On to part four of some sophomores in the Midwest region who have great upside, are some of the most impactful players, or are flying under the radar. Here are five who have already shown a high level of abilities on the hardwood and could have a big sophomore season ahead of them. 

Jayden Alford - 2029 - G - Young & Reckless

The 6’2” guard has continued to show he’s one of the most skilled guards in Illinois’ 2029 class. This includes his great scoring ability. Alford is a skilled scorer with both his shooting from the mid-range and outside but also moves so well, breaking down defenders and getting to the rim. Alongside Ethan Vahl and Tray Alford, the trio should make up one of the top backcourts in the state this season for Oswego. 

Karti Calvert - 2029 - SF - Team Herro

Calvert was a big stock booster over the past several months proving that he’s one of the top recruits in Wisconsin’s 2029 class. This included being named a top standout in July at the NY2LA Summer Jam while helping Team Herro win the championship.  Already at this point as just a sophomore he already has a great blend of translatable tools as he stands at 6’7” along with his consistent outside shooting, athleticism, versatile scoring, and ability to make plays off the dribble. 

Eamon Lynch - 2029 - PF - MidPro Academy

Lynch is an emerging forward with a ton of upside. He has good size in the front court at 6’7” and solid build as well as being an impactful player down in the paint on both ends of the floor. He is a true paint protector as well as a post scorer with his physicality and footwork. Lynch has also shown a growing ability to handle the ball as well. He is a smart power forward who knows how to play and is a name to remember for college coaches. 

Thomas Malone - 2029 - PG - Wisconsin Academy

Malone has plenty of the tools to have the upside to be one of the top guards in Wisconsin’s 2029 class. As well as great size at the point guard position at 6’3”, he is also an athletic guard. He saw some minutes at the varsity level as just a freshman and has continued to develop his game in recent months. He has continued to show growth with his playmaking off the dribble, point guard tools, and shooting. 

Mason Phillips - 2029 - G - 24Up

Phillips has continued to play at a high level over the past year. This started by averaging nearly 6 points per game in his freshman season for East Troy. It continued throughout the grassroots season with 24Up which included being named a top standout at the NY2LA Sports Invitational tournament. Over this time he has continued to show he’s one of the top shooters in his states class which included him hitting over 42% of his threes in his freshman season. As well as having a pure jumper, Phillips can also run the point and is a smart playmaker with the ball.