NY2LA Invitational: Saturday Standouts
PrepHoopsIllinois was in attendance for day two of the NY2LA Sports Invitational in Mequon, Wisconsin. Take a look at who the standout performers were on Saturday from the state of Illinois. PG Devin Whitelow (Illinois Irish 17U) Whitelow is…
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Continue ReadingPrepHoopsIllinois was in attendance for day two of the NY2LA Sports Invitational in Mequon, Wisconsin. Take a look at who the standout performers were on Saturday from the state of Illinois.
PG Devin Whitelow (Illinois Irish 17U)
Whitelow is the engine that makes the Illinois Irish train go on one of the most cohesive units in the state. What he lacks in height Whitelow makes up for in heart. He is a true floor general that sees the court and makes sound decisions with the basketball every time. Whitelow gets in the lane where he is a magician with the ball in the drive and kick game. Knows how to run a team in the half court while also pushing it in the open floor. Game changer at the D3 level.
SG Justin Fox (Mercury Elite Robinson 17U)
Fox is an unknown prospect from Dwight Township who opened eyes at the NY2LA Sports Invitational. At 6’4” the shooting guard is the go to player for Mercury Elite Robinson. The kid is a shot maker that takes and makes tough perimeter jumpers. Plus shooter from three off the catch. Shoots it across his face mechanically. Also showed a little shake off the bounce where he got to the line on occasion. Solid D3 prospect.
F Connor Niego (Chicago Lockdown 17U)
At 6’8” Niego is a combo forward that continues to make strides in the areas he needed too. First is his strength. Each time we see him it looks like he has been in the weight room as his frame is starting to fill out a little more every outing. Niego is a skilled face up four man that can stretch the floor with a feathery jumper. What impressed us was his toughness on the glass and improved ball handling. Looked good in the open floor and had a nice rip through where he took his man off the bounce to score. Athleticism is another area that this rising senior brings to the table with a couple nice blocks and put back slam. Low-major plus prospect.
PG PJ Pipes (Illinois Stars 17U)
Another day another PJ Pipes performances to talk about. I tweeted it during the game, but what are the Midwest low-major and mid-major programs waiting for? The Lemont 6’2” point guard is a strong guard that can really score. He got hot from deep in this game hitting multiple three pointers pulling up and off the catch. That opened up driving lanes where he got to the rim at will for buckets or fouls. His distribution skills and ability to run a team have greatly improved to where he can now be considered a point guard and not a scoring combo guard. Pipes had 26 points in one of their games Saturday.
SF Rowan McGowen (Mercury Elite Thomas 17U)
The Wheaton North small forward has size at 6’6” with the ability to really shoot the basketball. He is a sound three point threat particularly off the catch. We have known this for a while. What he displayed that we haven’t seen is his passing on the interior and toughness on the glass. High D3/NAIA prospect that could sneak into D2 territory with a big July.
PF Cameron Bowles (TAW 17U)
The 6’7” power forward from Homewood Flossmoor has a long and projectable frame. Very mobile running the floor and using his quickness on the interior. Bouncy forward is a solid rebounder. Also showed he could handle it a little and hit a mid-range jump shot. A name we will be monitoring closely over the next few months.
PG Brandon Simberg (Kessel Heat 16U)
The former Lake Forest Academy point guard started off the day by informing PrepHoopsIllinois that he will be transferring to Libertyville for his junior season. Then he torched the nets on court three at Homestead High School. Simberg is a lead guard that stands at only about 5’8” who is tough. He plays with a chip on his shoulder. Really can shoot it from deep when he gets in a rhythm off the catch. Small college prospect.
G Zach Robinson (Tri City Thunder 16U)
The 6’0” combo guard from St. Charles East had one of his stronger performances of the spring Saturday. Robinson is most comfortable playing off the ball where he can shoot it off the catch moving away from the basketball to get open. Drilled several threes in this game. Tough defender that moves laterally and competed. D3/NAIA prospect down the line.
SF Noah Blue (Illinois Stars 16U)
At 6’3” Blue is a hardnosed and gritty 6’3” wing from Chicago University High School. The rising junior has a thick body and doesn’t necessarily look the part, but plays with a tremendous motor and is always around the basketball. Crafty rebounder that hits the glass on both ends of the floor and outworks bigger opponents. Can hit a three on occasion. Blue had 15 points in the afternoon game. D3/NAIA prospect that will give you everything he has in the 2018 class.
PG Joseph Yesufu (Chicago Select 15U)
Yesufu has been touted as one of the state’s top lead guards in the class of 2019. He showed what he could do when the ball was put in his hands. Early in the game the Bolingbrook guard was playing off the ball. When the rock was placed in his hands the game changed with his speed and court vision in the open floor. Yesufu has tremendous speed pushing it and blowing by defenders. The strong guard has a slick euro step in the lane that he uses on occasion. Jump shot is a bit streaky. Scoring point guard that is just a playmaker. Already holds on D1 offer from Wisconsin Green Bay. Expect more to follow.