BKIT: Sochan & Isaacs deliver on a big stage

CUMBERLAND, MD. – The Bob Kirk Invitational Tournament has become a staple of the high school calendar season thanks to a number of talent laden programs hitting the Bishop Walsh High floor. This year was nothing different where we saw Jeremy Sochan emerge as a national prospect, Richard Isaacs continue his standout sophomore campaign, and Michigan State and Minnesota recruits leaving a mark on the final box score.

Jeremy Sochan looks like a top-30 prospect. The four-star junior was just trying to find his way with the always winning La Lumiere squad earlier in the season but it seems that he is just now starting to take off. Sochan is fundamentally sound in every which way. He can step out and guard some away from the basket, scores very efficiently from 12-feet and in, can make the proper pass off of the bounce and is a bit deceptive as a two-footed athlete. He finished with 21 points, nine rebounds, and made nine of his 11 shots from the floor.

Born in Oklahoma but making the move to England at the age of two, Sochan’s recruitment is going to explode once the travel season begins. He is everything one looks for in a new age 4-man that presents a major mismatch in the frontcourt. He told Rivals.com that Baylor, Creighton, DePaul and Vanderbilt were just a few that have been recruiting him heavy of late but no high-majors have offered yet.

Richard Isaacs shows growth. A heavily touted name out of Las Vegas, the sophomore guard is close to completing his first season at Wasatch Academy on a high note. It looks as if he has grown another inch, filled out a bit more, and, as always, remained active, competitive and engaged on both ends of the floor. One of the best guards out on the west coast in the 2022 class, Isaacs hit four 3s and ended with 20 points on Thursday night.

Holding close to 20 scholarship offers, Isaacs has only been to one college campus thus far, a trip that he took earlier in the year to Washington. His recruitment already boasts a national flavor where he told Rivals.com that Florida State, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech have been the most active within it.

Mady Sissoko is going to be a presence in the Big 10. It has been written countless times in this space but we cannot understate just how good Sissoko will be for Michigan State. While he is not the most skilled of bigs just yet, he continues to develop his back to the basket to the point now that he can score over either shoulder. He is going to be relied upon first for his rim protecting and glass cleaning skills, and should be the perfect complement to Aaron Henry, Marcus Bingham and Malik Hall once he enrolls.

Minnesota did good work early on. Treyton Thompson, a four-star prospect found in the recently updated 2021 Rivals150, more than looked the part of a versatile forward that can be used all over the floor on the offensive end. He is mobile, somewhat skilled, can move the ball along the perimeter, has good hands on the glass, and can stretch the floor with the deep ball. Thompson already committed to the home state Gophers is a big win for Richard Pitino as he looks to be a weight room away from being an integral member of the Big 10 program.

Maliq Brown is a name to know. The last big name to come out of the Blue Ridge School was what is now Virginia standout Mamadi Diakite and while it has been a few years, it looks as if the Virginia prep program has another within its midst. Not quite as bouncy but much more advanced in the skill department as Diakite at the same stage, Brown is going to be a heavily recruited big man. He can guard a ball screen, score in a variety of ways in the half-court and also produce whenever the speed of the game picks up. Already, Old Dominion and Virginia Tech have offered, but many more are on the way for the agile footed sophomore.

Mid-majors deserve their love. Bucknell and EKU did a great job of signing, what looks to be, immediate producers out of the 2020 class. Andre Screen, headed to the Patriot League program, has come a long way in a year’s timeframe. Long, active, good in getting off of his feet and a presence down low, Screen is going to be an impact piece for the Bison.

Wendell Green has received his fair share of praise in recent months and it is all well-deserved. He is a tough-minded guard that just wins. Green has really done a nice job of improving his jump shot which makes him that much more of a difficult stop at the one. He should see early minutes for Coach AW Hamilton from the time that he steps foot onto campus.