Battle at the Lakes: 16U Minnesota Standouts

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hopkins was the spot for some of the 16U action at Battle at the Lakes. Here were the seven Minnesota prospects that really caught my eye! </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1288706" first="Jalen" last="Langsy"] </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">of Minnesota Heat PBJ/Shakopee (6’0” Guard - 2024) </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jalen has had a very productive 16U season and that continued this past weekend. He is a crafty player with a very deep bag of moves that he can pull out to remain extremely unpredictable. He was making some very tough shots in the game I was able to catch. He used a variety of step-backs and side-steps to create space between himself and his defender. Langsy was very hard to stay in front of, leaving his opponents with no answers. Shakopee should be in for another successful season despite losing some key seniors. I fully expect players like Jalen to step up and take on a larger role this upcoming winter. </span></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1284212" first="Ryan" last="Johnson"] </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">of D1MN Prospects/Lakeville South (6’4” Guard - 2024)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ryan absolutely dominated in his matchup with Dubuque Intensity. He used his size to his advantage, getting downhill and finishing over and through defenders. He also has a very quick first step, often blowing by defenders and getting to the lane with ease. Johnson also did a great job grabbing offensive rebounds and setting up his teammates for open looks. Ryan should be in for a much larger role at the varsity level for Lakeville South next season as the Cougars will be losing four out of their five leading scorers due to graduation. </span></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1288733" first="Isaac" last="Asuma"] </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">of D1 Minnesota/Cherry (6’2” Guard - 2024) </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Isaac has been one of the hottest prospects in Minnesota in the past couple months, picking up a hometown offer from the University of Minnesota in April. He also carried his team to a state tournament appearance this past March, leading Cherry to a 27 win season. I was able to catch his Friday night matchup with KC Spurs and he definitely lived up to the hype. His job was not necessarily to score as much as when I saw him play during the winter season, but he impacted the game with his playmaking and ball handling abilities. He is a very unselfish player with a bright future. </span></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1287440" first="Jonathan" last="Mekonnen"] </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">of Minnesota Heat PBJ/Eastview (6’7” Forward - 2024) </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jonathan has potential to fully break out this summer heading into his junior season. At 6’7”, he moves very well, being able to blow by defenders and get to the paint with ease. When he gets there, he can finish over you with a huge dunk or he can avoid defenders with finesse. Mekonnen also did a great job grabbing offensive rebounds and utilizing his post game. He did not see many varsity minutes in his sophomore season, but should be thrown into the mix this upcoming season at Eastview due to some key front court players graduating. </span></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1413391" first="Khijohnn" last="Cummings-Coleman"] </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">of Minnesota Heat Fleury/Coon Rapids (6’1” Guard - 2024) </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Khijohnn took over on Sunday, scoring from all three levels. The 6’1” guard could not be stopped in his matchup with Gallo Sports, leading his team in scoring. He is lightning quick with a ‘football player like’ build as he used that strength to take defenders to the paint and finish through contact or draw a foul. He can also pull up from just about anywhere from beyond the arc, knocking down several three-pointers. Khijohnn will add to the long list of hidden gems from Coon Rapids in the past couple seasons. </span></p> <p><b>Marcus Bailey </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">of Minnesota Heat Fleury/Coon Rapids (6’2” Guard - 2025) </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marcus is a long and lengthy prospect who can play both guard spots. He can stretch the floor with his shooting range or he can take opponents to the rim and convert some tough finishes. He showed off his range with a buzzer-beating three-pointer to tie the game and send it to overtime in their eventual win over Gallo Sports Center. Bailey saw limited varsity minutes as a freshman on a solid Coon Rapids team full of talent. That should change heading into his sophomore season with the Cardinals. </span></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1284138" first="Grayson" last="Grove"] </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">of D1 Minnesota/Alexandria (6’8” Forward - 2024) </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This was my first time seeing Grayson play and I was very impressed. He still has a very raw skillset, but his size and athleticism more than make up for it. He was showing that off during pregame layup lines, throwing down some eye opening dunks. In his matchup with KC Spurs, he was able to pick up some huge blocks, along with a couple nice finishes at the rim. I was not able to fully grasp what Grove can do with the ball in his hands due to all of the scoring talent on a stacked D1 Minnesota team, but I’m sure we will be able to see more of it this upcoming high school season.</span></p>