Hard Work Region Finals: Max’s Day 1 Standouts
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The Hard Work Region Finals kicked off last night and I was at Wayzata to catch some of the opening round action. These are seven of the prospects who stood out in those games! Emmett Lawton Emmett Lawton 6'2" |…
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Continue ReadingThe Hard Work Region Finals kicked off last night and I was at Wayzata to catch some of the opening round action. These are seven of the prospects who stood out in those games!
Emmett Lawton Emmett Lawton 6'2" | SG Notre Dame Academy | 2023 State WI (6’2 2023 G, Team 1848)- The opposing defense just didn’t have an answer for Emmett on Friday night. The 2023 sharpshooter was in a zone and any time he got some space on the perimeter he was likely putting up more 3 points on the scoreboard. That sharpshooting led to him finishing with an impressive 28 points in a big win for his team. You never see Emmett get rattled on the ball as he handles it so well under pressure and makes smart decisions at all times. So good at relocating after he dishes it off which is one of the big reasons he was able to get so many clean looks from deep.
Khalif Bettis Khalif Bettis 6'6" | SF Burnsville | 2023 State MN (6’5 2023 W, Minnesota Chill)- Khalif was just in a zone during the first half last night. The opposing defense didn’t have an answer for his skilled scoring arsenal at 6’5. He’s improved off the drive over the past couple of months and is now embracing contact as he knows he has the size to power through smaller wings and either finish at the rim or draw enough contact to get to the foul line. Khalif began to extend the range throughout the half knocking down some mid-range and three point shots putting up impressive scoring numbers on the half. Really good at getting his feet/body squared up off the catch, and also elevates well on his pull-up jumper allowing him to get shots off over length.
Aidan Chislom Aidan Chislom 6'5" | SF McFarland | 2023 State WI (6’5 2023 SF, Wisconsin Academy)- After coming off the bench in the first half, Aidan was dominant in the second for Wisconsin Academy. Any time a shot came off the rim, Aidan was likely the one attacking it out of the air and pulling it in with two hands. He had no problem securing rebounds in traffic and did a good job of securing possession with hands reaching in from all around him. He was often the biggest player on the court but still had no problem moving his feet to defend smaller wings and shut them down. Offensively he played some point forward at times, got to the rim and just powered his way up to finish, but also showed a smooth stroke from beyond the arc. Really like his ability at 6’5 to create off the dribble for himself and teammates.
Elias Batala Elias Batala 6'1" | PG Eastview | 2023 State MN (6’ 2023 G, Minnesota Chill)- Elias was a spark for Chill Elite last night in what was a very close game. He just brings so much energy to the floor off the bench, and that energy had him on the court during crunch time as he continued to make plays for his team. At 6’ he’s a really good rebounder as a guard as he has an explosive ability that not many guys have. Able to elevate off the floor and secure missed shots with two hands before pushing the ball ahead the other way. Offensively he was moving well off the ball and always knows where to be when one of his teammates drives, allowing him to get corner threes off of kickout passes. Put the game out of reach late with a powerful two handed dunk in transition.
Kairee Gadson Kairee Gadson 6'2" | PG Rochester Mayo | 2023 MN (6’2 2023 W, Minnesota Lightning-Dunham)- Not many players have the level of body control that Kairee does around the basket. He’s so explosive and just seems to hang in the air when he gets into the lane. Once to the basket he can contort his body in midair to go around defenders and finish with touch around the basket. Defenders started to realize that Kairee loves to put the ball on the floor and attack the basket, and once they sagged off he made them pay by knocking down a mid-range jumper with confidence. Defensively he often guards players taller than him due to his teams lack of size, and is able to make up for height with grit and a high defensive work rate. Really good rebounder as well due to his quick bounce off the floor.
Zach Close Zach Close 6'7" | PF Orono | 2023 State MN (6’7 2023 F, Minnesota Fury-Hayes)- The 6’7 forward out of Orono had some impressive flashes on Friday night. Has the skill to play on the perimeter and on multiple occasions he was able to take his man off the dribble and get to the rack to finish. Has the type of handle and mobility that you don’t often see out of someone 6’7. Later on in the game he flashed a natural shooting stroke from three as he knocked down an outside shot and followed that up with an and-one finish to draw his team within a score of Minnesota Chill.
Mikail Harmison Mikail Harmison 6'0" | SF Appleton West | 2023 State WI (6’3 2023 W, Team 1848)- Mikail is a big and physical wing for Team 1848, and he put that strength to use in the first half against Minnesota Hoopers. Was just outworking his man to establish good position on the block and overpowered him to finish at the rim. That power-style of play led to four finishes in the first half as the opposing team just didn’t have a player with the size to slow him down in the paint. From past viewings I know that Mikail has a solid perimeter skillset and jumper as well, but he’s so tough to stop when he goes to the block as not many high school wings have the physicality to slow him down.