Illinois Scouting: Highland Shootout 2017 Class
PrepHoopsIllinois was in attendance at the 25th Highland Shootout. It was an outstanding day of hoops. Here we break down the top 2017 prospects in attendance at the event! SF Romon Douglas-Watkins (Peoria Manual – 2017) The 6’6” small…
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Continue ReadingPrepHoopsIllinois was in attendance at the 25th Highland Shootout. It was an outstanding day of hoops. Here we break down the top 2017 prospects in attendance at the event!
SF Romon Douglas-Watkins (Peoria Manual – 2017)
The 6’6” small forward has continued to elevate his stock throughout his junior campaign. He has great size and length for position. Known mostly as a slasher that can get through traffic to the hoop he showed a different aspect of his repertoire against Tolton. Douglas-Watkins displayed improvement on his perimeter jumper. The wing hit multiple three point shots and looked comfortable and confident in doing so. Also hit the glass including a nice offensive rebound put back. With his combination of athleticism and emerging skill mid-majors need to be all over him. He had 15 points.
PG Da’Monte Williams (Peoria Manual – 2017)
Williams has continued his stock rise from the summer into the first half of the high school season. He started off slow with an air ball three, but then got it going. The junior used several crafty moves on the interior where he uses hesitation and fakes to keep defenders off balance. Williams is extremely athletic in the open floor and is powerful with the ball. The junior hit a couple tough jumpers including a deep three over 6’9” Michael Porter. Contender for the #1 spot in 2017. He had 18 points.
SG AJ Youngman (Peoria Manual – 2017)
Youngman is a 6’5” sharp shooter from the perimeter that hit quite a few threes in the game, but also air balled some. Showed a little bit more off the bounce with runners and got to the foul line on multiple occasions. His loss of weight has definitely improved his athleticism and opened up more for him. Youngman rebounded well. Had some bad turnovers. D1 prospect had 15 points and 5 boards.
SG Jordan Goodwin (Belleville Althoff – 2017)
The 6’3” shooting guard has made another jump in his game. This time it was with his body. In our first time seeing him in a few months the big time junior has slimmed down and lost some of the excess weight while still maintaining very good strength. This has allowed him to be more athletic and fluid with his handles and quickness off the bounce. Goodwin is a punishing wing that has a never ending motor. He is constantly in attack mode going downhill. Finishes in the paint through contact on a consistent basis. Most of his points came in the paint and from the charity stripe. He did hit one three point shot, but the jumper wasn’t very consistent. Powerful on the glass mauling opponents much bigger than him. Passed it well including a couple nice dimes on the interior. Defensively was active and got his hands on several balls. Goodwin went for 23 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. Secured a spot in the top 3 in the next 2017 rankings.
SF Marvin Bateman (Belleville Althoff – 2017)
Love the upside in this 6’5” small forward. Bateman is a plus plus shooter from the perimeter that has a fluid and free flowing release from three. He hit four threes in the game. Potential on the defensive end. The next step in his game is developing his game off the bounce. Mid-major and low-majors need to be closely watching his progress. He had 12 points.
PG Yaakema Rose (Springfield Lanphier – 2017)
Rose is a powerfully built 5’9” scoring point guard. He is quick off the bounce and gets in the lane where he powers to the hoop or finishes with floaters in the lane. He had 11 points.
PF Will Boles (Springfield Lanphier – 2017)
This 6’5” post continues to grow on you. He isn’t flashy, but is productive. The wide bodied big man clears space on the interior and is a quality area rebounder. Lacks lateral speed defensively which hurt him guarding Dobbs. Soft touch around the hoop. Should be a good small school post in 2017. He had 5 points and 6 rebounds.
SG Noah Frederking (Okawville – 2017)
Frederking is a 6’4” two guard with a stocky build. He moves well without the ball to get open and is a quality perimeter marksmen. He is best off the catch and puts a lot of arc on his shot. Showed he could score inside with several quick curls and a couple nice drives. Strong through contact. He had 22 points. Should be on the low-major radar for colleges.
SF Michael Porter (Father Tolton, MO – 2017)
The 6’9” small forward is one of the truly elite prospects nationally. He is supremely skilled and combined with his athleticism projects as a one and done lottery pick in 2018. Porter is an elite mid-range shooter that gets separation and tremendous elevation off the floor. Attacks the hoop in transition with his long strides and elite hops. Also utilizes a slick euro step. Solid rebounder that is quick to the glass on the offensive end. Porter had 31 points and 11 rebounds. Elite top 5 prospect nationally.
SG Reggie Crawford (Chaminade, MO – 2017)
Athletic lefty shooting guard that is quick and dynamic in the open floor. Plus shooter that really likes to let it fly from the corners. He had 6 points. Needs to be on low-major radar.