Who Is South Dakota’s Best Junior Small Forward Prospect?

<p>Time to look hard at these juniors.  Who are the best three junior small forwards in the state of South Dakota?  We dive into that today.  Who do you think is the best?  Is it somebody else not on our list?  </p> <p>In reviewing this discussion we’ve went back to look at film of each and gave you three different things that we really like from each. </p> <p><strong>Charles Christensen</strong> of Rapid City Stevens</p> <ol> <li>At 6-foot-6 with a long, thin frame, Charles runs very well.  It’s not just his pace but how quickly he turns and gets up the floor before others react and in an effortless looking wide, glides ahead of others to get where he needs.  There is one possession when an attacking player is going to the rim and Charles sprints back and stops the play and the ball is moved out.  There are things like this that lead to a high potential. </li> <li>Charles is raw and inexperienced.  It may take some time but you can see in some of this summer video that there is more comfort with the basketball than initially thought.  With his quickness Charles has the comfort to put the down and beat players because at his size teams will have to guard Charles with bigger players.</li> <li>At his size and agility Christensen presents an instant issue once he understands the full concept of defense for his varsity team.  This is a player that can defend ball screens with length and the right steps forcing the initial ball handler to stop any advancing thoughts.  Between the deflections, steals, and blocks along Charles could be an excellent defender. </li> </ol> <p><b>Jaden Witte </b>of Sioux Falls Christian </p> <ol> <li>Jaden is more of an agile, athletic playmaker than he may be given credit for.  When you look at his footwork and how quickly he can get to a step on a guy and then accelerate to make a play (both sprinting and elevating) you see a guy that has the potential to be a very good wing.  </li> <li>There is a body control to Witte that I think can be worked with and made into a scholarship prospect in whatever sport he wants to continue with.  The way he can go to the rim and keep his balance in the air while taking some contact, but yet grabs a board or finishes a shot with touch, it's unique to it's class and something we are eager to keep track of.</li> <li>Versatility.  At 190 pounds the strength is there to play some four if his team needs it, to rebound and battle in spots, but the agility is there to guard wings.  Witte looks like a guy you can call out a lot of switches with on defense and be fine, a guy that could grow to be a scorer in multiple ways, and a guy that can be a consistent playmaker in transition or in the halfcourt set.  Has some growing range and he's a solid passer too. </li> </ol> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="968174" first="Tory" last="Holland"]</strong> of De Smet</p> <ol> <li>I really like the mature, physical nature that Tory plays with a 6-foot-3, 175 pounds.  He stepped off the bench from a very good team, and the level of play didn't fall.  As a young player Holland has an understanding of the game and a consistency to the way he competes that allows him to play at a level above his age.  A guy that can be depended on to shoot at about a 55 percent level in Class B as a wing, and a guy who can board. </li> <li>His body control is outstanding and at his size Tory runs better than anybody on he floor.  The type of guy that will win a sprint to the rim in the open floor or a sprint to a close-out that stops a shooter from releasing an attempt.  When it comes to the body control, we've seen Holland go to the rim and be contested, but yet maintain balance with a reverse finish on the other side, or an extension to complete over the top after the early contest/contact. </li> <li>Love his relentless play.  The video clip that stood out to me the most from the previous winter was when Tory showed hard on a ball screen so the ball was then sent over the top to the wing.  The guy who caught the ball attacked but Holland saw the play ahead of time and sprinted from above the foul line to meet the player at the rim and get a piece of the attempt.  It's that type of aggressive play and high effort that led to him also winning board battles and making some momentum plays in the heat of the contest. </li> </ol> <p>&nbsp;</p>