The Platform: Midwest Standouts
As the month of July gets into full swing, the Prep Hoops Circuit heads to Birmingham, Alabama. This is the first of several Prep Hoops events in the Midwest as we converge onto the Grit Region Finals in Indianapolis at…
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Continue ReadingAs the month of July gets into full swing, the Prep Hoops Circuit heads to Birmingham, Alabama. This is the first of several Prep Hoops events in the Midwest as we converge onto the Grit Region Finals in Indianapolis at the end of the month. There were a ton of very intriguing games over the weekend, and now, let’s take a look at some of the Standouts from Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
Levi Birkholz Levi Birkholz 5'2" | SG Lakeside Luthersn | 2023 State #290 Nation WI (WI) – 2023 SG – Lakeside Lutheran (Wisconsin Crusaders 2023 Premier)
Birkholz is an incredibly athletic guard who jumped out of the building to throw down a couple of his dunks. He just missed a poster early in the game, but he attacks the rim strong and is always looking to throw it down when he gets to the hole. He threw down a couple of nice ones on the fastbreak opportunities. In addition to attacking the hole, Birkholz can handle the ball well and is a pretty good passer. He didn’t show much for an outside shot, so I am not too sure about that aspect of his game, but he is still a good college prospect worth keeping an eye on.
AJ Casey AJ Casey 6'8" | PF Whitney Young | 2022 State #55 Nation IL (IL) – 2022 PF – Whitney Young (Meanstreets 2022)
Casey is a big man inside who remains the undisputed number one player in the state of Illinois. He has a ton of length, and he knows how to use his size in all areas. He is very physical inside, and he isn’t going to let someone push him around. Casey also runs the floor extremely well, and he was able to finish off one of the fastbreak opportunities with a big dunk. This definitely wasn’t Casey’s best game, but he shows a lot of skill nonetheless. He is going to be one of the more coveted recruits in the coming season.
Kam Craft Kam Craft 6'5" | SF TSF | 2022 State #54 Nation GA (IL) – 2022 SF – Buffalo Grove (Meanstreets 2022)
Craft is a bigger wing who scored the ball exceptionally all day in this one. He can do it in many different ways, and he was able to show that in this game. He is a knockdown shooter on the catch and shoot, and he has a nice little mid-range jumper in his arsenal. Craft is also silky smooth in the lane, and he was able to throw one down with power down the lane as well. Craft is a natural scorer who can do it in many different ways, and that is why he should be very heavily recruited. Great game overall from Craft who was probably the biggest reason why they were able to run away from Team Teague to cruise to an easy victory.
Dalen Davis Dalen Davis 6'0" | PG Whitney Young | 2023 State #167 Nation IL (IL) – 2023 PG – Whitney Young (Meanstreets 2022)
Davis is a small guard who seemed to always make the right play with the ball in his hands. He is a very good passer, and he sees the court extremely well. His shots weren’t really falling for him early in this one, but he did knock one down from the outside to show that he does have it in his arsenal. Davis is also very athletic, and he showed this with a couple of his steals on the defensive end of the floor. Good performance from Davis to start off the weekend.
Alex Sherwood Alex Sherwood 6'4" | SF Xavier | 2023 State WI (WI) – 2023 SF – Xavier (Wisconsin Crusaders 2023 Premier)
Sherwood is a big forward who is probably better off playing as a wing. At 6’7, this makes him an extremely tough matchup for the majority of teams at this level. He handles the ball incredibly well, and he has a great three point stroke and is never going to hesitate to pull it from the outside. Sherwood also moves well without the ball, and passes it very well to get his teammates involved. The flexibility in Sherwood’s game really makes him a really good future prospect for college coaches at the next level.
RJ Taylor RJ Taylor 6'0" | PG Grand Blanc | 2023 State #262 Nation MI (MI) – 2023 SG – Grand Blanc (Meanstreets 2022)
Taylor is another smaller guard who both sees the floor and runs the floor very well for Meanstreets. He can handle the ball, and he had a couple of transition finishers and assists on the break. Taylor also knocked down a pair of triples on the catch-and-shoot. On the defensive end of the floor, Taylor moves his feet well and seems to always stay in front of his opponent. He also added a couple of steals to cap off his stat-stuffing day. Look for Taylor to make an impact and really solidify his potential as a player.