The Border Battle Standouts

<p>The Wisconsin vs Minnesota Border Battle took place over the weekend at Minneapolis North High School, and I was able to catch the first five games of the day. These are seven of the prospects who stood out in Minnesota!</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="865850" first="Mekhi" last="Shaw"] (6’ 2022 PG, Eau Claire Memorial)- </strong>After an impressive defensive performance last weekend in La Crosse, Mekhi picked up a D2 offer from Southwest Minnesota State. He backed up his status as a prospect in a big win for Memorial on Saturday, racking up an efficient 20 points on 8-12 shooting while also dishing out 7 assists. He’s so quick with the ball in his hands, able to get wherever he wants to on the flood. In the second half Mekhi started to take over with his three point shooting, knocking down 3-5 attempts from deep. He just plays so hard on both ends of the floor, and has a motor that never stops. Able to turn the corner hard off screens to attack the basket, but also has the vision to hit his man rolling to the hoop. Defensively he applies heavy ball pressure and is able to move his feet to continuously cut his man off. Absolute gamer who can go out and do what his team needs to win.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1129756" first="Seth" last="Trimble"] (6’3 2022 PG, Menomonee Falls)- </strong>Against the most talented team in Minnesota, [player_tooltip player_id="1129756" first="Seth" last="Trimble"] took the game over and proved why he’s one of the best point guards to come out of the state in recent memory. He effortlessly glided to the rim for impressive finishes against size, able to float in the air and contort his body in a number of ways to avoid shot blockers. Added in some mid-range jumpers that are so tough to guard because of the elevation he gets. Seth constantly showed poise with the ball in his hands, and never got rattled even when Totino-Grace went on a run in the second half. He’s not the type of player that’s going to get up in your face after every bucket, as he’s almost always cool and collected, but when his team needs a spark he’s not afraid to get them fired up both vocally and with his play. Finished with 35 points in one of the most impressive point guard performances I’ve seen all season.</p> <p><strong>Mason Stoik (6’3 2023 G, Eau Claire Memorial)- </strong>Mason played a key role in Memorial’s win over Richfield, using his shooting range to stretch the floor and open things up for his teammates inside. Stoik put up 14 points while shooting 4-5 from distance in the win, and does a nice job of moving off the ball to get into spots where [player_tooltip player_id="865850" first="Mekhi" last="Shaw"] can find him and kick it out. Offers some length as well at 6’3, so he has some defensive potential on the wing. Eau Claire Memorial will graduate a lot of talent after this season, so he’s a prospect to keep an eye on as a breakout player next year.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="761419" first="Ashton" last="Janowski"] (6’2 2022 G, Pewaukee)- </strong>It seems like every game someone new steps up and has a big game for Pewaukee, and on Saturday it was Ashton’s turn. The Hillsdale commit poured in 25 points in the blowout win, going on two impressive scoring runs during the game. Didn’t need to dribble the ball much as he was sprinting off screens or cutting to the basket for most of his points. Does a great job of getting his feet set and squaring up to the basket quickly off the catch so that he can get off a clean and balanced jumper that doesn’t miss much. Was extremely efficient going 9-13 on the day.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1012675" first="Jamiir" last="Allen"] (6’ 2023 G, Wisconsin Lutheran)- </strong>Jamiir has really been stepping up this season for Wisconsin Lutheran, and his high level play continued on Saturday. He’s one of those guards that can turn defense into offense in a hurry, as he’s great at jumping passes and taking off the other way for easy points. Really quick player who moves well off the ball, and he beat his man with off ball cuts on multiple occasions to get clean looks inside. Really liked his decision making in transition as he seemed to always make the right choice on whether to pass or keep the ball himself to score. Jamiir also added in 2 a pair of threes as he finished with 21 points, 5 assists, and 6 steals in the win over Minnehaha Academy.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="865859" first="Emmett" last="Loew"] (6’ 2022 G, Pewaukee)- </strong>It doesn’t always show up in the box score, but Emmett just makes winning plays on both ends of the floor. Against Robbinsdale Armstrong, it was with his scrappy defense. He just gets under guys’ skin as he fights for position on the block against bigger players, or beats ball handlers to the spot to draw charges. Showed a lot of toughness switching off and defending 6’5+ size in the post on multiple occasions, and drew at least two offensive fouls in the win for his team. Would probably be one of the better scoring options on most teams in the state, but he accepts his role for the reigning state champs and makes winning plays defensively.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="801135" first="Steven" last="Clay"] (6’5 2022 W, Menomonee Falls)- </strong>One of the top unsigned seniors in the state, Steven also had a big game for Menomonee Falls on Saturday. Used his long arms to get off shots against size, and that resulted in 3 triples on his way to 27 points in a win. Has a long and athletic frame but doesn’t just rely on that as he’s so skilled with the ball and is a tough shot maker from everywhere on the floor. Fought inside for rebounds against a huge frontcourt, and also flashed his ability to see over the top of the defense from the perimeter and deliver accurate passes. Impressive game from Steven against tough competition.</p>