Illinois Scouting: Holiday Tournaments 2018 Prospects
PrepHoopsIllinois was all over the state of Illinois scouting and evaluating prospects during the Holiday Tournaments. Here we break down some of the top 2018 players we saw in our look at the sophomore class. SF Malik Hall (Metea…
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Continue ReadingPrepHoopsIllinois was all over the state of Illinois scouting and evaluating prospects during the Holiday Tournaments. Here we break down some of the top 2018 players we saw in our look at the sophomore class.
SF Malik Hall (Metea Valley)
Hall was one of the prospects I was most looking forward to seeing at the Holiday Tournaments. The 6’5” small forward has a long and lanky frame with a very young look to him. He should continue to grow and get stronger. Hall likes the pull up jumper and is an effective catch and shoot guy from three. Would like to see more assertiveness off the bounce from the smooth wing. He does hit the glass well for his position. Hall had 11 points and 11 rebounds. Needs to be on the radar for D1 programs.
PF Jordan Boyd (St. Joseph’s)
Big fan of this 6’5” angular four man. Boyd has gotten stronger in his upper body since the summer. He plays under control and has good footwork in the post. Finishes strong on the interior and uses his length to be active on the offensive glass. Plays a limited role for his high school team. Ceiling will depend on how much he grows, but is a top 10 prospect in the 2018 class.
SG Joffari Brown (St. Joseph’s)
The 6’3” wing is improving athletically. He is showing more quickness in tight spaces and the ability to win off the bounce on a consistent basis. Likes to use runner on the interior and gets to the foul line. He had 10 points.
PG Ayo Dosunmu (Morgan Park)
Dosunmu is a potential star in the class of 2018. He has fit in easily into the starting lineup on a veteran Mustangs team. The sophomore point guard has range on his jump shot which easily stretches to beyond the three point arc. In the open floor he has a burst of speed with the ball. Defensively he is extremely effective pressuring and trapping defenders while causing turnovers. He had 16 points (6-8 FG), 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 assists. He is clearly the #2 prospect in the sophomore class and needs to start being pursued by high major schools.
SF Toraze Dobbs (Uplift)
Dobbs stands at 6’4” with a strong build. He proved he can stretch the floor with his shooting especially from three and is effective on the glass. High efficiency player with his touches. Dobbs had 19 points (8-10 FG) and 8 rebounds.
SG Rafael Cruz (Von Steuben)
Cruz is a high volume scorer that takes a lot of shots to get his points. The sophomore likes to shoot pull up threes where he is streaky, but can hit them. Handles it fairly well and is a solid athlete. More of a scorer that needs to improve his assist/turnover ratio. Cruz had 14 points (5-17 FG), 5 rebounds, and 3 assists.
PG Xavier Castaneda (Whitney Young)
Castaneda is a 5’10” lead guard that has great speed in the open floor and good vision in traffic. The sophomore is athletic getting in the lane and knows how to shield the defender from the ball when looking to finish inside. One of the better point guard prospects in the class.
PG Christian Payne (Nazareth)
Payne is a 5’9” guard that is most effective playing off the ball and as a scorer. He is a plus spot up shooter from three that can also hit the mid-range jumper. Shifty with the rock in the open floor and utilizes floater in the paint. Payne had 11 points.
C Ryan Davis (Conant)
Davis is a 6’9” big bodied post with solid length and a strong lower body. Moves pretty well for his size. He is raw around the hoop and doesn’t look to post up on a consistent basis. He did show a quick spin move and hit the glass for a put back. Tried to face up and hit a couple of threes which he missed. Potential is there with size, but needs to be refined.
PF Chris Johnson (Naperville North)
Johnson stands at 6’6” with a strong upper body. The lefty plays a little upright. Good area rebounder that is active on the glass. Soft touch around the hoop. He had 12 points.
PG Marquan Williams (Perspectives)
Williams is a 5’9” scoring point guard. He pushes it in the open floor with tremendous speed and his quickness off the bounce allows him to blow past defenders. He had a couple strong drives to the basket and hit pull up threes, but wasn’t very efficient with his shot selection. On this team he doesn’t show his passing which is actually a strength because he is forced to score for his team to win. Rebounds well for position. Pesky defender that causes turnovers. Williams had 14 points (5-17 FG), 5 rebounds, and 5 steals. Top 10 prospect in the class.
SG Jayden Gadsby (Urban Prep Englewood)
This physically built 6’4” two guard put himself on the radar at the Hinsdale Central Tournament. Gadsby has a strong and physical build. He is powerful attacking off the bounce getting in the lane where he finishes in traffic and can also hit a mid-range jumper. Defensively he was solid. Where he really impressed was on the glass. He was a dominant force on the boards! Gadsby had 12 points and 13 rebounds.
F Justin Hardy (St. Charles East)
The 6’4” forward was one of the most productive 2018 prospects on the circuit this past summer. Didn’t get a ton of touches in his spots in this game, but still produced. He hit the offensive glass at a good clip having several put backs. One impressive play he had a baseline drive, missed shot, and then finished it with a quick second jump. Completed a high/low post up and cuts strong away from the ball. Hit a corner three early. Hardy had 13 points. Long term upside is dependent on if he can become a full time wing and how much he will grow.
SG Talen Horton-Tucker (Simeon)
THT continues to elevate his game and he is the sophomore on a team loaded with prospects in that class who is making an impact. The 6’4” wing is a consistent three point shooter that knocks them down on a regular basis. Has improved his handles and athleticism keeps getting better. Rebounds well for position. The Simeon vets seem to trust him too. Horton-Tucker had 11 points (4-5 FG) and 5 rebounds.
PF Tyree Martin (Curie)
Martin is a 6’7” four man that has considerable upside. He is finishes well inside and flashes ability around the paint. The long and thin post will need to add strength, but is one to watch going forward.