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<p>There's something fun about getting an early look at a class and finding players you know you'll want to check back in on. That's where I am with this group of 2030 prospects after the Expo. They aren't finished products, and I'm not expecting freshmen to have everything figured out before their first high school season. What they did show were pieces worth tracking. Now comes the fun part: seeing who can build on those moments, adjust to a different level of basketball and find ways to earn trust within their programs. These names are officially on our Watch List, and I'm excited to follow where they go from here.</p>
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<p class="text-gray-700"><br>Gutierrez got on my radar without needing to just be a scorer and that tells me more than a gunner or player whose game is described by just that. We saw him at the Expo and he separated himself because he made his case defensively. He pressured guards, beat them to spots and understood how to angle ball handlers toward help instead of simply chasing them around the floor. He also turned that pressure into steals and extra opportunities for his team. That's a skill that can travel as he enters high school basketball. Now I want to see what develops around it. If Gutierrez embraces being disruptive defensively while continuing to grow as a ball handler and offensive threat, he already has one quality that can help him earn minutes. He joined the watch list. </p>
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<p class="text-gray-700"><br>Noll gave us a nice combination of toughness and shot-making when we saw him last month. Before the jumper really got going, he was already finding ways to stay involved by competing on the glass and chasing rebounds and he will have to buy in and do that over and over. When his shots started dropping, and we got to see how quickly he can change a game when he finds a rhythm it made me think about the type of prospect that he could become. Noll has some microwave potential as a shooter, but I'm interested in what he does between those scoring bursts this season. If the rebounding, competitiveness and activity remain consistent while he becomes a more dependable shooting threat, he'll be a name who could stick. He jumps on the watch list this time around. </p>
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<p class="text-gray-700"><br>Vargas isn't someone who appeared on the radar from one good afternoon. We saw him a couple of times with 7070 Athletics this summer, and the consistent piece was how comfortable he looked with the ball in his hands. He can organize the offense, change speeds and get to his spots without looking rushed, and we've seen some difficult mid-range shot-making along the way. At the Expo, the defensive pressure and timely three-point shooting added another layer, including big shots that helped swing a game. That's a pretty intriguing starting point for a young guard. Now I want to see how much command he can develop in a high school setting and whether that two-way impact becomes something we can count on. Jameson is certainly a player to know. </p>
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<p class="text-gray-700"><br>Lester is a player we saw recently and he made me curious because he was very impactful in the games that we saw and that was not having everything built around him. He ran the floor, filled lanes, rebounded and immediately went back up when he got a board. We want him to be more forceful on wanting the ball because when he got it, good things happened. He had a back to the basket game, finished on cuts and I also took note of the touch around the basket. He finished with either hand, mixed in some scoop finishes and didn't get too sped up when defenders were around him. There were enough versatile flashes that I left wondering what else is there. His high school season should start answering that. Lester already showed he can complement other talent so now I'm interested to see how he adds those strengths and stars in his role. He jumps on the watch list as a promising prospect. </p>
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<p class="text-gray-700"><br>Colborg separated himself when we saw him a month ago at the Expo because he looked like someone who could make defense part of his identity. He used his body, handled pressure and brought an activity level that could become genuinely disruptive if he completely buys into it. That's where I'm most interested in his development. At Riverdale Ridge, there should be opportunities for him to get on the floor and create some chaos with how fast they'll play over there.. I want him to pressure the ball, be disruptive, push the pace after stops and make opposing guards uncomfortable. Young players sometimes view defense as something they do until they can show their offense. With Colborg, I want to see the opposite. If he embraces it as the thing that makes him different, there could be a real role for him to grow into and it will open up the rest of his game. He can be a menace, and I want to see that. He's on the watch list now. </p>
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<p class="text-gray-700"><br>Steinkamp is exactly why I like seeing players get into different environments. Coming from Eaton, he could have stayed comfortable, but instead he put himself in a gym with some of the better players in his class and showed that he could hang out with any of them. He didn't just hang around either but there were stretches where he shined. At 6-foot-3, Steinkamp has intriguing size and versatility, but the scoring punch really caught me. He sprinted into open spots, came off screens ready to fire and showed legitimate range with a quick release. Once he was ran off the line he also showed that he was comfortable attacking the closeout as well and that surprised me. Now I want to see that same confidence at Eaton. If he's willing to test himself against top competition at a showcase, the next step is bringing that mentality into his high school season where he can fight to play JV and maybe even swing. He's on the watch list this go round with us wanting to see more. </p>
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There's something fun about getting an early look at a class and finding players you know you'll want to check back in on. That's where I am with this group of 2030 prospects after the Expo. They aren't finished products, and I'm not expecting freshmen to have everything figured out before their first high school season. What they did show were pieces worth tracking. Now comes the fun part: seeing who can build on those moments, adjust to a different level of basketball and find ways to earn trust within their programs. These names are officially on our Watch List, and I'm excited to follow where they go from here.
Gutierrez got on my radar without needing to just be a scorer and that tells me more than a gunner or player whose game is described by just that. We saw him at the Expo and he separated himself because…
Noll gave us a nice combination of toughness and shot-making when we saw him last month. Before the jumper really got going, he was already finding ways to stay involved by competing on the glass and chasing rebounds and he will have to buy in and do that over and over. When his shots started dropping, and we got to see how quickly he can change a game when he finds a rhythm it made me think about the type of prospect that he could become. Noll has some microwave potential as a shooter, but I'm interested in what he does between those scoring bursts this season. If the rebounding, competitiveness and activity remain consistent while he becomes a more dependable shooting threat, he'll be a name who could stick. He jumps on the watch list this time around.
Evaluations are normally subscriber-only but when an athlete subscribes, theirs becomes free for all readers.
Subscribing doesn't change who the Scout covers, it changes who gets to see it.
Vargas isn't someone who appeared on the radar from one good afternoon. We saw him a couple of times with 7070 Athletics this summer, and the consistent piece was how comfortable he looked with the ball in his hands. He can organize the offense, change speeds and get to his spots without looking rushed, and we've seen some difficult mid-range shot-making along the way. At the Expo, the defensive pressure and timely three-point shooting added another layer, including big shots that helped swing a game. That's a pretty intriguing starting point for a young guard. Now I want to see how much command he can develop in a high school setting and whether that two-way impact becomes something we can count on. Jameson is certainly a player to know.
Evaluations are normally subscriber-only but when an athlete subscribes, theirs becomes free for all readers.
Subscribing doesn't change who the Scout covers, it changes who gets to see it.
Lester is a player we saw recently and he made me curious because he was very impactful in the games that we saw and that was not having everything built around him. He ran the floor, filled lanes, rebounded and immediately went back up when he got a board. We want him to be more forceful on wanting the ball because when he got it, good things happened. He had a back to the basket game, finished on cuts and I also took note of the touch around the basket. He finished with either hand, mixed in some scoop finishes and didn't get too sped up when defenders were around him. There were enough versatile flashes that I left wondering what else is there. His high school season should start answering that. Lester already showed he can complement other talent so now I'm interested to see how he adds those strengths and stars in his role. He jumps on the watch list as a promising prospect.
Evaluations are normally subscriber-only but when an athlete subscribes, theirs becomes free for all readers.
Subscribing doesn't change who the Scout covers, it changes who gets to see it.
Colborg separated himself when we saw him a month ago at the Expo because he looked like someone who could make defense part of his identity. He used his body, handled pressure and brought an activity level that could become…
Steinkamp is exactly why I like seeing players get into different environments. Coming from Eaton, he could have stayed comfortable, but instead he put himself in a gym with some of the better players in his class and showed that he could hang out with any of them. He didn't just hang around either but there were stretches where he shined. At 6-foot-3, Steinkamp has intriguing size and versatility, but the scoring punch really caught me. He sprinted into open spots, came off screens ready to fire and showed legitimate range with a quick release. Once he was ran off the line he also showed that he was comfortable attacking the closeout as well and that surprised me. Now I want to see that same confidence at Eaton. If he's willing to test himself against top competition at a showcase, the next step is bringing that mentality into his high school season where he can fight to play JV and maybe even swing. He's on the watch list this go round with us wanting to see more.
Evaluations are normally subscriber-only but when an athlete subscribes, theirs becomes free for all readers.
Subscribing doesn't change who the Scout covers, it changes who gets to see it.
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