Impressions

This is in no way a cumulative list of college-bound hoopsters in the area, but merely observations from what I've seen in a couple games so far.

JORDAN SMITH, ORONO, So., 6-2 point guard. Uncomitted

After watching this guy against Mound Westonka on Jan. 27, it's clear he has a long way to go in his development. He certainly doesn't shy away from shooting, as he possesses an very quick trigger. In this particular game though, he finished with just two assists and four turnovers -- not good. It's always tough to judge such a young talent but I must say, he certainly appears to have the tools to become a game-changing guard some day. But at this point, he remains a raw. He scored well into double-figures against Mound, but it was in many ways, it was "empty" production, especially since Orono lost in a close game. Unless something drastic happens over the next two years -- which it could -- I don't see him becoming a high-level college talent, but should be able to compete at the Division I level. Right now, he has drawn preliminary interest from Iowa, Minnesota, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Notre Dame and Pepperdine just to name a few. This list should be narrowed considerably after coaches and scouts get a better look at him during AAU ball over the summer.

DAMARIUS CRUZ, Armstrong, Sr., 6-2 guard. Signed with UM-Crookston

After reading about him for three months, I finally got the chance to watch Cruz against Stillwater on Jan. 20. I must say, this was one of the rare instances where the product on the floor lived up to the hype. In the game, he scored 26 points, grabbed 8 rebounds and dished out 5 assists, not to mention his two free throws with 5.9 seconds on the clock turned out to be the difference in a 62-60 victory. The first thing I noticed about this kid was just how high he elevates for his jump shot. This, along with a quick release, made him impossible to stop in transition. He is pretty well built, but its obvious he will put on 10-15 pounds in college judging by his wiry frame. He rebounds at a high level for a guard. After talking to his coach Greg Miller after the game, I discovered he also had the game-winning shot in overtime against Woodbury earlier in the year. This guy is a winner, and judging by the 5-minute conversation I had with him, appears to have his head on straight. Cruz was told by his future college coaches at Crookston that he will become the centerpiece of the program as soon as he steps on campus. He should make an immediate impact at the next level and possibly blossom into a all-conference-caliber player by his junior/senior season.

OLLIE WHITE, Mound Westonka, Sr. 6-foot-5.5 forward. Undecided on college

He pretty much does it all for Mound Westonka. Against Blake on Jan. 6, he did just that, scoring 31 points, grabbing 14 rebounds and swatting a staggering 15 shots...not bad. After the game I asked him what his college plans were and he said he wasn't exactly sure, but said he's looking into several of the local Division III schools as an option. At 6-6, he's got some decent height, but as he'll admit, doesn't have the greatest strength in the world. With that said, he's too skinny, but will need to put on some weight if he plans on playing in college, even at the D-III level.
White has the ability to shoot from long range and take the ball to the hoop. But, the part of him game that impresses me the most is his hustle. This kid goes 100-percent all the time. He also loves to watch basketball in his free time, which is always a good thing.

Click HERE for an article profiling White from the Lakeshore Weekly News

COLE STEFAN, Minnetonka, Jr. 6-foot-3 guard. Interest from a number of Division I programs including Gonzaga, Drake, Northern Iowa, Tulsa, Penn State and Washing State...just to name a few

Even in its lop-sided loss on Jan. 8, I noticed a few things about Stefan
At 6-3, this kid has the perfect height for his position at shooting guard, and believe me, he isn't afraid to chuck it up. He has a quick release and a smooth stroke. Now I understand what everyone was talking about when they said this kid was one of the top junior guards in the state.
What surprised me about him was his athletic ability. This kid can jump out of the gym. In the first half, Stefan found himself all alone on a fast break. Expecting him to just lay the ball off the backboard for an easy bucket, Stefan surprised me by springing off the ground and slamming the ball home with one hand. Very impressive.

Click HERE for Hopkins-Minnetonka game story from the Lakeshore Weekly News

ROYCE WHITE, Hopkins, Sr. 6-foot-7 forward. Signed with Minnesota

After watching him in person for the first time against Benilde-St. Margaret's on Dec. 20, let me tell you, the hype over this kid is real.
It didn't take long to find out why, either.
In the first five minutes of the game, White already had three dunks -- including a crowd-pleasing reverse slam -- one block, one steal and two rebounds. He simply played at a different level than anyone else on the floor, and that includes the three other Division I signees on his own team!
After scoring 9 of Hopkins' first 13 points, White blended in with the rest of his teammates, displaying excellent court vision and overall savvy.
The most memorable of his four assists came early in the second half when he flicked a perfect behind-the-back pass to Marvin Singleton on a fast break. Moments before, he set up a two-handed slam by Mike Broghammer with a sweet feed from the wing.
In the end, he tallied 13 points, even after sitting out the final 12-plus minutes of the second half in the blowout.
Needless to say, I was impressed with his well-rounded skill-set. He was very comfortable running the floor, playing defense on the perimeter and posting up in the halfcourt. He also did a decent job handling the rock for a kid his size. Tubby's going to be very pleased next year when Mr. White hits campus.

Click HERE to read game story vs Benilde

KELLEN TAYLOR, Wayzata, Sr. 6-7/6-8 forward. Signed with Winona State

His offensive game is pretty unrefined, but I can see this guy doing very well at the Division II level. I think it was an excellent decision to sign with Winona State instead of with one of the few D-I programs that showed interest (Air Force, UC-Riverside, North Dakota and Ivy League). Heck, WSU would probably beat half the D-I schools that looked at him anyways. With the Warriors in a re-vamped conference, Taylor will have plenty of chances to play against some of the best former prep players in the Upper Midwest at the next level.
With that said, it looks like Taylor might want to exercise his red-shirt next season at WSU to work on his offensive game. It's not that he is inept, because he's certainly not. I'm just not sure he's figured out what position he wants to play though. He could face up and be a small forward, or post up and become more of a power forward/center. However, it's likely he won't be playing the 5-spot in college.
From what I saw in his game against Maple Grove, it looks like he wants to shoot from the outside, somewhere in the 14-17-foot range. This is fine, now it's time to commit to it and spend those extra hours in the gym working on his jumper, if he hasn't already.
His defense looked good. In fact, last year as a junior, he led Wayzata in steals per game at 3 per night. He's a solid shot-blocker and can rebound.
Another thing that's got going for him in pedigree. His dad played for the Gophers in the early 70s and his brother currently plays in the Ivy League at Brown.
If he continuously blossoms during his senior season, I could see him making a serious impact in college. Winona is a top-notch program with a coach who knows how to utilize the unique skills of his players.
Excellent choice Kellen.

MIKE BROGHAMMER, Hopkins, Sr. 6-8 forward. Signed with Notre Dame

Mike would be the main man on just about any other team in the state. I wasn't sure what to expect from him, but what I saw on Dec. 20 against Benilde was pretty impressive.
He did a nice job of running the floor and finishing strong on the blocks. I was a little unsure of his athletic ability until he elevated and flushed home a two-fisted dunk in transition early in the second half.
Like the rest of the starters, he sat out much of the game -- including the final 12-plus minutes -- because it was a blowout, so I didn't see too much in halfcourt sets. I did, however, watch him seal his defender on one occasion, which created a nice passing lane from the perimeter for Royce White to set him up.
His mid-range jumper is a mystery to me right now, he may or may not have one.
His defense was strong, to very strong. I am guessing he grabbed about seven to eight boards and blocked at leaste three shots. No Benilde player gave him any trouble on the blocks. He finished with 12 points.

Click HERE to read game story vs Benilde

MARVIN SINGLETON, Hopkins, So. 6-4 swingman. Uncommitted.

Coming off the bench, this youngster showed some great offensive skills, especially on the break. Again, he would likely start on well over half the teams in Class 4A.
As a versatile swingman, Singleton showed he could score from every angle, and in a variety of ways. Aside from Marcus Williams -- Hopkins' hyper-quick starting PG -- he's the fastest guy on the team.
He finished with a team-high 18 points. This included one 3-point field goal, an alley-oop on an inbounds-play, a nifty coast-to-coast lay-up and a crafty move on the right block in the halfcourt. He's quick, has range and possesses solid footwork on defense.
His body is beyond his years too. It looks likes he's already gotten into the weight room, which will only make him more marketable when colleges inevitably come calling. He's a great prospect, probably at the Division I level if he can develop his outside game. Certainly, he's got the stuff to play at the D-II level.

Click HERE to read game story vs Benilde

RAYMOND COWELS, Hopkins Sr. 6-3 shooting guard. Signed with Santa Clara

Flat out, this kid can shoot. When I saw him against Benilde on Dec. 20, he nailed three, 3-pointers and finished with 13 points. He displayed and ability to pull up in transition and also find room in the halfcourt.
Nothing stood out on the defensive end.

Click HERE to read game story vs Benilde

Check out all the above players and more in the "Players Rankings/Grades" section.