Chicago Elite Classic: 2018 Scouting
PrepHoopsIllinois had extensive coverage throughout the weekend of the Chicago Elite Classic featuring many of the top teams and players from the state of Illinois. In this feature we breakdown the scouting reports of the juniors in our 2018 report.…
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Continue ReadingPrepHoopsIllinois had extensive coverage throughout the weekend of the Chicago Elite Classic featuring many of the top teams and players from the state of Illinois. In this feature we breakdown the scouting reports of the juniors in our 2018 report.
PF Tyree and Traevon Martin (Curie)
The 2018 6’8” Martin brothers did an outstanding job fighting inside against the top player in the state in Jeremiah Tilmon. They fought hard on the glass high pointing rebounds and played tough interior defense using their length to give Tilmon tough looks at the basket. Traevon had multiple blocks in the contest. Tyree showed skill on a sweet high/low dish to his brother. They are going to be key parts of this year’s team. Both are D1 prospects in the 2018 class.
PF Raekwon Drake (Orr)
Drake is a 6’5” undersized power forward that uses his athleticism and motor to dominate on the high school level. He is usually a superior athlete to everyone else on the floor. Against a Miller Grove team out of Georgia that could compete with him in that aspect he was still solid, but not dominant. Drake had some trouble converting at the rim throughout the contest. He would get a few buckets on an and-1, couple put backs, and a quick baseline spin. Drake had 12 points. Projects as a D2 prospect right now with low-major potential. Would like to see more perimeter skill development out of the talented prospect.
SF Tyronn Mosley (Orr)
Mosley is a long and lanky wing with a projectable body. He is super bouncy and uses that to be a shot blocking force from the weakside. Handles the ball well getting in the lane where he finishes with runners and layups. Also displayed a sweet euro step in the open floor. Most of his damage came slashing in the lane. Mosley should be monitored at the D2 level with low-major upside.
SG Brian Hernandez (Orr)
Hernandez is a thick bodied and physical combo guard that plays with swagger. The lefty likes to spot up from three. Crafty defender. He had 11 points. Small college prospect.
PG Andrew Anderson (Hyde Park)
Anderson put himself on our radar with his play at the Chicago Elite Classic. The 5’9” point guard lacks ideal height, but was definitely not afraid to go inside to make plays. He excelled at drilling runners after getting penetration in the lane. Shifty point guard that is a good ball handler. Flashed potential on a jumper. He had 18 points. One we will continue to track.
SF Talen Horton-Tucker (Simeon)
THT proved on the big stage that he was ready to be the go to scorer for the Wolverines. The big and physical 6’5” junior has a strong body, but is also a good athlete that carries his strength well. What you have to like about Horton-Tucker is his versatility and skill level. He plays with a high basketball IQ and makes winning basketball plays. Horton-Tucker is a crafty driver that uses fakes and hesitation to keep the defense guessing. Showed some explosion off the bounce on a couple drives. Good body control at the rim. Was kind of streaky from three in this one although that is one of his strengths. Plus passer that is more than willing to kick to the open man when the defense collapses on him. Horton-Tucker was a man on the boards. He is one of the tallest players on Simeon and even though he will be a wing at the next level he has to board for his high school team to be successful. He did just that! Horton-Tucker had 26 points (10-14 FG), 14 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. He solidified a high-major status with this performance.
SG Kezo Brown (Simeon)
Brown looked the best we have seen him in quite some time in this game. He was aggressive from the jump and wasn’t afraid to let it fly from three. He was excellent from beyond the arc converting on 5-9 from distance. Most of them were catch and shoot off dribble penetration. Didn’t hesitate at all and looked confident for the first time in a while. Brown struggled inside the arc and had a few turnovers. Kezo did a good job of getting on the offensive glass to keep several possessions alive. He had 17 points (6-17 FG) and 5 rebounds. This is one prospect we will be tracking closely throughout the year. He has high-major ability if he brings it.
PF Messiah Jones (Simeon)
Jones stands at only 6’5”, but plays bigger than his height due to his length, angular build, and elite athleticism. The Simeon post was a beast on the interior against Gonzaga. With the DC team lacking any true bigs to challenge Jones he hit the glass on both ends including four offensive ones. Quick explosion off the floor and high points rebounds. Also was a defensive presence in the paint swatting multiple shots with his bounce and timing coming from the weakside. Offensively Jones is quick and shoots a high percentage inside the paint. His stat line was 13 points (6-8 FG), 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Needs to be on the low-major and potentially mid-major radar.
PG Xavier Castaneda (Whitney Young)
The state’s #4 2018 prospect didn’t start the game and was limited to only 20 minutes of action. When in the game he was effective. Once he got in there Castaneda was aggressive using his speed and athleticism to attack the defense going downhill. Hit a three. Made several great dishes including some full court passes on the money. His vision is one of the best in the class. Cleared the defensive glass. Struggled at the free throw line. He had 6 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists. Mid-major plus talent if he stays healthy.
SG Justin Boyd (Whitney Young)
The 6’3” junior shooting guard for the Dolphins showed off a little more versatility while still doing what he does best. Boyd is an athletic wing that’s biggest asset is his spot up shooting. Spaces the floor with his perimeter shot off the catch. Boyd went 4-10 from beyond the arc against Kenwood. Had a couple acrobatic layups including one off a steal that he created. Also contributed rebounding and passing. Boyd is a low-major prospect that had 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists.
SG Javon Freeman (Whitney Young)
This was the debut of one of the top transfers in the state. Freeman is a rangy two guard that can defend multiple positions. He didn’t look very comfortable throughout the night offensively as he was trying to figure out where he fit in as previously he has been the man at Seton. Freeman did have a couple nice slashes. He finished with just 4 points (2-8 FG). Low-major potential.
SG RJ McGee (Kenwood)
We were huge fans of what McGee brought to the table with his play at the TOC last week. At 6’3” with elite athleticism and a strong build McGee might be Kenwood’s top prospect. Great transition player that is a run/jump athlete that can compete with the best of them. Finishes through contact at the rim while also making regular trips to the line. Drilled a mid-range jumper that has picture perfect form. McGee had 8 points (2-3 FG). Projects as a mid-major to low-major prospect with the arrow going up on his stock.