2019-20 Season: Underrated Duos to Watch
I made it a goal this offseason to pursue Wisconsin’s unranked and underrated prospects in an article. Turns out that extremely broad group of prospects tend to come in pairs, a convenient circumstance that prompted this duos-specific piece. F Jalen…
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Continue ReadingI made it a goal this offseason to pursue Wisconsin’s unranked and underrated prospects in an article. Turns out that extremely broad group of prospects tend to come in pairs, a convenient circumstance that prompted this duos-specific piece.
F Jalen Keago and G Josh Dilling – Oshkosh North: At the Top 250 Expo, Keago played his steady, consistent game, showed his scoring chops, and little by little he worked his way into standouts lists and post-camp coverage.
Dilling is as close a teenager can get to a 15-year NBA vet. The guard is built for colleges seeking a reliable floor general, which is, to be clear, any division two or three colleges with their head in the right place. Last year he averaged 14.5 points, 4.9 assists and 2 steals a game as the lead guard on Oshkosh North. Those are no-slouch-numbers, especially for a player on the underrated list.
G Brandon Leach Jr. and G Arion Burns – Milwaukee Bradley Tech
The Wisconsin United duo will converge at Milwaukee Bradley Tech this season, a frightening thought for teams that struggle with score-first backcourts.
This summer Leach tore up defenses like tissue in an industrial shredder. He attacks the cup with craft and electricity, two traits that were obvious in the Hard Work Finals. This year, mimicking his mesmerizing July run is the goal. If that’s a success, colleges will start tracking him closely.
Burns’ name will work itself into the stock riser conversation as well. The senior produced points like a mad man, scoring 17.1 points a night despite playing as the second fiddle to Jeffery Brazziel. Burns was one hell of a sidekick; I don’t see that type of talent taking a backseat again.
F Shelton Williams-Dryden and G Kaleel McCray
The first wave of Milwaukee Bay View talent crashed with thunderous power. The second wave will muster up similar force and impact courtesy of Williams-Dryden.
Williams-Dryden boasted double-digit rebounds in 68 percent of his outings. His prowess cleaning off the glass made him an increasingly popular recruiting target (as did the 20-20 game he kicked off the year with last season).
McCray isn’t cut from the same physical cloth as his partner, not that anyone really is. Still, his mark was carved deep last season. The guard dished out 6.1 assists in addition to 11.8 points per game. He played with three college talents alongside himself, meaning log jams on the stat sheet were common. This season he has more legroom, meaning the floor general will show his colors with more canvas at his disposal.
Scouts, be on high-alert for these two.
G Ronald Kirk Jr. and W Delone Austin – Dominican:
Kirk is a cross between high octane scorer and bouncy athlete, a combination that seems to hold hands with many of Wisconsin’s highly-recruited guards. Those core traits have fueled an expanding skillset and aggressive instincts, both of which bode well for his college potential.
Austin has yet to see any real blow-up despite out-shining Kirk on the stat sheet last season. I’ve yet to see Austin play in person, but the junior averaged 10.7 points per game last season to pair with 5.1 rebounds, proving himself as the second in command to Alex Antetokounmpo.
G Davonte McAlister and G Sulley Geske – Evansville:
McAlister went head to head with Baylor commit Dain Dainja this summer. A David and Goliath scene went down, only Goliath ultimately won with a go-ahead dunk and David put up a good enough fight for a standout article and a spot on this list.
McAlister’s butter-smooth jumper and slashing maneuvers would cause a few grins from fans (and myself) on that afternoon.
Geske, meanwhile, dominated more with Evansville last season. The 6’2” forward has a college-level frame to him and a motor on offense to deal serious damage to any squad in the Rock Valley Conference (not to mention his transition game that most could only duplicate with some grossly obvious cherry-picking).
F Greg Kemp and G Jakai Davis – Menomonee Falls:
Davis and Kemp may not be the best players on their team. In a way that makes them even more suited for this list.
On offense, Kemp’s frame and offensive skill set made him a MAC truck in the lane. Understandably he popped up on my radar after only a few appearances this summer, and it’s likely he will further his growth in his first year on varsity this year. Watch for the forward to turn heads as he climbs into a key role with a youthful roster.
The 5’10” Davis averaged 4.9 points per game last season, a modest total that will surely be outdone with all the extra bells and whistles he has shown this summer. (He caught the eye of senior analyst Evan Flood this weekend, too, as he said this in a tweet about the guard: “{Davis is a} Lights out shooter. Plays with good change of pace and fools defenders going to the rim.”)