Prep Circuit: Top Upperclassman

Gregg Rosenberg March 17, 2019 @ 02:11 PM

This weekend I attended the Prep Circuit at Inspire Courts in Gilbert, AZ. It was an AAU event with many prep teams involved. Here were the top upperclassman that impressed. 2019 John Harge PF 6’8” 220 Hillcrest Post Grad Harge is a high IQ 4-man who can handle the ball well. He is very strong and rebounds at a high level in his area. He can step out and hit the 3pt shot plus get downhill and score it through contact with his thicker frame. He is willing to take charges and mix it up inside. When he gets a full head of steam, he can throw it down. He does many things well and plays hard. He recently was offered by Tulsa. Conner Jackson PG 6’0” 185 Hillcrest Post Grad Jackson is an active defender who is an uber athletic lead guard. He makes others better and can get into the lane at will with a tighter handle. He uses his strength, lateral quicks, speed and quick hands to defend on the ball. He is a capable perimeter shooter but he will have to make strides. He is a terror on the break and plays way above the rim. He is arguably the top PG athlete in the state. Chase Courtney C 6’9” 220 Hillcrest Post Grad -Courtney is slowly coming. He has made some of the biggest growth in one year that I’ve seen in a while. He is the son of former NBA player Joe Courtney and although he’s not living up to his dad’s elite level, he is starting to show off his potential. He moves quicker than he ever has with more stamina. He rebounds well in his area and blocks shots. He can score it in the paint with hook shots and has a decent touch on his free throws. If he can continue to make more strides, this late bloomer may be a steal. He is a perfect red-shirt candidate. Daniel Pontnack SF 6’6” 195 Hillcrest Post Grad -Pontnack is skilled wing who is sneaky athletic and defends his position. He is consistently active each game collecting steals and blocking shots. He also can shoot it off the dribble and create his own shot. He is very consistent from mid-range and is good with catch 3’s. He rebounds well in his area and is very competitive. He holds multiple D2 offers with interest from D1 Omaha-Nebraska. Luny Tap F 6’8” 170 Tucson Fast Break Prep Post Grad -Tap is a long and skinny face-up forward from Canada. He is extremely fluid and moves well out in space. He also is a top tier shot blocker. He tracks the ball well and uses his massive wingspan to his advantage. He is a catch and shoot deep 3pt shooter. He doesn’t have much of a post game at all but he can put the ball on the floor and score it driving to the basket. His main issue is right now is he is very skinny. He will need to put on a lot of weight and get stronger. VJ Wilmington SG 6’2” 190 Hillcrest Post Grad -Wilmington was one of the stronger guards in attendance. He loves to go downhill but can also pull-up off the dribble and score it. He has a no-nonsense approach and plays very physical on the defensive end. He can hit the deep 3pt shot and is a very confident player who can get rolling quickly. His body, IQ and toughness get it done on both ends of the floor. https://twitter.com/_wilmington33/status/1088165895606657024 JD Tsasa PF 6’6” 170 North Canyon HS (AZ Future) -Tsasa has an unique story. He started HS at 13 years old and he also happens to be an elite piano player. He is graduating this year but will prep for two years. He will most likely attend Hillcrest Prep. As far as his game goes, he is a very good rebounder and shot blocker with his 7’1” wingspan. He moves around the court like a wing and can face-up to the 3pt line and in. He is still somewhat weak deep in the paint, but with more time, he could be a player D1 coaches will need to know.