Hidden Gems: Suburban East
As the season approaches, preview content begins to escalate for the 2019-20 hoops campaign. We’ll kick off this series called Hidden Gems by naming one sleeper prospect from each team, conference by conference. Who is poised for a big season…
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Continue ReadingAs the season approaches, preview content begins to escalate for the 2019-20 hoops campaign.
We’ll kick off this series called Hidden Gems by naming one sleeper prospect from each team, conference by conference. Who is poised for a big season with new responsibilities? NHR details an up-and-comer from every angle, starting in the Suburban East.
Cretin-Derham Hall: Jack Tauer, 6-1, PG, Jr. Tauer has the IQ gene locked in and has grown physically since he came onto the state radar as a defensive-minded, ball-moving point guard. The Raider backcourt doesn’t need much extra scoring punch with Curtis Jones, Tre Holloman and J’Vonne Hadley already in place, but Tauer will be very valuable as a reserve ready to sit in a stance and relieve pressure from the bigger names defensively.
East Ridge: Drew Adams, 6-7 PF, Jr. Though the Brown brothers’ departure has opened up some spots to be filled in size and skill, Drew might be the next big thing to fill those holes. Long arms give him a towering presence whether he’s guarding wings or bigs. Playing with D1 MN gave him lots of new chances with the ball in his hands, too. Expect a big output from him offensively next to star forward Ben Carlson who will draw lots of attention inside — that could mean dropoff buckets and backside cuts galore.
Forest Lake: Jordan Boysen, 6-6 PF, Jr. The Rangers need to find consistency this season offensively. Boysen could be a key contributor in the paint with his size and strength. His strong positioning and under-the-hoop movement instincts will pair well with his backcourt counterparts. Expect that single-digit scoring output to increase.
Irondale: Jack Crooks, 6-4 F, Sr. The Knights relocate from the Northwest Suburban to the Suburban East this season so lots of new faces will emerge between opponents and the Irondale farm system itself. Crooks is a good athlete (football wide receiver) and can make himself very useful by rebounding and defending the rim. The Knights graduate Aden Price and Leighton Glodek as well so points will need to be produced too.
Mounds View: Dylan Wheeler, 6-1 G, So. Wheeler could be the next bucket-getter to come through the Mustangs program, off the heels of Nate Albers, Nick McMillan and Josh Albers. A sizable combo guard with playmaking skills off the dribble, his 13 PPG last season will see an increase along with his usage. Had a strong summer with D1 MN to give him the high-talent exposure. The 9-18 Mustang record should see a boost as well with a stronger, more mature Wheeler at the helm.
Park of Cottage Grove: Jayden Lane, 6-1 G, Jr. Coming off a solid role player season for the Wolfpack and getting extended opportunities with Select Robinson, Lane is going to have a lot of chances to make his mark from the perimeter. Charlie Gorres and Domenik Block graduate with 36 PPG between them. Can Lane’s desire to push the tempo and make plays for his teammates in transition be enough to make up for the star player losses? He seems confident to take on the challenge.
Roseville: Keyshawn Payne, 6-2 G, Sr. Payne was having a really promising junior year before a knee injury in January sidelined him for multiple months. Now he’s healthy again and ready to prove himself as a scoring mismatch with his big guard frame and finishing touch. He averaged near 10 PPG last season and will look to expand it. Some points graduated as well which opens up the usage rate for Payne too.
White Bear Lake: Brice Peters, 5-10 G, Sr. An uber-quick two-way skill player in football, Brice translates his speed and agility to the hardwood as a cutter on the perimeter. He has a very smooth deep stroke and can turn on the jets with or without the ball in his hands in transition. White Bear is another team in need of new guys to step up and score. Will Peters take it by the horns?
Mac LocknerWoodbury: Mac Lockner, 6-0 PG, Jr. Sniper from deep and savvy on the drive, Lockner is an impressively composed junior guard who put in 11 a game for Woodbury a year ago. He will hurt your defense no matter how you guard him. Lots of times last season the helpside would overcompensate to his attacks and leave a small gap to shoot a dropoff pass through. Lockner is accurate and has the vision (as a 16 year old) to anticipate those moments easily, which is rare. He can score in all types of ways and definitely is a junior to watch going forward as he sees more time.