Hard Work Region Finals: 15u All-Tournament Team
This past weekend, the Prep Hoops Circuit capped off the season with a series of tournaments in various regions of the country. The hard work region saw teams from all over the midwest travel to Minneapolis and there were plenty…
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Continue ReadingThis past weekend, the Prep Hoops Circuit capped off the season with a series of tournaments in various regions of the country. The hard work region saw teams from all over the midwest travel to Minneapolis and there were plenty of great games and performances to watch. These players are the prospects that I saw that had the best performances from the weekend.
First Team:
Maxwell Woods– 5’10” guard- MN Fury Zurn/Chanhassen
Maxwell is so much fun to watch. He’s lightning-quick with a really smooth handle that allows him to get pretty much anywhere on the floor. One of his best skills is his ability to use pick-and-rolls to get scores for himself and his teammates. He seemed to always make the right play when using a screen and that allowed his team to be very successful. He hit seven threes in the championship game and showed great body control when finishing at the rim. On the opposite end, he uses his quickness to keep guys in front and he rebounds extremely well for his size. For the most part, Maxwell showed a very complete game this weekend. I think he could improve his pull-up game a bit, but he is so skilled for a player of his age. He is certainly a player to watch out for in the next three years.
Jonathan Mekonnen– 6’5″ forward- MN Heat PBJ/Eastview
I watched Jonathan two months ago at NHR State and said that he needed to develop a better understanding of pace and more control. This weekend, Jonathan showed off a ton of improvement in those two categories. The same defensive prowess of blocking shots and grabbing tons of boards was there, but now he was rebounding and pushing the ball with control and patience. In one game, he had a five-possession stretch where he had an and-1 putback, a fastbreak dunk, a pull-up three, another three, then another and-1 layup. His jumpshot and handle looked smooth and when he got hot, he was so dominant. If he can make that much of a jump in two months, it will be very exciting to see how good he is by the time he is a senior. My next step for him is to improve his back-to-the-basket scoring. I think he could get a few moves down so he can look to post up smaller guys for more scoring opportunities.
Ty Fernholz– 6’2″ guard- Wisconsin Academy Elite/Stoughton
Ty was probably the best scoring guard I saw this weekend. He’s so comfortable and unfazed with a defender in his grill which allows him to get to his spots on the floor with ease. He did a good job of getting into the paint then elevating off two feet and knocking down shots. His balance and smooth release were very impressive as he hit plenty of shots from 12-15 feet off the dribble as well as multiple catch-and-shoot threes. His handle isn’t overly shifty nor is he the fastest guard, but he’s so crafty and strong for his size that he takes care of the ball regardless. He’s a smart defender who does a good job of fighting around ball screens and staying attached when he’s on the ball. He’s another really skilled player for someone his age, but I think he could improve his floaters and runners or at least develop more comfort with them so that he doesn’t always have to take tough, contested pull-ups or layups.
Will Hornseth– 6’6″ forward- Wisconsin Blizzard
Will is just oozing with high-level potential. To start, he has great measurables in the fact that he stands 6’6″ or 6’7″ already. Not only is he tall, but he’s mobile and pretty athletic. He has good timing on defensive rotations and works hard on the glass. He showed that he is entirely comfortable with rebounding the ball and pushing it in the open court. His handle isn’t quick or smooth, but it’s enough for him to at least attack downhill. He showed off a soft touch on his jumper out to a couple of feet behind the three-point line and he has great touch on the low block. He needs to get a bit stronger, but my biggest thing for him to improve on is his aggressiveness. He’s 6’7″ and skilled and he should be looking to score more often than he does. Once he figures that out, he’s going to be pretty good.
Tavariyaun Williams– 6’4 wing- Swish Chicago/Leo
Tavariyaun is an athletic, long wing who can handle the ball and get to the rim whenever he wants. He had multiple impressive dunks and he elevates really quick off of one leg. He’s a right-handed shooter, but you would think he’s a lefty with how smooth he finishes with his left hand. His end-to-end speed is great and he has great positional length. On the defensive end, he is aggressive and hungry. He had plenty of steals by timing his jump of the passing lane perfectly. His athleticism allows him to rebound well on both ends of the floor. He knocked down a few outside shots, but becoming consistent from three will force defenders to play up on him, which will open up even more driving lanes for him to attack downhill.
Second Team:
Jaden Morgan– 6’2″ guard- MN Select Altenhofen/Henry Sibley
Will Strandemo– 5’11” guard- MN Heat Bohrer/Delano
Robert Booker– Wisconsin Academy Elite/Waunakee
JJ Hernandez– 6’4″ wing- Swish Chicago/Glenbard North
Henry Stang– 5’11” guard- MN Fury Zurn/Maple Grove
Jaden Shones– 6’1″ wing- MN Lightning Lyga/Lake City
Third Team:
Luke Dobbs– 6’0″ guard- MN Select Altenhofen/St. Thomas Academy
Caleb Purcell– 6’3″ wing- MN Fury Zurn/Annandale
Owen Waldoch– 6’4″ wing- MN Heat PBJ/Forest Lake
Kenny Jones– 6’3″ forward- MN Chill/Coon Rapids
Dupree Fletcher– 6’0″ guard- Kevon Looney Power 5
Wyatt Powell– 6’0″ guard- MN Lightning Lyga/Mfl Marmac