What’s going on Ballislife fam? I just wanted to give a quick introduction of myself, as I am the latest member to join the Ballislife editorial team. My name is Rodger Bohn and I have been covering basketball full time for the past 17 years. I have done work with Rivals.com, DraftExpress, and am still contributing at SLAM. I also own and operate an NCAA Certified Scouting Service and consult with three NBA teams.

I was the assistant director of Ohio Basketball Club (formerly Cleveland Basketball Club) for five years on the Adidas circuit and the program still has produced more NBA players than anyone in the state of Ohio. I’ve born and raised in Cleveland (have it tatted all over my body), but the journey that is the game of basketball has taken me to a number of cool spots that a poor kid from CLE would have never imagined going. I spent time living in North Carolina (all throughout Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill), Norfolk, and Houston (working for John Lucas). My latest stop in life is Minneapolis.

Amidst the insane weather and flight chaos that we had in this country, I was one of the casualties. After covering the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas, I had plans of shooting to Atlanta and Chicago to cover a few other high school games. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out and I had to reroute all of my travel to simply make it back to Minneapolis for Christmas. Furthermore, I was hoping to make it to South Carolina for post Christmas events, but flight cancellations didn’t make it worthwhile for me to literally just roll down for a day or two.

That being said, this introductory piece is going to be on some of the local Minnesota talent that I’ve seen over the past three weeks. January is going be a pretty crazy travel month for me, so I’m definitely going to have much more on the national level for Bilateral readers moving forward.

Here are a few of the top guys who I have seen in Minnesota post Christmas:

Casmir “Cash” Chavis, 6’3, PG, Park Center HS (Brooklyn Park, Minn.), 2024
The leading scorer (20 points per game) for the best team in the state, Chavis has been getting it done far more than his team’s official 5-0 record reflects. His squad has quality wins over both Minnesota Prep and West Oaks Academy (FL) of the Grind Session, but games had to be counted as “exhibitions” due to Minnesota state rules. Chavis, who was the leading scorer for J-Sizzle 17U on the Adidas 3SSB circuit, is a lockdown on ball defender who is an elite finisher and continually developing playmaker. Sitting at No. 48 in the latest Ballislife FAB 50 national rankings, Chavis and Co. are the favorites to repeat as state champions in Minnesota.

Nolan Winter, 6’10, PF, Lakeville North HS (Minn.), 2023
The state’s best jumbo sized shooter, Winter is producing at a high level for Lakeville North and his team’s success has followed. The Wisconsin recruit is averaging 19.7 points and 12.3 rebounds per game for a 6-1 team that has only lost to the state’s top ranked team (Park Center). The prototypical new age forward, Winter utilizes his size against smaller defenders on the block, yet also has the athleticism and agility to blow by slower defenders on the perimeter. Nolan may not be done growing yet either, as his father (Trevor) is a true 7-footer who played for the Timberwolves back in the day himself.

Jayden Moore, 6’0, PG, Hopkins HS (Minnetonka, Minn.), 2026
If you’ve followed any semblance of middle school basketball over the past few years, you’re probably familiar with Moore. He’s been playing varsity for one of Minnesota's most storied programs since seventh grade. He also played up two years for J Sizzle (Jalen Suggs’ AAU team) on the Adidas 3SSB circuit. A super heady PG, Moore is also a dynamic scorer, dropping 34 points, 10 assists, and 6 rebounds in the Augsburg Holiday Classic. He already holds a West Virginia offer, has an outstanding change of pace, and has made himself a more versatile guard with an improved jumper. Moore is sitting at the top of Minnesota’s 2026 class and that doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon.

Anthony Smith III, 6’1, combo guard, Hopkins HS (Minnetonka, Minn.), 2025
One of the more improved guys in the state of Minnesota, Smith III is certifying himself as serious D1 prospect. He dropped 34 points (including 7 three pointers), six assists, five rebounds, and four steals at the Augsburg Holiday Classic. The D1 Minnesota product (plays on Adidas 3SSB circuit) is a serious shooter with no shortage of confidence. Owning an offer from George Mason, Smith is a guy who could be adding plenty more once college coaches see the growth in his game during the live period in April.

Jack Janicki, 6’5, SG, White Bear Lake HS (Minn.), 2023
Janicki could legitimately be the best division one walk on in America. Turning down more than a dozen D1 offers, Janicki opted to go to Wisconsin as a preferred walk on, and has the potential to play there right away. The lefty shooting guard is exceptionally crafty, scores the ball at a high rate with a limited amount of dribbles, and throws defenders off with his change of pace. He is a fiery competitor who showed that he could hold his own on the national level running with D1 Minnesota on the Adidas 3SSB circuit, and is trending to do the same thing in the Big Ten at Wisconsin.

C.J. O’Hara, 6’4, SG, Park Center HS (Brooklyn Park, Minn.), 2023
One of the most versatile defenders in the state, O’Hara is the defensive catalyst for undefeated Park Center. O’Hara proved himself to be a legitimate D1 prospect with his play against both West Oaks (FL) and Minnesota Prep, but has continued in the state high school season by posting 20 points per game. The combination of productivity and defensive versatility that he offers make him the state’s best unsigned perimeter player in the class of 2023.

Kyle Jorgensen, 6’9, C, Minneapolis Washburn (Minneapolis, Minn.), 2024
Arguably the best player in the Minneapolis City League, Jorgensn is simply having a monster start to his junior season, posting 24 points and 14 rebounds per night. The skilled big man has outstanding footwork on the block, can step out and shoot it from three, and uses his frame to finish through contact. Still under the radar, Jorgensen is starting to attract interest from D1 programs throughout the Midwest.