Minnesota has churned out some solid prospects in recent years, and through the grassroots season this past summer, there were a number of young players starting to garner more attention. A 2021 prospect that picked up some looks from colleges at different levels this summer is up and coming forward, Broden Lien. He played with Gain Elite during the spring and summer and is looking to make an even bigger impact with his play coming up in the winter competing at Norman County East H.S. (Flom, MN).
Lien stands roughly 6'7" now and with his aggressiveness offensively, mixed with a tough combination of skills at his size, he has become a force for defenses to try to contain over the past year. Lien has the ability to stretch the defense with his shooting, where he is solid from just anywhere. He hit multiple three's in a number of games over the summer and is efficient from mid-range and in also. He showed decent handle, enough to attack the paint off the bounce and is excellent finishing around the rim. Another underrated aspect to Lien's game is his ability to see the court and find his teammates.
Being multi-faceted on offense is an advantage Lien is looking to showcase even more going forward. Lien commented “I want to show I can score on every area of the court. I want to let people know if they think they can stop me one way I'll have another way to score on them.”
Defensively, the talented forward shows great work ethic and uses his size well to disrupt. He positions himself well and works hard to rip down rebounds. In the meantime, he’s working on improving his quickness and working to not let players around him with the dribble. The more he rounds out his game and continues to prove his impact on the game on both ends of the court, Lien should continue to pull eyes his way from more and more schools.
Lien is currently receiving interest from North Dakota State, Bemidji State, Minnesota State Mankato (MSUM), Southwest Minnesota State (SMSU), St. Cloud, and Minot.