Top 250 Expo: Underclassmen
I wasn’t able to watch everyone play on Sunday, but I did catch most of the players. Below are some of the Underclassmen that really showed out and have a bright future ahead.
Steven Strong Jr 6’0” University Academy 2021
Strong Jr had a strong Summer for the Mokan Elite 15u Team this last summer and he looks to continue that play into his Sophomore Season. What I like most about Strong Jr is that he’s a competitor. He’s a great offensive player and has a quick trigger. He’s quick and has no issues getting by his defender. He’s still young and can get a little better on the defensive side of the ball, but it’s easy to see that this young man’s future is bright.
Joe Berry 6’2” Washburn Rural High School 2021
Berry is one of my favorite young guns around the area. I watched this kid a bit last year and he really impressed me. He’s got great size and doesn’t try to do too much. He can score the ball from anywhere on the court and plays great on ball defense. I’m not sure how much of a leader Berry is, and that might be where he needs to improve a bit. Either way, he has a ton of upside and should have a great season.
Liam Weaver 6’2” Pembroke Hill 2021
Weaver showed me early on that he has a great pull up game. He gets great elevation on his jump shot and being 6’2” that is going to be enough to shoot over almost anyone. He’s a quick guard who can drive to the bucket and kick it out to open shooters.
Blake Danitschek 6’4” Kapaun Mt Carmel 2021
Blake was one of those big guys who didn’t play a ton in the paint, and that is probably the only thing he will need to improve on. This kid can really shoot from the outside, and when he gets hot, watch out! Blake has some big time potential to be a very versatile player and everyone loves someone like that.
Max Alexander 6’0” McPherson High School 2021
Max is the 3rd Alexander brother and has some pretty big shoes to fill. His oldest is now off to college while the 2nd one will be playing alongside of him. Max has a decent looking shot from the outside, but he will probably be more of a distributor this season. He more than likely will need to work on his floater game and defense a bit before really taking that next step.
Ben Gutekunst 6’0” Olathe Northwest 2021
Gutekunst is a young guard who has still has a little way to go, but when he gets hot, he might hit 4 or 5 on ya. He’s a bit of a streaky shooter but can score quickly. He has all the confidence in the world which is great for a young player.
Emmett Pearce 5’9” The Barstow School 2022
Pearce will probably be one of the smallest guys on the court, but he’s also one of the quickest as well. He showed that he can get to the bucket almost at will and handles the ball extremely well. With Pearce only being a freshman, he has time to work on his shot and defense which will make him a great player. I think that Pearce will catch some Varsity time this season after his showing Sunday.
Trevor McBride 6’0” Basehor Linwood 2022
McBride was one of those guys that I only saw about 10 minutes of. When I saw that he was only a freshman, I was a bit more impressed. Like most freshman, he has a way to go, but he can shoot the ball. Shooters are always needed in the basketball world. He might not get a ton of minutes this year due to Basehor Linwood having a few upper classmen but look for him in the future.