Battle at the Lakes: Sunday's Best!

We have so many prospect stories to tell! New bigs, emerging stars, fantastic performances, so many stories to tell!   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Emerging Star</h2>   One could argue that through six weeks of play, [player_tooltip player_id='2118495' first='Talan' last='Witt'] is the MVP of the Minnesota 17u season. Now, I fully understand that [program_tooltip program_id='2075431' first='D1' last='Minnesota'] could have 2-3 candidates as well and a likely winner but then again they punish teams with their talented depth. The Comets have done the same this year but [player_tooltip player_id='2118495' first='Talan' last='Witt'] has been playing like a star.   That star quality was on display the most in the double overtime win against Davis Brothers 16s who are the best 16u team I have seen this year. Witt went baseline to opposing top of the key and touched in a game winner for the victory. On the baseline as Talan is running in celebration, you can see the St. Cloud State head coach Quincy Henderson watching closely. And a day later Henderson offered Witt a scholarship.   The Alexandria guard shot 45 percent from the arc this winter and helped lead his team to the state title. This 17u season we have seen him shoot it well, attack with more explosiveness than I think many have been aware of, and he's doing this consistently. His biggest asset is his ability to score the ball but he also handle in the combo role too.     <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/Lucas-Gustafson-crop-6023x3955-1746991491.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/Lucas-Gustafson-crop-6023x3955-1746991491.jpeg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-2861219" /></a></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Another 17U MVP Candidate</h2>   The other 17u MVP candidate to throw in the mix? [player_tooltip player_id='1560798' first='Lucas' last='Gustafson'].   This weekend [program_tooltip program_id='2075672' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] went 4-0 and they beat a nice group of good teams from around the Midwest. It's a balanced effort but they don't hammer Team Warwick and win all these games if the next Mankato East Big Nine MVP candidate isn't scoring in bulk.   So what is it with Gustafson? How is he scoring in the mid teens or low 20s so consistently?   We start with range. Lucas has range on his jumper that helps him deal with being a smaller guard. If you can shoot over the top from 20 feet the size isn't as big of a deal!   Lucas is also supremely confident in what he can do. He's a reliable player that his teammates and coaches know they can go to. And Gustafson has a very sneaky hesitation/change of pace that quickly allows a window to open and he can quickly release a jumper. Finally, on his way to the basket Lucas seems to give his team a crafty attack score or two every 17u game.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Fairmont Prospect On the Rise</h2>   A player that slowed the pace of college coaches as they walked the gym was 6'9/6'10 [player_tooltip player_id='2815217' first='Logan' last='Junkermeier'] of the Minnesota Rise out of Fairmont. Any player that tall is going to immediately make a college coach look through their roster regardless of how good he was. And then Logan ran the floor and immediately interest picked up. Logan runs well at his size. And then you notice that laterally, he's not too bad. Then Logan touched the ball on the block and the footwork was pretty solid too and the shoulder/hip turns showed more agility than you would expect.   Now Logan is on the map.   Then you have a look at the production. Logan had four buckets in the time I watched, grabbed seven rebounds, showed some touch, blocked a shot, adjusted others, and then I officially became really interested. That right there instantly makes a player like Logan a top 40-50 prospect in his class.   Next you check the high school season. Stats show 16 plus points a game, nine plus rebounds a game, 65 percent shooting, nearly two blocks a game. You hear he broke his wrist during the year and missed games and you check the video..... you see a wrist brace being played with but Logan is still showing the same qualities we saw with the Rise: size, agility, runs well, gets to contests well, has a decent touch.   Now Logan is a target that college coaches must see and each weekend we need to watch closely. Not many prospects out there are that size and move fairly decent, but Logan does. Junkermeier is surely a prospect to watch close going forward.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Real Phenom Pair</h2>   When [player_tooltip player_id='2119596' first='Cooper' last='Fahning'] hit a five footer off a nicely placed lob pass on a well designed play, Real Phenom improved to 18-2 on the season. It was another game where Cooper had nearly double figure boards and four/five baskets. Watching him improve this spring has been a great sign. I was thinking back to the game I watched him this winter when he had 11 rebounds and took just two shots. Six weeks into 17u Cooper is still rebounding well but also doing more on defense, and scoring more.   You can see the improvement from the Eden Prairie big and you can see the improvement from Breck guard Mu Muhammad as well.   Mu is the point guard for Phenom and he's done a masterful job of running the team as a playmaker. Mu defends, he uses his strong frame to get deep in the paint and score, and he moves the ball so the team can get high percentage looks. Guys Ike Rylan Mcpipe and [player_tooltip player_id='2119596' first='Cooper' last='Fahning'] are being helped by the way Muhammad is leading this group. Mu is a steady lead guard and I think he will be outstanding for a very good D3 team.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Get to Know [player_tooltip player_id='2121389' first='Bridger' last='Wilcox']</h2>   Who is [player_tooltip player_id='2121389' first='Bridger' last='Wilcox']? He is a 6'1 scorer from Thief River Falls and [program_tooltip program_id='2076003' first='West' last='Central United'].   He is a quick releasing player that you need to step to quickly but you have to be leery of his athleticism. Bridger had maybe the most impressive reverse lay-up I have seen in high school basketball since McKinley Wright was flying around.   Wilcox is a scorer to know and up in his area of the state, the teams are aware. He had 37 against Crookston, 35 points against Perham, 35 against Roseau, and several other games in the high 20s. And now the teams in 17u are having a difficult time finding ways from stopping Bridger from putting 20 in the book.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Quick Hitters</h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='1560769' first='Ethan' last='Sonju'] is another scorer to know. Very rarely are players able to carry over a 20 plus point per game average to a 17u season but Ethan is doing just that for the Minnesota Swish. Sonju can hit the feet set three and he will work for a few high percentage buckets but his runner, floater, corner turn into a touched in shot game is what really separates him and makes him a next level scorer.   [player_tooltip player_id='2119645' first='Tyrel' last='Pride'] of St. Paul Johnson and Powerhouse Minnesota. No matter who Powerhouse is playing this year it seems Pride is finding ways to score consistently and he is doing it with attacks, jumpers or both.   Another shooter I was greatly impressed with was [player_tooltip player_id='2126458' first='Luke' last='Schroeder'] from Hoop Habits and Shakopee. The Sabers seem to develop more shooters than anybody and rest easy Shakopee, Luke will keep it going. I thought Luke was excellent in the win over the Comets.   Speaking of the Comets, [player_tooltip player_id='2126128' first='Isaiah' last='Asuma'] might get more done than any player I saw this weekend. Scoring? In the teens always. Creating? The Comet shooters are always fed with high percentage shots from Asuma. Rebounding? Nobody loves to chase down a board and fly like Isaiah. The Comets didn't get the win but Asuma was the most impressive playmaker in a game with a lot of talent.   I'm not sure people understand how good this Wayzata backcourt of [player_tooltip player_id='2842020' first='Xaviahn' last='Ivey'] and Max Beeinga is going to be. They both continue to play at a level of at least third team 16U All State right now if not higher. I caught both of them playing at a pretty high level again.

We have so many prospect stories to tell! New bigs, emerging stars, fantastic performances, so many stories to tell!