Which small forwards do you need to look out for in the 2019-20 season? Carter Gilmore 6’7 / F Arrowhead- 2020 Carter Gilmore has set the standard for Wisconsin small forwards. Gilmore’s last two seasons at Arrowhead were…
Which small forwards do you need to look out for in the 2019-20 season?
Carter Gilmore has set the standard for Wisconsin small forwards. Gilmore’s last two seasons at Arrowhead were nothing short of great, and there is no reason to expect that his senior season will be anything less.
In today’s era of basketball, fundamentals are often looked at as trifle and unnecessary. Gilmore, however, has experienced wild success while humbling his fundamental-less peers on the court. Gilmore has refined his jump-shot, improved his court vision, and has become a better scorer. He does not rely on his 6-foot-7 frame to best his opponent. Instead, Gilmore finds creative ways to put the ball in the hoop and get his teammates involved.
The SF will return as one of the favorites to bring home Wisconsin’s Mr. Basketball award in March.
Caden Boser is just starting to discover his potential. The 6-foot-8 wing can hit shots from anywhere on the court and is almost always flirting with a double-double. Boser averaged 15 points and 6.6 rebounds per game as a junior.
In May, Boser talked about what he thinks his biggest strengths are. “Definitely shooting and being able to stretch the floor as a big is my biggest strength. I’d also say passing and shot-blocking are what I’m good at, too,” he said.
Boser already has two Division One scholarship offers and a strong senior season should turn the heads of even more programs.
We are all thinking the same thing, so let’s be transparent about it. Alex Antetokounmpo and the reigning NBA MVP share a last name. Because his name includes one of the most famous tongue-twisters ever, he has amassed over 300,000 Instagram followers and 14,000 Twitter followers. But, Alex has not made this list because of his robust social media presence. He has some real skill. Antetokounmpo led Dominican in scoring last year with 19.2 PPG.
Alex, like Giannis, is not pigeonholed to one position. He has guard-like skills in a forward’s body.
Jordan Davis is often overshadowed by his twin brother, Johnny. Johnny deserves all the credit that he receives, but it would be a mistake to forget about Jordan.
As a junior at La Crosse Central, he averaged 12.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.4 steals, and 2.2 assists per game. Davis’ biggest strengths on the court are making outside shots and slowing down the opposing team’s best scorer.
Abdul-Wahid’s improvements were well documented this past AAU season. Since his junior year, the forward has improved in nearly every facet of his game. He has a crisp jumper, has improved greatly as a ball-handler, and has become an enforcer on defense. Abdul-Wahid and David Joplin (mentioned later on this list), are talented enough in the frontcourt to lead Brookfield Central to another state title.
Ryan Claflin played with the Wisconsin Crusaders this summer on the Prep Hoops Circuit. He entered his final grassroots season as an unranked prospect in the 2020 class. After transforming himself into a legit scholarship player, Claflin is now regarded as one of the twenty best players in Wisconsin’s 2020 graduating class. He has positional size, athleticism, and is a prolific scorer. Because he plays against D3 talent during the school season, his success will be a little bit harder to gauge. Unlike many Wisconsin prospects, Claflin does not have the opportunity to face-off with the state’s best talent on a nightly basis.
It is easy to be fooled by Patrick Baldwin Jr.’s placid nature. He never screams in the face of cameras after a dunk and rarely ever hoists three fingers in the air after drilling a shot from behind the arc. More times than not, Baldwin Jr. is even-keeled — he never gets too high or too low. Despite this, the five-star prospect is probably the best overall player in the state. He is predicted as a future NBA lottery pick and will still have two more years at Sussex Hamilton to prove his merit to anybody who has not already bought-in to his talent.
Baldwin is being pursued by twenty-plus college programs for a very good reason.
David Joplin has all of the necessary tools to become a high-major Division One prospect. Joplin can shoot, dribble, and score around the basket. He has scholarship offers from DePaul and UNLV and is receiving interest from Iowa, Marquette, Ohio State, and Wisconsin. In his sophomore season at Brookfield Central, Joplin scored 17 points per game and led his team in scoring.
Brayden Dailey was sidelined with a lingering injury for a major portion of his sophomore season. He more than made up for his absence with his performance during the spring and summer. Dailey displayed his ability to score from all over the court. He is not the quickest prospect, but he is crafty enough to get past his defender. Dailey has two Division One scholarship offers and has multiple others who he remains in contact with.
James Graham has the size of a power forward and the skill of a small forward. Graham is an effective shooter off the catch and he excels when is the paint. The junior will be thrust into a much bigger role with the departures of Jalen Johnson and Jamari Sibley. To fill the massive void left by Nicolet’s former stars, Graham says that he needs to rebound and guard better in the 2019-20 season.
Drew Biber may be one of the most underrated scorers in the state. His 14-minute long sophomore highlight tape features him scoring at will. Biber led Cedarburg in scoring with 18.2 points per game last season. The SF has a pure jumper and is strong enough to finish through contact at the rim. Biber is ranked as the 19th best player in Wisconsin’s 2021 class.
John Lovelace’s route to the top begun at Hard Work Live, which took place in late April. Back in the spring, Lovelace was still an unranked prospect in the 2021 class. Even in April, though, it was clear that Lovelace had the skill to crack the rankings. The Wauwatosa East standout has long arms, which gives him a clear advantage on both ends. He is also an effective slasher and shooter. Lovelace should continue to rise up the rankings as he is in for an impressive junior year.
The sample size on Jeremiah Burke is small, yet impressive. While playing for Wisconsin United this spring and summer, Burke flashed his versatility. He can make shots from the mid-range or behind the arc. In the Prep Hoops Summer Challenge, Burke scored 26 points and made five threes in a win for his squad. If the forward proves that his outstanding summer was not a fluke, he will surely start to gain Division Three and Two college interest.
Tre White 6’6 / SF Milwaukee Washington- 2022
Tre White is head and shoulders above his peers at this point. White is already committed to Kansas and is a nationally ranked prospect in the class of 2022. White played with Mac Irvin Fire’s 16U team this summer and averaged just under 30 points per game. Wisconsin high school basketball fans should enjoy White’s talent while they still can. It won’t be too long before White is getting interest from prep schools.
After getting multiple looks at Jeffery Brazziel this summer, I can confirm that he is the real deal. Length, strength, athleticism — Brazziel has them all. The Milwaukee Madison forward is already extremely dangerous on offense and he can pose some major threats on defense with his long arms. He can make shots from the midrange and has no problems when trying to get to the rim.
Steven Clay and Jeffery Brazziel share many of the same attributes. Both prospects are long and very athletic. The one clear advantage that Clay has over Brazziel is scoring in the midrange. Brazziel has an improving jumper, but the Menomonee Falls standout just looks more comfortable as a scorer right now.
Other than being a lethal midrange scorer, Clay can make threes and is phenomenal on defense. With a year of experience under his belt, expect Steven to help Menomonee Falls compete with some of the state’s best.
Danilo Jovanovich’s runway may be a little bit longer than Brazziel of Clay, but he can still reach their level. Jovanovich gets most of his work done in the paint. He is a great athlete and can snatch rebounds over bigger and taller opponents. He also is a fantastic finisher. Being left-hand dominate is a huge advantage for Jovanovich because he can finish in ways that defenders would not expect him to. If the Whitnall forward is able to expand his game more, he could become a top-ten talent in 2022