Midwest Showdown: Max’s Day Two Standouts
Seven of the top performers that I saw on day two of the Midwest Showdown in Appleton! Jaquan Johnson Jaquan Johnson 5'10" | PG Pius XI | 2024 State WI (5’10 2024 PG, Wisconsin PGC)- Don’t let his size fool you,…
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Continue ReadingSeven of the top performers that I saw on day two of the Midwest Showdown in Appleton!
Jaquan Johnson Jaquan Johnson 5'10" | PG Pius XI | 2024 State WI (5’10 2024 PG, Wisconsin PGC)- Don’t let his size fool you, Jaquan can get to the rim just about any time he wants to, and he doesn’t care who’s trying to stop him. He changes directions so quickly and does a great job of reading his defender to decide whether to attack left or right. With his strong frame he’s able to take some bumps and still stay on course to get to the basket. Once at the rim he excels at getting guys into the air with a quick head-fake, and then going up to draw fouls while still finishing at a high rate. Did the majority of his scoring at the rim but also showed he can create separation on the perimeter with ease and knock down jumpers when needed.
Joshua Ofori Joshua Ofori 6'7" | PF Prior Lake | 2023 State MN (6’7 2023 SF, Minnesota Heat MacDonald)- Joe Ofori was one of the hardest working players I saw yesterday. He just never takes a play off and was relentless on the glass on both ends of the floor. Has good mobility at his size which allows him to defend a variety of spots. On the offensive end he can get into the lane and score over the top of his man with a soft floater, but he also impressed with a turnaround jumper from the baseline. It seems like every few months he adds something new to his game to make him even more intriguing as a prospect.
Cody Schmitz Cody Schmitz 6'4" | SG Gale Ettrick-Trempeleau | 2024 State WI (6’5 2024 SG, Playmakers UA Rise)- Cody continues to establish himself as one of the best pure scorers in Wisconsin’s 2024 class. He has good positional size, a smooth handle to shake off his defender, the toughness to finish through contact, and a nice looking shot from deep. Against a tough Playground squad, Cody was keeping his team in it until the very end with a 25 point performance. It included some drives to the basket, isolation jumpers, and even some tough post moves against bigger defenders. Put up big scoring numbers during the winter, and is now proving himself against some of the top competition the state has to offer.
Asher Zubich Asher Zubich 6'1" | PG Mountain Iron-Buhl | 2023 State MN (6’1 2023 G, Starks Elite )- The Northern Minnesota guard was absolutely on fire yesterday in a win over Illinois TWolves. He caught the opposing defense off guard early with his ability to pull up and shoot from well beyond the arc, and it seemed like every time he got a few inches of space he was making the defense pay with a quick three points. Asher has a quick release on his shot which means he doesn’t need a whole lot of separation in order to get off a clean look. Was also impressed with his quick first step to blow by a bad closeout and get into the lane to make plays for his teammates. Playing alongside a pair of 6’9 bigs, Asher does a great job of relocating into space when the defense collapses on them inside.
Matthew Merlo (6’5 2023 F, Chapman-North)- I’ve watched Matt play before and he’s proven to be a threat scoring the ball in a variety of ways, but yesterday he impressed me as a passer. From the block, high post, or even the top of the key, Merlo has excellent vision with the ability to find his teammates through the tightest of windows. He does a great job of looking the defense off before firing crisp passes to teammates slashing to the bucket for high percentage opportunities. Merlo has a strong frame and some solid athleticism to work with to score for himself around the basket as well. Starting to emerge as a player to know out of Random Lake.
Kaden Braxton Kaden Braxton 6'2" | CG Shakopee | 2024 State MN (6′ 2024 G, MN Crossfire)- The Shakopee guard had a well rounded performance to help lead his team to a win over Minnesota Chill on Saturday morning. He has a strong frame and plays with poise which allows him to handle the ball comfortably under pressure. No matter what the defense threw at him he remained calm and was making smart reads with the ball to set his teammates up with good looks. When looking to score for himself he does a nice job of getting his man on his hip to attack the basket, and utilizes his strength to play through contact around the rim.
Cole Hansen Cole Hansen 6'4" | SG Legacy Early College | 2024 State SC (6’4 2024 SG, Wisconsin PGC)- Not only one of the best shooters in Wisconsin’s 2024 class, Cole is also establishing himself as a hard nosed on ball defender. Last night in a comeback win over Playmakers, Cole was hitting clutch shot after clutch shot to rally his team and eventually take the lead. He has so much confidence and wasn’t fazed taking and making shots in crunch time. Hansen brings a ton of energy to the floor defensively as well, and isn’t afraid to get right up under his man and disrupt the opposing offense. Ended the game with an impressive 27 points.