Midwest Collision Sunday Standouts: 17U Guards

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Top teams from all over the midwest took over Bloomington this past weekend, taking part in the Prep Hoops Midwest Collision. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here were some of the guys who looked good:</span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="567103" first="Kooper" last="Vaughn"], Playmakers Showcase Shaw</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vaughn’s been a scoring machine for St. Charles each of the last two years and it’s clear that he’s got a full toolbox when it comes to producing points. He’s an outstanding shooter - both off the dribble and in catch-and-shoot situations - and while he’s not the biggest guy, he’s strong with the ball on drives and savvy using angles, changing speeds and drawing contact, and crafty as a shot-creator. </span></p> <p><strong>Will Blaszciek, WOT Bertsch</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Blaszciek is a big, long swingman who can do a bunch of good things on the court. He’s a smart player who reads the floor and makes quick decisions either swinging, shooting or attacking. His length is an advantage on both ends of the floor, as he’s able to elevate over smaller defenders and can swallow up smaller offensive players. </span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="774736" first="Cade" last="Haskins"], D1 Minnesota</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Haskins has long been considered one of the top off-guards in the 2021 class and he played like it this weekend. The DeLaSalle swingman shot the light’s out for D1 Minnesota, scoring at a high rate without needing the ball in his hands a whole lot. I was impressed with how well he moves without the ball, and excels in broken play situations. The ball seems to find him when he’s able to do damage, and that’s because of his smarts and ability to read the floor. </span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="774824" first="Ethan" last="Forthun"], MN Lightning Hinrichs</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Forthun didn’t do a ton of scoring on Sunday, but I liked his activity level on both ends of the floor. His size is a definite plus on the wing, as he’s 6-foot-2 with a strong frame. He uses it to his advantage defensively, as he leverages opposing ballhandlers to nowhere good. He’s a good slasher who can attack a closeout and he’s a solid cutter and offensive rebounder for his position. </span></p> <p><strong>Tetris Brown, MN Select Brown</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Brown did a lot of good things for Select Brown despite the team’s struggles against WOTN on Sunday. He’s an explosive lead guard who wants to get into the paint and make plays for his teammates. He does a good job upping the tempo for his team on both ends of the floor, applying pressure to opposing ballhandlers, while looking to get his team early offense whenever possible. </span></p> <p><strong>Jake Braaten, MN Rise</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Braaten has been a standout all summer for a Rise team that has played well and he was excellent again on Sunday. He’s a big, physical guard who can get to his spots on the floor with ease. He’s good probing the paint in ball-screen actions and finishes well inside. He’s a smooth shooter in catch-and-shoot situations and can create his shot efficiently. And he’s tough on the defensive end of the floor, routinely fighting through screens and harassing opposing ballhandlers. </span></p>