Shot Clock Classic: AAAA Standouts
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The Breakdown Shot Clock Classic showcased some of the top talent in Minnesota playing with their high school teams, previewing who some of the contenders can be when we get around to the winter season. Here are the top seven…
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Continue ReadingThe Breakdown Shot Clock Classic showcased some of the top talent in Minnesota playing with their high school teams, previewing who some of the contenders can be when we get around to the winter season. Here are the top seven prospects from Class AAAA who stood out to me from Tuesday.
Casmir Chavis of Park Center (6’2” Guard – 2024)
Cash showed off his improved game this past Tuesday, leading his team to a dominant win over Bloomington Jefferson. He totaled a team-high 25 points, mixing in scores from all three levels. Everyone already knows how athletic he is and how good he is at finishing around the rim, but he looked confident knocking down shots from the outside and taking on a point guard role bringing the ball up the floor. Chavis connected with 3 three-pointers, all of them coming off of the dribble. It looks like he has made that next step as a prospect and he will be very fun to watch this season. Park Center is looking unstoppable in the limited time we’ve seen their team together this summer and they are currently my favorites in class AAAA.
Daniel Freitag Daniel Freitag 6'1" | PG Breck | 2024 State #142 Nation MN of Bloomington Jefferson (6’3” Guard – 2024)
Despite the loss, Daniel dominated on Tuesday. The power five offered guard scored a game-high 36 points against the reigning state champions, Park Center. He was knocking down shots from the perimeter, as well as using different combinations to finish at the rim. He found great success in his floater and other reverse type layups around the rim as he would hang in the air to avoid being blocked by larger defenders. He saw double teams for most of the game, making it very difficult to get open looks, but he still found a way to shoot a solid 12/21 from the field. Freitag is going to see a lot of attention from opponents this season, but I would not be surprised if he averages around 30 points per game this season on an inexperienced Jefferson squad.
Trey Smith Trey Smith 6'7" | SF Osseo | 2023 State MN of Osseo (6’6” Wing – 2023)
Trey has had one of the best spring/summer seasons as anyone in the state so far and looks like a top tier Division 2 talent. He was a nightmare for defenses to matchup with as he can truly do it all. At 6’7”, he can handle the ball, knock down shots off the dribble and in the catch-and-shoot, he can jump out of the gym, and can also facilitate for his team. He looks extremely confident with the ball in his hands and should take over an underrated Osseo team in the scoring and ball handling departments. Smith and Isaiah Johnson Isaiah Johnson 6'7" | SF Totino-Grace | 2024 State #135 Nation MN should be a fun duo to watch this season. Trey just received an offer from Bemidji State this week and I expect that list to keep growing in the coming months.
CJ O’Hara CJ O’Hara 6'4" | SF Park Center | 2023 State #285 Nation MN of Park Center (6’4” Wing – 2023)
O’Hara looks like the perfect fit at Park Center and has proven himself as one of the top incoming seniors in the state. He could not be stopped from attacking the rim in their matchup with Jefferson, as it felt like he was throwing down a dunk or finishing a contested layup on every other possession. He was blowing by defenders with ease, using acrobatic finishes at the rim to avoid defenders. CJ also did a great job doubling opponents and getting in passing lanes to cause turnovers leading to easy scores on the other end. He scored 23 points on an efficient 11/13 from the field. This PC team is so long and athletic, I am expecting lots of steals and dunks for the Pirates this season. They enter the year as my #1 in class AAAA.
Jalen Cain Jalen Cain 6'3" | SF Minnetonka | 2023 State MN of Minnetonka (6’3” Wing – 2023)
This is the first time I have seen Jalen play since the winter and he looks like he’s in for a breakout senior campaign. He impressed me the most when he was attacking the rim in transition as he is so explosive on the run. He was constantly rising up for transition dunks and layups through traffic. He also sprinkled in some baskets from the perimeter showing that he is a threat to score from all levels. He could not miss all game and finished with a game-high 31 points on an astounding 15/16 from the field. Cain will need to play big this season for a talented, but undersized Skippers roster. They should be fun to watch and are in my preseason top five teams in Class AAAA.
JJ Ware JJ Ware 6'6" | SF Park Center | 2023 State MN of Park Center (6’5” Wing – 2023)
JJ Ware JJ Ware 6'6" | SF Park Center | 2023 State MN has just seemed to get better and better this year and he proved that again in PC’s matchup with Jefferson. He used his athleticism to run the floor and catch passes from teammates that resulted in tough finishes at the rim, one being an early dunk to give his team the momentum right out of the gates. He is so important to his team because he can stretch the floor with a shot from deep or he can crash the glass and get offensive rebounds leading to second chance opportunities. This team gels so well together and I believe that JJ is a main reason for that.
Andy Stefonowicz Andy Stefonowicz 6'2" | PG Minnetonka | 2024 State MN of Minnetonka (6’1” Guard – 2024)
Andy played with no fear on Tuesday. He shot the ball with extreme confidence and played his game all day. He knocked down several shots from deep, mostly coming off the dribble where he can catch a defender sleeping and pull up right over them. He also showed off his elite court vision with some bullet passes right on the money to teammates cross court or cutting back door in the half court offense. He finished the win with a stuffed stat sheet, including 24 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds. Stefonowicz has been running with Howard Pulley this spring/summer season on the EYBL circuit and I expect his recruitment to pick up in the next couple weeks during the live period.