NY2LA Swish N’ Dish: Phenom Sweeps EG10 on Opening Night
MEQUON — The 2018 annual NY2LA Sports Swish N’ Dish tipped off on Friday from Homestead High School. One of the premier spring events, day one featured some high level matchups. Making their AAU debut, Phenom University 16 and 15U both came out strong with victories over Indiana powerhouse EG10.
Alex Antetokounmpo – 2020 – F – Phenom University
Antetokounmpo had one of his better efforts on the travel circuit. Not known as a shooter, Antetokounmpo knocked down two triples, looking calm and relaxed from beyond the arc. The 6-foot-6 sophomore has a ton of upside. Like his older brothers, Antetokounmpo won’t be a finished product until well down the road. A lengthy, athletic forward, Antetokounmpo impacts the game in a lot of ways. He’s an aggressive offensive rebounder and transition presence. Antetokounmpo can dish the ball very well on the drive. He keeps his head up and understands how to draw defenders and kick to the open man. Antetokounmpo has a mixture of high major and mid-major schools keeping track going into the spring. If he keeps up this level of play, his options will grow during the spring evaluation period.
Eli Considine – 2019 – SF – Randolph Boys Club
Considine had a big impact across the board to lead Randolph Boys Club to an opening night win over Illinois Future. The 6-foot-4 junior was everywhere and did a little bit of everything, including a huge tip slam in transition. Considine is quicker and more athletic than he looks. On the perimeter, he can break people down with nice handles and either get to the rim or create for his teammates. Considine has some nice wiggle with the ball in his hands and created some easy paths to the bucket. When Considine isn’t on the ball, he’s still working. Cousidine hits the offensive and defensive glass, shuts down his man, and runs the floor in transition.
Jalen Johnson – 2020 – G/F – Phenom University
The top ranked player in the state of Wisconsin left no doubt who the alpha dog was in a high level matchup with EG10. Johnson scored 15 of his game-high 17 points in the first half as Phenom University ran away with a 71-42 victory. Johnson mixed it up offensively, knocking down jumpers and putting home some highlight plays at the rim. At 6-foot-7, the positionless, five-star talent just makes the game look so easy at times.
Cameron Palesse – 2021 – W/G – Phenom University
Like the offensive package and what Palesse brings to the table. Already 6-foot-4, Palesse is a good-looking slashing wing with some
creativity in traffic. The Waukesha West standout had 15 points in a low scoring affair versus EG10. When he saw an opening, Palesse was aggressive and hit the gaps hard before the defense could react. If given space, he can knock down shots consistently. Palesse has a soft touch on his jumper. Palesse has good length and quickness defensively as well and should be a standout on that end of the floor. It’s early, but it feels like Palesse is a Division 1 talent that’s going to get better in a hurry over the next year or two.
Malcolm Reed – 2019 – W/G – Wisconsin Swing
This should be a valuable pickup at the Division 3 level. Reed has very good size at 6-foot-5 and is a solid all-around prospect. He can play three positions on the perimeter, but might be best suited for point guard. Reed makes sound decisions with the basketball and can create for others offensively. He’s probably too passive to a fault and should look to shoot more. In transition, Reed has an excellent feel. His passes are crisp, on time, and on target. A prospect that has value across the board, Reed has a chance to be a nice steal at the small school level.
Tanner Resch – 2021 – PG – Phenom University
Resch has some ridiculous range for his age. A sharpshooting floor general, Resch is comfortable from well beyond the arc and showed some stones by knocking down a few deep triples early in possessions. It’s tough to say what Resch is just yet. The 5-foot-10 freshman does a lot of things well. He can orchestrate the offense, get into high percentage areas and kick to open teammates for open 3’s, but he’s also a weapon off the ball as a shooter. Phenom University has a couple of point guards on their roster and Resch showed the ability to be a primary scorer at times even though his size and build suggests he’s more of a point guard.
Craig Steele – 2018 – W/G – Randolph Boys Club
Steele shot the ball well from beyond the arc in a win over Illinois Future. Although Randolph Boys Club squandered a late lead and found themselves in a contested battle, it was Steele who put the team on his back with three consecutive late buckets to seal the deal. The UW-La Crosse commit finished with 24 points, including 18 in the second half alone. Steele has a good looking jumper from beyond the arc. He’s comfortable catching and shooting the ball with defenders in the area. Steele is also a player that can invert himself in the offense. He’s got a strong back-to-the-basket game and will make other guards uncomfortable down low.