Midwest Showdown: Standout Sleeper Prospects
The Midwest Showdown took place this past weekend in Appleton, with a nice mix of known names and sleeper prospects competing at a high level. I was in the gym catching the action all weekend, and these are seven sleeper…
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Continue ReadingThe Midwest Showdown took place this past weekend in Appleton, with a nice mix of known names and sleeper prospects competing at a high level. I was in the gym catching the action all weekend, and these are seven sleeper prospects who caught my eye!
Jaden Wysocki Jaden Wysocki 6'6" | PF Rochester Century | 2022 State MN (6’6 2022 F, Minnesota Lightning)- If you followed the action on social media over the weekend, you’ve likely heard a lot about Jaden Wysocki Jaden Wysocki 6'6" | PF Rochester Century | 2022 State MN . And that’s for good reason, as Jaden raised his stock as much, if not more than anyone in the gym. Jaden immediately catches your eye standing at 6’6 with a very long frame, and has a nice blend of quickness and explosiveness that benefits him on both ends. Defensively he’s extremely versatile, going from defending 6′ guards on the perimeter, to stepping into the paint and blocking/altering a handful of shots each game. In transition he can run the floor like a gazelle and is a threat to finish above the rim, but he’s also dangerous in the half-court as well. Jaden has a nice stroke from beyond the arc, can create his own mid-range shot off the dribble, and has a quick burst to attack baseline and finish at the rim. He also excels at high pointing the ball when rebounding on both ends.
Evan Moherek (5’11 2023 G, Gallo Sports Center 2022)- Playing up an age group for a Gallo Sports Center team that features a number of talented prospects from the Racine area, Evan had the best game that I’ve seen him play against a talented Playmakers team. Known for his shooting ability, Evan was able to stretch the floor with his range and quick release, including draining a corner three at the buzzer to close out the first half. What really impressed me was his quickness and ability to read close outs to attack the basket. He had a nice finish off a spin move, and showed no fear going up to score over size with touch. Should see some heavy minutes next winter for Racine St. Cats.
Keviyon Price (6’5 2022 F, D.F. Elite)- Nothing flashy about Keviyon’s game, but he simply outworks his opponents in the paint. He’s a bit undersized at 6’5 but makes up for it with high effort and a competitive edge to pull in rebounds in bulk on both ends of the floor. Keviyon also uses that to his advantage as he can beat bigger forwards up the floor for some transition finishes. In the halfcourt he’s able to score when isolated in the post, and he sets hard screens that help free his teammates up to score. Price was a very efficient finisher, and on the defensive end he showed excellent timing as a shot blocker.
Josiah Gillie (6’5 2022 SF, Playmakers Milwaukee)- Josiah was arguably the most physical player of the weekend, and he uses that to his advantage to get tough buckets in the paint. A forward not afraid to do the dirty work for his team, Josiah is always getting on the floor for loose balls and using his strength to box out in pull down rebounds in bulk. On the offensive end he loves to post up smaller wings and then back them down into deep position for close range finishes. He’s also capable of attacking from the wing off the dribble. On the defensive end he can go from picking up full court, to defending 6’8 players in the post where his physicality makes things difficult for them to get clean/on balance looks. Josiah is also a very vocal player who provides energy and instruction on both ends of the floor.
Buay Koak Buay Koak 6'4" | SG Lyle-Pacelli | 2023 State MN (6’4 2023 W, Minnesota Lightning)- Buay may not get a lot of publicity during the winter playing for a small school, but he really impressed me in my first time watching him play over the weekend. His long frame gives him a size advantage over a lot of the guards he faces, and he uses that length to disrupt them on the defensive end. He’s able to jump passing lanes or use his length to pick his man’s pocket and get out in transition. Buay showed off his explosiveness with an impressive dunk in the open floor, while also stuffing multiple shots on the other end. In the half-court he’s dangerous off the dribble as he plays with excellent change of pace and has a nice hesitation move that he uses to blow by his man and get to the rim.
Alex Sippy Alex Sippy 6'2" | SG Westosha Central | 2023 State WI (6’2 2023 G, World Hoops Elite )- I thought Alex saved his best for a matchup against Full Package, a team that impressed all weekend long. Though he doesn’t stand out with athleticism or flashy skill, Alex just knows how to produce, and is great at reading defenders and taking what they give him. He uses his body to pin his man on his hip to shield him off, and then has soft touch floating up high arching shots to finish over size in the paint. Alex goes up balanced off two feet and is an efficient finisher anywhere inside 10 feet. One of the things that stands out most about Sippy is his scrappiness and toughness, as he’s always looking to get on the floor for loose balls and isn’t afraid to guard anyone who comes his way.
Sam Zilmer Sam Zilmer 6'4" | PF Rockford | 2022 State MN (6’4 2022 SF, Minnesota Heat -Grow)- One of the things that continued to stand out to me about Sam’s game is just how efficient he is. If you leave him open from three he’ll make you pay, and then he has the strong frame to pull down offensive boards and finish at a high rate in the paint. Going up against a few teams filled with scholarship level players, Sam held his own and put in some strong performances on the offensive end. Defensively he’s often tasked with guarding taller players, and has no problem doing so as he competes with physicality that can’t always be matched by opponents. A hard worker who simply goes out and delivers each game, it was an impressive weekend from the Rockford forward.