Despite graduating three senior starters including the school’s all-time leading scorer, the Prescott High School basketball team appears to be optimistic about the early development of another young, talented group of Cardinals.

With the departure of longtime program staples including Brandon Stuart, Brady Block and Division 1-bound point guard Jordan Malmlov, several varsity roster slots have opened for a young sophomore class that has wasted no time displaying flashes of brilliance.

Prescott’s two varsity returners include guard Ian Leask alongside star forward Dallas Wallin, both of whom enter their senior campaigns this winter. Outside of them, three starting spots are up for grabs and a host of young players are vying for major varsity roles.

Prescott head coach Nick Johnson has been active with his young roster this summer, as he’s got the Cardinals competing in the Stillwater Summer League. The league features 16 varsity and junior varsity teams that play two games every Tuesday night for six consecutive weeks.

Additionally, Prescott competed in the Falcon Shootout at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls on Saturday, June 17. The Cardinals played three games against schools including Spring Valley, Forest Lake and Fridley.

“It’s summer league and it’s early, but this team is showing a lot of promise right now, it’s exciting,” Johnson said. “We’ve got five kids on the floor that work their butt off at all times. It’s unbelievable. We’re going to be able to do so much with this group because everybody can guard everybody and we can switch anything.”

The Falcon Shootout on Saturday afternoon included three guaranteed games and no tournament bracket. Even though Prescott technically had nothing to play for, as a trophy wouldn’t be awarded to any team, that didn’t stop the Cardinals from playing hustle-centric basketball.

Throughout all three games, Prescott had young athletes diving on the floor for loose balls and competing as two-way players as if it were a primetime Middle Border Conference game in late January.

The younger players having an immediate impact on the summer league roster include Barrett Temmers, Will Packard and Tyler Reiter, all of whom enter their junior season this winter. Mason Schommer, who will be a senior this upcoming year, has also been in the mix.

Perhaps no young player has made more of a jump than Kobe Russell, who is entering his sophomore campaign. Although he saw the floor sparingly last year on a stacked Cardinals team, he has wasted no time asserting himself as one of the best players on this Prescott roster.

“We’re excited with what we’ve seen so far this summer,” Johnson said after the Falcon Shootout. “Kobe is the second-best player on the floor at times, and he’s coming off playing JV. What he’s shown in five games this summer, he’s playing like a junior or senior. We’re excited and it’s going to be a fun group.”

Despite having played just five games together, with 10 more still on the docket in the next five weeks, players have already begun filling necessary roles for the upcoming year. Russell has taken a leap, Dallas is commanding the offense and role players are fitting in nicely.

“I think Kobe has taken the leap that we were hoping for,” Johnson said. “Ian, Barrett, Mason and Dallas, they’re doing what we’re expecting them to do. The guys off the bench are filling roles, but those four are doing it and Kobe is the one we hoped (would make a jump). This summer is going to be so important for them to get comfortable, but it’s definitely promising.”

A lot of Prescott’s players will have to adjust to new roles, but none will experience more of a change than Wallin. After playing second fiddle to Malmlov for the last two years, Wallin becomes Prescott’s primary offensive threat.

He’s coming off of a junior campaign that included 19.7 points per game, 10 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per contest. Wallin often yielded to Prescott’s all-time leading scorer last season, but now he’s going to have the ball in his hands as the primary decision-maker in nearly every possession.

Coach Johnson has unwavering faith that Wallin is ready for the challenge of being Prescott’s offensive and defensive engine this winter. He spoke about how Wallin will adjust and what he’s seen from the senior forward so far.

“Last year we had Jordan, but now Dallas is that guy,” Johnson said. “He’s not trying to do too much. He gets teammates involved and makes things easier for them. He’s doing what we expect him to do and I think there will be times he will take over when we need it. He knows that he’s the guy who is going to be the best player against anyone we play. He will know when it’s time.”

Although the Cardinals are participating in a highly-competitive Stillwater Summer League, Prescott’s coaching staff is more focused on player development and getting reps than they are on wins and losses.

Coach Johnson spoke about what he wants to see from his promising young roster throughout this summer that would give him confidence heading into the 2023-24 season.

“I think it’s just playing,” Johnson said. “Sure, we want to win the Stillwater Summer League. The bigger picture is that we want to continue to play and get comfortable with each other. Five games in and they’re making strides and doing it quickly.”