MBA Fall Showcase: Top Performers
The Minnesota Basketball Association put on their Fall Showcase event, with eight of the state’s top teams squaring off in two different brackets. Park Center, Prior Lake, Hopkins, and Rochester Mayo in one bracket, and Minneapolis North, Minneapolis Patrick Henry,…
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Continue ReadingThe Minnesota Basketball Association put on their Fall Showcase event, with eight of the state’s top teams squaring off in two different brackets. Park Center, Prior Lake, Hopkins, and Rochester Mayo in one bracket, and Minneapolis North, Minneapolis Patrick Henry, Austin, and St. Cloud Apollo in the other. Who were the top performers in these competitive preseason games? NHR runs through seven of the best.
Braeden Carrington (6’3 2022 G, Park Center)- With Dain Dainja, Josh Brown, and David Ijadimbola all missing, some new faces had to step up for Park Center. Among those was sophomore shooter Braeden Carrington. In the championship game against Rochester Mayo, Braeden was shooting lights out beyond the arc, moving off the ball to find himself in open space to shoot. He also took the ball to the hoop for a few tough finishes. Currently holding an offer from Florida, Braeden was a big reason why Park Center was able to take down two very good teams over the weekend.
Mason Madsen (6’3 2020 G, Rochester Mayo)- Mason Madsen has taken his game to another level over the past few months, and came into this event ready to dominate. He played with a chip on his shoulder through two games, shaking off physical defense with his tight handle, and knocking down jumpers in his defender’s face. He even showed off improved explosiveness, nearly putting one defender on a poster, and throwing down an open floor dunk in the next game. One-on-one there are few players in the state who will be able to slow Mason down, and that task has gotten increasingly more difficult with continued improvements to his game over the off-season.
Puoch Dobuol (6’7 2020 F, St. Cloud Apollo)- Puoch is a bit of a mystery as a prospect, as we haven’t seen much of him at the high school level. He put together a nice run of play during the AAU season, and now looks ready to dominate in the St. Cloud area as a senior. He’s a long and wiry 6’7 forward, and it wouldn’t surprise me if his wingspan is nearing 7′. Puoch has a decent handle on the ball that could allow him to play on the wing at the next level, but he can also dominate in the paint at the high school level. His length allows him to get shots up over almost any defender, and he’s an efficient finisher near the rim as well as from mid-range. Puoch is a bouncy athlete who can put down dunks from a stand-still with ease, and block/disrupts shots at a high rate on the defensive end. One of the most intriguing prospects in the state, with a very high ceiling.
Agwa Nywesh (6’2 2020 G, Austin)- One of the major stockrisers over the summer, Agwa comes back as the go-to guy for the always competitive Austin Packers. Austin split time evenly between ten players so it was hard for anyone to get into a good rhythm offensively, but Agwa showed those bursts of potential that have D1 schools watching closely. He’s so crafty when he decides to attack the basket as he is able to finish in a variety of different ways with his ability to contort his body in the air. Agwa also has a reliable jumper from outside, and showed off his explosiveness in the open floor with a rim shaking dunk against St. Cloud Apollo. If Agwa can put all the pieces together for his senior season, don’t be surprised if he ends up at the Division 1 level in college.
Sawyer Shrake (6’2 2020 SG, Hopkins)- With Kerwin Walton sitting out, Hopkins needed someone to step up among a flurry of new faces. Who was able to provide a scoring option and contribute on the defensive end as well? That would be 6’2 transfer Sawyer Shrake. He showed off the known with his ability to knock down the outside shot against Rochester Mayo, but was also fearless in attacking the basket for some tough inside scores. Perhaps most impressive though was his on-ball defense. Sawyer sat deep in position and had quick hands to poke a few balls free that led to turnovers. Due to Kerwin’s absence we don’t know if Sawyer will start in the season or be a big minutes guy off the bench, but either way he looks ready to contribute for Hopkins squad full of new players.
Davon Townley (6’7 2021 F, Minneapolis North)- Minneapolis North lost a lot to graduation, so the team they put on the floor consisted of Davon, Willie Wilson, and a handful of guys who played JV for the Polars last year. Despite this inexperience, Davon stepped up with consistent play against Austin. Rebounding, blocking and altering shots on defense, and a couple of thundering dunks made for a solid game for the top-15 level junior. Davon could very well be the go-to guy for North this year, and if he can put his size and athleticism to good use, he could be a dominant player in the paint.
Gabe Madsen (6’5 2020 G, Rochester Mayo)- We talked about Mason’s performances, and Gabe was also a dominant figure in Mayo’s win over Hopkins. The shot wasn’t falling as much against Park Center, but he was an unstoppable force against Hopkins. Gabe was knocking down shots that would make even an NBA three point line look close, and also got aggressive when attacking the rim to draw fouls. He created for himself off the dribble mostly, but all of his dribbles were with a purpose to create space for his shot or to draw in a help defender. His teammates were knocking down their open looks, so his ability to drive and kick the ball to them was key to their big win against Hopkins.