Rock Spring Classic: Sunday Standouts
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STOUGHTON — Breaking down the top individual performances from Sunday’s action at the Rock Spring Classic… Will Hornseth Will Hornseth 6'8" | PF De Pere | 2024 State #208 Nation WI – 2024 – PF – Wisconsin Blizzard You…
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Continue ReadingSTOUGHTON — Breaking down the top individual performances from Sunday’s action at the Rock Spring Classic…
Will Hornseth Will Hornseth 6'8" | PF De Pere | 2024 State #208 Nation WI – 2024 – PF – Wisconsin Blizzard
You just see a ton of things from Hornseth that’s hard to teach post players — and I’m not just talking about high school either. The De Pere standout is so advanced in certain areas such as keeping the ball high when he’s in traffic, not panicking when a double team comes and still being able to survey the floor, and establishing deep post position while giving his teammates an easy target. Hornseth has all the tools offensively. He’s light on his feet, mobile, skilled, and can score with either power or finesse. Not a guy that’s going to take a ton of outside shots, but it’s definitely in his arsenal and I’m willing to bet he’s a dangerous 3-point shooter by his senior year. Given the fact he doesn’t need a ton of development and should be college ready in two years, mid-major programs should be crawling all over Hornseth in the next few live periods.
Emmett Lawton Emmett Lawton 6'2" | SG Notre Dame Academy | 2023 State WI – 2023 – SG – Team 1848
Lawton got his team off to a great start in the 17U semifinals and they never looked back. The Notre Dame product came out and sniped a couple of early 3-pointers. From there, the rout was on. Lawton has one of the purest strokes in the state, with a high release and an arcing shot that just twinkles the twine. A hand-down, man-down shooter, Lawton can hit defenders with a little jab step, get them to play the drive, and let it fly over the top. The 6-foot-3 junior has a little edge to him too. After he hits a couple, Lawton’s confidence quickly goes sky-high and he’s taken over some games over the last year or so on the AAU circuit. He finished with 15 points in the win.
A.J. Lieuwen A.J. Lieuwen 6'0" | CG Bay Port | 2023 State WI – 2023 – G – Team 1848
Lieuwen had a game-high 17 points against Wisconsin Playground Club in the 17U semifinals. The rising senior plays at a great pace, puts a ton of pressure on the defense wit his attacking style, just doesn’t take his foot off the gas. Lieuwen has one of the best pull-up games in the state. With his speed on the ball, Lieuwen commands that defenders give him an extra step or two, allowing him to step into his shot with ease. Lieuwen was all gas and no breaks in the second half, getting to the bucket in transition at will and giving the opposition no hope of a comeback.
Michael McNabb Michael McNabb 6'4" | CG Grafton | 2024 State WI – 2024 – G – Chapman Basketball Academy
McNabb scored 17 points in a quarterfinal loss to the Wisconsin Blizzard. The sophomore guard scored it really well in traffic. At 6-foot-4, McNabb has an enate ability to maneuver and change directions in the paint. He’s also got an array of shot finishes to turn to in order to avoid shot blockers. A guy that can take what the defense gives him, McNabb prefers to get downhill, but can knock down the 3 if defenders don’t respect his outside shot. McNabb is also very connected with his teammates. On his drives, his head remains on a swivel, surveying the floor, and passing up his own good looks if it means his teammate gets a great one.
Seth Miron Seth Miron 6'4" | SF Kimberly | 2023 State WI – 2023 – SF – Wisconsin Crusaders
Miron showed a new side during a quarterfinal loss to Wisconsin Playground Club. The Kimberly standout had a big second half and played with a ton of aggressiveness, Miron came down the floor and launched a tough transition triple with a hand in his face. From there, his confidence skyrocketed. The 6-foot-5 wing took it hard to the rim on a few occasions and finished through contact. A player we’ve always liked, but have been waiting to see break out, Miron finished his junior season playing some of the best ball of his career. It looks like he could be on the verge of putting it all together this spring/summer.
Jonathan O’Neill Jonathan O’Neill 6'9" | PF Kaukauna | 2024 State WI – 2024 – PF – Wisconsin Blizzard
Thought O’Neill took some good steps forward on Sunday. He’s still pretty raw and nowhere near his ceiling, but O’Neill really made his presence felt in the run to the 16U championship. The 6-foot-7 sophomore played with a different level of tenacity than I had previously seen. O’Neill gave the Blizzard great minutes off the bench, getting after the offensive glass and setting a tone defensively as a shot blocker. A long, athletic post prospect, O’Neill has a fair amount of upside and needs a lot of skill work, but it was good to see him impact the game in ways that go beyond scoring.
Daniel Robinson Daniel Robinson 6'2" | CG Waukesha South | 2023 State WI – 2023 – G – Wisconsin Playground Club
Robinson didn’t score a ton of points in Sunday’s quarterfinal win over the Wisconsin Crusaders, but PGC doesn’t win that game without him. The Waukesha South product was a junkyard dog and helped set a tone defensively. Robinson generated a ton of stops and made life extremely difficult on the opposition. He also hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 30 seconds left, answering a go-ahead shot from the Crusaders on the previous possession. Robinson was terrific down the stretch on both ends of the floor. When PGC needed a stop, Robinson was just not going to allow a bucket and really buckled up his chin strap through some long possessions.
Demerius Shakur Demerius Shakur 6'2" | CG Martin Luther | 2023 State WI – 2023 – PG – Wisconsin Playground Club
Shakur has come into this spring more offensive minded. The Martin Luther product has always been very unselfish, sometimes to a fault, but he’s starting to use his abilities to generate points. A guard with burst on the ball and long arms, Shakur can change speeds and get from zero to 100 in a flash. Shakur is surprisingly skilled and patient in traffic. He can stop his momentum and use footwork to create a shot, rather than just flying in out of control and hoping for a foul/acrobatic shot. His outside shot still needs some work, but Shakur was able to knock a few down over the weekend. As always, Shakur does a tremendous job of controlling tempo and running a team, somebody you want at the controls.
Alex Sherwood Alex Sherwood 6'4" | SF Xavier | 2023 State WI – 2023 – SF – Wisconsin Crusaders
Sherwood had 17 points in a quarterfinal loss to Wisconsin Playground Club. The 6-foot-6 wing looked really good shooting the basketball, able to create his own look off the dribble and knock down triples with a hand in his face. A multi-dimensional prospect, Sherwood can serve as an extra ball handler, score in the post, space the floor, and defend multiple positions. He made a number of impact defensive plays as well, challenging and blocking shots to take away what looked like easy buckets.