Midwest Collision: Saturday Morning Early Risers
A busy summer has kept me out of the gym the last few weeks, but as usual the Prep Hoops crew did an excellent job making sure all facilities were in top shape and I got the opportunity to see…
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Continue ReadingA busy summer has kept me out of the gym the last few weeks, but as usual the Prep Hoops crew did an excellent job making sure all facilities were in top shape and I got the opportunity to see some great prospects at the 15U and 16U levels on Saturday morning at Bloomington Jefferson. Let’s run through some of the standouts, including a couple out of state names:
Mario Adams Mario Adams 6'5" | SF Eastview | 2023 State MN (6-4, SF, 2023, Select Koch/Eastview) – As the biggest guy on the floor for his team, Mario’s quickness off the bounce and jumping over opponents proved critical to his 14 point, nine-rebound performance against the MN Grizzlies. His frame as a sophomore is impressive and imposing physically, able to disrupt offensive flow and rebound with the bigger guys. He passed well from the elbow to cutting teammates. Eastview has more in the pipeline, no doubt!
Myles Adams Myles Adams 6'5" | SF Eastview | 2023 State MN (6-4, SF, 2023, Select Koch/Eastview) – Twin brother Myles was quiet in the first half after tweaking an ankle, but it recovered quickly enough to score all of his 13 points in half two, playing a big role defensively anchoring the paint and then turning it around running the floor in transition. His game is very similar to Mario’s and you can expect a double dose of athleticism and growing skills in the coming years.
Cal Yonak (6-6, C, 2023, MN Grizzlies/Zimmerman) – The Grizzlies were outmatched at the guard positions but with no true center on the Select lineup, Cal was able to use a soft touch and deft passing vision to make a dent in the Select defense. He scored 15 points on very efficient shooting and added six rebounds. He’s crafty, smart and still growing into his length – an impact big man to watch.
AJ Kaul (6-3, SG, 2022, Crossfire Barker/Blaine) – Crossfire moves the ball extremely unselfishly and that benefits deadeye shooters like Kaul greatly. He was 5-7 from beyond the arc for his 15 points. The key is how he constantly adjusts spacing to driving teammates; it opens up more lanes at the rim but also puts him in the best angle to receive a pass when his defender leaves to help. That’s a mark of a smart, experienced shooter.
Wyatt Sawatzke Wyatt Sawatzke 6'3" | SG Monticello | 2022 State MN (6-3, G, 2022, Crossfire Barker/Monticello) – Wyatt seemed to be involved in nearly every play on the court. He’s 6-3 and long, active on the glass and in passing lanes and a shifty ballhandler that can blow by the first defender and make another commit. At his size (and probably playing a lot of lead guard for Monticello next year) I think his impact will be felt greatly on both ends. Has great awareness of the right read when multiple options appear to him.
Andre Renta (6-0, PG, 2022, BSB/Hudson) – A quick, agile point guard that gets near the basket as easily as anyone I saw Saturday. His size can prohibit him from finishing at the rim, but a sufficient floater and pull up jumper counter that smoothly. I liked his energy leading BSB with 14 points and five boards.
Justin Wohlers Justin Wohlers 6'6" | PF Lake City | 2022 State MN (6-4, SG, 2022, MN Lightning Ellerbusch/Lake City) – Small-school shooter prototypes don’t match the eye test on Justin Wohlers Justin Wohlers 6'6" | PF Lake City | 2022 State MN . This guy is a legit 6-4 with monster shoulders and a high, confident release point. He had a four-possession run of three-pointers that iced the game in half two against H.I.T., finishing with 26 points on my tally (might have been 28). He’ll let it fly with any amount of space and more often than not, it’s going in. Much, much more than just a “shooter”.
Jaxon Marine Jaxon Marine 6'4" | SF Byron | 2022 State MN (6-3, F, 2022, MN Lightning Ellerbusch/Byron) – Jaxon won my Grit Player of the Day Award, and nobody else came close. A feisty double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds – including multiple momentum-filled putbacks – firmly sets him on the list of “I want this guy in the trenches with me” players in the state. His balance coming down from rebounds and going back up for shots was impressive, and he never played outside of his role or abilities. A perfect complement to the glut of shot-creators on the Lightning roster.
Patrick Robinson (6-5, SF, 2022, H.I.T./Oswego East) – Robinson got going early by being aggressive to the basket and showed off some plays that required no less than all his strength. His 22 points were hard-earned and it was easy to tell he has a competitive fire that doesn’t go out. Once he had a couple defenders committed, he would find the right play out of it and execute.
Jackson Loge Jackson Loge 6'7" | C Morris Area | 2022 State MN (6-7, PF, 2022, Fury Wilde/Morris Area) – Jackson fits firmly in place on this Fury team that knows no ego, only balanced results. Against a big, physical and very talented Wisconsin Playground team, Loge was confident, efficient and all-around excellent in the post, sealing off position for catches that only he could grab and finish for baskets. He ran the floor and showed soft hands on fast break opportunities. 14 points for the junior-to-be.
Brady Helgren Brady Helgren 6'8" | C Edina | 2022 State MN (6-8, PF, 2022, Fury Wilde/Edina) – Brady had a nice start to the game with some highlight-level defensive plays and a couple shots I wasn’t expecting him to take or make, including a good-looking triple on the wing. He moves like a wing and protects the rim like a true center, making his versatility that much more valuable. I feel he’s got more in the bag offensively than we might have seen Saturday, but a 12 point, five rebound performance against a top Wisconsin team is nothing bad.