Battle at the Lakes: 17U Minnesota Stock Risers
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Who from Minnesota played in a way that had college coaches (at various appropriate levels) adding them to their list of likely potential recruits? Here are several local possibilities. Jamal Ambrose Jamal Ambrose 6'10" | C East View | 2022…
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Continue ReadingWho from Minnesota played in a way that had college coaches (at various appropriate levels) adding them to their list of likely potential recruits? Here are several local possibilities.
Jamal Ambrose Jamal Ambrose 6'10" | C East View | 2022 State MN (6’10 Center, Eastview) of Gain Elite. Ambrose has center size and is productive. That right there is a rare thing. And now that Ambrose is healthy – he deal with an injury for a good part of his junior year – we are now seeing what Ambrose can do when he uses his physical size. Ambrose has a good touch and we have seen him score from the perimeter and around the cup with a post move. But what we saw this weekend was Ambrose going at other players using the strength of his frame to move players so he could comfortably finish on balance. This is what Ambrose did all weekend and if this is how he continues to score around the basket, the division one world of basketball will come his way with recruiting consistency.
Nick Burke Nick Burke 6'5" | PF Southwest Christian | 2022 State MN (6’6 Forward, Southwest Minnesota Christian) of WOTN. This was the second weekend that WOTN played and a second weekend that Burke has been a deluxe scorer in a number of ways. When I was in the gym he hit seven threes and scored 25 points versus the Iowa Mavericks and it was another weekend of consistent scoring. Burke has this scoring knack with his touch and he seems to be able to hit shots on balance, or not on balance. From range in open space, or from odd angles with defenders near him. He’s a point producer.
Mekhi Collins Mekhi Collins 6'5" | PF Mankato West | 2022 State MN (6’5 Wing, Mankato West) of Minnesota Fury. Collins may be a multi Big XII offered football player but he’s also a scholarship level basketball player that will consider hoops as well. The Minnesota Fury plays outstanding team basketball in a local AAU Michigan State like way and Mekhi is the ideal fit for the team. When the Fury needed some big plays to turn the game around with the D1 Minnesota Prospects Collins stepped up with stops, key boards, and three big scores. His near double-double was crucial to the win. Collins is one of the most talked about players on the Prep Hoops Circuit when it comes to various Prep Hoops writers as everybody aggress his toughness, activity, and agility as a versatile player is a huge reason that Fury wins.
Joshua Ola-Joseph Joshua Ola-Joseph 6'6" | SF Osseo | 2022 State #166 Nation MN (6’6 Forward, Osseo) of D1 Minnesota. Did I just write “forward” for Ola-Joseph? Why yes I did and here is why. Ola-Joseph can certainly play the wing spot and that’s what he is with that agility and length. I hope everybody saw the video I showed on twitter of Ola-Joseph laterally moving his feet taking away a player’s left, then beating that player with four steps to the player’s right, and then switching to another guy and forcing that player to turn the ball over as Josh beat them back left. That lateral quickness with length to go with it means he can defend wings. But have you seen the way Josh explodes off the floor to finish and board? Have you seen how high that length can get to contest/block shots? You add muscle to him he could play the four as well. Ola-Joseph needed to show two main things in 17U this year: two way consistency and a willingness to use his agility to defend. Thats exactly what I’ve seen in KC and in the Twin Cities on the Prep Hoops Circuit. High major stuff coming his way? I say yes.
BJ Omot BJ Omot 6'8" | PF Mankato East | 2022 State #231 Nation MN (6’7 SF, Mankato East) of D1 Minnesota. Butler has been calling for some time. Iowa and Iowa State are picking up their efforts with Omot. Providence just offered. What are they seeing that’s put Omot on their list? The type of elite size that schools want on the wing and the skills that go with it. Camden Heide Camden Heide 6'7" | SF Wasatch Academy | 2022 State #129 Nation UT wasn’t playing this weekend and Omot saw more time, and more touches. And Omot took advantage of that time and touches with an All Tournament level performances. Shot a really high percentage, was efficient with every touch, and forced little.
Kenji Scales Kenji Scales 6'0" | PG Eastview | 2022 State MN (6’1 Guard, Eastview) of Minnesota Select. If somebody asked me “who do you think was most deserving of a D2 offer after this weekend” I think my first answer would be Kenji Scales Kenji Scales 6'0" | PG Eastview | 2022 State MN . There is a toughness in the way that Kenji scores the ball that I love. Scales doesn’t just have the quicks and the skill to get him to where he needs to be, he has the toughness and the smarts to find space to be productive. There’s a will there to make a big play that only some players have. When Select made their push to try and beat D1 Minnesota it was Scales that had the game high point total and made the big shots down the stretch. When Select needed two key scores late the ball was in the hands of Scales and he fulfilled the need. When Select was in a shootout with the Tulsa Hawks it was Kenji that scored 26 points and hit five threes. Not to mention it was Scales who exploded early for that huge Select win over the Fury on opening weekend. Scales is wired different and that was very clear again this weekend.
Johnny Tennyson Johnny Tennyson 6'3" | SG STMA | 2022 State MN (6’4 Guard, St. Michael-Albertville) of Minnesota Comets. This weekend fully convinced me that Tennyson is scholarship guy at a good program. The last weekend he played he hit 20 threes in four games including a game winner. This weekend Tennyson played like a versatile guard that will defend willingly, can shoot with high percentages and doesn’t need a high volume of attempts, and passes the ball really well. The Comets are playing great team basketball right now and Tennyson’s productivity in a team basketball way is a huge part of it.
Dylan Wheeler Dylan Wheeler 6'3" | SG Mounds View | 2022 State MN (6’5 SG, Mounds View) of Minnesota Heat MacDonald. There is something more to Dylan Wheeler Dylan Wheeler 6'3" | SG Mounds View | 2022 State MN . That something more is that his teams win. Wheeler is the type of player that will pass up a shot even if he hasn’t taken one in eight minutes of basketball, because it’s for the better of the team. Wheeler is that guy that will verbally take to his teammates, the player that battles to a spot on defense, and the guy that you can depend on to be there for you as a defender and an offensive decision maker. With all of that comes opportunities. Opportunities for teammates and opportunities for Wheeler to continue that torrid shooting that has led the Heat to 12 wins in four events.