Brookfield Central Fall League Week 1 Standouts
BROOKFIELD — Always a must-see in the preseason, the Brookfield Central Fall League returned with some major individual and team matchups headlining the opening weekend of action… Darrius Bolden – 2021 – PG – Nicolet I like what Bolden…
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Continue ReadingBROOKFIELD — Always a must-see in the preseason, the Brookfield Central Fall League returned with some major individual and team matchups headlining the opening weekend of action…
Darrius Bolden – 2021 – PG – Nicolet
I like what Bolden gives this Nicolet team. Anyone that’s played competitively knows that it’s often the smallest players that can irritate you the most. That’s what Bolden does and he really takes other team’s out of their flow offensively. Bolden is just up in the shorts of the opposition, waiting for the ballhandler to make a mistake so he can create a turnover. The 5-foot-7 guard is very quick laterally and when he gets the ball, he can fly in transition and does a great job of running the fast break. Look for Bolden to be one of those x-factor and energy players for the Knights this season.
Jake BuchananJake Buchanan – 2020 – PG – Kimberly
There’s a reason why we have Buchanan higher than anybody else — he’s got that “it factor.” You can try and rattle him, pressure him, talk smack to him, it’s not going to rattle the Rockhurst commit — in fact, it might even elevate him. Buchanan was in complete control for Kimberly in wins over Menomonee Falls and Nicolet. An undersized, but skilled and speedy guard, Buchanan has the blow-by ability and pairs it with a quick, effortless shooting stroke with extended range — forcing defenders to pick their poison.
Declan Ciurlik – 2020 – F – Homestead
Ciurlik is going to pick up where Ryan Wadell left off last season and run the show for Homestead. The 6-foot-4 forward just has an old school way about him. While everyone drools over length and athleticism, 90 percent of the game is still played below the rim and that’s where Ciurlik excels. There’s not anything flashy about Ciurlik, he just beats you with solid, fundamental play. He kicks your butt, doesn’t say a word, and gets back on defense. A do-it-all type prospect, Ciurlik plays and defends multiple positions and contributes in just about every way. A rare breed of player that can be your leading scorer as well as scrap, do the little things, and defend the other team’s best player, Ciurlik just looks like a coach’s dream.
Josh Dilling – 2020 – G – Oshkosh North
A new name I hadn’t heard of, Dilling caught my eye on the far court. He averaged around 15 points per game last season and was named second-team All-Fox Valley Association. After seeing him for the first time, Dilling is definitely a kid that needs to be ranked. The lefty sharpshooter can score on and off the ball. He’s a skilled ballhandler that knows how to create space for his shot or get into high percentage areas without wasting dribbles. Using a quick, effortless stroke, Dilling shot a blistering 45.6 percent from 3-point range as a junior.
James Graham – 2021 – SF – Nicolet
If Graham plays like he did on Sunday, there’s no reason to think that Nicolet can’t get back to state. The 6-foot-7 small forward was lighting it up from all areas of the floor and had stretches where he was virtually unstoppable. With his size, Graham is such a difficult matchup when you’re asking a big to check him on the perimeter. If you go with a wing or a guard, Graham simply faces up and shoots over the top. After missing the travel season due to injury, Graham looked better than ever and displayed a big time killer instinct. If Graham carries this type of play into the regular season, he’s looking at a top-five spot in 2021.
Kobe JohnsonKobe Johnson – 2021 – G – Nicolet
Johnson is going to be a force to be reckoned with in 2019-20 and made that clear with a poster dunk right down main street early in a win over Brookfield Central on Sunday. The Knights lose three starters, including Duke commit Jalen Johnson and four-star forward Jamari Sibley, but it will definitely allow Johnson to shine. The 6-foot-4 combo guard has grown so confident in his offensive game, especially as a coast-to-coast threat in transition or as a mid-range pull-up jump shooter. I absolutely love his vision and touch as a passer as well. There’s a stigma that comes with being the little brother of a five-star prospect, but I think opponents are going to find out this season that Kobe is more than just “little brother” and is a heck of a prospect.
John Lovelace – 2021 – SF – Wauwatosa East
Kind of sick of talking about him at this point, but what are you gonna do? In a blowout win over Waukesha West, Lovelace showed why he’s one of the fastest-rising junior prospects and continues to elevate his stock. Lovelace was dynamic on both ends, throwing down some huge transition dunks and also recording some momentum-changing chase-down blocks. The 6-foot-5 wing is a vastly improved on-ball defender that will make life difficult on opponents. With the way he’s starting to shoot the ball from all areas, Lovelace is big problem as opponents already have a hard enough time keeping him off the rim.
Grant Martin – 2022 – G – Menomonee Falls
Falls has a lot of young talent on its roster, particularly in the 2022 class. Definitely don’t forget about Martin, who can flat out shoot the rock. Facing two very good squads in Kimberly and Brookfield Central, Martin opened some eyes with a lot of talent on the floor. He’s only about 5-foot-9, but has a quick shooting stroke and is easy to lose if defenders don’t stay attached to him. While he’s undersized, Martin definitely isn’t locked into standing on the perimeter and shooting 3’s. He’s a fearless attacker that fools defenders with hesitation dribbles and change of pace. He also has good touch in traffic to avoid shot blockers.
Cameron Palesse – 2021 – G – Waukesha West
There’s going to be a lot on Palesse’s plate this year with Waukesha West losing three very valuable starters — all three of which went on to play college ball. As good as he is as a facilitator, Palesse is going to have be in scoring mode constantly if the Wolverines are going to make another run at the Classic Eight title. I know he doesn’t necessarily have the all the physical measurables of a top five prospect, but I have a really hard time moving Palesse back in the rankings because he always delivers. A tweener between a point and shooting guard, Palesse is a tough-minded scorer with a great mid-range game. He’s also a player that can go get you five assists a night. Defensively, he wants to shut down the other team’s best player. Going against a very good Tosa East squad where his team was out-gunned, Palesse was still the alpha dog on the floor despite facing some tough individual matchups.
Logan PearsonLogan Pearson – 2020 – SG – Kimberly
The last time we saw Pearson, he came off the bench and essentially stole Kimberly a road win at Kaukauna — a victory that went a long way in helping the Papermakers secure the Fox Valley Association title. Pearson has since committed to UW-Platteville and blossomed into a likely starter and dangerous shooting threat this season. Pearson is a very good spot-up shooter and is going to feed off Buchanan very well this season. Pearson looks like he’s grown a little bit since last season and can put the ball on the deck more, comfortable with that one-dribble pull-up when defenders over-extend to the perimeter.
Eric Radisevic – 2020 – PF – Brookfield Central
I don’t know what’s in the water at Brookfield Central, but players continue to develop at a high rate. Radisevic was a kid that averaged 1.8 points per game last year for the Lancers. There are now WIAC programs lining up to get him. It was easy to see why as Radisevic showcased plenty of go-to ability down on the block. The 6-foot-7, 200-pound senior is a big body that moves well and possesses better leaping ability than you think. Radisevic needs to finish better, but had some outstanding post footwork against Nicolet on Sunday. Playing with an edge defensively, Radisevic can be a tone setter by playing physical inside and owning the glass.
Eric RadisevicAndrew Rohde – 2022 – SG – Brookfield Central
Yup…the Lancers have yet another weapon ready to emerge this season. Rohde gave Nicolet a lot of problems on Sunday. The 6-foot-1 sophomore is a dead-eye shooter with great range. With his length, Rohde feels closer to the 6-foot-3. A prospect I can definitely see moving up the rankings in a hurry over the next year, Rohde is better at getting into the paint and shooting off the dribble than I thought. It will be tough for him to fully break out on such a loaded squad, but Rohde has the tools to be a No. 1 scoring option on a lot of teams in this state.
Mark Wade – 2021 – G – Brown Deer
Always liked what Wade could be, but he always appeared passive and unsure of his ability. The junior guard seemed to break out a little bit on Sunday and flashed some good things. Wade has definitely tightened his handles and is able to get places against tight defense. A 5-foot-11 guard with plus-length and burst, Wade can glide in transition. He sees the floor well and sets up his teammates. Shooting is question mark, but Wade did look good from 12-15 feet while off the dribble. Just inside the top 50 right now, Wade definitely has some of the better upside among players ranked in his area.
Kyle Yu – 2021 – F – Madison Memorial
The thing that I always noticed about Yu — he just doesn’t have bad games. He may not always stand out in terms of points in the scorebook, but Yu is always doing something to help his team and it’s why he played big minutes for Steve Collins as a sophomore, even when the Spartans had a couple of really good seniors. Yu won’t wow you in any particular way, but he’s a right-place, right-time type of prospect. A 3-and-D threat, Yu knocked down plenty of shots against Arrowhead and made the Warhawks’ stellar frontcourt really work hard on Sunday.