Heat Jamboree Notes
I snuck over to Fridley for some inter-program scrimmaging on Wednesday night, of the Minnesota Heat variety. The pipeline is pretty stocked up after what I saw from the 15U and 16U levels. Here are the highlights:
15U
There are a few 2020 prospects in Minnesota already on high-major radars, but make sure not to overlook some of the hidden gems on Heat Moberg. I’ve heard fantastic stuff about St. Anthony PG Tait Nelson, a 5-11 spark plug who scored 15 a game for the Huskies as a freshman. He already runs an offense with poise and scoring ability, very crucial traits for a lead guard. His wingmen are two lengthy 6-5 Champlin Park forwards in Cooper Olson and Jared Walter, both of whom showed some ballhandling skill on the perimeter. Expect both of them to plug into the turned-over Rebel rotation next winter.
Heat Fox was fun to watch (mostly because I’m biased to the offense they run) and they looked very comfortable with each other. This early in the season and having played only four or five games together, that’s pretty impressive. Some less than familiar names on that squad but I expect with their chemistry they’ll win a lot of games. Brody Fox and J’Vonne Hadley found themselves open often.
One team that just plain worked hard was Heat Gilleyen. Seemed to me they didn’t shoot the ball well but hustle plays got them some buckets. They’re pretty athletic, including Armstrong pair Damarion Carter and Dwight Alexander, and will be able to hang around with more talented teams because they outwork everybody.
16U
The first runs I saw Wednesday displayed some notable performances from Heat Walljasper and Ismail. Walljasper is a bunch of Maple Grove kids with some others mixed in. Daniel Walljasper and Gavin Pelto impressed me with the way their contrasting styles gelled in the backcourt. Walljasper is a threat to shoot from all spots on the floor and even at just 5-9 can get his floater to drop over bigger defenders. Pelto is a defensive nuisance with lots of aggression with the main goal of getting a steal and a fast break layup.
Ismail is an undersized group with a lot of bounce. East Ridge wing Jeziah Cooper caught my eye with his relentless crash of the offensive boards. He has some post game as well despite his frame at 6-1. Could be a worker role player for the Raptors down the road. I liked the slew of Anoka Tornadoes on this roster too, giving some solid minutes for Ismail’s squad.