The Stage – Wisconsin Prospect Standouts
The Stage took place last weekend in Indianapolis, with a handful of talented Wisconsin prospects competing. These are seven of the top performers that I saw compete over the weekend! Jordan Malmlov Jordan Malmlov 6'0" | CG Prescott | 2023…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe Stage took place last weekend in Indianapolis, with a handful of talented Wisconsin prospects competing. These are seven of the top performers that I saw compete over the weekend!
Jordan Malmlov Jordan Malmlov 6'0" | CG Prescott | 2023 State WI (5’11 2023 G, Minnesota Select)- Running with Minnesota Select, the Prescott standout was arguably the top shooter I saw at the event. One game saw him drain 9 threes, and in another I witnessed him knock down 5 more. Lightning quick release combined with some shiftiness and an effective hesitation move made him difficult to stay in front of. Really liked how he could score the ball at the rim as well, and showcased some impressive passing vision off the drive. A bit undersized but uses his quickness to his advantage to pressure the ball and jump passing lanes to get out in transition.
Tim Franks Tim Franks 6'5" | SG Homestead | 2024 State WI (6’4 2024 SG, Chapman Academy)- Speaking of shooters, Tim was among the best in the state this past high school season. Last weekend however he really showed off his complete game. Tim is excellent at moving without the ball, and his cuts to the basket resulted in plenty of high percentage looks. The ball never sticks in his hands for too long, as he always knows when to shoot, when to swing it, or when he has the chance to create off the dribble. Tim is such an efficient player who you’ll rarely see make mistakes, and when you combine that with his positional size and skill level, he’s a prospect that a lot of schools will be watching moving forward.
Levi Birkholz Levi Birkholz 5'2" | SG Lakeside Luthersn | 2023 State #290 Nation WI (6’3 2023 G, Wisconsin Crusaders Premier)- You’ll rarely find a game where Levi isn’t producing at a high level. Against a talented Minnesota Fury squad he was a threat on both ends of the floor as usual. Offensively he’s so composed attacking the basket, and with his strength it’s tough for defenders to knock him off his path once he gets a slight edge on his way to the basket. Levi excelled at finishing through contact, and was knocking down a few jumpers as well to keep the defense honest. Defensively he has great hands to poke the ball free, and he also slid into position to take a hard charge in the paint on one occasion.
Quinn Burns Quinn Burns 5'9" | PG Westosha Central | 2024 State WI (5’10 2024 PG, World Hoops Elite )- Quinn brings a ton of toughness and confidence to the floor for World Hoops Elite . He’s not going to back down from anyone, and showed that he can score the ball at a high level in the first half against Chapman Academy. Burns was knocking down threes and showcasing a high level floater that he used to score over size. He handles the ball really well which allows him to create shots on his own, or draw in a help defender to help open up some shooters on the perimeter.
Bennett Fried Bennett Fried 6'6" | SF La Crosse Central | 2023 State WI (6’6 2023 SF, Coulee Country)- You don’t see many 6’6 players as skilled as Bennett is at this stage. He’s a really fluid ball handler who can create separation with ease off the dribble, and is a catch and shoot threat from beyond the arc. Bennett is also really smooth attacking the basket, and he does well utilizing his long frame to extend and finish at the rim. Defensively he’s a versatile player because he has some length to protect the rim, but he can also move his feet on the perimeter and contest/block jumpers. An underrated passer, Bennett was finding a lot of success with drive and kick passes, and even made a few nice passes out of the high post to find teammates cutting to the rim.
Will Starks Will Starks 6'4" | SF Kenosha Tremper | 2023 State WI (6’4 2023 SF, World Hoops Elite )- Will is one of the best rebounders you’ll find at 6’4. He’s just relentless on the glass and is going to outwork anyone around him to secure a loose ball. Will showed great timing to highpoint the ball for rebounds, and that also allowed him to pull in a few of his teammates’ misses and go right back up for two points. His high level of work ethic allows him to fight through contact and finish at a high level inside, and even if he misses, there’s a good chance he’s just going to get the rebound again. A player who just goes out and produces every game because of how hard he works.
Nolan Minessale Nolan Minessale 6'5" | SF Marquette | 2024 State WI (6’4 2024 SF, Chapman Academy)- Nolan possesses an intriguing blend of length and explosiveness. Against World Hoops Elite he showed off his bounce as an above the rim finisher in the open floor, and even had an impressive tip-in finish off of his teammate’s missed shot. Runs the floor really hard for transition opportunities, but also has the shooting touch to stretch the floor in the half-court. His athleticism plays in perfectly with a team that loves to full court press and excels at passing the ball ahead in transition.