Will may get overshadowed at times playing for a loaded Totino-Grace team, but he stepped up when his team needed him most. Trailing for most of the game, it was Will Brands Will Brands 6'4" | PF Totino-Grace | 2024 State MN who came up with key buckets down the stretch to give his team the win over BSM. He knocked down a corner three to give his team the lead, and the next possession he finished at the rim to put the game out of reach for good. Brands is someone who will do whatever is needed of him to help his team win. He can defend bigger than his size, works hard to box out and pull in boards, and doesn’t waste possession with mistakes/bad shots.

Will was a major reason Minnesota Rush advanced to the 17U championship game, taking over their semifinal matchup with Real Phenom. He has so much value with his ability to score and defend at a high level. He did the majority of his scoring inside, attacking using the dribble or cutting for passes from teammates. I also saw him come away with some steals and take a couple charges.

Will Brands Will Brands 6'4" | PF Totino-Grace | 2024 State MN was a big reason why Minnesota Rush was keeping it tight with Sanford Sports until the buzzer. At 6’3 he spent a lot of time defending a high major committed 7 footer, and Will had a lot of success using his physicality to limit his man’s touches. Utilized his strong frame to keep him off of the block and keep him off-balanced so that even if he was able to catch it was difficult for him to get into a shot. Offensively Will is excellent running the break because of his vision to see up the floor and pass the ball ahead. In the half-court he stretched the floor from three and utilized off-ball cuts to open up good looks at the rim.

On Friday night Will was impressing with his defense in a win over World Hoops Elite. He’s pretty versatile as he can defend on the wing against similar sized players, but has a strong frame at 6’3 that allows him to guard in the paint against guys 6’5-6’6. Really good off-ball positioning to step in and take charges/contest shots, and he always finds a guy to box out when a shot goes up. In an intense game against Minnesota Chill he stepped up scoring wise, as he was knocking down threes, finishing in transition, and powering his way up for buckets in the paint in the half-court. Has shown with Totino-Grace that he can be a “dirty work” type of guy off the bench, and now with MN Rush is showcasing more of his offensive game.

Will Brands Will Brands 6'4" | PF Totino-Grace | 2024 State MN took over in the game I was able to see, truly dominating on the offensive side of the ball. He possesses great size and athleticism for the wing or forward position and was using it to his advantage, finishing though contact for multiple three-point-plays. When he got rolling in transition, there was nothing the defense could do to stop him. He also impressed me greatly as a shooter. I saw him connect with 3 three-pointers off the catch and was so hard to guard with that versatility he brings. Totino-Grace loses many players to graduation for next season so I expect Will to have a solid role for his senior year.

Will made some key plays late as he helped his team pull away down the stretch and come away with a win. Nothing flashy about Will’s game, he just goes out and makes the right plays on both ends of the floor. Off the ball he’s good at stepping in to take charges, and does a good job of walling up to protect the basket without fouling. Was pulling in rebounds with two hands, and once he got his fingers on the ball he wasn’t coughing it up. Any time Minnesota Rush forced a turnover, Will seemed to be right there helping get possession for his team. Came down with some big rebounds late, as well as securing a 50/50 ball and then dishing out an assist as the game was in anyone’s hands.