Battle At The Lakes: Friday’s Minnesota Standouts

<p>The Battle at the Lakes has returned this year, and many of Minnesota’s top programs will be competing all weekend long. I was in the gym at Wayzata HS on Friday night capturing the action, and these seven players put in strong performances.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="962218" first="Nasir" last="Whitlock"] (6’1 2023 PG, Gain Elite 2023)- </strong>One of the top scorers in the 2023 class, Nas didn’t disappoint in a Gain Elite win. He showed off his quickness with the ball, getting to the rim whenever he wanted to in both transition and half-court sets. Nas showcased excellent body control to absorb contact and keep his chin at the rim to complete some tough finishes. He was also able to stretch the floor with his shooting both off the dribble and catch. Whitlock has loads of confidence and he backs it up with an advanced skillset that allows him to score on just about anyone an opposing defense throws at him. Finished with 23 points.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1143863" first="Jamal" last="Ambrose"] (6’10 2022 C, Gain Elite 2022)- </strong>After seeing him play last night, I believe that Jamal will see his stock rise substantially over the spring/summer. At 6’10 he was the biggest player on the floor, and he took advantage of that by establishing low post position and gaining additional touches with some offensive rebounds. When he got the ball within 8 feet of the rim, he was automatic, using soft touch to complete off the glass. Jamal showed some nice post moves with the ability to turn over either shoulder and go up balanced to score, and also showed his ability to get off the floor quickly with a pick-and-roll dunk. He’s been putting up big numbers all spring long and doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958736" first="Carson" last="Kolles"] (5’10 2022 PG, Northstar Titans Barker 17u)- </strong>In a tight game that went down to the wire in overtime, it was [player_tooltip player_id="958736" first="Carson" last="Kolles"]’ strong second half that helped his team pull off the win. He’s so quick with the ball in his hands, yet remains calm under heavy pressure. Carson was capable of getting wherever he wanted to off the dribble, and scored in a variety of ways including beyond the arc, going at the rim, and with a nice turnaround mid-range shot. He’s a willing passer who can create clean looks for his teammates, and looks to be carrying over the momentum from the strong finish he had to his junior high school season.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958816" first="Akeem" last="Nelson"] (6’1 2023 PG, Minnesota Heat-Pratt 2023)- </strong>Akeem just continues to impress, and he did so on Friday night with his ability to constantly create open looks for his teammates. He has terrific passing vision, and is able to live in the paint to draw in help defenders and create openings for some of Heat’s perimeter shooters. After a slow start scoring the ball, Akeem started getting to the rim and finishing off some impressive looks through contact. Akeem seems to hang in the air and absorb the contact with ease to make tough finishes look routine. He also had one of the most impressive plays of the day, splitting two defenders with a behind the back dribble and then finishing at the rim late in the game.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958665" first="Jacob" last="Butler"] (6’5 2022 W, Minnesota Heat-Grow 17u)- </strong>Standing at 6’5, Jacob was often tasked with guarding the opposing team’s post players, and his high effort allowed him to be effective in doing so. He works hard defensively, and on the offensive end he provides an inside-out scoring ability that keeps defenders on their toes. Known for being a shooter, he only hit one three but really impressed with his ability to get to the basket off the dribble or with some hard cuts without the ball. Butler can finish with either hand and is fearless going up against size. Finished with 14 points against a tough PHHNE team.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="962201" first="Maxsamus" last="Wilson"] (6’4 2023 G, Gain Elite 2022)- </strong>I thought Max excelled as a pick-and-roll ball handler Friday night. He’s a willing passer and played his angles very well as he could zip passes into tight spots to find his posts rolling or slipping to the basket for some clean looks at the rim. Max recognized when to pass or when to shoot when his man went under the screen, and found success running the point for his team in a big win. He offers great positional size, and was able to stretch the floor with his shooting range. One thing that’s always guaranteed when Max is on the floor is that he’ll bring a ton of energy, and he was constantly communicating on both ends of the floor.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1139192" first="Dylan" last="Omweno"] (6’ 2023 G, Gain Elite 2023)- </strong>Dylan is one of the fastest players in the state, and he showed that as he consistently turned turnovers or rebounds into transition opportunities the other way. As soon as he gets the ball he’s constantly looking to beat opposing defenders up the floor, and even when he’s not able to get to the rim, his speed can often lead to 2v1’s and 3v2’s that favor his team. In the half court he can break his man down with his tight handle, and if you give him too much space he’s able to knock down the three. Defensively I like his ability to read and jump passing lanes, and his quickness allows him to sit deep in a stance and lock down on the ball.</p>