocker, and had no problem moving his feet with smaller wings as most teams didn't have a player his size to match up with.     At an early stage, Paris looks like one of a handful of prospects in contention for the #1 spot in the 2030 class. Already having a year of AAAA varsity experience under his belt, Paris made it look easy at times against his fellow freshmen. Kyles was a walking highlight during the 5v5 portion, throwing down a number of transition dunks, including a pair of alley-oops as he showed explosiveness I didn't know he had. There weren't a lot of half-court possessions in his game I watched, but Kyles mixed in a few pull-up threes while also flashing his ability to create for his teammates off the dribble.     Ray Ray was one of the top point guards I saw over the weekend. His quickness and decision making made him so dangerous in the open floor, as he could fly by defenders and deliver a perfectly timed pass to a teammate slashing to the rim. Defensively he came up with two or three blocks as he could stick to his man like glue to contest every shot they attempted. On the ball he showed impressive change of speed to blow by and get to the rim for a handful of finishes throughout the game.     Trasean was an impact defender for his team yesterday. A big and athletic 6'4 forward, White was arguably the top shot blocker at the whole event. He showed the agility to slide into good position around the basket, as well as the timing to elevate and reject shots without fouling. Though he was at his best defensively, Trasean showed he can take a rebound and handle it coast-to-coast to finish with touch. With his combination of size, athleticism, and budding skill, he's an up-and-coming prospect to keep an eye on at Minneapolis Washburn.     Both present day and as a long-term prospect, you could make an argument for Kannon as #1 in the 2030 class. He had to leave after his first game to play in fall league for Eastview, but that was all it took for him to make an impression. He was lights out from three in the 3v3 game that I watched, draining four or five shots from deep with a smooth release. During the 5v5 portion he took full advantage of his physical tools, dominating the game in the paint. Kannon could step in from the dunker spot to finish, was dangerous off the pick & roll, and could also take opposing forwards off the dribble from the wing. Showcased impressive explosiveness by throwing down a powerful two handed dunk off an up-and-under move in the 2nd half.     At an early stage, Mason has a combination of size, athleticism, and all-around skill that will make him a guard to keep an eye on over the upcoming years. I only got to see him during the 3v3 portion of the showcase, but with all of that space on the floor he was so dangerous. Mason could create separation for a pull-up jumper, or use his big frame to get all the way to the rim. Has the touch to finish with finesse while also having no problem scoring through contact. It may take him a year or two to break into the varsity rotation at Hopkins, but down the road he could develop into a key contributor.

Six of the top overall prospects I saw yesterday at the Prep Hoops Minnesota Freshman Showcase!