#HardWorkSZN Kickoff: Ten Names to Know
Who should you keep an eye on in Appleton this weekend at the Hard Work SZN Kickoff? We give you ten names now. DJ Akpati DJ Akpati 6'0" | PG Totino-Grace | 2021 State MN of Minnesota Select. Akpati is…
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Continue ReadingWho should you keep an eye on in Appleton this weekend at the Hard Work SZN Kickoff? We give you ten names now.
DJ Akpati DJ Akpati 6'0" | PG Totino-Grace | 2021 State MN of Minnesota Select. Akpati is a guy we are watching to see where he’s at in terms of the best lead guards in the state of Minnesota’s senior class. We like the way that DJ runs the ball screen and his ability to defend on the ball is something we have talked about. Now, can he defend the highest level talent? Can he playmake off the ball screen at the highest level? These are things we look forward to seeing after DJ quarterbacked his team to a really nice 2019-20 season.
Evan Dushek Evan Dushek 6'8" | C Owatonna | 2022 State MN of Minnesota Select. So many eyes will be on Evan this weekend. Why? Because Evan is a now 6-foot-8 agile moose of a low post player that plants himself in an area and goes where he wants. If Dushek puts himself into you with a screen he clears the road. Dushek averaged 20 a game this year and was a double digit rebound guy. This will be the perfect way to see where this 2022 is coming into his upperclassmen years (playing up a grade).
James Graham James Graham 6'9" | SF Nicolet | 2021 #59 Nation WI of Wisconsin Playground Club. Graham is the fastest rising player in the country. The Nicolet standout went from two high major offers, which came early in his recruitment, to more than 20 from the likes of Michigan State, Florida State, Maryland, Auburn, Oregon, Georgia, Marquette, and Xavier. A sweet-shooting wing/forward with outstanding positional size at 6-foot-9, Graham has some of the best shot-creating ability in Wisconsin. With all the attention coming his way, Graham will surely have an ’X’ on his back and it will be interesting to see how he responds. – Evan Flood
Jayden Jackson Jayden Jackson 6'2" | SG Whitefish Bay | 2021 State WI of ABC Young Lions Black. A Division 1 football and basketball prospect, Jackson is still weighing his options. South Alabama has offered on the hardwood and there’s a handful of other mid-majors interested at this time. A blue-collar guard that can score, defend, and rebound, Jackson is a blue collar two-guard who can contribute almost across the board. A natural scorer, Jackson has long arms, skills to create his own shot, and plenty of athleticism to attack the cup. – Evan Flood
Cael Lundin of SD Venom. Lundin is one of the players that is competing in an event like this knowing that local D1s and most of the NSIC is watching to see how he can play against this level of competition. Cael had an all state level sophomore year putting up 15.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.2 steals a game earning a spot as a top three prospect in South Dakota. Now it’s time to see how he performs against some of the best in the Midwest.
Kamari Mcgee Kamari Mcgee 6'0" | PG Racine St. Catherine's | 2021 State WI of Wisconsin Playground Club. Division 1 programs are starting t come on board for McGee, the No. 16 ranked player in the 2021 class. A bulldog on the floor, McGee is built like a truck and very hard to keep away from the rim. The 5-foot-10 point guard will also knock down his open shots from beyond the arc. A quality lead guard, McGee can handle the ball against pressure and draw a ton of fouls by creating contact in the backcourt or at the rim with his wide set of shoulders that punish defenders who try and get into him. – Evan Flood
Cade Meyer Cade Meyer 6'8" | PF Monroe | 2021 State #237 Nation WI of Wisconsin Playground Club. A 6-foot-8 forward was the fastest rising player in the state last year and now holds a handful of DIvision 1 offers after being virtually being unknown as a sophomore. Meyer is a consistent 3-point shooter with some budding versatility and three-level scoring ability. Also an outstanding athlete, he was on the state high-jump championship as a sophomore. High major schools definitely need to evaluate Meyer more as there’s a ton of upside and untapped potential here. – Evan Flood.
Cameron Palesse Cameron Palesse 6'3" | CG Waukesha West | 2021 State #249 Nation WI of Wisconsin Playground Club. The most consistent player in the 2021 class, Palesse just never seems to have an off night. He’s a tweener at 6-foot-4 and his game is a little bit of a point guard mixed with a high-level mid-range scorer while being long without that prototypical athleticism high-major schools want on the wing. But Palesse brings it every time out, makes others around him better, and that’s why he’s one of the most sought after mid-major prospects in the Midwest. – Evan Flood
Reid Patterson Reid Patterson 6'2" | SG Lakeville South | 2021 State MN of Minnesota Select. One of the best shooters at the event will be Reid Patterson Reid Patterson 6'2" | SG Lakeville South | 2021 State MN of Minnesota Select. Reid is a top 10-12 level player in the Minnesota senior class coming off of a great season playing lead guard and guiding Lakeville South into the top ten about a year quicker than expected. Patterson isn’t just a shooter, this is a high IQ playmaker that can use the dribble to produce as well. It will be fun to see how his versatility is used this weekend in the Kickoff.
Tanner Te Slaa of SD Venom. Tanner is the 4th ranked 2022 prospect in the state of Iowa and a lot of eyes will be on Baller TV to see where the 6’4 wing’s game is at. Tanner is a skilled shooter that scored 17.5 points a game this year and a lot of that was because of Tanner hitting 45.5 percent of his threes this season. SDSU, USD and Augustana have offered and will be watching him play, many mids and lows will be watching as well.