Battle at the Lakes: Day 2 Standouts
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PLYMOUTH, Minn. — Standouts from Saturday’s action at the Battle at the Lakes… Matthew Berger – 2020 – PF – Wisconsin Blizzard Berger gave the Blizzard a nice lift during their win over All-In on Saturday. The Oshkosh North…
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Continue ReadingPLYMOUTH, Minn. — Standouts from Saturday’s action at the Battle at the Lakes…
Matthew Berger – 2020 – PF – Wisconsin Blizzard
Berger gave the Blizzard a nice lift during their win over All-In on Saturday. The Oshkosh North big man had great activity level, coming off the bench and sparking his team by getting on the offensive glass and protecting the rim. The 6-foot-6 junior has a nice build and moves well for his size, able to get off the ground quickly. A guy that buys into his role, Berger does a great job of doing the little things that often go unnoticed.
Johnny Davis – 2020 – SG – Wisconsin Playground Club
We’ve gone against the grain over the last two years, putting Davis at the No. 2 spot in the 2020 rankings and he’s done nothing but make us look good. Davis was a man among boys during a Saturday morning win over All-In. Easily the most athletic and explosive player on the floor, Davis was tenacious around the rim on both ends of the floor. Scoring a game-high 20 points in short order, Davis never let off the gas pedal, constantly attacking the rim and recording some highlight blocks on the other end. Davis, who’s racking up high major offers this spring, paired it all with an effective mid-range game. In his second outing, Davis simply wouldn’t let PGC die, scoring a game-high 32 points, including a strong flurry down the stretch as his team held on for a tight win against Iowa Barnstormers Black.
Isaiah Hammond – 2021 – W/G – JH1 Elite
We initially labeled Hammond as a forward, because he does so many things on the interior and plays bigger than his size. Really, he’s a plus-length, active wing that’s just always around the basketball. Once again, Hammond impacted the game in a variety of ways for JH1 Elite on Saturday, making things happen in transition, getting on the offensive glass, and working his way to the free throw line. A sleeper in the Badger State that seems to be getting more confidence and certainly has plenty of upside left, Hammond will see his name rise up the next rankings release in June.
Logan Jedwabny – 2020 – SG – Wisconsin Blizzard
Jedwabny played really well in front of a handful of Divison 2 coaches Saturday morning. One of the biggest risers in Wisconsin this spring, Jedwabny scored 23 points to lead the Blizzard to a hard-fought win over All-In. Jedwabny has one of the smoothest and most effortless strokes in the Badger State. At 6-foot-3, he’s also got the size, strength, and bounce to attack the rim and score through contact. Jedwabny is a two-way player and gets it done defensively as well. This is a prospect that Division 3 schools should be prioritizing, but the more I see him, the more I think he can play his way onto a D2 roster.
Kaiden Phillips – 2020 – SF – Iowa Barnstormers Black
Phillips made play after play as the Iowa Barnstormers nearly pulled off a huge upset against Wisconsin Playground Club. The 6-foot-5 forward gave the opposition fits with his face-up 3-point shooting and activity on the rim. Phillips was able to catch in traffic and finish against some really good athletes, often towering over them. Even as PGC was surging from behind late, Phillips hit some big triples to momentarily keep his team in the lead.
Brandin Podziemski – 2021 – SG – Wisconsin Rap
The SJNMA standout has played mostly 17U this spring. The 16U level was no match for him on Saturday. In a win over the Minnesota Lightning, Podziemski went off for 34 points, including 24 in the first half alone. A conference player of the year selection as a sophomore, Podziemski torched the nets from 3-point range. A sweet-shooting left, Podziemski has a quick trigger and doesn’t need much space to be in rhythm. The 6-foot-2 guard is also an underrated athlete that can get to the cup in the half court or go coast-to-coast in transition. As good of a scorer as he is, Podziemski has an unselfish gene in him and creates plenty of offense for his teammates as well.
Malcolm Reed – 2019 – G – Wisconsin Academy
This would be a pretty big steal at the Division 3/NAIA level. Reed held his own against a loaded D1 Minnesota club, scoring a team-high 15 points. Reed has Division 1 athleticism and plays with a ton of speed and power on the ball. He can punish defenders going to the rim, take contact, and finish under duress. Reed is mostly a slasher, but hit two 3-pointers Saturday morning. A former Bryant and Stratton commit, who also held a couple of Division 2 offers earlier in his recruitment, Reed is becoming a priority for WIAC programs and also has an offer from NAIA William Woods.
Cael Schmitt – 2020 – PG – Iowa Barnstormers Black
Schmitt could not be contained during a very close loss to Wisconsin Playground Club. The junior guard was just killing defenders, particularly off pick n’ roll action, finding a crease and making something happen or exploiting defenders who went underneath the screen and stepping into open triples. Schmitt had a huge scoring effort and made big shot after big shot late in the second half, sometimes after long offensive sets that just broke the opposition’s will at times.
Brennan Timm – 2021 – F – Wisconsin Rap
Back from injury, Timm looked solid in a win over the Minnesota Lightning. The sophomore forward has a nice face-up game from mid and 3-point range, sizing his man up and shooting over the top. Timm hit two big 3-pointers late to help keep Rap in the driver’s seat. Timm has only been back for a couple of weeks and looks to be moving well. Once he fully gets back into the swing of things, Timm makes a lot of noise as a high-post slasher, ripping and getting right to his left hand for powerful drives.
Isaiah Tolbert – 2020 – SG – All-In Williams
Tolbert showed some impressive scoring ability during a loss to the Wisconsin Blizzard on Saturday. The 6-foot-1 guard has a sweet pull-up game and can finish tough buckets around the rim. In transition, Tolbert showed great ability to hang and finish, adjusting his body around defenders to avoid shot blockers. Tolbet was constantly pushing the pace in his team’s favor and was able to score at top-end speed throughout the contest.
Anthony Washington – 2020 – G – Wisconsin Premier
Washington posted 19 points in a win over Minnesota Fury. An athletic and bouncy wing, Washington looked really good as a facilitator. The Madison East star hit the opposition with some beautiful crosscourt passes in the halfcourt that set up clean looks for his teammates. Washington has always been very difficult to keep away from the rim given his length and athleticism, but continues to shoot the ball better and better. Getting some mid-major interest this spring, Washington can certainly play at that level, but would definitely benefit from a prep or JUCO stint as his skills continue to develop.
Hayden Wilker – 2020 – SF – Team 1848
Wilker had some tough, aggressive finishes on Saturday. A prospect that can play through contact, Wilker was doing plenty of damage around the rim and generated a number of trips to the foul line. The Green Bay Southwest native has good size at 6-foot-4 and just battled on the glass on both ends of the floor.