Five Storylines to Look Forward To
Not a lot is happening right now in the basketball world. Recruiting gears are still grinding, but summer tournaments are waiting on a speculative schedule and prospects have a smaller window for exposure. However, we can look towards senior commitments,…
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Continue ReadingNot a lot is happening right now in the basketball world. Recruiting gears are still grinding, but summer tournaments are waiting on a speculative schedule and prospects have a smaller window for exposure. However, we can look towards senior commitments, freshman debuts, and other storylines still lingering amid the cancellations.
Tayshawn Bridges is Wisconsin’s next star:
Bridges hasn’t played in a high school game, but that doesn’t stop some from betting on his high-major potential. The Brookfield East guard is ranked as a consensus top-10 player nationally in the 2024 class, dominating the middle-school circuits with Playground Club. Whether his mature athleticism and unstoppable isolation game profiles to the high school stage will be a headline consistently plastering our front page come September.
It’s rather obvious he’ll be a four- or five-star product, but for now, fans and scouts should be craving his debut against Greater Metro competition.
Senior commitments are still rolling in:
The 2020 commitment season still has a strong pulse. In the last few weeks, Shilo Bowles Shilo Bowles 6'7" | PF West Allis Central | 2020 State WI , Ben Probst Ben Probst 6'1" | SG Madison LaFollette | 2020 State WI , Carson Arenz Carson Arenz 6'5" | SF Onalaska | 2020 State WI , Javeon Tolliver Javeon Tolliver 6'0" | PG Milwaukee Lutheran | 2020 State WI , Justin Steinike Justin Steinike 6'1" | SG Wauwatosa West | 2020 State WI and Jackson Noll Jackson Noll 5'11" | PG Cuba City | 2020 State WI have committed, while Logan Jedwabny and Jacob Newhouse Jacob Newhouse 6'7" | PF Kaukauna | 2020 State WI got offers. This is just the tip of the iceberg considering the backcourt depth and frontcourt elites still weighing offers.
Gauging the transfer market:
Each year players jump ship for various reasons, and this year shouldn’t be any different. 2021 forward Logan Landers Logan Landers 6'9" | PF Cedarburg | 2021 State WI has left Brookfield Academy for Cedarburg and 2023 guard Braylen Blue Braylen Blue 6'3" | PG Madison Memorial | 2023 State WI is leaving Sun Prairie for Madison Memorial. Already these two moves shake up future conference standings, so expect future transfers to do the same.
How will we find sleepers in the 2021 class:
The absence of a significant grassroots season will ultimately hurt the 2021 prospects the most. Colleges miss sniffing out sleepers (which, as I’ll list, are plentiful here), while fans won’t see the new-look rosters square off across the midwest.
Below are some of the sleeper prospects I believe would have benefited most from a normal-length grassroots season:
– Brock Heffner Brock Heffner 6'7" | PF Grafton | 2021 State WI : He was recently offered from Northern Michigan and has been under the radar despite a big season with Grafton.
– John Lovelace John Lovelace 6'4" | SF Brown Deer | 2021 State WI Jr.: Lovelace could blow up in back-to-back summers. This year, he’s with Phenom, and will have many more eyes on him if he starts heating up.
– Adam Larson Adam Larson 6'9" | PF Fennimore | 2021 State WI : He joined a beyond-loaded Playground Club squad teeming with potential. Seeing his length and versatility against top circuit competition could be a game-changer in his recruitment.
Tyrese Hunter Tyrese Hunter 5'11" | PG Racine St. Catherine's | 2021 State #63 Nation WI is still hoarding offers:
Hunter is grabbing the attention of high-major schools across the country. After Marquette, Minnesota, and Murray State offers came his way in February, Florida entered this picture this week, offering the high-rising guard.
He’s the most sought-after backcourt player in the state, and he’s on target to make national headlines with his two-way skillset.