AAU Preview: Tournament Showstoppers

<p>AAU basketball can spread its wings this summer without last year's pandemic restrictions. Expect these players to gather crowds and cameras from March until July.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="727955" first="Jeffery" last="Brazziel"] - Wisconsin Playground Club - 2022: Transfer regulations sidelined Brazziel this winter, holding off a superteam at Martin Luther. Eager scouts will make up lost time watching him run with WPG. Last summer (the last time PHW watched him closely), he looked the part of Wisconsin's number one junior prospect. The gap from his sophomore to junior summer was long; despite his hiatus, his paint game improved, ushered in by increased hops and his physical development. The 6'4” small forward has the wingspan of a post, allowing him to cover space and swallow up driving lanes. It comes down to consistent court time for Brazziel. There are more skilled players in the 2022 class, but where he separates himself — with natural offensive gifts and paint domination — only shows when scouts can watch it in action.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1129756" first="Seth" last="Trimble"] - Phenom University - 2022: Trimble turned heads this winter, establishing himself as a bona fide high major prospect. He did it in grand fashion, parading around the Milwaukee area, posterizing players habitually. His leaping ability is his showstopper-trait, but where some players recklessly seek fastbreaks and flaunt their athleticism, Trimble is game-conditioned and patient. Trimble will prowl on the perimeter and pounce when the defensive position breaks down. In the paint, he uses long strides to cover ground and his agile feet to sidestep through traffic. He's a calculated, artful player. The EYBL circuit, if offered this season, could be another major step in his development. On any night, he could be the kid ruling social media for a 35-point eruption.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="950097" first="Learic" last="Davis"] - Phenom University - 2022: If athleticism holds any value on this list, Davis needs a spot. After an exciting breakout summer in 2020, he walked away with two offers. Though his winter season fell to pandemic cancellations, there'll be coaches scrambling to watch his return. Not to be pigeonholed as an athlete, Davis led his team in points, rebounds, steals, and three-point percentage (granted, only on 21 attempts) in his sophomore season. In short, Davis is a thrilling athlete who's also 6'7”, lengthy, electric, with a largely unadulterated talent cache for the right program to cultivate.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="953945" first="Mac" last="Wrecke"] - Phenom University - 2023: Wrecke is ranked third amongst 2023 prospects, but this winter he looked as complete as anyone in his class. His 24.9 points per game (with a 41 percent three-point percentage) placed him high up on Wisconsin's statistics leaderboards. Maturity came early, but there's tangible potential left for scouts and college recruiters to gorge on. He's 6'3” with serious strength and wingspan. There are hints of a high-major isolation scorer already — although it comes in a package of size-reliant moves, it's seriously productive. Wrecke's shooting is already efficient, and he can fall back on his physical inside scoring skillset. With Phenom University, Wrecke can flex his advanced offensive game against the nation's top prospects. Expect early offers from division one schools.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="963148" first="Cal" last="Klesmit"] - Wisconsin Playground Club - 2023: Last summer, Klesmit led a Blizzard team with fierce competitiveness and a Cinderella complex. They took down Wisconsin Playground at the final buzzer — via a Klesmit fastbreak layup — and finished with solid records in many PHC tournaments. Klesmit led Blizzard through all of it, and this season he'll bring his talent to WPG. On the AAU circuit, he feeds on an environment where he can control the pace and command the ball. When he's dialed in, he'll go on runs where he scores or assists on every bucket for five minutes. This winter he played off the ball more, and it honed his outside shot. But he's best as the maker of his own offensive system, which will be the case this summer.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="801146" first="Max" last="Weisbrod"] - [program_tooltip program_id='2078835' first='Wisconsin' last='Swing'] - 2022: Weisbord was much-improved in his junior season, looking well-suited for a rush division two offers. Weisbrod lived at the free-throw line during their playoff run, missing just one of his 34 attempts prior to their State loss. He's a patient, high-IQ player with an itch to score. He has a skillset inside and out, whether it's methodical isolation into a jumper or using a bulky 6'3” frame to create space on the block. He's a scoring assassin, and he could reel in scouts to gyms all summer if his winter tear carries over into AAU season.</p>