Vote now for March’s Shottracker Shooter of the Month!
Prep Hoops has partnered with the premier shooting device, Shottracker, to award the top shooters in the country each month.
You’ll be able to vote on the top performances each month and the winner will be awarded a Shottracker device. So check out who filled it up most over the past couple weeks and make your selection in the poll below!
The nominees are as follows…
Luke Vaske, Norwalk (IA) – Stats: 20.1 points, 41.6 3P%, 62 3PM – Vaske was one of Iowa’s top three point threats, both in efficiency and quantity. He was far from a one-dimensional offensive player, however, attacking the rim often and finishing the season as one of Iowa’s leading free throw shooters.
Nate Mohr, Glenwood (IA) – Stats: 19.7 points 76 3PM, 87.1 FT% – Mohr did it all for the Rams, leading his team in scoring, assists and steals. He was confident and consistent with his stroke from deep, hovering right around 40% from beyond the arc all season long.
Tate Olson, North Woods (MN) – North Woods rode Olson’s hot shooting all the way to the Minnesota Class A title game. Olson finished 14-27 in the state tournament from the three point line. 51.9%.
Drew Blomberg, Lewis-Palmer (CO) – Blomberg can, and will, shoot the ball from anywhere on the court if you give him just a little bit of room. On his way to 13 points in the state title game, he went 3 for 4 from beyond the arch and connected on a couple of long 3-pointers that got quite a reaction from the crowd at the Denver Coliseum.
Sylvain Francisco, West Oaks (FL) – The 6’2″, 170-pounder displayed true talent at the ARS Rescue Rooter Hoopfest in January. Francisco helped West Oaks upset Tampa Catholic in the tournament at Berkeley Prep. His explosive, quick and can be deadly from the outside and will be on display this summer for Team Breakdown.
Lucas Williamson, Whitney Young (IL) – Lucas Williamson finished off a stellar all-state season with a dynamic performance in the state championship. The senior lead the charge for Whitney Young in the second half. He shot the ball extremely well from deep knocking down 5-6. With Whitney Young trailing after the half. Williamson hit three triples in the 3rd quarter to give WY some momentum and the lead. Williamson was often tasked with playing in the post due to Whitney Young’s lack of size, but he had no problem playing inside where he grabbed 9 rebounds. Williamson finished the game with 19 points 9 rebounds and 2 steals in the victory.
Nimari Burnett, Morgan Park (IL) – Nimari Burnett is not shy to the bright lights and the Freshman stepped up big coming off the bench for Morgan Park. Burnett is a rangy guard that has a quick release from deep. Burnett sparked Morgan Park in the 1st half instantly nailing a three, and a dribble drive mid-range pull up. In the second half with MP trailing he started the half off with 5 straight points to give MP the lead. He would continue his hot shooting nailing a class 3A record 6 three pointers. Including two big ones in overtime to seal the victory for Morgan Park. Burnett finished 9-15 from the field including 6-10 from deep.
Josh Brewer, Ben Davis (IL) – When you have a team high 19 points and hit the game-winner to put your team into the State Finals, you are going to be the MVP of the game. In the fourth quarter he had back to back dunks and then hit the game winning three at the buzzer giving him 7 of his 19 in extremely clutch situations.
Clarence King, Lawrence – (KS) Had 19 points to lead Lawrence in the championship, including a 3 for 5 performance from 3-point range. Had 17 points in a low-scoring semifinal game against Blue Valley North, leading the Lions to a 41-36 win. He also hauled in four rebounds and had two steals.
Jake Ohmer, Scott (KY)
- Harlan County (First Round) – 41 points, 17 rebounds, 2 assists, 5-9 from beyond the arc
- Perry County Central (Quarterfinal) – 32 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 6-10 from beyond the arc
- Bowling Green (Semifinal) – 33 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 4-11 from beyond the arc
Ohmer is now a Kentucky high school basketball legend. Leading Scott to the semifinals as an underdog, Ohmer tallied a total of 106 points, tying him for 13th all-time during the Sweet 16. But the truth is that he done it in only three games. Kentucky high school basketball fans live to see the type of performances Ohmer put up in this year’s state tournament. Ohmer has committed to play with the University of the Cumberlands.
Cody Stansberry, Washington-Marion (LA) – Stansberry was under the radar but a big reason that Washington-Marion walked away with the championship, hitting 5 threes in the state championship game and finishing with 18, as well as the game’s Most Outstanding Player award.
Ahmad Taylor, De La Salle (LA) – Taylor was the 2nd and leading scorer in De La Salle’s semi-final and championship game, respectively. Just like the rest of De La Salle, he is a bonafide shooter, but one things that really impressed was his ball handling and decision making abilities. He looked really comfortable with the ball in his hands, and was able to find open guys. Of course in the state championship game, he handled the bulk of the scoring, going 9-10 from the field and finishing with a game high 26 points.
Dre Perry, Poly (MD) – Perry had arguably the most dominant showing in state history. In the semifinals and finals, he averaged 28 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. The Temple University commit willed the Engineers to their first state title in school history. His impact on both ends was undeniable. In the state final, Perry finished with 23 points, 16 rebounds, three blocks, three assists, and shot 3-of-6 from the three-point line.
Foster Loyer, Clarkston (MI) – Foster Loyer led Clarkston to it’s first ever state title. Loyer, a Michigan State commit, proved yet again that he is one of the top players in the state with big performances in the semi-final as well as the championship game. In the semi-final game, he had 32 points, 7 assists and 3 steals (with zero turnovers). He followed this impressive game up with 29 points and 5 rebounds over top-ranked Grand Rapids Christian. He finished 10 of 17 shooting, including 5 of 8 from three-point range. He made all seven of his free throw attempts.
Calvin Hackert, Ludington (MI) – Hackert has been a sniper for Ludington all season. While maybe not having the most dominating performances statistically, he made key shots to help his team win. In fact, he had 8 points in the final 2 minutes of the semi-final game, leading a comeback run that forced overtime and the eventual win. He finished that game with 20 points and 4 rebounds while shooting 4-6 from deep. He duplicated his stellar shooting from deep in the championship game, with 16 points on 4 threes, with 2 steals as well. With the two games combined, he shot 8-15 from beyond the arc, which is good for 53%.
Malik Ellison, Flint Beecher (MI) – Ellison has been one the best players in the state this year. The 5’7″ senior guard earned his first D1 scholarship for his stellar play in the earlier playoff rounds, of which he would continue in the finals. He posted a line of 28 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and a steal in a win over Detroit Edison, a team who has several D1 players. He followed up this impressive overall performance with a 32 point performance (4-8 from three) in a championship game win. Also, he shot a combined 29-37 from the free line, which is an impressive amount of attempts for just a two-game total.
Jared Ridder, Kickapoo (MO) – The 6’7″ Xavier signee finished his career by leading the Chiefs to a third-place finish. He had 24 points and eight rebounds in the semifinals against Webster Groves, including a breathtaking 10-point sequence in the third quarter when he knocked down three consecutive 3-pointers and got fouled on the last one for a four-point play. He also had 19 points and six rebounds in the victory over Chaminade for third place.
Koray Gilbert, Vashon (MO) – The lanky 2017 wing displayed a nice shooting stroke in the Final Four where he was four of six from long distance. His back to back 3-pointers in the championship game broke the game open in the second quarter. In the semifinals, he finished with 11 points.
William Butler, VASJ (OH) – Garfield was content with Butler shooting from NBA range, and he made them pay. He was truly not being guarded on these shots, giving him the opportunity to set up and hit from deep. He also showed some craftiness on two lay-up attempts. It will be interesting to see if Northwestern decides to live with Butler’s outside shot next round, which I wouldn’t recommend.
Caleb Nero, Memorial (OK) – He averaged 26.7 points per game during a weekend of elimination play in March. Nero was fantastic at getting to the basket with his change of pace. The jump shot of Nero was displayed fully from mid-range and beyond the arc. Nero showed this weekend he is a Division I caliber of player at the Point Guard spot. The offensive game of Nero in some ways reflects Jamal Crawford with how he gets his jump shot off. Nero will be a steal for a Division I program.
Elijah Gonzalez, Clackamas (OR) – The electric 5’9 senior point guard cemented his claim to state player of the year honors with his performance in leading Clackamas to the state title game for the second time in school history. He averaged 31 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists a game while shooting 54% from the field and 87% from the line. Truly a historic performance and one that has to have Portland State head coach Tyler Geving excited as Gonzalez moves on to play for the Vikings next season.