Max’s Section Playoffs Sleeper Standouts

<p>With section playoffs in full swing across the state, I take a look back at some of the top sleeper prospects I was able to watch compete last week!</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="774875" first="Jayden" last="Lane"] (6’3 2021 G, Park of Cottage Grove)- </strong>In Park’s upset win over Eastview, Jayden just kept on making winning plays in the second half. He’s a long and quick guard with a nose for getting into the paint, and he did a great job of extending for finishes over length at the rim. When Jayden got into the paint, he was so efficient finishing or drawing a foul, and he had a couple nice dump offs to his bigs for high percentage looks. On the defensive end he’s versatile due to his length at the guard spot, and is always the first one on the floor for a loose ball.</p> <p><strong>Peter Howard (6’8 2021 C, Cretin-Derham Hall)- </strong>Peter showed some nice flashes on both ends of the floor in CDH’s win over North St. Paul on Thursday. He has a sturdy frame at 6’8 that allows him to stand his ground on the block defensively, and he does a nice job of walling-up to avoid fouling when contesting. His effort defending the paint and rebounding the ball gives his team a boost, as they always seem to play better when he gets things going. Offensively he continues to show signs of promise with his post footwork, and either finished off his looks or was able to draw a foul on the majority of his paint touches. Finished with an impressive 10 points and 11 rebounds in a win.</p> <p><strong>Murl Smith (6’ 2021 G, North St. Paul)- </strong>Coming over from Milwaukee for his senior season, Murl is a dangerous scorer with a nice offensive skillset. He has a quick first step with the ability to attack the basket or create space for his jumper off the dribble. His touch around the basket led to a handful of finishes, and he showcased a great understanding of how to use his body to shield off defenders when getting to the rim. Perhaps most impressive was his ability to get to his spot, pull-up, and elevate for a smooth mid-range jumper. He scored 17 points against a tough CDH team.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="957621" first="Nico" last="Peterson"] (6’7 2021 PF, St. Paul Highland Park)- </strong>Although he didn’t put up any crazy numbers, I was impressed by what I saw out of [player_tooltip player_id="957621" first="Nico" last="Peterson"]. He has a very long wingspan for his size, and uses that to disrupt just about any attempt that comes his way in the paint. Offensively he looks improved creating his own looks off the dribble, able to put the ball on the floor and attack from the wing, where he can then pull up from within 15 feet or get all the way to the rim to score with touch. He also impressed with his passing vision both out of the post or when he put the ball on the floor. Finished with 13 points in a loss to Holy Angels.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1143875" first="Gabe" last="Jobe"] (5’10 2022 G, Edina)- </strong>In the final game of his junior year, [player_tooltip player_id="1143875" first="Gabe" last="Jobe"] showed why he’s going to be a prospect to watch this spring/summer. A high level scorer, Gabe showcased his range and ability to get to the rim with his quickness to score. Gabe is so dangerous running off screens, as he can pull up with a quick release from three, or keep you on his hip and get all the way to the rim where he’s a crafty finisher. He has a ton of confidence in his ability to get a bucket, and it showed as he put up a game high 27 points against Bloomington Jefferson.</p> <p><strong>Bjorn Hallberg (5’11 2021 G, St. Francis)- </strong>In a tough loss to Monticello, Bjorn kept his team in it the whole game with his outside shooting ability. His movement without the ball and confidence to fire up shots with hesitation led to a 21 point performance, with a majority of those points coming from beyond the arc. There was a period in the second half where he knocked down three 3’s in a short amount of time, and it looked like his performance would be enough to will his team to a win. He also competed on the glass, pulling in 8 rebounds.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="774876" first="Laron" last="Thomas"] (6’1 2021 G, North St. Paul)- </strong>It’s not very often you see a player confident enough to pick up and guard a nationally ranked point guard the entire length of the floor, but that’s exactly the type of player Laron is. His strong frame, quickness, and high levels of effort make for a dangerous defender who can lock down most players in the state. On the offensive end he’s able to elevate for a pull-up jumper, or get all the way to the rack where he’s an explosive athlete who can finish in a variety of ways. He scored 14 points and showed that he’s a high motor player who can effect a game in multiple ways.</p>