This young man has a college sports future in something. I don’t know how good he is for the North Polars football team but I have to believe he helps them in some way. Believe he plays end or receiver and I look at him and think edge rusher. On the court, he looks to be every bit as physically advantaged compared to others that a 6’4 strong and athletic guy can be. This is a top 100 prospect in his class at least and maybe a top 75 prospect.

Ward over powered everything at the Expo. Centers? Too slow. Fours? Too slow. Threes? Too weak. Twos? Too little. Ward went through everything to the front of the rim for a constant run of paint points. If there was a points per game total that we could magically put together, Ward would have been one of the PPG leaders. Drop step finished everything and just bulled his way to where he wanted to go. And he had a bad ankle!

Kristian was one of the more physically imposing forwards I saw at the event. Listed at 6’4, he blends strength with explosive athleticism to play even bigger than his size. He has no problem powering his way up to score through contact, at the same time drawing a number of fouls to pick up some easy points at the free throw line. During the game I watched Ward provided a strong rebounding presence inside, and threw down a powerful one handed dunk in the second half. Just finds ways to get two feet in the paint and finish.

I walk in the gym and Ward standing two foot leap dunks. No step forward, just a standing leap. He then cuts to score again, then d-boards and pushes for his team to score, and then blocked a shot in retreat. A strong, athletic forward that plays bigger than his 6’4 size, but can do all the things you need a slashing three man to do as well. But as a four he over powers guys and then just leaps over them, so he can do that too.

Kristian has next level physical tools that he can use to impact the game in a variety of ways. He has a built 6’4” frame and is a very explosive athlete. He is a great defender, being able to match up with big forwards or quicker guards on the perimeter. I saw him block a few shots and come away with some contested rebounds. Offensively, Ward is a great finisher around the basket, going up hard and strong each time.

Kristian is a go-to player for Forward Thinking Basketball . Physically he fits the build of a next level wing, mixing strength, explosiveness, and length into his 6’4 frame. In the game I watched Ward was relentless on the glass, was hustling for loose balls, and showed he can move his feet to guard nearly every spot on the floor. He knows who he is as a player offensively, and rather than trying to make flashy plays out on the perimeter, he looks to attack the basket and use his physicality to finish at the rim.

Kristian has to be one of the strongest players in Minnesota’s 2027 class, as opponents found it very difficult to match up with his physicality. He plays much larger than 6’4” with his built frame, doing his scoring damage from inside. He was effective with his back to the basket and on strong drives in the half court. Ward can match up with a variety of different players on the defensive end as well with his strength and athleticism.