Minnesota Prep Weekend Evaluations
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Minnesota Prep Academy is hosting their Shorty Classic this weekend in Minneapolis, as teams across the country will be coming in to compete at various venues. In preparation for the event, MPA played against Mesabi Range College last Friday, as…
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Continue ReadingMinnesota Prep Academy is hosting their Shorty Classic this weekend in Minneapolis, as teams across the country will be coming in to compete at various venues. In preparation for the event, MPA played against Mesabi Range College last Friday, as well as hosting their media day scrimmage against their post-graduate team on Saturday. I was in attendance, and these are some evaluations of the players who were active for their high school team.
DJ Jefferson DJ Jefferson 6'5" | SF Minnesota Prep Academy (MN) | 2022 #177 Nation MN (6’5 2022 SG)- The nationally ranked Tulsa commit got off to a hot start shooting the ball on Friday. He drained three early jumpers to give his team an early lead before the bench players started coming in. His jumper cooled off for the rest of the game, but I like how he became more aggressive getting to the basket in the second half. He has some strength to him, and recognized his size advantage over his defender so he got some physical buckets inside when his jumper wasn’t falling. Explosive and confident player who can put points on the board in a hurry.
Brenden Moss (6’5 2022 SG)- Speaking of players who can flat out score the ball, Kent State commit Brenden Moss took over in the second half of Friday’s game. His off ball movement lead to plenty of open looks from deep as he was able to catch and quickly get into his shooting motion to get off a clean look. Not only is the lefty dangerous from deep, but he was cutting to the rim and finding space inside or openings from mid-range to get off looks as well. He’s a tough competitor who gets after it defensively, and just brings a ton of energy to the floor for this team.
Antonio Chol (6’8 2022 F)- Antwaun Massey Antwaun Massey 6'8" | PF Minnesota Prep | 2022 #249 Nation MN wasn’t suited up for either game, so it was Antonio Chol that got the start down low. He’s still a bit raw offensively, but really impressed me on the defensive end. He’s extremely long and agile for his size, with explosive leaping ability that makes him a strong rim protector. Minnesota Prep likes to full court press, and he fits in with that press as he’s able to move his feet laterally, while also making things difficult because his length allows him to tip passes. Offensively he showed that he can stretch the floor with his shooting, or finish above the rim off of dump-off passes in the paint.
Tavion Banks (6’7 2022 F)- Tavion Banks is the worker for this team who simply produces. Against Mesabi Range he ended up picking up an injury that saw him miss most of the second half, but in the first he had 4-5 buckets with his strength around the rim. Banks isn’t afraid to play physical and he’s able to body opposing forwards inside for scrappy buckets and second chance points. Also showed he can knock down the open three and was a major transition threat on Saturday as he ran the floor hard and was elevating for some alley-oop dunks. Offers a bit of defensive versatility as well.
Gob Gob Gob Gob 6'3" | PG Minnesota Prep | 2022 MN (6’3 2022 PG)- Gob got the nod at point guard in both games, and impressed on the defensive end. Friday night he was picking up college point guards full court and disrupting their ability to get into a good offensive flow. Early in the game he fought to get over a high ball screen, and forced the point guard to retreat a few feet which caused a backcourt violation. With his long wingspan and agility he’s such a dangerous on-ball defender. Late in the game he also exploded for two impressive dunks. On Saturday night he excelled in the open floor as he made smart decisions with the ball leading to a handful of transition assists.
Jalyn Patterson (5’7 2025 PG)- With Akeem Nelson Akeem Nelson 6'1" | PG Minnesota prep academy | 2022 MN out with a knee injury, Jalyn was the backup point guard for MPA. Didn’t put up huge numbers but I though he handled the ball well under pressure against guys 4+ years older than him. Shot wasn’t falling on Friday but had a couple of nice assists showing off his growing passing vision. On Saturday night he created some looks for himself off the dribble, showcasing his shifty handle that makes it difficult for taller guards to stick with him.
Abdul Bashir (6’5 2023 G)- Really like the versatility that Adbul and his brother Abdi bring to the team. Abdul was able to come off the bench and play either guard spot because he handles the ball really well at his size. He’s not the most explosive athlete but is a skilled player who can make plays for himself and others off the dribble. When playing the point he has the vision to see over his defender and zip in passes to his cutting teammates, but he also showed he can break his man down and knock down pull-up jumpers.
Abdi Bashir (6’5 2023 G)- Similar to Abdul, Abdi is a versatile guard with great length at the position. He has a nice handle for his size which allows him to create his own looks and knock them down from mid-range or three. Defensively his length allows him to guard a few different spots on the perimeter. An added ball handler who can also provide a scoring spark off the bench.
Arop Arop Arop Arop 6'8" | SF Chisholm Trail | 2022 MN (6’9 2022 F)- Arop came off the bench for MPA, and although he had a quiet performance on Friday he made some impressive plays on Saturday. The Columbia commit is a high academic guy who can simply make plays that other 6’9 players can’t. He’s still working on turning it into consistent production, but the 6’9 wing/forward is incredibly skilled and is able to handle the ball like a guard to create off the dribble. He has a smooth stroke from beyond the arc and has the length to guard on the interior but the mobility to guard some bigger wings. Ran the floor hard in transition and will be a key piece off the bench this season.
Jinup Dobuol (6’5 2024 SF)- The St. Cloud native saw some time off the bench in Saturday’s scrimmage, and knocked down a three in the second half. Still has some time to develop, but has an intriguing frame with plenty of length which bodes well for the future. Can finish above the rim and has a nice shooting touch from beyond the arc.
Donovan Bratton (6’1 2024 G)- Like Jinup, Donovan is one of the young prospects on this team who saw some time off the bench in Saturday’s scrimmage. Looks more confident with his shot whether it’s a catch-and-shoot three or a mid-range jumper. Has some length at the guard spot and is an improved athlete from last season.