There was a MN HS Basketball Tournament set up event yesterday at Hopkins HS called the Breakdown event. What it entails is a preview of the best teams in each classification (MN goes Class A-AAAA) and they play 3/4 games. Players at the event were Matthew Hurt, Dain Dainja, Zeke Nnaji, Blaise Beauchamp, Tre Hollomon, Ben Carlson, Kendall and Courtney Brown, Dawson Garcia all of whom are D1 prospects with Hurt, Dainja, Nnaji, Carlson, Kendall Brown, Garcia, and Hollomon High Major/Elite prospects. Recap for day:
Hurt-- Deserves credit for staying with his HS team and not transferring as they are very limited around him. He's all they have but man he's skilled. He's played a lot of basketball recently and looked worn down a bit (his team had Minnesota Gopher Team Camp the day before too where they played 4/5 games as well) but he accounted well offensively. Defensively he's not Kyle Wiltjer bad, but he's not good, doesn't rebound well for his size either. Offensively his skill set as a stretch 4 is perfect. Excellent shooting form but very good off the bounce and finishes with each hand. In this setting it's tougher for him as he's all his team has, but he showcased his all around skill set and keeps them in games. Didn't show fight for position rebound or go out of his area well at all. Doesn't challenge any shots either and team got hammered all day by more talented teams. Again, seen him a lot so this weaknesses aren't attributed to being tired, but he's one hell of an offensive player.
Daina--I'll be surprised if UK doesn't get involved at some point. He's only going to be a Sophomore and was the most talented player in the building. He's 6'9, 250 and needs to tighten up his body as he's got too much baby fat, but easily was the most talented prospect in attendance. Handles the ball better then most of the guards, can drive and finish with either hand, posts, has excellent jumper, rebounds well and goes out of area for boards, challenges shots--although not a great shot blocker, and has advanced offensive skills--spin moves, counters, step back, cross overs. Takes big men out and drives or gets space to shoot and when they put small on him-took them inside and posted up. Excellent passer out of double teams as well. Good student too. Attends Park Center HS which is a Suburb of Minneapolis and plays with Jalen Suggs on UA Circuit with Team Sizzle.
East Ridge HS posts 2 of the best players in the State in JR Ben Carlson, a 6'8 Forward and 6'7 Soph Kendall Brown who has grown 4 inches in last 3 months and recently was ranked as a top 25 prospect in class of '21 by ESPN. Courtney Brown is a D1 prospect but more Mid Major and older brother of Kendall and they are on team that is going to be ranked #1 in the State for large schools. Won the championship and went undefeated. Kendall brings the ball up and was the starting PG last year at 6'3 but noticed his handles are a little loose and seems to be growing into his body and adjusting to extra height. He's very quick and very good finisher with both hands. Brown is a guy I'd keep on radar but need to see a better jumper and not sure how much he wants to be great. Gives off vibe he likes basketball but not sure he loves it. The best player on the team is Carlson who is getting offered by Stanford, Wisconsin, Most of Big 10 and looks from Big XII/ACC schools too. Carlson is type you see at Wisconsin--and has an edge to him. Mobile and handles the ball well. Doesn't finish around rim as well as you'd like to see, but he's relentless. If the team plays through them, they dominate opponents. Won championship by 30+ pts yesterday.
Garcia is a talented kid who is 6'9 and plays at Prior Lake HS and is teammates with Carlson on Adidas Circuit D1-MN 16U team. Garcia is a good 3pt shooter as is Carlson and has been offered by Texas and several other top programs with bluebloods keeping tabs on him. Inside out, finishes well and plays with a mean streak. Type of player who can have 28 pts and you don't notice because he's efficient. Saw a sequence where he hit two 3pt shots in a row, then drove and no looked an assist to 6'11 teammate Robert Jones (offered by Penn State recently) and then drove baseline and crammed on 2 guys. Moves like a guard and wiry frame but tough kid. Rebounds out of area but can fall asleep a bit on boards--where Jones is relied to be primary rebounder.
Nnjai and Beauchamp both attend Hopkins HS but sat out the event yesterday but were on bench. Nnaji has seen stock soar this Spring and moved into top 50 prospect nationally and offered by UCLA, Georgetown and several others. Zeke is skilled and mobile face up man but is an excellent rebounder and bouncy player. He plays with Hurt and Robert Jones on D-1 MN Adidas 17U team. Beauchamp is an excellent shooter that played with Howard Pulley's EYBL 17U team and is class of '20. Accounted well on the circuit and not sure of recruitment as he's not the most athletic guy, but can shoot the ball.
Tre Hollomon is kid I've spoken about before on this site. He's going to be a Fr next year and started as an 8th grader on Minneapolis North's team. North has produced Khalid El Amin and Wisconsin's Kameron Taylor in the past and Hollomon led North to a win over Jalen Suggs team in the regular season last year. Suggs just turned 17 going into JR year of HS where Hollomon just turned 14. He sat out with minor injury and has recently transferred to Cretin Derham Hall the defending 4A State Champs in part because his mother was hired as their new Girls Basketball Coach. Hollomon will be next elite guard recruit in MN and should've been called up with Kendall Brown on their 17U EYBL team but was held back and may get called up for July session. He's type who will be recruited by everyone and is hearing from almost everyone already.
Just thought I'd pass it on since Hurt is being recruited by UK and expect at least 2 of the guys I described to be (Dainja and Hollomon would be guys I'd guess, but I could see Garcia blowing up if he keeps developing and performing as he showed yesterday and Kendall Brown decides he wants to be a great player instead of a great prospect).
Hurt-- Deserves credit for staying with his HS team and not transferring as they are very limited around him. He's all they have but man he's skilled. He's played a lot of basketball recently and looked worn down a bit (his team had Minnesota Gopher Team Camp the day before too where they played 4/5 games as well) but he accounted well offensively. Defensively he's not Kyle Wiltjer bad, but he's not good, doesn't rebound well for his size either. Offensively his skill set as a stretch 4 is perfect. Excellent shooting form but very good off the bounce and finishes with each hand. In this setting it's tougher for him as he's all his team has, but he showcased his all around skill set and keeps them in games. Didn't show fight for position rebound or go out of his area well at all. Doesn't challenge any shots either and team got hammered all day by more talented teams. Again, seen him a lot so this weaknesses aren't attributed to being tired, but he's one hell of an offensive player.
Daina--I'll be surprised if UK doesn't get involved at some point. He's only going to be a Sophomore and was the most talented player in the building. He's 6'9, 250 and needs to tighten up his body as he's got too much baby fat, but easily was the most talented prospect in attendance. Handles the ball better then most of the guards, can drive and finish with either hand, posts, has excellent jumper, rebounds well and goes out of area for boards, challenges shots--although not a great shot blocker, and has advanced offensive skills--spin moves, counters, step back, cross overs. Takes big men out and drives or gets space to shoot and when they put small on him-took them inside and posted up. Excellent passer out of double teams as well. Good student too. Attends Park Center HS which is a Suburb of Minneapolis and plays with Jalen Suggs on UA Circuit with Team Sizzle.
East Ridge HS posts 2 of the best players in the State in JR Ben Carlson, a 6'8 Forward and 6'7 Soph Kendall Brown who has grown 4 inches in last 3 months and recently was ranked as a top 25 prospect in class of '21 by ESPN. Courtney Brown is a D1 prospect but more Mid Major and older brother of Kendall and they are on team that is going to be ranked #1 in the State for large schools. Won the championship and went undefeated. Kendall brings the ball up and was the starting PG last year at 6'3 but noticed his handles are a little loose and seems to be growing into his body and adjusting to extra height. He's very quick and very good finisher with both hands. Brown is a guy I'd keep on radar but need to see a better jumper and not sure how much he wants to be great. Gives off vibe he likes basketball but not sure he loves it. The best player on the team is Carlson who is getting offered by Stanford, Wisconsin, Most of Big 10 and looks from Big XII/ACC schools too. Carlson is type you see at Wisconsin--and has an edge to him. Mobile and handles the ball well. Doesn't finish around rim as well as you'd like to see, but he's relentless. If the team plays through them, they dominate opponents. Won championship by 30+ pts yesterday.
Garcia is a talented kid who is 6'9 and plays at Prior Lake HS and is teammates with Carlson on Adidas Circuit D1-MN 16U team. Garcia is a good 3pt shooter as is Carlson and has been offered by Texas and several other top programs with bluebloods keeping tabs on him. Inside out, finishes well and plays with a mean streak. Type of player who can have 28 pts and you don't notice because he's efficient. Saw a sequence where he hit two 3pt shots in a row, then drove and no looked an assist to 6'11 teammate Robert Jones (offered by Penn State recently) and then drove baseline and crammed on 2 guys. Moves like a guard and wiry frame but tough kid. Rebounds out of area but can fall asleep a bit on boards--where Jones is relied to be primary rebounder.
Nnjai and Beauchamp both attend Hopkins HS but sat out the event yesterday but were on bench. Nnaji has seen stock soar this Spring and moved into top 50 prospect nationally and offered by UCLA, Georgetown and several others. Zeke is skilled and mobile face up man but is an excellent rebounder and bouncy player. He plays with Hurt and Robert Jones on D-1 MN Adidas 17U team. Beauchamp is an excellent shooter that played with Howard Pulley's EYBL 17U team and is class of '20. Accounted well on the circuit and not sure of recruitment as he's not the most athletic guy, but can shoot the ball.
Tre Hollomon is kid I've spoken about before on this site. He's going to be a Fr next year and started as an 8th grader on Minneapolis North's team. North has produced Khalid El Amin and Wisconsin's Kameron Taylor in the past and Hollomon led North to a win over Jalen Suggs team in the regular season last year. Suggs just turned 17 going into JR year of HS where Hollomon just turned 14. He sat out with minor injury and has recently transferred to Cretin Derham Hall the defending 4A State Champs in part because his mother was hired as their new Girls Basketball Coach. Hollomon will be next elite guard recruit in MN and should've been called up with Kendall Brown on their 17U EYBL team but was held back and may get called up for July session. He's type who will be recruited by everyone and is hearing from almost everyone already.
Just thought I'd pass it on since Hurt is being recruited by UK and expect at least 2 of the guys I described to be (Dainja and Hollomon would be guys I'd guess, but I could see Garcia blowing up if he keeps developing and performing as he showed yesterday and Kendall Brown decides he wants to be a great player instead of a great prospect).
