Layla Gold
PrepHoopsIllinois was in attendance this past weekend in Indianapolis where we took in five different grassroots events and evaluated prospects from various levels and ages. Here we look at the class of 2017 prospects in part 1 of our scouting…
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Continue ReadingPrepHoopsIllinois was in attendance this past weekend in Indianapolis where we took in five different grassroots events and evaluated prospects from various levels and ages. Here we look at the class of 2017 prospects in part 1 of our scouting report.
PG Nojel Eastern (Meanstreets 17U)
Eastern was outstanding leading his team this past weekend. The 6’6” point guard handled the ball throughout making great decisions with the ball. Eastern passed it well showing feel and touch on his dishes. Found his shooters and worked well in the pick and roll game. Pushed the pace in transition and made quality decisions. His athleticism showed improvement as he is fully healthy now and used his explosion to get to the hoop where he made plays for himself and others. Did struggle a little converting around the hoop on some acrobatic attempts. Eastern got on the offensive glass for multiple tough boards that he turned into points. The 2017 point guard was a calming force and proved to be among the top prospects in his class.
PG Alonzo Verge (Meanstreets 17U)
It was kind of what has come to be expected out of Verge during Session 2. High risk/high reward lead guard. On Friday night he forced some passes into tight spaces that didn’t get through which caused turnovers and led to the other team getting out in the transition game. Jumper was inconsistent throughout although he did knock down one in each game we saw. Verge used is speed and slick handles to get out in transition himself where he has a tremendous burst changing directions on a dime and getting to the rack. That is what he did best on Sunday was when the game was on the line. He brought Meanstreets all the way back making play after play attacking the rim either finishing acrobatic layups or getting to the line. Top 10 prospect in the 2017 class.
PG Evan Gilyard (Meanstreets 17U)
Gilyard played well off Eastern in the backcourt this weekend. The 5’9” lead guard is a streaky shooter, but when he gets hot can really reel off points in a hurry especially with a stop and pop mid-range jumper. Got in the lane with consistency where he found teammates. Quick off the bounce with slick handles. Distributed the ball well. Should be on the mid-major radar.
SG Lucas Williamson (Meanstreets 17U)
Williamson didn’t score a ton, but he impacted the game with his versatility all weekend. The smooth shooting guard did a nice job cleaning up on the defensive boards. Also got on the offensive glass. Effective mid-range jumper. Solid passer that can also defend. Low-major target that gained some buzz with coaches this weekend.
SF Justin Smith (Mac Irvin Fire 17U)
The Stevenson 6’6” small forward continued his strong spring for the third event in a row. Smith has been the leader for the Fire in the early going and that continued over to the Indy session of the EYBL. He was aggressive getting in the lane where he sliced through the defense for scores finishing well around the rim with both hands. Jumper was pretty solid throughout the weekend both off the catch and pulling up. Proving he can be a go to offensive threat this spring. Was solid on the glass having several offensive rebound put backs. Defensively liked what he did getting in passing lanes as well as using his length to be effective on that end of the floor. High major prospect with arrow pointing up on stock.
PF Christian Negron (Mac Irvin Fire 17U)
In the first game we saw Negron he had to check 7’1” center De’Andre Ayton. Not really fair to ask the 6’6” face up four to guard the best center in the country as he is the best post player on the Fire. Ayton definitely got his points, but Negron didn’t back down and competed on both ends of the floor. He closed out the weekend with a great performance against Team Griffin where he was playing against similar sized four men. Negron was quick to the glass using his second jump ability to snatch rebounds. Had multiple put back opportunities. Scored in transition running the floor hard and was a presence defensively blocking shots. High major prospect and the top post in 2017.
PG Da’Monte Williams (Mac Irvin Fire 17U)
Williams didn’t make it to Indy until the Fire’s Saturday night game due to a family issue, but he made a major impact as soon as he got there. The 6’3” combo guard scored well in both games he played. The Peoria Manual standout is a strong and powerful guard that gets to the rim. When he is attacking downhill coming off a ball screen there isn’t much opponents can do to slow him down. Accelerates to hoop with power. Jump shot was solid hitting mid-range pull ups as well as threes at a solid clip. Pushed it with strength and speed in the transition game. Made several nice passes and definitely can be a combo at the next level for the Illini. Top 3 prospect in the class of 2017.
SF/PF Melo Burrell (Mac Irvin Fire 17U)
Burrell started off the weekend well in their game against Cal Supreme. He used his athleticism and quickness to score around the two seven foot five stars from California. Had several acrobatic finishes at the hoop. Didn’t show too much else the rest of the weekend. Still has upside, but need to see it more consistently. Low-major prospect.
PF Malik Binns (Mac Irvin Fire 17U)
Binns is a 6’5” power forward that is undersized, but relies on his strength and brute force around the hoop to be effective rebounding. Fights hard on the glass against bigger guys. He was solid in their game against Boo Williams. Not a big time scorer, but when he does get buckets they are usually off rebounds or powering his way through his man. Low-major/D2 prospect.
G Cam Irvin (Mac Irvin Fire 17U)
Cam Irvin shot the ball tremendously well from three throughout the weekend. The 5’11” guard from Morgan Park plays off the ball and was on the money as a spot up shooter. He had a couple games where he hit 4+ triples. Best off the catch. Needs to show more to his game particularly some point guard skills to max out his ability for the college level.