Top 250 Expo: Superlatives
The Top 250 Expo at Burnsville was seven days ago. When I got there I noticed not only the incredible amount of players (248 or so), but the quality of names in attendance. Hardly ever has so much talent across all classes been in the same gym. Here are some short takeaways from games I saw at the event.
Amir Whitlock has more coming: The DeLaSalle senior has been a bit player in his last two seasons of varsity ball. Sunday he played with confidence offensively that I haven’t seen, taking the ball with authority to the paint for creative finishes. He also was a gnat on defense making plays turning into fast breaks. Hope to see that carry over for the Islanders.
Maciah Harut is a menace: Constant motor was what stood out from Maciah. You can tell he just loves to play basketball and he’ll make the most of opportunities. Small in frame but willing to get his nose in there for boards and get to the free throw line.
Gem on the rise, Ryan Miles: Don’t look now, but Ryan Miles needs some eyes on him at the D2 and D3 level for his junior and senior years at Richfield. He has an incredibly strong and balanced frame for a 6-5 16 year old playing small forward. He ran out in transition for agile finishes and had some nice plays with the ball in the midrange. Love his size and game combo.
Watch out for Osseo: It’s becoming well-known that Osseo’s sophomore class could be one for the ages. But let us not forget who has been there the last few years! Guard Tariq Henry got extensive minutes as a junior for the Orioles and now takes on the senior leader role equipped with a steady handle and good IQ. He played smartly and under control at the Expo and he’ll set a nice example for the young guns with Coach Theisen.
Blaine’s Daniel Kardor: At the Expo we see lots of guys we already knew about but one of the more rewarding aspects of watching the games is seeing rising seniors who had to spend time on JV because of roster depth or late blooming really show out in front of a lot of coaches and writers. Daniel Kardor might be one of them, a senior lefty point guard with fire in his belly. Scored from the arc at a nice rate over length and gave effort defensively.