Wells Fargo Advisors Shootout: Player Evaluations (2024/2025)
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2024s SF Timothy Hills (Columbus) Hills is listed at 5-7, but I think he’s bigger than that, and certainly is longer. He uses his length to impact the game on both ends of the floor, coming away with 13 points…
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Continue Reading2024s
SF Timothy Hills (Columbus)
Hills is listed at 5-7, but I think he’s bigger than that, and certainly is longer. He uses his length to impact the game on both ends of the floor, coming away with 13 points (5-8 FG), 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. He’s a good athlete who showed good touch around the rim and a willingness to mix it up on the glass with bigger bodies. His length allows him to contest shots well on the perimeter as well. He’s young and raw, but there is some talent here.
PF Mekhi Benton (Central City)
Benton is an intriguing young combo forward who possesses some solid length and athleticism at 6-3/6-4. He has decent footwork and touch around the rim, good hands, and he’s the type of athlete that you don’t see too often at the 1A level. As he continues to add some strength to his frame and some range to his game, he could develop into a really dangerous scoring threat for the Wildcats.
PG Cass Hoffman (Cascade)
A 5-10 floor general who did a great job getting others involved in the Cougars win over Durant, Hoffman dished out 5 assists to go with 8 points and 4 rebounds. He’s a good ball-handler and decision-maker who does a good job getting into the teeth of the defense and kicking out to open shooters or finding a cutting teammate for a layup. He also does a nice job making entry passes to Cole McDermott, who has been a dominant scorer inside for Cascade, putting the ball in a position where McDermott is able to easily score. He’s a capable 3-point shooter with a quick release.
A 6-2 scoring wing with length, Benzing scored a team-high 17 points in the Spartans’ overtime win over Fairfield, showing his ability to score from all three levels. He has good size and length and is a good shooter off the dribble. He has the ability to create shots for himself and others, and used his length well on the defensive end, coming away with 5 steals. A name to watch moving forward for a program that loses a lot of scoring production next year.
PF John Devery (Regina)
Just by looking at him, you can tell that Devery is also a football player. He’s a big, physical forward who does a good job establishing position and sealing his defender for buckets. His game against Monticello was his best of the season, scoring 8 points on 3-3 shooting (2-2 FT) to go with 6 rebounds. He has good, soft hands, and is a big, strong forward who could turn into a really nice player down the line if he keeps working on improving his footwork and touch around the rim with both hands.
PF Gage Kampman Gage Kampman 6'7" | PF Iowa City Liberty | 2024 State IA (Liberty)
Kampman stood out at the Prep Hoops Top 250 back in September, and he has been a solid contributor for the Lightning as a sophomore coming off the bench. A 6-6/6-7 big man with length who runs the floor really well, he’s a mobile, switchable big who can protect the rim and create issues for smaller ball-handlers with his length when he is switched on the pick-and-roll. He has good hands and developing footwork and touch around the rim. As he continues to add some strength to his frame and smoothen his post moves, he’ll become a really solid two-way player for Liberty. There is a lot of potential in this young man.
SG Trey Hughes (Liberty)
A 6-2 shooter with good form and limitless range, Hughes is a gunner who is not afraid to get his shots up. He’ll need to continue developing his all-around game to become an across-the-board contributor, but his shooting will make him an intriguing player to keep an eye on over the next three years. He looks like a much better shooter than his current percentages suggest. He has 6 points (2-6 3P) and a rebound in the Lightning’s win over Linn-Mar.
2025s
SG Jackson Lieurance (Cascade)
A long, lanky 5-10 freshman wing, Lieurance provided a major spark off the bench for the Cougars in their win over Durant, going for 10 points on 4-5 shooting (2-3 3P) along with 3 steals. He reminds me a bit of former Cascade standout Brock Simon in the way that he patrols the top of their -3 zone, using his length to his advantage. He’s a fearless player who gets to the rim in transition and is a solid 3-point shooter. The future is bright for the young freshman who will only continue to improve as he gets stronger and adds more to his offensive arsenal.
Coming into this one, I had heard some hype surrounding the 6-7 freshman big from Linn-Mar, and Kern largely lived up to it, finishing with 9 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and a block. He’s a mobile, lanky big who can switch and protect the rim. He has good hands and footwork around the bucket, and he showed the ability to step out and knock down a 3 as well. As he continues to iron out his footwork and add more moves to his game, as well as add some strength to his frame, he could emerge as one of the top 2025s in the state.