Sunday 16U Standouts: Hard Work Finals
Bloomington, MN – On day 2 of the Hard Work Region Finals I was once again at Jefferson High School. I was mainly in the Activities Center, but I did take in a game in the main gym. Much like…
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Continue ReadingBloomington, MN – On day 2 of the Hard Work Region Finals I was once again at Jefferson High School. I was mainly in the Activities Center, but I did take in a game in the main gym. Much like Saturday, I saw barn burners and nail-biters. Best of all I saw some new players that really stood out. In this article, we will have players from Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Below we will look at the guys that looked impressive on Sunday…
Alphabetically, here are the Sunday Standouts in the 2023 Class.
6’2 Anish Ramlall || Rosemount || WOTN Bertsch || MN
His handles are some of the best that I saw all weekend. Anish is always in control. He is a studly point guard. Ramlall has all the moves to keep the defenders off balance. I like how well he communicates verbally and non-verbally. I was impressed with the way that he uses leverage to his advantage. I would describe him as smart and clever. Anish had a huge AND-1 basket in overtime to help his team win in the game that I watched.
6’1 Cole Peterson || Washington || Sacred Hoops || SD
A team leader and a floor general. He is a talented shooter, but he knows how to use all parts of his game. Cole is great at many things like being a communicator, intense on-ball pressure, creating for teammates, attacking the basket, and getting to the free-throw line. Peterson is an extension of the coach on the floor.
6’0 Darius Chestnut || Sun Prairie || WI Starz Elite || WI
I loved his aggressiveness on defense. He was all over the court trapping with active hands which enabled him to get tips and deflections. I liked how Darius was able to reach in and poke the ball away from the offense without picking up many fouls. Chestnut is a high-octane athlete. Whenever he has the ball, Darius was attacking and putting pressure on the D. He is deadly when he gets two feet in the lane. He is an exciting player, to say the least.
6’1 Eli Ocharo || Apple Valley || Real Phenom Hollie || MN
I loved the way he caught, ripped, and blew by the on-ball defender. Eli is very ball-strong and he owns the 3-feet in front of him. He has a long and explosive first step. His spin move is sick and his fake crossover freezes the defense so he can coast on by. Ocharo is a spectacular finisher at the rim. He was dynamic in transition. I liked his crafty floater from 15′ that he kissed off the glass for 2 easy points. Eli’s finger rolls with his left and right were ultra-smooth. This Eagle can fly.
6’3 J’kwon Wise || Waterloo Salvation || Waterloo East || IA
He was one of the top athletes I watched play all weekend. He is a leaper with a ton of bounce. J’kwon has a nice pull-up game. His shooting form was looking spot on. I like how he gets wide and sprints the floor after his team has the defensive rebound. He is a big-time shot blocker. I watched him tip and deflect multiple shots, he also spiked a shot out of bounds like it was a volleyball. Wise finished off the game with a highlight dunk that showed off his crazy athleticism. Wise makes everything look easy.
6’4 Justin Pickens || Farragut || Old Gold Dream Team || IL
The first thing I noticed was his strength and finishing ability after contact. He excels at roaming around the paint and snagging offensive rebounds. Pickens also blocked many shots in the game that I took in. I enjoyed the way he absorbed contact and finished the bucket with a hand in his face. I liked that he did not force anything and how he scored when the opportunity presented itself. Pickens also gave maximum effort of defense and while tracking down loose balls. This forward from Illinois is the real deal.
6’0 Keavian Hayes || Sioux City West || Arena Basketball Club || IA
A strong and superior athlete when you compare him to his counterparts. I like how Hayes made the extra pass and got his teammates involved. His vertical allows him to finish above the rim. Keavian’s hangtime when finishing was awe-inspiring. He did a nice job of following his own shot. Keavian has a classic shooting form with no wasted movement. Hayes also showed off a soft baseline floater. This kid from Iowa should be on the mind of many college coaches.
6’4 Khor Tut || Farmington || Real Phenom Hollie || MN
He is very long. Tut looks and plays much bigger than 6’4. Khor moves well up and down the court and around the paint. He was snatching a ton of rebounds with his long arms on Sunday morning. I liked how his hands were always active and moving constantly to take away passing angles. Khor can score in a hurry as he is a quick jumper. He explodes to the rim and finishes with ease. Tut has a large amount of potential and a bright future in hoops.
6’2 Malik Crawford || Westside || Sal Elite || NE
He was scoring basket after basket when I was taking in his game. I like how he can score with both hands at the rim. Malik showed a crafty up-and-under move that made me take a double-take. He attacks the basket violently in transition and in the half-court offense. Crawford showed great hangtime and a sweet reverse layup. This Warrior was impressive slashing and finishing in the paint on Sunday.
6’3 Owen Carlson || Mahtomedi || MN Chill || MN
My first impression of him was a great one. The first play I saw was a difficult cross-court drive that he finished with a contested finger roll that he was fouled on. He drained the FT and picked up the AND-1. Shortly after there is a turnover and I look up and Owen is hammering home a monstrous dunk. Carlson can also hit the 3-ball. He also had a big basket late in the game to keep it close. This Zephyr has a ton of potential.
6’0 Qiandre Washington || Kingdom Prep || Kevon Looney Power 5 || WI
He is built like a linebacker but quick like a defensive back. Washington showed a great jab step that backed up the D and he followed it up with a fluid jumper for 2-points. I was impressed with how often he was able into the lane even when he had multiple defenders in his way. Washington was very impressive on the offensive boards. His squad got a ton of extra possessions because of his effort on the glass. Qiandre was full of energy for the 8:00 AM game. Washington seems to always be in the right spot on the court at the right time. He was the best player on the court in the early morning.
6’5 Ryan Lenear || Bellevue East || Sal Elite || NE
I liked how this tall and lanky big man rebounded on both ends. There was a 15-minute stretch where Ryan grabbed every single defensive rebound for his team and he limited the opposition to one shot. He was a vacuum when boarding up. I was impressed with his quick outlet passes to the PG. Lenear shot a very high percentage from the field. When finishing at the cup it seemed like everything was going down for him. It did not matter how many bodies were draped on him, he still finished. Overall I liked the way this big lean post battled down low. College coaches will want to see this big man with potential.
6’0 Tanner Thomson || Stillwater || Border Select || MN
This guard is quick with great body control. I loved the way he changes gears quickly to keep the defenders off-kilter. Tanner’s shooting form is flawless. Thompson can stroke it from deep. He also has a delightful pull-up jumper. Thomson can stop-and-go and turn on a dime when weaving through traffic. I liked the demeanor he played with. This Pony can hoop.
6’3 Zharic Sheppard || Washington || Sacred Hoops || SD
The lefty was knocking them down from 3-point land. Sheppard plays with great pace and tempo. He sees the floor well, which in turn makes him a good passer. In catch-and-shoot situations, Zharic is almost automatic. Look out for this Watchdog from Beresford, he is a sniper from deep.