2018 Wing Breakdown
With a lot of potential at the wing positions in the class of 2018 let’s dive into this group and see where it stands at this early stage in the process! The shooting guard group is a strong one with…
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Continue ReadingWith a lot of potential at the wing positions in the class of 2018 let’s dive into this group and see where it stands at this early stage in the process!
The shooting guard group is a strong one with lots of potential! This is an area that could become the strength of this class as time goes on. It is led by the state’s top overall prospect in Tim Finke (Champaign Central). Finke is a 6’5” wing with plus athleticism, a smooth jumper, and off the charts basketball IQ. He is a no doubt high major prospect!
Finke is followed by Kezo Brown (Simeon) who has seen shaky minutes this season for the Wolverines. The lefty has good size and the ability to score. This will be a big spring for him coming up. A player that emerged last year on the circuit and has continued to elevate his game is Drew Peterson (Libertyville). The projectable wing can really score the ball in a variety of ways and passes it too. Justin Boyd (Whitney Young), Javon Freeman (Seton), Darius Beane (Carbondale), and Cardell McGee (Springfield Lanphier) are all rangy wings that have flashed potential early in the process. It wouldn’t shock us to see one or more of these emerge as stars.
Wings with the ability to work their way into lethal scorers over the next few years include Landers Nolley (Curie), Armon Brummett (Decatur MacArthur), Camron Donatlan (West Aurora), Lacey Watson (Rock Island), and Anthony Lynch (South Elgin).
New names have emerged in recent months to put themselves on the radar in James Connolly (Grayslake North), Jayden Gadsby (Urban Prep Englewood), Justin Johnson (Carterville), and sharp shooter Ryan Cicenas (Riverside Brookfield).
The player at the top of the small forward group might be unfamiliar to many. Simeon’s Devonire Glass hasn’t played this year after a transfer from Indiana, but once he steps on the floor you will like what you see out of the rangy and athletic three man! He is followed by the Wolverines most productive sophomore in Talen Horton-Tucker who has elevated his game tremendously in the last year. Another super productive wing is Justin Hardy (St. Charles East) who is making the transition to the perimeter from the post. Malik Hall (Metea Valley) is a lengthy small forward that can shoot it in the mold of Justin Smith in the class before him.
A few athletic slashing wings with that have high ceilings in their development at the three spot are Naseer Turner (Kenwood), Jalen Boyd (St. Joseph’s), and Kani Acree (Carbondale). Bigger wings that can shoot it are Caleb Strohmeier (Edwardsville), Toraze Dobbs (Uplift), and Bakari Simmons (Simeon). A wing that has been extremely productive in this first two years of high school has been the tough and rugged Joffari Brown (St. Joseph’s).