Prep Hoops Top 250 Expo: Playmakers
Dylan Kurt Dylan Kurt 6'3" | SF North Linn | 2022 State IA – North Linn (22′) The 6’2″ point guard showed a fluency in running pick and roll. He won’t outrun or outjump a lot of guards, but he…
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Continue ReadingDylan Kurt Dylan Kurt 6'3" | SF North Linn | 2022 State IA – North Linn (22′)
The 6’2″ point guard showed a fluency in running pick and roll. He won’t outrun or outjump a lot of guards, but he utilizes pace and variability to keep his defenders leaning. He breaks out the right pass in the right situations and can make most primary and many secondary reads out on the court. He was able to knock down the open three-pointer, and took it at his defender in isolation when the play broke down. Dylan’s greatest strength is that he controls his pace throughout the game, never letting the defense speed him up or stymie him. He doesn’t need the ball in his hands to make an impact either, always moving off ball and showing strength as a screener.
Christian Withrow Christian Withrow 6'1" | CG Clear Creek-Amana | 2021 State IA – Clear Creek Amana (21’)
Christian is a bit unique on this list, because he spent most of his time on the court without the ball. Even with limited touches, he impressed me with his ability to penetrate and collapse the defense. When he did get the ball, he would snake back and forth in the lane until either a shot, or teammate opened up. He isn’t the most natural passer, but he sees all the reads. On defense, he has active hands always challenging driving lanes. Things that don’t show up on the stat sheet, like stunting enough to influence the ball-handler to pick up his dribble and stop his drive, were things Christian did all day long.
Ashton Hermann Ashton Hermann 6'4" | SG Ballard | 2022 State IA – Ballard (22’)
Known first and foremost as a shooter, Ashton has learned to use that skill to open up the other aspects of his game. When he does elect to shoot, he does so without hesitation. With how quick he gets his shot off, a defender has no choice but to closeout and contest hard. Ashton now attacks those closeouts with really effective pump fake and drives. He has a really great hesitation dribble move that will freeze his man in place long enough for Ashton to find a driving lane. From there he has really nice vision and timing to punish help defenders or ball-watching defenders.
Tyson Guard – Carlisle (22’)
Another off-ball player among this group, Tyson was adept at doing what seem like the simple skills, but are often overlooked by players. He attacked closeouts with excellent timing and footwork. From there, the defense would be scrambling to rotate, and Tyson remained calm while dissecting the court in front of him. He had a few no-look attempts that sent the defense the wrong direction. The addition of a floater would do him wonders. He often finds himself in that middle territory after getting ran off the line, yet unable to finish right at the rim.
Ra’Mir Scott – Waterloo East (21’)
Ra’mir made plays for himself and teammates with regularity. He has great acceleration. He would combine hesitations and relaxed movements, and then explode to the hoop. Lots of times he had a clear lane to the hoop. Other times he collapsed defenders and made plays from there. He is crafty in the lane too, finding gaps and soft spots where they weren’t obvious. He had a few intelligent cuts too to score a few easy points.