Prep Hoops Top 250: Tony’s Top Scorers
The annual Prep Hoops Top 250 took place in Des Moines on Saturday evening. Throughout the week, we’ll be taking a look at some of the best players in the gym, in a series of articles breaking down the top…
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Continue ReadingThe annual Prep Hoops Top 250 took place in Des Moines on Saturday evening. Throughout the week, we’ll be taking a look at some of the best players in the gym, in a series of articles breaking down the top scorers, defenders, passers, etc. In this article, we take a look at the top scorers that Tony Roe saw at the event. He was responsible for covering teams 1, 2, 7, 9, 10 and 16, so all players that he writes about this week will come from those teams. The other teams will be covered by Josh Block and Richard Stockton.
SG Jaxson Young Jaxson Young 6'0" | SG Linn-Mar | 2022 State IA (Linn-Mar – 2022)
I absolutely love the all-around offensive skill set of Young. He’s a well-built guard who can fill it up from all three levels, showing a silky smooth jumper that he gets into his shooting pocket really quickly off the bounce. He’s a great ball-handler who changes speeds well and he uses a quick first step and his physicality to get to the bucket for tough finishes.
PF Justin Recker Justin Recker 6'6" | PF Monticello | 2021 State IA (Monticello – 2021)
Recker is going to be a really good small-ball 4 at a smaller school at the next level. A 6-6 forward who can stretch out to the arc or score on the block, he has everything you could want in a forward at that level. He has really improved as a ball-handler, and is capable of leading the break after pulling down a defensive board, and he can really stroke it from 3. His ability to score both inside and out makes him a dangerous player and someone that Midwest NAIA, D2, and D3 programs should be monitoring closely.
G Landen Sullivan Landen Sullivan 5'10" | SG Dike-New Hartford | 2021 State IA (Dike-New Hartford – 2021)
I loved the activity level of Sullivan on both ends of the floor on Saturday evening. He was constantly moving on both ends, putting pressure on his defender to keep pace, and they rarely did. He’s a hustle player who likes to crash the offensive glass and get easy putbacks, but his offensive game isn’t limited to just that. He’s a solid ball-handler who can get to the rim for creative finishes, and he’s a good shooter from the mid-range. He gets great rotation on his jumper, which gets him some friendly rolls.
G AJ Wegener AJ Wegener 5'10" | PG Dike-New Hartford | 2021 State IA (Dike-New Hartford – 2021)
Another Wolverines guard makes the list, as Wegener was extremely impressive on Saturday, particularly with his work in the mid-range game. Analytics have told us that mid-range shots are bad in basketball now, but with the efficiency that Wegener was showing, they work well for him. He’s got a high release on his jumper, and he gets great elevation, which helps make up for some of the lack of size. He handles the ball well, changes speeds and can get to the bucket for finishes, but his mid-range game was really the standout attribute of his on Saturday evening.
SF Trevion Labeaux Trevion Labeaux 6'3" | SF Ames | 2022 State IA (Ames – 2022)
Labeaux is one of the best athletes in the state and has long been able to use his size, length, and athleticism to score at will around the rim. What really stood out about his game here was his improved jumper. He buried three 3s in a row during the game that I watched, looking smooth and consistent in his release. If he’s added a consistent jumper to his already potent offensive arsenal, watch out. The other notable aspect of his offensive game on Saturday was his awareness. After he made those three straight 3s, the defense started to close out harder, and he used that aggressiveness to attack the bucket routinely, getting to the rim for finishes or to drive-and-kick to teammates for 3s of their own.
PG Kaleb Booth Kaleb Booth 6'1" | SG Carroll | 2022 State IA (Carroll – 2022)
A quick-twitch athlete who showed the ability to get to the rim at will on Saturday, Booth had a big offensive evening. He changes directions with the ball in his hands in the blink of an eye, and uses that quick-twitch ability to get by defenders and to the bucket. He also does a nice job utilizing ball fakes to freeze the defender for a half-second, allowing him just enough time to get by them. He’s an active offensive player who is always going somewhere, whether or not he has the ball in his hands. He had a game-winner on an isolation play where he took the ball from the top of the key, nice crossover dribble into a spin move and buried a mid-range jumper. He’s a solid all-around offensive player who can get others involved as well, but it was his pure scoring ability that really jumped out.
Other top scorers who were written about in other articles: 2021 Quincy Underwood Quincy Underwood 6'5" | SF Cedar Rapids Washington | 2021 State IA (Cedar Rapids Washington), 2022 Vance Katzfey Vance Katzfey 6'3" | SG Spirit Lake | 2022 State IA (Spirit Lake), 2023 Chase Henderson Chase Henderson 6'0" | PG Hoover | 2023 State IA (Hoover), 2021 Trey Shearer Trey Shearer 5'10" | PG Montezuma | 2021 State IA (Montezuma) [All were written about in Top Performers article]