Prep Hoops Top 250: Team 4 Evaluations
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Tysen Devries IA #81 PG #22 HEIGHT 5'9" POS PG CLASS 2024 View Profile Tysen Devries Twitter State: Iowa School: Pella Christian Club: Iowa Blaze DeVries is small, but absolutely fearless. He’s listed at 5-8, but that doesn’t prevent him…
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Continue ReadingDeVries is small, but absolutely fearless. He’s listed at 5-8, but that doesn’t prevent him from relentlessly attacking the rim both in transition and in the halfcourt. He has become a really good finisher through contact with either hand and is able to contort his body to limit some of the contact. He’s a good ball-handler with excellent court vision who looks to get others involved. With PC graduating a ton of production, the Eagles will be DeVries’ team this season and he looks ready to take his game to another level and lead this group.
Highlights
Like DeVries, Michael is small, but he’s a shifty guard with a great first step that he uses to blow by defenders and get to the rim, where he showed that he can be a creative finisher with either hand. He showed a pure stroke when shooting off the catch as well as strong off-ball movement. He’s a smart player who racked up a lot of “hockey assists”, the pass that led to the assisting pass, putting his teammates in positions to succeed.
A 5-11 combo guard who showed that he can play both with and without the ball in his hands, Essing had a solid showing for a small school player going up against a lot of players from bigger schools. He really competed as a post defender while giving up 5-6 inches against his opponent, not giving up any ground and making sure that nothing came easy despite being significantly overmatched in size. He plays downhill on the offensive end, looking to attack, and he showed good court vision and passing skills.
Highlights
Curren showed throughout his junior year that he can fill it up from all three levels, averaging 13.6 points a game for the Cyclones, and that offensive firepower was on full display on Saturday. He’s a physical guard who can bully his way to the rim and finish through contact, but he also has a pretty stroke from the arc and the mid-range. He gets into his shot quickly off the dribble. Unlike many high schoolers, he seems just as comfortable going to his left and getting into his shot as he does going to his right.
Highlights
A 6-3 wing with some length, Cooper showed an innate ability to create his own shot, using a few hard dribbles to get to his mid-range jumper where he showed soft touch and great rotation. He’s a good athlete who can move his feet and contest shots.
Randall is a big-time shooter who moves really well without the ball in his hands and always has his feet squared and is balanced on the catch. He has a quick release with unlimited range, and he showed that his really strong shooting numbers as a junior were for real. He did a nice job attacking hard close outs by putting the ball on the floor and attacking the bucket, where he finished through contact. He looks like a reliable secondary ball-handler and playmaker, and a knockdown shooter off the dribble.
A 6-5 lefty with a strong frame, Jahuiainen was a new name for me but he had a solid showing on Saturday. He can step out and knock down shots with a smooth stroke and good form, and he also showed the ability to attack the rim and make plays for himself and others. He’ll provide some defensive versatility and rebounds on both ends of the floor.
Highlights
Phillips was assigned to Team 4 but spent the afternoon playing on another team. We will still post his evaluation here. A big, physical forward with nimble feet, Phillips became a favorite of mine during the summer playing with the Iowa Battlers and he continued that solid play on Saturday. He has really good footwork, hands, and touch around the bucket with either hand. He rebounds well on both ends of teh floor and is a good enough passer that the offense can flow through him.
Note: Zahj Collins Zahj Collins 6'5" | SF Roosevelt | 2024 State IA was also on Team 4, but was already written about in the First Team All-Expo article.