PH Midwest Showdown: Brett's Saturday Standouts

On Saturday the gym was buzzing with game winning shots, high flying dunks, and competitive games. For the second day of this event, I was able to take in games at both the 15u level and the 16u level. Let's dive into my standouts that made big time impacts for their teams on Saturday at the PH Midwest Showdown.    Wienen stood out in the games I was able to watch him on Saturday. Wienen is extremely skilled and physical for his age. A true three level scorer, Jeb found ways to make an impact scoring the basketball throughout the second day of the event. Wienen has very smooth stroke from downtown and does an excellent job of using his frame to finish through and around contact. Despite the loss against Chapman South, Wienen had 12 points scoring in a variety of ways. Jeb is an excellent defender as well using his motor and quickness to keep guys in front.     Carson was a walking highlight reel on Saturday against [program_tooltip program_id='3502082' first='Team' last='Compete']. The six-foot-two wing is extremely athletic and did he ever standout in the 9:05am game. Carson had three dunks in this game including a monster rim rocker off a handoff in the half court. Outside of his explosive athleticism, Layel impressed me with his ability to find teammates in transition, finish through contact with a handful of and 1 finishes, and his relentless mindset on the glass. Carson finished with 15 points in a decisive 55-36 victory over [program_tooltip program_id='3502082' first='Team' last='Compete'] in their first game on Saturday.     Feliciano, who was playing up a class this weekend, flashed his potential on Saturday. The 2030 prospect was electric with the basketball in their game against [program_tooltip program_id='3502082' first='Team' last='Compete']. Fernando was able to use his quickness to probe to the basket to finish, and to set up his teammates with assists on kickouts and dumpoffs. Feliciano also demonstrated his consistent shooting ability canning a few deep threes including one off a ball screen late in this game. Fernando finished with 11 points for the game, and will only get better with age and added development.     Mccoy who is also an excellent football player, made his impact on the basketball floor for a solid [program_tooltip program_id='2224082' first='Milwaukee' last='Trail Blazers'] club on Saturday. Mccoy plays a lot on the interior due to his superior strength and savvy skillset. During his game against the [program_tooltip program_id='2075749' first='Northern' last='Lakers'], he was able to get to his dominant left hand to finish directly at the rim and finish through contact. Mccoy has very good feet around the basket and used a nice up and under move to keep defenders guessing throughout this contest. Mccoy, when he was not able to finish, Carson drew a lot of contact and converted a bunch of points from the charity stripe. Mccoy finished the game with 16 points and was dominant on the interior.     Przybilla was impressive for the Trail Blazers in their game against the [program_tooltip program_id='2075749' first='Northern' last='Lakers']. A lengthy wing player, Jayden is able to use his size to rise over defenders and knock down shots. When Przybilla puts the ball on the floor, he has a strong ability to hit shots from the second level using good footwork and pivoting, to knock down mid-range pulls consistently. Przybilla is a great outside shooter with a quick and high release. One of the things Jayden is improving on is his ability to finish through contact, which he showcased on Saturday, converting a pretty impressive and 1 finish in the second half. Jayden finished with 10 points and will only to continue to get better this club season.     Arft, who is poised to step into a much bigger role for 2026 state qualifier Appleton North, was outstanding in the two games I was able to watch on Saturday. The six-foot-five wing prospect is left-handed and does an excellent job finishing around the rim through some pretty physical contact against [program_tooltip program_id='3502082' first='Team' last='Compete']. Arft can step out and shoot it too as he knocked down a deep triple and can score pretty much at any level. Arft was consistent this weekend and finished with 13 points and 7 rebounds in a come behind victory against [program_tooltip program_id='3502082' first='Team' last='Compete']. Look for Arft to be a staple in the Lightning lineup for the next two seasons.     Krause, who is a member of the division three runner up Seymour during the high school season, showcased a number of different intangible tools this weekend on an excellent [program_tooltip program_id='2078394' first='Team' last='1848'] UA Rise 16u squad. Jordan, who is typically known during the high school season for his shooting and scoring abilities, was doing the little things for 1848 on Saturday in addition to scoring. Krause was all over the floor in their games against DFTP and [program_tooltip program_id='3502082' first='Team' last='Compete'] grabbing loose balls, defending with aggressiveness and energy, and grabbing offensive rebounds. Jordan brings a ton of juice to his team, doing whatever it takes to win and staying engaged at all times. Krause had 11 points in their game against [program_tooltip program_id='3502082' first='Team' last='Compete'].     Jaxson was excellent in the second game I was able to take in on Saturday against DFTP. Wyngaard is a consistent three point threat from well beyond the arc. He has a quick trigger and confidence to really fill the stat sheet when he gets going offensively. I was impressed with Wyngaard's ability to use his shiftiness to get to the basket and make the right reads in transition. Wyngaard will be a player to watch in the FVA as he matures with strength and develops the other parts of his game this spring and summer.     Rosplochowski is coming off an incredible high school season in which he was able to help contribute to Appleton North's first state appearance in school history. Rosplochowski is a dynamic three level scorer that is extremely crafty, physical, and hyper skilled. Matt was able to knock down some deep triples off of flare screens in their game against [program_tooltip program_id='3502082' first='Team' last='Compete'] despite pesky and physical defense. Rosplochowski, is also left handed and smooth off the bounce scoring at will at the rim, and finding teammates on dribble penetration. Matt finished with 17 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists in a 70-56 victory over [program_tooltip program_id='3502082' first='Team' last='Compete'].     Thioulon was one of the better frontcourt players in the 15u division this weekend in Appleton. Taytum stands out in the gym at this age level due to his massive length and size. Thioulon has excellent feet and good hands to be able to effectively and efficiently score around the bucket. I was super impressed by his ability to spin off double teams and physical defense by [program_tooltip program_id='2076023' first='Wisconsin' last='Academy'] to score points in the paint. Taytum does an excellent job cleaning boards off the glass for his [program_tooltip program_id='2854436' first='Mpls' last='only us'] team. Thioulon, as he develops other parts to his game, could blossom into a prospect to watch in the 2029 class in Minnesota.     Barnes Jr. was all over the floor for his squad on Saturday. A lightning quick player, Damien's quickness was too much for [program_tooltip program_id='2076023' first='Wisconsin' last='Academy'] to handle. Barnes Jr. was able to score directly at the rim several times due to his tight handle and quickness. Damien at times can be a one man fast break after he secures a defensive rebound. He had several coast-to-coast opportunities that he converted for himself scoring, or locating a teammate to knock down a shot or finish at the rim. Barnes Jr. has great instincts in the passing lanes and has some really impressive steals in his team's afternoon game. Late in the contest, Damien showcased his ability to hit shots from deep as well as he hit a difficult step-back three to finish the game with 11 points.

On Saturday the gym was buzzing with game winning shots, high flying dunks, and competitive games. For the second day of this event, I was able to take in games at both the 15u level and the 16u level. Let's dive into my standouts that made big time impacts for their teams on Saturday at the PH Midwest Showdown.