Top250 Expo: Top Sleepers
Session 1 of the Prep Hoops Top250 Expo came to a close on Sunday. Here’s a look at some of the sleeper prospects who were able jump out in Appleton… Alex Brion Alex Brion 6'3" | CG South Milwaukee |…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingSession 1 of the Prep Hoops Top250 Expo came to a close on Sunday. Here’s a look at some of the sleeper prospects who were able jump out in Appleton…
Alex Brion Alex Brion 6'3" | CG South Milwaukee | 2021 State WI – 2021 – SG – South Milwaukee
Brion put on a shooting clinic on Sunday. The 6-foot-3 sniper went under the radar in the state last season, averaging 19.0 ppg while hitting 56 triples and shooting 42.4 percent from beyond the arc. Brion certainly woke a lot of people up with his long-range ability. Brion is a guy that’s going to roam the perimeter, lull his defender to sleep, and then when a teammate puts the ball on the deck, make the right cut and free himself for an open triple.
Luke Brugger Luke Brugger 6'8" | PF Verona | 2022 WI – 2022 – PF – Verona
Brugger is an interesting prospect given his size, light feet, and shooting touch. He’s a big body that moves pretty well. At 6-foot-8, he can still be a factor in transition and loved what he showed in the pick n’ roll — setting hard screens, flashing to the bucket, and showcasing some nimble feet when he caught in traffic. Brugger has no problems shooting the ball if he’s left open. He’s also a pretty good passer from the high post and dump the ball inside or swing it to open shooters.
Blake Ewer – 2021 – PF – Arrowhead
Ewer played outstanding defense throughout the day. Ewer did a terrific job of moving people off the block and not letting them set up camp down low. 1-on-1 in the post, Ewer walled up, moved his feet, and made things extremely difficult. A prospect that knows his job isn’t done until he or his teammates secures the rebound, Ewer’s blue collar mentality was a welcomed addition to the camp.
Cade Faber Cade Faber 6'4" | SF Abbottsford | 2021 State WI – 2021 – SG – Abbottsford
Faber is a different player than what shows up on film, which is kind of exciting. Playing in Division 4, Faber comes off as this transition, athletic slasher who constantly plays above the rim. While he can do all that stuff, we got to see a different side of Faber on Sunday. Really appreciated his overall activity. Faber was outstanding defensively — blocking shots, coming up with steals, playing physical on-ball defense. Faber is also one of the better rebounding guards in the state. He’ll stick his man and keep him off the glass. Offensively, he’s not content just jogging back on defense. Faber hunts second-chance opportunities and does a lot of the little things it takes to win.
Jalen Flowers – 2022 – G – Green Bay East
Flowers’ impact was definitely noticeable, even though he came in unknown to us. The junior guard pushed the tempo really well, played strong on-ball defense, and made things happen in the open floor. Flowers definitely didn’t shy away from the competition and showed a strong competitiveness to get after people on both ends.
Max Hammond – 2021 – PF – Holmen
Hammond is still developing, but I liked some of the flashes on Sunday. He’s a gritty player that’s not afraid to go at people. Defensively, thought he helped up well 1-on-1 in the post and made his opponents earn their buckets. Hammond is listed at 6-foot-5, but has some added length to him. Hammond was aggressive in a lot of areas — protecting the rim, controlling the glass, and running the floor in transition.
Nathan Heikkila – 2022 – SG – West De Pere
Wasn’t able to get a great feel for Heikkila, but this kid can definitely shoot the ball. There were definitely a lot of frustrated opponents as Heikkila made them pay just about any time he was left open. A prospect who didn’t play varsity last season, Heikkila looked unnerved against many of the state’s top prospects and continuously shot with confidence.
Carson Lindauer – 2021 – SF – Tomah
Prospect I could see moving into the rankings following his senior season. Lindauer is a balanced prospect who does a variety of different things on the floor. A true swingman that moves the ball, can handle the rock, space the floor, and defend a variety of positions, Lindauer has a ton of value, even if he’s not scoring. Lindauer did however show off some exceptional range, hitting a number of 3’s that were well beyond the arc.
Emmett Loew Emmett Loew 6'0" | SG Pewaukee | 2022 State WI – 2022 – SG – Pewaukee
We don’t always get to necessarily see what Loew can do while playing with Wisconsin Playground Club. In AAU, he’s relied on to be a spot-up shooter. Loew showed he could do a little more in terms of putting the ball on the deck, getting into the mid-range, and pulling up off the dribble. I think he’s a little more athletic than he gets credit for and definitely wasn’t out there standing on the perimeter hunting open 3’s.
Devyn Orr – 2022 – SG – Menomonee Falls
Interested to see how Orr develops over the next two years. He definitely looks the part as a lengthy, athletic, 6-foot-2 guard. Orr can shoot it a little bit from the outside, attack the bucket off the dribble, and has measurables that give him a chance to be a defensive stopper. Liked his unselfish nature as well. Orr didn’t try and do too much or draw attention by taking too many shots. He just played ball and let the game come to him.
Pete Pavalec – 2021 – SG – McFarland
Although he was on one of the more loaded teams, Pavalec definitely jumped out. A skilled scorer and playmaker, Pavalec did an excellent job of getting into the teeth of the defense and making the right play with the basketball. Pavalec drew a lot of extra help defense on Sunday and unselfishly attacked it by setting up his teammates. Pavalec definitely scored it as well and looked comfortable from a lot of different areas and various shot types as well.
Vinko Polovic Vinko Polovic 6'7" | PF Franklin | 2021 State WI – 2021 – F – Franklin
Hadn’t seen Polovic live until Sunday. He jumped out on film during the summer and certainly backed up what I thought — and then some. An athletic, 6-foot-7 forward that runs the floor like a deer and can explode at the rim, Polovic looked the part athletically. He’s also got some mismatch nightmare potential as a prospect who can shoot from the outside as well as pull bigs away from the rim and take them off the dribble. Definitely a prospect who could break out during his senior season.
Nate Reiff – 2022 – F – Southwestern
An unranked prospect who may have helped himself the most on Sunday was Reiff. There’s a lot to build on here as a lanky, 6-foot-7 forward with budding versatility and a nice post skillset. Reiff made contested jump hooks throughout the day and showcased strong footwork on the block. If you give him space, Reiff can shoot it from 16-18 feet out consistently. He’s got one of those body types and skillsets that screams upside and is a guy college coaches will want to monitor closely.