Sophomores to Track Through This Postseason
The postseason marks the summit of the 2019 recruiting trail. As always, there’s increased importance put on the shoulders of sophomore prospects looking hop aboard the recruiting carousel entering their AAU season and junior year. So, let’s take a peek…
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Continue ReadingThe postseason marks the summit of the 2019 recruiting trail. As always, there’s increased importance put on the shoulders of sophomore prospects looking hop aboard the recruiting carousel entering their AAU season and junior year. So, let’s take a peek at some touted sophomores that can boost their stock with strong playoff performances.
Tyrese Hunter – Racine St. Catherine’s: While the guts of Wisconsin’s D3 programs are hit with a slight talent drop off from most D1 and D2 teams, Hunter’s prospect grade doesn’t take that hit with everyone else’s. Simply put, when you lead a top-five D3 program through a schedule with pit stops against Martin Luther, Westosha Central, Racine Horlick, and Dominican, you deserve all of the kudos you can get.
This season, his forte has been transition basketball, not only creating fast breaks but scoring from them. He’s St. Catherine’s best passer, averaging 4.3 assists per game. Defensively Hunter shows great hands with 2.4 steals and .5 blocks a night. Hunter is an all-around player that has high potential.
If their bracket stays par to the course, Catherine will butt heads with Martin Luther for the third time this year. They split their first two meetings, so the third game is a coin flip. A win there would be a huge stock booster for Hunter and St. Catherine’s.
Kobe Johnson – Nicolet: Johnson is mired in his brother’s stardom, caught in Jalen’s parade at Nicolet. And it’s unfortunate for Kobe because as much as he thrives playing alongside his five-star brother, he could be having a mini-parade lap of his own right about now.
But, that’ll come very soon, especially if he continues his growth spurt. As a freshman at Sun Prairie, Kobe was 6’0. Now, only a year later, he stands at 6’3 and has clearly put on more muscle. If he can keep on growing physically, then the Johnson monopoly will continue at Nicolet.
As far as his skill set goes, he’s far from his brother’s thundering dunks and flashy passing. Kobe is incredibly unselfish and a willing passer in transition, but he’s a thorn in your side if you leave him open beyond the arc.
Zac Johnson – River Falls: Johnson averaged 12.1 ppg during a solid freshman showcase, but he’s bumped his scoring up to 15.5 this season. The 6’3, lefty guard has had five games with three or more makes from three including seven threes in his season opener and six threes in a win over Rice Lake.
Johnson couples a three-point barrage with a dominant mid-range jump shot, an aspect of the game he’s already coined. Though the long two has become obsolete in the current basketball fad of dunks and threes, he makes it work, and that separates him from the rest of the prospects in 2021.
If Johnson can continue his offensive tear into the postseason, he can throw his name into the mix of talented Wisconsin guards.
Parker Lawrence – Hortonville: Lawrence is nipping at the heels of the elite 2021 guards. He’s scoring 9.7 ppg, third on the Hortonville roster, but he’s shown the ability to heat up quickly from three which is why he’s a perfect player for this list. One game with three or four threes is the taste that’s going to have recruiters craving more this summer and next year.