HS Seniors:

Jason Drake - 6’2” - PG - HS Senior - 2* recruit from Ferndale HS (Ferndale, MI - born in Detroit) - Drake has good size as a HS point guard as he strikes me as the kind of kid who probably also plays football. He’s strong and taller than the players who match up against him at the point. Sometimes that doesn’t translate into D-I since he may be just physically taking advantage of smaller competition. He’s got a nice shot from the outside but I would say his strength is in driving to the basket to make things happen. It looks like he is creative and athletic enough to finish around bigger players but also has enough awareness to pass to open teammates but I don’t get the impression that this is a strong skill of his. In addition to NIU, Drake has received additional offers from Eastern Michigan, Bowling Green, Kent State, Western Michigan and Toledo…yup. Basically the entire West Division of the MAC with a couple others from the East for good measure. Apparently this kid is destined to never leave the Great Lakes Region.

Jaylen Drane - 6’1” - PG - HS Senior - 2* recruit from Simeon HS (Chicago) - Most of the video on Drane is from middle school so I’m not going to waste my time with it. He’s a skinny dude who looks way taller than he is because his arms are so long and skinny. Maybe this means he’s still going to grow (probably not). I’d love to see him play. My friend has seen him live and says, “He’s pretty good”. So, take that for what it’s worth. In addition to NIU, Drane has received offers from Radford, Nebraska, Milwaukee, Western Illinois, Siena, and Chicago State (but that was from when he was an 8th grader….CSU…always thinking outside of the box).

Keon Thompson - 6’1” - PG - HS Senior - 2* recruit from Hargrave Military Academy (Chatam, VA - born in Merrillville, IN where he attended Merrillville HS) - Thompson is really intriguing. He’s not big but he’s filled out fine. But where he gets your attention is his explosiveness. Everything he does is immediate. He starts immediate and he stops immediate. He is quick to pull up what looks like a really nice outside jumper but then he goes to the basket and he simply explodes toward the rim. I wonder if his height is holding him back because it looks like a mid-major to get a real steal in Thompson. In addition to NIU, Thompson has received offers from Purdue Fort Wayne, Mount St. Mary’s, FGCU, Akron, Robert Morris, Indiana State, Drake, Cleveland State, Ball State, New Orleans, Miami and Valparaiso.

Taku Youngblood - COMMITTED - 6’1” - PG - HS Senior - 2* recruit from St. Thomas More (Montville, CT - born in Japan) - Youngblood is kind of interesting in that I think he’s a good basketball player. He’s not big and I don’t think he’s a PG. He passes well, he shoots really well and seems to have a pretty good basketball IQ. I just think he’s better suited as a SG and I don’t know if he’s got the size to pull it off. Nothing, other than his jump shot, stands out to me. But his jumper is really good and pure. In addition to NIU, Youngblood has not received any additional offers.

Yanic Konan Niederhäuser - COMMITTED - HS Senior - 6’9” - PF - 2* recruit from Ehingen Uprising (a team in German but born in Fräshels, Switzerland) - Ok…where to start. This kid is tall and lanky. I’ve seen him listed at 6’10” but he’s got big hair so maybe they aren’t sure. He seems athletic. Anytime I see a kid from Europe, I assume he started out playing soccer and that really helps with footwork. Nevertheless, he looks to move really well for as tall as he is. He’s not an explosive player or jumper. He doesn’t play all that physical but he’s aggressive. He’s got a decent enough shot from the perimeter to keep defenders honest, imo. He’s also playing for the Swiss U18 squad. The first video I watched was from FIBA and some U18 tournament. He looked dominant but he was also like 6 inches taller than almost anyone on the floor. In other words, there was almost nothing to gain from the video. Now, the second video I watched, I liked him more. I think the team he plays for a team in the NBBL which is the “highest German basketball league for players under 19”. The team he’s listed as playing for (Ehingen Uprising) isn’t in that league but is in ProA, which is a 2nd division team. I’ve also seen him listed as playing for Uprising SmartBall and I think that’s the team he’s playing for in the NBBL video, but I can’t find evidence that team even exists, let alone is part of that league. Anyway…he looks better in this video as the competition looks a little better and it highlights certain attributes (ie, inside scoring, outsides scoring, rebounding, steals, etc). He appears to be active away from the ball and have good instincts. He’s aggressive (as I said earlier) and finds his way going toward the basket. He can dribble the ball comfortably in the open court and, like I said, step behind the line and knock down a 3.

Man…this kid is intriguing and is the 3rd in a row that Burno has made an offer to from Europe (depending on what part of Russia is in Europe). I’m betting he’s raw but he’s athletic and tall and you can’t teach that. He does have one other offer on the table from Bryant which he got back in August. So, he’s not gotten a ton of attention but, not playing for an academy here in the states probably hampers that a little for a 2* kind of guy. I’d also like to point out that Burno seems to be targeting post players. Palm, Panov and now Niederhäuser (the three Europeans).

Armandas Plintauskas - COMMITTED - HS Senior (19 years old) - 6’3” - PG - BC Nevėžis (Lietuvos krepšino lyga (LKL) aka, Lithuanian Basketball League) - Okay, this one just popped up but apparently it happened back on the 25th (March). Plintauskas is a big, strong and broad shouldered PG who seems to like going to the basket. At least, that’s my impression. He seems to have a pretty good mid-range shot from the elbow and might even be pretty decent from the arc, I’m just having trouble 1) finding statistical proof of it and 2) I have literally no idea what the level of competition he’s playing against. The best stats for him I can come up with from the LKL is pretty slim playing time. His most recent highlight video (I think) is from some league called the RKL. Okay…I think I’ve got it figured out. The RKL is the 3rd tier league in Lithuania and the LKL is the top tier. This doesn’t help me understand how much he’s played in either league, but at least I have a slight idea of who he’s playing against. Anyway, this guy is strong and athletic. He jumps well, dribbles well and shoots fine. He’s got an odd jump shot that always looks like a fadeaway no matter where he’s shooting from…but it seems pure and repeatable so who am I to judge. It’s just odd. I guess it also demonstrates some upper body strength but again… As of right now, NIU is the only school to make an offer to Plintauskas but this is the 3rd (if I’m not mistaken) European that Burno has signed this year and about the 5th or 6th he’s made an offer to. Does this strategy pay off in the long run is something that will be interesting to witness. On one hand, we all know that European basketball players have become common in the NBA and we see more and more in NCAA. They just don’t seem to be as common in the MAC. So, maybe Burno is way ahead of the curve? Only time will tell.