Las Vegas Stock Boosters
LAS VEGAS — 10 players who boosted their stock during the final week of the July evaluation period…
Malik Abdul-Wahid – 2020 – F – Ray Allen Select
A kid we didn’t know a lot about entering the final weekend of the July evaluation period, Abdul-Wahid impressed with his overall energy and impact. Abdul-Wahid maybe isn’t great in any one particular area, but does a lot of different things. A bouncy forward who can protect the paint, play in transition, and challenge people at the rim, Abdul-Wahid is essentially a momentum shifter. Not a guy that’s necessarily going to give you 15+ points, but his game isn’t exactly subtle either.
Carson Arenz – 2020 – F – Playground Warriors
Our last viewing of Arenz before the season will be a very positive one. While he’s not one of the main focal points for the Wisconsin Playground Warriors, they probably don’t beat Team Harden in the bronze quarterfinals without him. In what was a fistfight all game long, Arenz’s hustle plays paid huge dividends and he also scored eight crucial points, six in the second half, helping PGC survive on a day when Johnny Davis didn’t have his best stuff. Arenz was seen beating people to loose balls or when he got there second, wrestled possession away from his opponent. Arenz ended up earning some major minutes on Sunday and was on the floor in crunch time.
Larry Canady – 2019 – G – Playground Warriors
Canady’s performance probably won’t affect his in-state ranking, but he enters the list because at this point, it’s not even debatable that he belongs at the Division 1 level. He performed well enough in the Under Armour Association, but Canady proved once again he can play with top level talent. Getting better and better offensively, Canady’s bag of tricks impressed and he can score from all three levels. Not just an offensive weapon, Canady is a defensive stopper that loves to guard the other team’s best player and won’t have it any other way.
Reed Gunnink – 2020 – SG – Wisconsin Swing
Was really impressed by the skill and smooth offensive flow that this kid plays with. Gunnink opened the Las Vegas Classic with a 23-point effort. A tough, hard-nosed guard, Gunnink was terrific around the rim. The 6-foot-3 guard has an excellent frame for slashing and went right through defenders en route to the cup. Gunnink is also a smooth mid-range shooter than can invert himself in the offense as well, playing down on the block against smaller guards. He’s got the size, strength, and toughness to be a nice perimeter defender as well. Interested to see how Gunnink will build off this past week during the high school season.
Isaiah Hoyt – 2021 – W/G – Wisconsin Sharks
This kid is going to be a player for The Prairie School. Hoyt has very good all-around athleticism and makes a lot of noise as a two-way player. Defensively, Hoyt uses his length and athleticism well and likes to turn defense into offense. A high motor wing, Hoyt flourished in transition and just never seemed to stop working. His energy and effort resulted in a game-high 22 points against the Northern Colorado Carindals in what was a tight game throughout.
Carter Lancaster – 2021 – SF – Wisconsin Swing
A kid we’ve probably slept on a little bit, Lancaster was able to show more of what he can do with the likes of Brayden Dailey and Grant Flory not in action. What we found is that Lancaster is a good athlete with a strong all-around skill set. The 6-foot-2 wing can play above the rim, brings a physical slashing presence, can stretch the floor from 3-point range, and has some unique post footwork for his size/age. Lancaster’s playmaking ability was also impressive. He’s not currently one of the headline names in the 2021 class, but we wouldn’t be shocked if Lancaster is up there within the next two years.
Kamari McGee – 2021 – PG – Wisconsin Sharks
McGee is going to stand high in the next class of 2021 rankings. A physically advanced point guard that can get to the rim, McGee is constantly getting to the rim and is very explosive with the ball in his hands. A strong and tough floor general, McGee absorbs and delivers contact well around the basket. He’s also a sneaky good 3-point shooter that likes to catch defenders napping as they often give him an extra step to avoid being beaten off the dribble. McGee was very clutch in Saturday’s win over the Northern Colorado Cardinals, taking the game over in the final minutes.
Brett Perronne – 2021 – F – Pack Attack
He might get overshadowed by some of the talent on Pack Attack and even on Kimberly as well, but Perronne is a quality prospect that can stand on his own. A physical forward that can bang inside and shoot a little bit from outside the paint, Perronne is a potential mismatch problem in the coming years. He moves well for his size and his strength under the basket allows Perronne to muscle defenders out of the way for easy buckets.
James Randolph – 2020 – F – Wisconsin Surge
Randolph has a long way to go, but definitely has a great upside and delivered some huge performances. A walking double-double last week, the 6-foot-4 forward impressed with his overall activity, finishing well under the rim and protecting the paint. A plus-length, athletic forward, Randolph opened some eyes with his post footwork down on the block, able to get to some impressive secondary moves involving a reverse pivot. Randolph also showed some ability to face up and slash to the basket. Definitely a lot of work needs to be put in before he’s a college prospect, but this is a player small schools will want to keep tabs on.
Troy Reeves – 2019 – G – Wisconsin Starz
We’ve known about Reeves for awhile, but it was good to see him compete and do well on a larger stage. A high volume scorer that can really heat up and score in bunches, Reeves has a great first step on the ball and blow by ability, even in the half court. A strong isolation scorer, Reeves is a pure shot creator whose size doesn’t seem to affect him much on the floor. Even at 5-foot-11, Reeves is willing to attack the rim and has success finishing among the trees.