Prospects Who Elevated Their Stock at the Expo

There was plenty of established talent in the gym at the Expo, with some of Colorado's better juniors and seniors going at each other throughout the day. That made it a good setting to see who could separate themselves against quality competition. Several prospects left the gym with me thinking more highly of their games than I did coming in. Here are some of the biggest stock risers I saw at the Expo.    DeVan looked noticeably stronger and as if he has a college ready body right now. He not looked physically stronger, but he played like it as well and that opened up another layer to his game. He screened and rolled with purpose, caught the ball on the move and became a problem once he got downhill. His rip-through dunk was a statement at the showcase and we're used to seeing the fast break dunks, but not where he's daring guys to go up with him. I also liked how Matias was absorbing contact as well. He was moving guys on the block, trying to move him with his body and going up. This was the most aggressive versiion I've saw of him and Overland is going to really need him this year. I'm expecting a breakout season for him if he plays with that same kind of mindset. Solid day for him.     Martin has the numbers that make him look like he could be a pretty solid player in the state, but this was him showing that it goes beyond just who he's playing against. I liked how efficient he was and he made only necessary moves. He didn't need the ball in his hands to be effective and the more that I watched him, the more that I saw a sniper. He was hitting a lot of 3-pointers, he had a face game where he was creating for himself and he heated up at times. He didn't only stick to the 3-ball but he had a couple of mid-range pull-ups with a defender in his face as well. He's a shooting guard that creates space and can create for himself and players had a tough time slowing him down. He's a shooter and player we hope to see more of, but I think he came in wanting to prove himself and did just that. He's a name to know.     I saw and really enjoyed watching Robinson for Morgan Dawgs, but at the showcase he showed a completely different game and that's what I enjoy is that he might be a balanced player who can change with what's needed from him. Where he really stood out was on the defensive end. He was one of the best defenders in the gym and came up with a few steals that turned into him pushing it the other way. He active with his hands, he plays guards tight and he showed out in 3 on 3 and 5s as well. He also started to score off the bounce and got to the rim for some blow bus as well. If he's able to be this kind of menace for Northfield, they can be a team that can surprise some teams but he certainly turned some heads at the event and boosted his stock.     Jones was a new name for me and one who kept earning my attention as the day progressed.Every time I looked over he was making a play. He uses his length to come up with deflections, he locked down guys when he switched onto them, was a switchable defender and battled against anybody in front of him and wasn't fazed by bigger-name matchups. Jones showed some craft with a turnaround in the mid-range, solid finishing and an impressive and-one basket as well as a sequence. Most importantly, his performance wasn't built on one or two good plays. Nic consistently made noticeable plays throughout the day and gave me plenty to revisit. He'll get a boost.     Johnson's defensive instincts provided some promising moments and I saw them in the Grandview league last week and this further showed me that he could pile those kinds of games together. He denied passing lanes, poked balls loose from behind and turned takeaways into transition opportunities. He had a couple of fast break points just by being aggressive on that end. There's another level to his game if he becomes even more disruptive defensively and assertive offensively. I'd like to see him hunt the ball and stay active as he scored when he got the ball, made a move and got to the basket and work into the middle of the floor more often instead of waiting for the guys to just pass it to him. Go get it yourself sometimes and trust in the work you've been putting in. He's getting better every time that we see him and I think it was important for him to play freely and see that he could hang with other players. Apply it, always.     Hakeem brought an unselfish presence that helped his team play open ball and he also was forced to defend some of the top bigs int he gym and he held his own. He had a couple of blocks by being active and showing off his athleticism to go and get it. He also stepped onto guards and showed that he could move his feet and stay in front of them. Tisean makes the extra pass, moves without the ball and communicates while he's on the floor which is contagious. He works around the paint, grabs rebounds in bunches and even some out of his area and works hard while he's on the floor. The showcase needed that, and that's also how he'll make his mark for his varsity squad as well. This was a stock boosting day for him.

There was plenty of established talent in the gym at the Expo, with some of Colorado's better juniors and seniors going at each other throughout the day. That made it a good setting to see who could separate themselves against quality competition. Several prospects left the gym with me thinking more highly of their games than I did coming in. Here are some of the biggest stock risers I saw at the Expo.