Eli’s shot went a little cold in the second half of the game I watched, but his first half alone was enough to get him on this list. Eli is one of the best pure shooters in the state, and in-state teams seem to know that. Throughout the game as defenders were chasing him around the arc, Eli was constantly getting guys in the air with shot fakes to then make plays off the dribble. If they closed out too slow he would simply get off his shot with a quick release and see three points go on the board. His passing also stood out as he was zipping cross-court passes to open shooters with impressive speed that didn’t give the defense any chance to react. He did all of this while playing up at the 17u level.

Hegle has impressed me in the past and I expect the same this weekend. He is an elite three-level scorer. Eli shoots it hot from anywhere in the gym and also gets downhill to the rack for scores. His IQ is also through the roof. On defense, Hegle defends 1-5 and plays bigger than his listed height. This kid hoops with passion and heart. In high school ball, Hegle led Buffalo (AAAA) in scoring at 19.8 ppg.

Despite missing time with foul trouble, Eli showed the shot making ability that has him scoring over 20 ppg while competing in the state’s best conference. The 2028 guard was automatic when left in space from beyond the arc, and did a nice job of quickly getting into his shot so the defense had no time to close out on him. Eli is always looking to pass and move, and finds ways to get his shots within the flow of the offense. Showed the strength and patience to make some plays off two feet around the rim as well. Eli finished with 21 points in a win over Washburn.