Alatalo was the player who kept Olympic City Elite within striking distance in games. Against one of the better teams in the event, he handled relentless pressure without looking sped up. He consistently broke the press, got two feet into the paint, and forced rotations. Once he got downhill, he finished through contact or kicked the ball out to open teammates. His first step creates real separation, and he used that to wiggle free, where he had a couple of tough and-one finishes against Collective, which showed me that he embraces physical basketball instead of avoiding it. He’s firmly on my radar as an intriguing player who has some things that stick. I have to see a bit more of it. 

Palmer is one of the few teams in the state led by underclassmen and one of those young ballers is this sophomore guard. He is the team’s athletic change-of-pace player. He controls tempo, pushes the ball down the floor, and is always looking to make a big play. We’ve seen a few standout games for him to start the season, where he was able to impact the game due to his activity. He gets into the teeth of the defense, he finds the open man, and he can play as the combo guard with the other backcourt players they have around him. He’s a player we are still curious about, but makes our rankings for the first time with his play to begin the season. 

Alatalo had a standout tournament, running the point with poise and control. He consistently saw the floor well, making timely passes that put his teammates in great scoring positions. While he excelled as a facilitator, he also showed the ability to step up and score when his team needed a bucket, balancing playmaking and scoring to keep his team competitive throughout the event