D1 Summer Classic: D1 Minnesota 16u team has plenty of talent
While the D1 Minnesota 16u team fell in the 17u tournament quarterfinals, just a few games short of a faceoff with the programs highest level team for the championship, they showed talent on a roster full of some of the state's top 2022 talent.
The roster includes Gopher offered big men Joe Hurlburt (North Dakota), and Elvis Nnaji as well as newly minted Rivals four-star Kendall Blue, springy Osseo wing Josh Ola-Joseph, and high-motor Prior Lake big man Malcolm Jones. The team is coached by former Gopher center Jonathan Williams (04-09).
North Dakota big man Joe Hurlburt has seen his recruitment pick-up as of late. In just over a month, Hurlburt has picked up offers from Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. After picking up a Gopher offer last week, he spoke with TGR's David Sisk to discuss his recruitment, and even mentioned he considers Minnesota his hometown team.
While Hurlburt was out this weekend with turf toe, he mentioned to me he's doing well and hopes to play next week.
2022 East Ridge four-star Kendall Blue plays on D1 Minnesota's 16u team, and he is the star there. The 6'5" wing runs the point from time-to-time, rebounds the ball well, is athletic, and is a very good set shooter. I think his best, most consistent skill right now is his ability to knock down three's. He's an underrated shooter, and his lefty stroke looks really good. While Blue navigates the pick and roll very well, I would say the number one thing he needs to improve is his ability to handle the ball. He's right hand dominant dribble, which is strange for a lefty, and he doesn't pound the ball too hard and it seems like that keeps him from having as tight of a handle as he could. Former Gopher Johnathan Williams is the coach of the D1 16's squad, and it looked like he was working on this exact thing with him during a few breaks. Another thing that could be a concern with Blue is his slight build, but he has two years of high school left before he heads off to college.
Hopkins forward Elvis Nnaji is the brother of Arizona one-and-done Zeke Nnaji. He received offers from Arizona, Marquette, and Minnesota just about a month ago. This was my first time seeing Elvis live and my first impression is that he has a lot of raw athleticism and a developing offensive game. He's a very good athlete and he uses that well on the defensive end, in rebounding, and to finish above the rim. One thing I was surprised to see was his polish in the post. He's still definitely needing some development on that end, but he has a few moves in the post that he used effectively to put the ball in the bucket. One that he used a few times was a shoulder shimmy and post fade. He has a nice shot from short mid-range and makes me wonder if the can expand his range in the future. He also has a nice post hook in his arsenal that he used several times with effectiveness. Nnaji has the potential to be a nationally ranked prospect down the road.
Another Minnesota big man who's brother wen on to play college hoops (Robert Jones / Denver) is Prior Lake big man Malcolm Jones. While he is not an explosive athlete at the center position, he does a lot of things really well. The number one thing that sticks out when watching Jones play is that his motor is always running hard. He sprints up and down the court and he's a very physical presence in the post. Jones also does a great job finishing around the rim with both hands and is aggressive on the offensive glass. Jones doesn't have too much more to offer to his offensive game outside the paint right now, but many mid-majors will be happy to offer a high-motor center who finishes at a high level, especially after seeing the early success his brother has had at Denver.
6'6" Osseo wing Joshua Ola-Joseph is a long forward with an explosive vertical and a quick first step. Ola-Joseph was working hard on the glass and finished above the rim several times in the games that I was able to watch him play. What surprised me most was when he was able to step-out and knock down multiple three's. He has a high-ceiling game, and with improved ball-handling he might be one to start seeing offers roll in from mid-major programs.
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