CSP Fall League: 2023 Standouts
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Concordia St. Paul’s fall league continued last Sunday, with plenty of talented high school teams competing both at Concordia’s campus and at St. Paul Harding HS. I caught 8 games on the day, and these are some of the 2023…
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Continue ReadingConcordia St. Paul’s fall league continued last Sunday, with plenty of talented high school teams competing both at Concordia’s campus and at St. Paul Harding HS. I caught 8 games on the day, and these are some of the 2023 prospects who impressed!
Oscar Khazon Oscar Khazon 6'1" | PG Eagan | 2023 State MN (6’1 2023 G, Eagan)- Oscar had some really strong moments last season as he averaged 13.7 ppg as a sophomore, and continued that play into some strong moments for Howard Pulley 16u on the EYBL in the summer. With the ball in his hands he’s not afraid to go right at his defender, making him a dangerous isolation scorer. He can shift his man over with a quick crossover, and then pull up from either mid-range or three and hit shots at a high percentage. Because of both his handle and shooting ability, you’ll see him play both guard spots at times and be effective as a facilitator or go-to scoring option. He forms one of the better 2023 duos in the state with Emmanuel Schmitter Emmanuel Schmitter 6'3" | SG Eagan | 2023 State MN .
Jalen Cain Jalen Cain 6'3" | SF Minnetonka | 2023 State MN (6’3 2023 G, Minnetonka)- If fall league is any indication, Jalen looks like a man on a mission heading into his junior season. Going up against Minneapolis Edison, there was nothing defenders could do to contain him. He was flying up the floor in transition for some explosive dunks, getting to the rack off the dribble, and knocking down a pair of advanced step-back jumpers. With his type of size and athleticism as a guard, not too many players are going to be able to stick with him off the bounce, especially considering his fellow backcourt members are too talented to sag off on to double him. On the defensive end he has no problem sitting and guarding smaller guards, and he was dangerous using his length to get up in passing lanes.
Matthew Bothun Matthew Bothun 6'9" | PF St. Francis | 2023 State MN (6’8 2023 F, St. Francis)- St. Francis loses a ton of production from last season, but what they do bring back is a walking double-double in Matthew Bothun Matthew Bothun 6'9" | PF St. Francis | 2023 State MN . The talented forward started off a little slow on Sunday morning, but really started to pick it up in the second half against Bloomington Kennedy. At 6’8 he can handle the ball well and was even playing a point-forward role for a lot of the game. He proved he can run the pick & roll, and was dangerous pulling up from three when his man would go under the screen. Plus with his length it was difficult for anyone to get a hand up and really disrupt his shot. Still has to mature a bit physically but showed he has some solid post footwork and touch around the rim to score from the paint. Should put up some big numbers as a junior.
Anish Ramlall Anish Ramlall 6'2" | PG Rosemount | 2023 State MN (6’3 2023 G, Rosemount)- Yet another 2023 guard who’s really emerging out of the South Suburban Conference, Anish looks ready to take a big step forward after scoring 6 ppg as a sophomore. He has length at 6’3 and is a fluid ball handler able to weave his way in and out of defenders. His handle and composure makes him a threat pushing the ball in transition, and you always see his eyes scanning the floor looking to pass it ahead to an open teammate. Defensively the effort is always there, and his length can give opposing ball handlers issues as he has great timing to reach in and poke the ball free if his opponent gets careless. When looking to score for himself he has a nice pull-up game but can also get into the paint and score using his length around the basket.
Ibrahim El-Amin Ibrahim El-Amin 5'10" | PG Minnetonka | 2023 State MN (5’9 2023 PG, Minnetonka)- Minnetonka looks poised to improve upon last season’s record, and a big reason why is the return of Ibo El-Amin to varsity basketball. The chemistry with his team looked there on Sunday, as Ibo was not only getting buckets for himself, but also finding his teammates with accurate and well-timed passes to set them up to score. He had a couple of excellent deep passes that hit his streaking teammates perfectly in stride towards the basket, a sign of not only his court awareness but also his unselfishness. In the half-court he’s so dangerous off the dribble and has a step-back jumper that gives him a ton of separation from his defender. Also showed some athleticism getting up and finishing at the basket in traffic.
Isaac Nyakundi Isaac Nyakundi 6'9" | C MacDuffie | 2024 State NLG (6’8 2023 C, Duluth East)- Isaac has continued to improve upon his game since I first saw him at this same fall league last year. He stands a strong 6’8 and has the frame to maintain his balance through some contact when he looks to finish in the post. Not extremely explosive, but he can get off the floor quickly and showed that with a two handed dunk in the first half against BSM. Throughout the game Isaac flashed some improved post footwork and showed that he’s capable of turning over either shoulder to finish with a baby-hook. Isaac runs the floor hard, rebounds the ball well, and has the defensive mobility that coaches look for in post players.
Emmanuel Schmitter Emmanuel Schmitter 6'3" | SG Eagan | 2023 State MN (6’3 2023 G, Eagan)- The Eagan standout was one of the best defenders I saw in a complete day of basketball. At 6’3 he has good size as a guard, and is an athletic player which allows him to guard anywhere on the perimeter. I’ve seen him go from shutting down a 6’6 wing to picking up full court against the opposing team’s ball handler. Against STMA he was constantly applying heavy ball pressure, and that ball pressure led to a handful of mistakes and turnovers. His motor never stops on that end of the floor, and that showed as he averaged 1.3 spg as a sophomore. Flashed his outside shot and ability to finish around the rim on the offensive end of the floor.