After a good weekend of basketball at the annual NY2LA Sports Lone Star Invitational in Dallas, Texas we start things right back up here in Minneapolis, Minnesota for the 7th annual NY2LA Sports Spring Extravaganza. High level talent was on full display all-night long as coaches from Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa State, Wisconsin, Ohio State, and many more stopped by to take in the action. Here are some prospects that stood out to us from opening night action.
Top Performers
Nate Ferguson – 2019 (Chicago Lockdown 17u) - After a very solid outing last weekend at the Lone Star Invitational Ferguson started to catch some serious buzz between college coaches and has earned three division 1 offers in the last week from UW-Milwaukee, Wofford and New Hampshire. Ferguson has some serious bounce and is a highlight waiting to happen. He can also stretch the floor with his shooting where he has proven to be a deep ball threat as well as a midrange. He can play above the rim on both sides of the ball and makes sure his presence felt while on the floor. Ferguson finished with 16 points in Lockdowns win over The Force.
David Skogman – 2019 (Ray Allen Select 17u) - People who have been paying attention to rising prospects this spring know exactly who David Skogman is. The 6-10 forward does a little bit of everything which makes him one of the most intriguing post prospects in the Association. Skogman is a knock down shooter from beyond the arc which forces his defenders to step out and defend him. He is very solid in the post but excels in the high post because he is so skilled for his size. HIs recruitment is starting to pick up as UW-Milwaukee, American, and Bucknell have all extended offers recently. Skogman finished with 13 points and 7 rebounds to help power Ray Allen Select to a win over 3D empire.
Lorne Bowman - 2020 (REACH Legends 17u) - Playing up in age level for the second straight summer Bowman continues to show he belongs. One of the top 2020 prospects in Michigan was on full display in REACH Legends opening night win over Yanders Law. He controls the pace of his game with his guard skills and when he is on the floor he makes his teammates better. The young 6-2 guard was hitting shots from beyond the arc, knocking down midrange jump shots, and finishing around the rim. Bowman holds an early offer from Buffalo, but you can expect that list to grow in the near future. He finished with 17 points to help lead REACH legends to the win.
DJ Carton – 2019 (Quad City Elite 17u) - DJ Carton proved that he can still be the most productive player on the floor without having to score the ball. Carton wasn’t scoring at a high rate, but he was making sure he was doing all the little things to help Quad City Elite secure the close win over Midwest Unsigned. Down the stretch Quad City was down 6 points with a little over 2 minutes left in the game and Carton scored or assisted for 7 straight points to help secure the 51-50 win. Carton is one of the highest rising prospects in the country and top programs have taken full notice. Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio State, Missouri, etc. and many more were courtside taking in Cartons game.
Donyae McCaskill – 2019 (Yanders Law 17u) - McCaskill plays with that junkyard dog mentality that coaches love, the 6-1 guard doesn’t back down from anyone. McCaskill is very athletic and can make eye opening plays on any given possession. He is as explosive as anyone in the association and he uses it to his full advantage by finishing above the rim, blocking shots, and he cleans the glass as good as any guard I've watched this spring when he wants too. McCaskill finished with a team high 20 points in Yanders Laws loss to REACH Legends.
Stock Boosters
Legend Stamps – 2019 (Inland Empire 17u) - After a very solid performance last weekend in Texas Stamps continued his strong play on opening night here at the 2018 Spring Extravaganza. The 6-10 forward is very versatile and can hurt his defenders from many different spots on the floor. Although his shots weren't falling Friday he still stretches the floor as good as any big in the association with his ability to hit shots from beyond the arc. He has plus length and he knows how to use it to his advantage while grabbing rebounds and blocking shots.
Mitch Mascari – 2019 (Mercury Elite Thomas 17u) - Mascari was doing what he does best and that is score the ball. The 6-4 shooting guard came out hot and was able to carry it for the rest of the game. He is creative off the bounce, can create his own space, shoot off the pass, and finish around the rim. He is very active on defense and showed that he can lock down his defender for the full length of the floor. Mascari finished with a game high 25 points.
Caden Boser – 2020 (WI Swing 16u) - After a good outing last weekend in Texas Boser continues to make strides forward and impress along the way. He is very skilled for his position and knows how to score in a variety of different ways. Once he gets hot from the outside good luck trying to stop him because he can shoot the ball from deep with nothing but confidence because he knows he can tear the nets down. He has a very nice and soft touch around the rim and can be a threat down low once he gets going. Boser finished with 15 points in Swings win over MN Comets Elite.
Sean Bairstow – 2019 (AUSA Hoops 17u) - Bairstow is a very athletic prospect who can score from all three levels at a high rate. He can shoot with the best, score off the bounce, and he flourishes in transition where finishes well above the rim. At the next level the young 6-7 wing will most likely fit in as a shooting guard where he will be able to excel because he does so well off the ball. The younger brother of NBA forward Cam Bairstow you can expect his recruitment to pick up over the next couple of months. He finished with a team high 20 points for AUSA in their tough loss to MI Playmakers.
Karter Thomas – 2020 (Ray Allen Select 16u) - Thomas had a breakout performance for Ray Allen Select which led to coaches and scouts buzzing over the rising 2020 prospect. Thomas is a very physical and strong guard who can move defenders out of the way using his strength as he finishes hard through contact. In arguably the best shooting performance of the night Thomas hit 7 threes to help him finish with a game high 25 points in Ray Allen Selects win over Kessel Heat.