South side stand up! With the high school season officially here in Minnesota, games and events have been going on throughout a 45 or so mile radius within the Twin Cities. With the Breakdown Tip-Off Classic being cancelled this year, there wasn’t a better place to see a large collection of talent than the Southside Showcase.
Held at Benilde St. Margaret’s High School, the Southside Showcase provided an outstanding platform for inner city talent and those south of the Twin Cities. Longtime Minnesota high school and AAU coach Bruce Weston has coached the likes of Jalen Suggs, Chet Holmgren, and more, so he knows what it takes to get to the next level exposure wise and provided that platform to the next generation in the Land of 10,000 Lakes with this event.
Here were the standouts that we saw from the 2025 Southside Showcase:
Malik Miller, 6’7, PF, Minneapolis Camden (Minn.), 2029
The top freshman in the state of Minnesota lived up to his reputation at the Southside Showcase, leading Minneapolis Camden’s 83-80 upset victory over Marantha Christian. The powerful lefty looked to punish the rim at any available opportunity, controlled his area on the glass, and was outstanding playing through contact. Miller has all of the makings of a physical new age forward who can play both facing and with his back to the basket, which will make him a problem for defenders of any age in the state of Minnesota.
Trequan White, 6’6, SF, Minneapolis Camden (Minn.), 2027
A player bound to blow up in Minnesota this season, Trequan White showed insane two-way wing potential at the Southside Showcase. The super smooth swingman was automatic with his pull-up jumper, can post smaller wings, and was a game changing shot blocker from the wing. Having hit a late growth spurt and just starting to tap into his potential, White is one of the more intriguing wings with size in Minnesota’s junior class.
Ray Brau, 6’8, PF/C, Hibbing HS (Minn.), 2027
A bit of a throwback big man, Ray Brau is exactly what you’d expect out of a 6-foot-8 post from a blue collar, rural area. He is an absolutely outstanding rebounder within his area, seeks contact every time he has the ball, and is a formidable scoring threat with his back to the basket. Brau’s no nonsense style of play culminated with a 19-point, 18-rebound performance for Hibbing at the Southside Showcase.
Marcus Marshall Jr., 6’1, PG, Marantha Christian Academy (Minn.), 2027
The best player for Minneapolis North this past season, Marcus Marshall made the move to Marantha and showed why he’s one of the best scoring lead guards the state has to offer. The bouncy junior has effortless 3-point range, is able to square his body to the basket to get his shot off in a millisecond, and is explosive enough to beat you off the bounce to the rim. Marshall has produced for years at a high rate now up on the north side and is on pace to continue that trend at Marantha.
Jiech Jiech, 6’4, SG, St. Cloud Tech (Minn.), 2027
It was my first time seeing Jiech Jiech and it was immediately evident to see why there was a growing buzz in St. Cloud about this junior swingman. The super lanky prospect made some creative takes to the rim, shot the ball well from the 33-point line, and got around people with a number of quick spins in the paint. Not looking like he’s anywhere done growing, Jiech’s 23-point showing was a preview of the prospect that he can become down the road.
Conner Watts, 6’0, PG, Benilde St. Margaret’s (Minn.), 2027
An incredibly solid lead guard, Conner Watts was the catalyst for a Benilde St. Margaret’s squad that is going through a bit of a rebuild after losing a stacked 2025 group. The heady playmaker has super deep range, can get the ball up the floor in a hurry, and played with an immense amount of confidence. Having ran with Howard Pulley last year in the EYBL, Watts appears destined to take that next step throughout his junior campaign.
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