Top250 Expo: Top Underclassmen Performers
The 2019 Prep Hoops Top250 Expo was loaded with some of the top young talent in the state of Wisconsin. Who separated themselves from the rest of the pack in Verona on Sunday? Leon Bond – 2022 – F…
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Continue ReadingThe 2019 Prep Hoops Top250 Expo was loaded with some of the top young talent in the state of Wisconsin. Who separated themselves from the rest of the pack in Verona on Sunday?
Leon Bond – 2022 – F – Wauwatosa East
It’s still pretty crazy how fast this kid is developing. He went from being a prospect that was somewhat gun shy as a freshman with Tosa East to being the type of player that will take no prisoners out of the floor. The 6-foot-4 forward is a bouncy, athletic, and explosive prospect who’s a nightmare to try and stop in transition. When he gets momentum going to the rim, there’s not much you can do as a defender. But he’s more than just a highlight film. Bond buys in on the defensive end and as a rebounder. He’ll do the little things it takes to win games and make energy plays. He’ll need to develop his outside shot and range, but I feel good about Bond in the top two spots in this 2022 class and he’ll be strongly considered for the No. 1 spot.
2022 forward Leon Bond put on a show at #PHTop250@leonbx35 pic.twitter.com/YKkgPDhCvW
— Prep Hoops Wisconsin (@PrepHoops_WI) September 18, 2019
Micah Causey – 2022 – PG – St. Thomas More
I want to see how he performs during the high school season, but I think I may have Causey too low in the rankings. 1-on-1, there’s not a lot of defenders his age that can stay with him. Causey has maybe the tightest handles in the state and the quickest first step off the bounce. An undersized, but shifty guard, Causey has tremendous wiggle and shake with the ball in his hands. When he gets to the rim, Causey is fearless and has really good balance and poise while playing amongst the trees. I think he can be more of a pure point guard and get teammates more involved, rather than just playing isolation and trying to get downhill, but as a scorer is very impressive.
Steven Clay – 2022 – W – Menomonee Falls
Clay just has some scary scoring ability. He was also a high ceiling kid given his ridiculous length and shooting touch. Now that his handles have improved and he’s quicker and more explosive off the bounce, Clay’s game has hit a new level. Showing more of a downhill threat, it’s only opened up the quality of looks Clay will get from the outside. He’s still a shooter first, but his handles are allowing him to be more aggressive offensively and not always settle. The 6-foot-5 sophomore could be in store for a major season with Falls.
2022 wing Steven Clay is absolutely LETHAL! #phtop250 @StevenClay_MKE @FallsAthletics pic.twitter.com/EmkikqIqUx
— Prep Hoops Wisconsin (@PrepHoops_WI) September 18, 2019
Luke Haertle – 2022 – SG – Lake County Lutheran
Easy to appreciate the way Haertle approaches the game. Even in this type of setting, where it’s more laid-back and fun than it is competitive at times, Haertle is still getting after people and defending the other team’s best player. A skilled, blue-collar guard who’s advanced physically, Haertle is a gamer that hit some huge shots during the summer and seemed to play his best in the biggest moments. Haertle is a natural scorer, with a smooth stroke from deep. At 6-foot-2, he also quite advanced on the block and can just bully people around the rim. As a prospect, he’s a tough projection because of his stocky body type and being more physically mature at this age, but regardless of what level he lands at, he’s the type of player you’d love to have on your team and hate to have to play against.
Nathan Gapinski – 2022 – F – Watertown
Gapinski wasn’t on our radar heading into the event, but it’s safe to say this sophomore deserves to be ranked. The 6-foot-5 forward opened a lot of eyes with his athletic ability and aggressiveness going to the rim. Gapinski is very bouncy and gets up and down the floor in transition. He’s got some potential versatility brewing as well, able to handle the ball and shoot it a little bit from outside the paint. I could see him being a top 25 prospect by the end of the season.
Danilo Jovanovich – 2022 – F – Whitnall
I know he has the skillset to be a top 10 prospect in the 2022 class and probably higher. Now, I just want to see if these flashes turn into the norm for Jovanovich. The 6-foot-6 forward has serious mismatch nightmare potential. He handles the ball well, has a strong frame, is bouncy, can shoot off the dribble, and has solid footwork inside. If he puts it all together, there’s no reason to think he can’t be one of the top 5-6 players in his class. I really like the way Jovanovich can size his man up, take what a defender gives him, and go to work. If Jovanovich shows the same alpha dog mentality for Whitnall this season as he did on Sunday, he’ll be an easy player to bump up the rankings.
2022 forward Danilo Jovanovich has mismatch nightmare written all over him. #PHTop250 @Daniloj03 @whitnallbball pic.twitter.com/Rg0QBcp9G4
— Prep Hoops Wisconsin (@PrepHoops_WI) September 19, 2019
Greg Kemp – 2022 – F – Menomonee Falls
Speaking of sizing defenders up, that’s a huge part of Kemp’s game. He was very effective at pulling defenders away from the rim and making them uncomfortable by guarding the perimeter. A strong and athletic combo forward with skill, Kemp can beat defenders with finesse or power. He’s got very good touch from close in and can score while falling away from the basket. He wasn’t one of the key names we had circled for Menomonee Falls going into this season, but Kemp definitely makes that young squad a lot more intriguing in 2019-20.
Max Nelson – 2022 – F – Appleton North
Nelson shot the ball very well from the outside, as he always does. The 6-foot-7 forward is a terrific catch-and-shoot big who can excel in the pick n’ pop game. You wouldn’t think of him as a transition threat, but surprisingly, Nelson can be a factor in an uptempo game. He does a great job of sprinting the floor, getting to his spots on the perimeter, and making himself available when guards can’t get all the way to the rim. His inside and mid-range game are still coming along and those will be two key points of emphasis for Nelson, who’s mostly a 3-point shooter, but he was definitely more willing to attack those areas on Sunday.
Marshawn Robinson – 2022 -SG – Waukesha South
Robinson could be one of the better two-way players in his class. I loved his willingness to defend up and down the floor and he forced a lot of turnovers on Sunday. A very quick and athletic guard, Robinson is very explosive with the ball in his hands. He can blow by defenders without breaking a sweat and looks very smooth and confident going to the rim. When we first saw him last fall, Robinson’s jumper had a long way to go. He’s definitely made positive strides in that department in a hurry and it’s going to take his game up a few levels this season.
Najashi Tolefree – 2022 – F – West Allis Central
When I first saw Tolefree last season, I described him as more of a junkyard dog and presence under the rim. He’s come back with a lot more to his game going into his sophomore season. The 6-foot-5 forward looked really good as a mid-range shooter, able to pull-up over the top or score falling away from the basket. A long and smooth athlete with a ton of potential, Tolefree can handle the ball and get coast-to-coast in transition. He’s also a terrific defender, using his long wingspan to disrupt passing lanes and can protect the rim at a high level as well.
Najashi Tolefree showed why he’s one of the top players in Wisconsin’s 2022 class at #PHTop250. @CrazyNajashi @wacbulldogs @WACbulldogsBB pic.twitter.com/YASjvb0ugX
— Prep Hoops Wisconsin (@PrepHoops_WI) September 17, 2019
Casey Verhagen – 2022 – PG – Sheboygan Lutheran
Verhagen is a wizard with the basketball. His IQ, instincts, and feel for the game are second to none in this 2022 class. Verhagen plays petal to the medal and when you put the ball in his hands, good things usually happen. He’s always coming downhill and putting pressure on defenses. Verhagen will go right to the rim until you stop him and always seems to be one step ahead, dropping off passes to his teammates the instant the defense reacts. Verhagen may not have the physical and athletic measurables you’d expect in a top 15 prospect, but having seen the Sheboygan Lutheran standout on a national level, he’s held his own and played well against some of the best guards in the country.
Casey Verhagen is a wizard with the basketball.
The 2022 point guard put his vision and instincts on display at #PHTop250.@casey_verhagen @CrusaderBasketb pic.twitter.com/ca1PDMEysj
— Prep Hoops Wisconsin (@PrepHoops_WI) September 18, 2019
Gus Yalden – 2023 – PF – Xavier
The ‘Big Fundamental’, the ‘Gus Bus’…whatever you want to call him, Yalden backed up all the hype he’s generated for himself early in his career. The best thing I can probably say about Yalden — he doesn’t make the game harder than it has to be. Yalden can dominate a stat sheet without necessarily wowing you with highlight plays. When he caught in the post, Yalden was whooping people with simple drop steps or spin moves. He can also step outside and shoot the basketball and take slower bigs off the dribble. A big body that’s more athletic than he looks, Yalden can play above the rim and push the ball in transition. The one area that did wow me was his ability to bend and handle the ball low to the ground on the fast break, which isn’t easy at 6-foot-8.
The ‘Gus Bus’ came rolling through the @PrepHoopsTop250 @gusbus2023 @WisconsinPGC @TeamGriffinEYBL @XHawksSports pic.twitter.com/tCOOxuweNC
— Prep Hoops Wisconsin (@PrepHoops_WI) September 17, 2019
Up Next: Underclassmen Sleepers