Illinois Mr. Basketball Candidate: Elijah Joiner
In this series we take a look at the potential candidates for Mr. Basketball in the state of Illinois for this upcoming season. Here we profile Curie 2017 shooting guard Elijah Joiner. Profile: Joiner is a smooth scoring guard…
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Continue ReadingIn this series we take a look at the potential candidates for Mr. Basketball in the state of Illinois for this upcoming season. Here we profile Curie 2017 shooting guard Elijah Joiner.
Profile:
Joiner is a smooth scoring guard that was a big part of their 4A state championship team last season as he teamed up with DePaul freshman Devin Gage to form one of the best backcourts in the state. As the season went on it was Joiner who made the big plays when they were needed. He can really shoot the ball from the perimeter being able to carry his team from three for stretches. Improved his ball handling and passing over the summer.
Odds to Win:
12/1
Why he Can Win:
He is the top player on the reigning 4A state champions. With Gage’s graduation look for Joiner to see his scoring numbers rise as he should be one of the top scorers in the Chicago public league. Joiner will be the leader of a team that still has several key players remaining from last year’s title team and they should be a factor come March again.
Obstacles to Win:
Without Gage there the focus of the defense will be solely on the top 10 prospect. It will be up to Joiner to know when to pick his spots to take over the game with his scoring and when the defense significantly shifts to him to find his teammates. Also the pressure to repeat something that Curie has never done before will be weighing heavily on the talented prospect.