Happy Monday, Fanatics!
I hope everyone had a great and productive weekend, much like I did by spending my Saturday driving down to Kansas City to watch a handful of Iowa State men’s basketball’s priority targets across the next two recruiting cycles play in session four of the EYBL Circuit.
When I’m going to watch high school kids play, I’m rarely looking at how they actually play with their teams, because the odds they’ll be able to play that exact way against better competition alongside better teammates are obviously slim.
Instead, I try to take an approach similar to that of an NBA scout, looking for things individual players do really well that will translate to the next level and things that can help them make an immediate impact at that next level.
For example, last summer when watching Tamin Lipsey, I was especially taken by his ability to make plays for others. His scoring ability was solid, but it was the way he was able to involve his teammates, make difficult passes with consistency and run an entire offense as a floor general that made him a special high school player.
Those are things that can translate once he makes an adjustment to the physicality and speed of the college level, and that playmaking ability (along with being a high-level on-ball defender) will be what gives him a chance to make an impact immediately as a freshman.
Now, I’ll also note that my ability to get the full capability out of my coverage on Saturday was hurt by the fact that my credential request for the event was denied.
I wasn’t able to get on the floor or really even get close enough to most guys to be able to talk to them.
It was the first time I’ve ever had a credential denied after nearly 10 years in this business covering basketball at every imaginable level all across the country.
Major bummer.
Nonetheless, here are some observations I made on the Iowa State targets that I was able to watch and some thoughts on the things I think will give them a chance to be impactful early at the collegiate level.
Milan Momcilovic, 2023
We’ll start with the uncommitted target who seems to be closest to making a decision as it was reported over the weekend the four-star Pewaukee, Wis. native will announce his commitment ahead of Peach Jam, which takes place July 17-24 in the Atlanta area.
Rated as the No. 34 player in the class and No. 8 power forward, Momcilovic was easily one of the best players I watched throughout the entire day in Kansas City. He is the kind of player who has the tools needed to make a significant impact on any college program he joins from the first day he steps foot on campus.
The biggest reason for that is he’s an elite scorer of the basketball. Some people are just born bucket-getters. That’s Milan Momcilovic.
His catch-and-shoot ability, especially in the corners, was as smooth and as strong as any player I watched. When he’s able to make clean catches with limited resistance, he’s nearly automatic with knocking down the shot.
He’s also an adept scorer on the block, specifically with the one-legged fadeaway made famous by the likes of Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant and Luka Doncic. He was able to connect on that shot on a consistent basis over defenders big or small.
The teams playing against him ran into issues because of the fact he can score on any defender thrown his way. I think the best term I can use for his game is versatile. He’s a versatile scorer who can put the ball in the hole all over the floor.
I think the only thing that will hold Momcilovic back from being an elite player right away as a freshman is likely his strength level. It won’t be as easy to get to his spots, specifically in the post area, at the collegiate level.
He has to continue to get stronger in order to get to the areas where his game flourishes.
The other area of needed growth I’d pinpoint is his ball-handling. He plays too upright at times, which can make his dribble vulnerable, especially against smaller and quicker players. This prevents him from being able to take advantage of closeouts on his shooting ability by attacking them with straight-line drives on a consistent basis.
With added strength and a tightening of the handle, Momcilovic has all the tools to be an elite scorer at the college level. Even if it takes time for those to come along, his shooting ability will make him a significant contributor to any team.
Iowa State could use a player with his ability to knock down catch-and-shoot 3-pointers today.
Jelani Hamilton, 2023
This was the hardest one to evaluate during the day I spent in Kansas City as the Iowa State commit hardly played during the Georgia Stars’ two games on Saturday.
In their first game of the day, Hamilton played two minutes, totaling two points on 2-2 from the free-throw line and dishing one assist. He played only eight minutes in their second game, going 0-of-3 from the field and 0-of-2 from deep with one assist, one rebound and one block.
Obviously, there’s not a whole lot to take away from the Austell, Ga. native playing only 10 minutes total in two games.
The one thing I did note is the size and length are there as advertised. He’ll need to add weight to his frame to be a formidable contributor at the next level, but that applies to nearly every high school basketball player.
Other than that, I wasn’t able to take away much, which was obviously disappointing as he’s not the kind of player I can hop in the car and drive to watch play during the winter.
Omaha Biliew, 2023
As good as Momcilovic is as a scorer, Biliew is that good and then some as a rebounder and defender. He’s an elite athlete who understands how to use that athleticism to gain advantages on the defensive end and on the glass.
One of my favorite plays I saw on the day came when Biliew was on the backside of a defensive play, a shot went up, he was able to recognize the trajectory of the ball, see (or, to probably state it more accurately, feel) where other players were on the floor, slide across to the strongside to block out an unguarded man and secure the rebound.
That’s the moment when I was truly sold on the five-star talent.
Those are the kind of plays you make when you really understand how to rebound the basketball and make winning plays on the defensive end. Most high school players are not recognizing where the ball is going off the rim, let alone understand or be able to execute the necessity of blocking out on the play to prevent an offensive board.
Most high school players are relying almost entirely on athleticism and instincts when it comes to rebounding the basketball. That’s why Biliew isn’t like most high school basketball players, though.
He was also the clear anchor of his team’s defense, calling out switches, pointing out who needs to be guarded by who and recognizing where offensive players are on the floor at all times. It was impressive to watch.
There is still a lot of room for Biliew to grow on the offensive end. He doesn’t really have what I’d call any go-to moves offensively besides just trying to use his athleticism to get to the rim.
Right now, I’d project him as a pick-and-roll big man who can be lethal from the dunker’s spot (short corner) and has the ability to occasionally pop out and shoot an open jump shot. He probably isn’t the kind of player you would want to rely on the idea of running your offense through at this point in his development.
The thing is, I don’t know if it really matters. He plays that hard on the defensive end and is that good at crashing the glass. He will be able to do both of those things at a very, very high level immediately when he steps foot on a college campus.
Daniel Freitag, 2024
I’m going to keep things briefer here since the Bloomington, Minn. native is still two years away from reporting to a college program, but I absolutely love the 6-foot-2, 175-pound floor general’s game.
He attacks with rim with ferocity, finishing through contact and drawing fouls like a madman. He probably spent more time at the free-throw line during the game I watched than he did doing anything else on the floor.
It was really impressive.
He’s also a very active defender and you can tell he’s a good leader with how his teammates seem to follow his lead with things on each end of the floor.
Freitag already is really good, but he’s going to be a very, very good player by the time he gets to college.
Nick Janowski, 2024
“Plays bigger than he is.”
That’s the one-note I took on Janowski, who you can already start to file away as a massive priority target for Iowa State next cycle.
He’s smooth with the basketball in his hands and can really shoot it. It is easy to see how he and Momcilovic helped Pewaukee roll to the Wisconsin high school’s Division 2 state title last winter, and I’d be willing to bet they’re going to do it again this winter, too.
Janowski will be a fun player to watch develop over the next year.
