Top 250 Expo Minnesota: 2021 Standouts
The Class of 2021 Minnesota is starting to take shape some. NHR recently released a 2021 rankings and some of those players showed at the Expo they are what we expected them to be.
Jace Bigelow of Kasson-Mantorville. The 6-foot-3 wing is all of 6-foot-3 and his skill level is even higher than we expected. The KoMets seem to have their next go-to guy for the next three seasons.
Devin Burger of Totino-Grace. We feel even stronger that Burger has the opportunity to be a strong prospect going forward. Good frame, good size, and solid skill mean he can play around the basket and feel comfortable with varsity responsibilities away from the basket as well.
Eli Erickson of Hibbing. The build of talent in Hibbing has been as steady as the W-L record has been but after this weekend we could see an even bigger jump this winter. Why? A guy like Eli Erickson at 6-foot-4 who played well every time we went by his court.
Andre Gray of Hopkins. Gray is a bit bigger, and a bit more athletic than we thought. Sometimes when you see a guy play with older guys – like we did with Andre in June – and then see that player with his same age peers, there are new things to pick up. Andre Gray scored at will from all areas on Sunday.
Ben Holden of Cleveland. Love the way Ben uses his frame to remove players, to move players on the basket, and to stay balanced to complete plays. Holden will step into a huge role for the Clippers this year and his understanding of how to play in the frontcourt is advanced.
Andrew Howard of St. Croix Prep. Holy crud can this kid shoot the ball! Andrew has his shooting motion so perfected, and he’s so looked in on the attempt mentally, you feel the shot is quality the second it is released.
Zach Jackson of Lester Prairie. Another player that makes you feel confident that when he catches and releases, the shot will go. Zach is in a unique position that he also knows how to defend players at three or four positions because he plays up front at his high school.
Bryce Lance of Marshall. Few guys were able to change games like Bryce. He was one of the players that others wanted to be on the floor with because he made their lives either. Why? Because people like to score and Bryce makes it easy to take comfortable, high percentage shots.
Addison Metcalf of St. Croix Prep. The first four plays from Metcalf were: catch a reversal and send the ball to the wing for a made jumper, a one dribble pull-up make, a feet set catch and hit from three, and an attack turned into a new look pass for a score. Metcalf has solid size and what looks like a good feel as a playmaker.
Elijah Morris of Perham. Elijah was the first player to turn and get up the floor every time, he was the first player to snap a quick ball rotation to get a shot for a teammate before the defense could react, and he was the first guy to cut hard off the ball to try and score off the ball. Also hit a few deep jumpers.
Francis Nawaokorie of Champlin Park. Francis is about 6-foot-5/6-foot-6 in the low post and he is a load to move. Francis showed a nice little touch around the basket and he did a great job of setting his position, catching, and turning against a helpless defender.