Prep Hoops: “The Finale” All-Tournament Team-Class of 2021
The Finale, in Kansas City, this weekend was full of talented players from all over the United States. There were players who will move on to all different levels of college basketball when all is said and done and some…
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Continue ReadingThe Finale, in Kansas City, this weekend was full of talented players from all over the United States. There were players who will move on to all different levels of college basketball when all is said and done and some who will most definitely garner more interest from their performances this weekend. Here are some highlighted players from the class of 2021 whose performances, I thought stood out the most.
Alston Mason Alston Mason 6'2" | CG Blue Valley Northwest | 2021 State KS – 5’11 PG – MOKAN & Blue Valley Northwest High School
Alston Mason Alston Mason 6'2" | CG Blue Valley Northwest | 2021 State KS was all the buzz this weekend playing for MOKAN and leading his team to a second place finish in the 17U Passion Bracket (Top Bracket). When he has the ball in his hands he has another gear with good straight line and first step quickness. He can shake you down with the dribble, and he can also step back and shoot the three. What makes Alston a good point guard is the way he thrives in both Isolation and pick and roll situations. Being good in the isolation really allows the team’s offense to operate with the defense need to help the on-ball defender. He then is good enough to get to the rack and finish amongst the trees well at 5’11, or he has good court vision to get it to a teammate. MOKAN has good shooters and slashers for Mason to get the ball to. He plays good defense as an on-ball defender, and loves to use that speed in the open court during transition periods. If he gets it out in transition something good is going to come from it. Mason converted several and-1 plays for his team as he can take on contact and finish through it at the rim. Coming off of his second DI scholarship offer from Abilene Christian, first was from UMKC, I have to believe Mason would be blowing up if there was a regular summer schedule played. He would probably be my pick for tournament MVP this weekend amongst many talented players, as he was the one who made the MOKAN offense go.
Jack Johnson Jack Johnson 6'2" | CG Andover | 2021 State KS – 6’2 CG – Team Buddy Buckets-Kansas & Andover High School
Though this is only my first time watching Johnson in person, I think anyone who has followed Midwest basketball this summer knows that Johnson is having a coming out party. One of the best kept secrets going into the summer, has emerged on a mission. Johnson is an effective three level scorer who does it all for Buddy Buckets-KS. He has a really nice looking shot out to the 3pt line with a quick release. Though not his only trait, probably his best trait is his shooting ability. Johnson is an all-around playmaker, and slashes to the rim as an off-ball cutter, and can create his own shot off the bounce with a strong right hand and a quick first step. Buddy Buckets has good guard play, so Johnson plays off the ball, but when he gets the ball he goes into attack mode. He hangs in the air which allows him to take contact at the hoop and finish through. He is a willing passer who looks for shooters to kick out to on the drive. Johnson is a player that watch a game and you see everywhere on the court, and when he’s on the court you know he’s going to effect the game in a positive way. Johnson has a lone DI offer from Abilene Christian amongst other DII offers, but whoever ends up with Jack on their team is going to get an all-around positive player.
Brock Wakefield Brock Wakefield 6'4" | SG South Iron | 2021 State MO – 6’4 CG – Gateway Basketball Club & South Iron High School
Wakefield is another riser from this summer’s season, playing on a loaded Gateway Basketball Club team from St. Louis. Wakefield was good from all over the court this weekend and created plenty of scoring opportunities for himself and teammates. Long and athletic guard who can run the show or play off the ball. As a three level scorer, Wakefield scored 20 points per game this past winter school season, displaying a nice shooting touch from deep, a good step back and pull-up game from mid-range and the ability to get to the hoop and finish off the play. Around the hoop is where the length plays a part for Brock, as he can finish above the rim. One of his best attributes is his passing ability, which makes him an intriguing PG prospect at the next level. He can fit into tight spaces for an open teammate, and seems to make passes that just make it easier for his teammates to score once receiving the pass. He has some nice bounce to his game and is able to wiggle his way to the basket by side stepping with his long legs, or with a nice in-and-out dribble move. On the other side of the court, Wakefield has active hands that allowed him to put pressure on the passer, and get steals when Gateway was pressuring the ball, especially against smaller guards. Wakefield has gotten more and more interest from the DI level with a scholarship offer form UMKC coming last week. That offer was added to an Elon offer, along with multiple DII offers as well.
O’Mar Stanley – 6’7 Forward – Carroll GoL1ve & Link Year Prep School
Stanley was a big, physical presence for his team this weekend. At about 240 lbs., Stanley is able to move people out of the lane on defense, where I feel he does the best work. He is long and bouncy which allows him to protect the rim blocking shots and just overall altering teams game plan around the rim. He moves well for a big man, and can guard out to the perimeter against other post players who like to venture away from the basket. Rebounding is good attribute for Stanley as he boxes out well and can hold opposing players out before going to grab the rebound with his strength. On offense, he lives for the short corner. The way he can receive dump offs from teammates and go at the rim and finish with an emphatic dunk or play through contact and finish at the hoop. One thing I liked watching Stanley, is his communication on the court for his team. He’s a loud voice which helps the team get organized offensively and defensively. He efficiently can stretch the defense out to 15ft right now, and have seen him shoot it from 3 in warm-ups but would like to see that more in a game scenario. Attending Link Year Prep this year and reclassifying to the 2021 class has already paid dividends, as he has offers from Ole Miss and Southeast Missouri. Looking for a big year from O’mar this coming winter season.
Aminu Mohammed Aminu Mohammed 6'5" | SG Greenwood Lab | 2021 State #19 Nation MO – 6’5 Wing – Mission Minded & Greenwood Laboratory School
Aminu Mohammed Aminu Mohammed 6'5" | SG Greenwood Lab | 2021 State #19 Nation MO was a prolific scorer this weekend. Mohammed makes things look effortless on the basketball court, and has some serious bounce around the rim. He was scoring at will in a championship game against Buddy Buckets-KS, as he guided his team to big win. Being a top rated player in the country can bring a lot of attention but Mohammed relishes in it. He has a lot of high degree dribble moves that creates space or allows him to get passed his defender to use his elite athleticism at the basket. Documented on Twitter by @JakePerper, Mohammed put a cross on a defender so good that the defender fell and he went and finished at the rim. With all the defensive attention he is a willing passer to his teammates who may have a more open shot. Aminu can get to all of his spots offensively and makes shots at all three levels. The five star recruit is set to decide on his future college here in the near future between Georgetown, Indiana, Maryland, Kansas State, and Louisville.
Ty Robinson Ty Robinson 6'5" | SF Eaglecrest | 2021 State CO – 6’5 Wing – Colorado Hawks & Eaglecrest High School
Ty Robinson Ty Robinson 6'5" | SF Eaglecrest | 2021 State CO is a really good two-sport athlete but this weekend, I was really impressed with his performance in the quarterfinal game. With his team down double digits against a really competitive DBR team, Robinson took over the game. He showed why he was the best player on the court that game. He hit a couple of outside shots, but was really looking to attack the basket, and with his elite athleticism he was finishing at the basket. The defense was a pesky 3-2 zone so finding the creases to receive a pass and ways to exploit off the bounce wasn’t exactly easy, but Robinson seemed unstoppable for a period of time during that game. He is a good defender himself, and at 6’5 is able to guard the 1-3 positions on the court. He is good at feeding the post, and finding the open man when driving. He caught many alley oops and even captured a highlight poster dunk throughout the weekend. With DI offers in both football and basketball, it will be something to keep an eye on whether he plays one sport or the other, or decides to play both. One thing I can say is if he chooses the hardwood he will be a good get for some team. Minnesota and Wyoming are the schools that have offered Robinson so far in basketball, and many other P5 programs offering him at WR in football.