EDEN PRAIRIE, MN– After a weekend full of basketball watching over 40+ teams from 12U thru 14U we are ready to unleash our All-Tournament Teams!
We start with the youngsters in the Class of 2027. This class brought their A-game in the many games I watched this weekend. One thing I really looked for in this group was not necessarily how many points they scored in every game, but their physicality and confidence level. Did they grab a tough rebound? Did they use all the power in their body to get that and-one? Did they make their teammates better and score high in our team points rating? All of those factors and more are the reasons these 12 young men made our Class of 2027 All-Tournament Team from Prep Hoops Next’s Northstar Hoops Report State Tournament.
One last thing I wanted to note about this list, these players listed are on an “as seen” basis or were nominated by their head coach. The evaluations you see below are mostly on an as seen basis or with notes passed along by the head coach and are in no particular order. I hope you enjoy our #NEXTNHRSTATE 2027 All-Tournament Team!
FIRST TEAM
Zay Ivey | Minneapolis, MN | PJ Hoops 2027
Zay Ivey was quite probably my favorite guard I watched from the Class of 2027 this weekend. He was very multi-dimension in both games I watched him doing everything from scoring on multiple levels but what stuck out most was his defense. Zay played super aggressive “in your face” defense and in both games caused the defense to cough up multiple steals due to his fearless defensive play. He showed off great vision on where the basketball was going defensively and was one of the big keys to getting PJ Hoops a victory in the 12U D1 Division. Look forward to watching this young man blossom into an even more solid guard in the coming years.
AJ Taban | Minneapolis, MN | PJ Hoops 2027
Taban was a man amongst boys in the paint all weekend for PJ Hoops. What made AJ a first-teamer was not just his size, it’s how well he positioned himself on the low block. Every time he scored a bucket you could just tell that he had a great feel for the paint and was not one that was just dominating in the paint with his height alone which was significantly bigger than most of the bigs he went up against. Taban’s frame is something I have not seen yet in the Midwest region yet from a 12-year-old and the football scout in me thinks he could be a solid offensive line on the gridiron as well. If he can develop better stamina down low, I feel he will be fun to watch at the high school level. I am excited to see how AJ develops over the next several years.
Kobby Sam-Brew | Minneapolis, MN | PJ Hoops 2027
Kobby had less of a frame than Taban but showed to have the most mobility down low throughout the weekend for PJ Hoops. He looked to have some of the best posture amongst bigs I watched on the low block all weekend from the Class of 2027. Not only can this young fella score, but he also showed what a tremendous rebounder he was. Anytime a big at his age can fill up both categories, it’s always a great sign for their basketball future. Also, anytime I nearly run out of paper on my notepad that too is a sign you’re doing something right!
Jaedin Williams | Apple Valley, MN | D1 Minnesota Strickland 2027
SECOND TEAM
Liam Paulson | Ramsey, MN | Minnesota Suns 2027
When I watched Liam on Saturday night in Eden Prairie, I saw a kid with a lot of potential that plays the game in the best way. Even when he missed his shots, Liam was a player that always followed his shot no matter what. What impressed me most was his effort on the court as you could easily tell he was a player that was doing everything he could to make his Minnesota Suns team better. He showed a good scoring mix from driving to the bucket to showing off a mid-range game. He plays the game with great enthusiasm and heart and that is why I saw him on our second team for All-Tournament Team.
Maddox Mulder | Eden Prairie, MN | Minnesota Suns 2027
Maddox had the physicality level I look for when I am watching basketball players. Whether it was on offense or defense, he played hard-nosed basketball. When he went to the basket he put his strength to the test and for those watching, it may have looked like he was too aggressive but I saw it as the complete opposite as a basketball scout. When Maddox would go for a steal, he had a great poke at the basketball each time he had an opportunity.
Arcenigor Gordeev | Eden Prairie, MN | Minnesota Suns 2027
Arcenigor was the most versatile player I got to watch on this Minnesota Suns roster and it wasn’t just all scoring either. He showed a solid amount of skill and was probably the most effective team-first player I watched this weekend in 12U. He showed the size to gobble up rebounds, he showed a crisp passing ability and created his fair share of turnovers with his hands in the passing lanes. He logged one of the highest totals in our team points category all-day Saturday. Although the Suns did not have the greatest weekend as a team in 12U, this kid showed an excellent skill set that I hope to see get even better in the coming years on the Prep Hoops Next Circuit.
Braydon Lowrance-Eischen | Port Washington, WI | Chapman Basketball Academy North 2027
These young athletes are going CRAZY! Big time buckets.#NEXTNHRState 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/ygp9HZYBHg
— Prep Hoops Next (@PrepHoopsNext) June 6, 2021
Grant King | Caledonia, MN | Minnesota Lightning King 2027
THIRD TEAM
Maddox Mulder | Eden Prairie, MN | Minnesota Suns 2027
Maddox had the physicality level I look for when I am watching basketball players. Whether it was on offense or defense, he played hard-nosed basketball. When he went to the basket he put his strength to the test and for those watching, it may have looked like he was too aggressive but I saw it as the complete opposite as a basketball scout. When Maddox would go for a steal, he had a great poke at the basketball each time he had an opportunity.
Harry Schroeder | Howards Grove, WI | Chapman Basketball Academy North 2027
These young athletes are going CRAZY! Big time buckets.#NEXTNHRState 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/ygp9HZYBHg
— Prep Hoops Next (@PrepHoopsNext) June 6, 2021
Carson Harstad | Chatfield, MN | Minnesota Lightning King 2027
Stay tuned for more from #NEXTNHRSTATE only on PrepHoopsNext.com!
