Wisconsin Freshman Showcase: Mark's Top Performers

A quick look at a few of the individual standouts from the 2030 class I watched at the Prep Hoops Wisconsin Freshman Showcase held Saturday in Appleton. With more than 125 participants, it was difficult to see every player in the time frame allotted so please check out the reports from all of our Prep Hoops staff on the event to read about others who performed well.    Though just 5-foot-7, Craig made a huge impact on each game he played at the Prep Hoops Wisconsin Showcase. His speed with the ball in the open court was unmatched by opposing teams and his ability to use his quickness in the halfcourt to shed defenders led to scoring chances for himself and his teammates. Craig has good physical strength, a fearless nature and elite-level quickness. He will be a key performer for first-year Dominican coach Marc Mitchell over the next four seasons.     A rangy wing prospect who possesses good ball handling and driving skills, Harris finished with regularity off the dribble in Appleton. He sized up his opponent, used some cross-over dribbles to create space and then zipped to the basket to finish near the rim with his bounce and length. Defensively, Harris is locked in and knows where the ball is while also anticipating well in the passing lanes. Harris size, skill and versatility will be big assets for Messmer coach Ben Hailey and the upstart Bishops in 206-27.     Thompson played alongside 6-foot-7 Clintonville forward/center Raymund DeJesus and excelled while catching the ball along the baseline and using his quick first step and length to soar to the basket. While DeJesus was spending his time scoring in the lane, Thompson showed the ability to score near the hoop, but he also flashed some perimeter skills and the strong desire to drive the ball. On the other end of the floor, Thompson's length and mobility are assets as he can guard different positions and also use his length to block shots and his jumping ability to snare rebounds and start a fast break.     There is plenty of young talent at Eau Claire Memorial, but most of it centers around the backcourt and wing positions. Jerome kind of changes that narrative a bit, though, as he brings good size and physical strength to the floor. He competed on plays on both ends throughout the day the Freshman Showcase and showed the ability to defend and rebound against players his size or taller. Jerome is part of a strong frosh class for the Old Abes and might earn a spot in the varsity rotation by the end of the season due to his size and physicality.     Holmen has a pair of outstanding freshmen in point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2819101' first='Jarell' last='Ayed'] and power forward [player_tooltip player_id='2820290' first='Miracovsky' last='Pierre']. Ayed, in particular, has advanced skills and good feel for the game and the ability to get to the basket and finish over defenders. A scoring lead guard and willing passer, Ayed has good size, a strong body and the ability to defend either guard position. His quick first step off the dribble allows him to routinely defeat opponents and score either off the glass or with a mid-range pull-up jump shot.     Stewart figures to contend for varsity playing time at Wisconsin Dells this winter as he is one of the top lead guards in the 2030 class in central Wisconsin. His combination of physical strength, confidence and ability are going to be assets for him as he competes in the South Central Conference with the Chiefs. Stewart can score the ball at all three levels and showed in Appleton he handles the ball and passes it at an extremely high level as well. Wisconsin Dells lost four starters to graduation so there are holes to fill in coach Brad Rohling's lineup and Stewart just might be one of the key pieces for the team in 2026-27.     Nowak made some plays on Saturday that others his age cannot as he showed the ability to avoid defenders in transition and score through traffic while also using his high basketball IQ to set up others and get into passing lanes for steals. On one possession, Nowak took a pass near the top of the key, backed up a bit and then used a nasty pull-back dribble to get around his defender to score near the rim. Competing for the exceptionally strong and deep program at De Pere, Nowak might be looking at a spot on the JV1 squad this winter, but he proved Saturday he ranks among the elite in the class with his solid all-around play.     A 6-foot-4, 210-pound power forward with impressive footwork and the desire to score, Kramer's physical stature immediately stands out for such a young player. A starting tight end for the varsity football team at Neenah, Kramer uses his strength, aggressiveness and court awareness to score with his back to the basket while also filling the lanes and scoring at the rim in transition. His future might be as a college football player, but he is, without a doubt, a very impressive basketball players as well and one of the better players in the state's 2030 class.     Travel-team clubs across Wisconsin are going to want to get in on DeJesus, one of the top post players in the state's 2030 class. Although not super bouncy, DeJesus utilized his strength, strong moves and nose for the basket to score with regularity in the lane in Appleton. He has good hands and snared passes in transition several times before finishing off the glass in the post. DeJesus rebounds well on both ends of the court and looms as a big impact player for Clintonville over the next four seasons.     Glaeske plays well off two feet and with balance when defending and when pulling up for his jump shot. A high IQ performer as a combination guard, Glaeske has good size and strength while playing with unselfishness and a desire a defend with purpose. Part of yet another strong incoming class at Wisconsin Lutheran, Glaese is probably looking at time with the JV1 squad with the Vikings in 2026-27, but his future appears very bright as he continues to improve his skills, gain additional strength and become a strong on-ball defender.

A quick look at a few of the individual standouts from the 2030 class I watched at the Prep Hoops Wisconsin Freshman Showcase held Saturday in Appleton. With more than 125 participants, it was difficult to see every player in the time frame allotted so please check out the reports from all of our Prep Hoops staff on the event to read about others who performed well.