Pontiac Thursday Standouts
What a wild day of action at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament on Saturday. The top four seeds all came in undefeated and among the top ranked teams in the state. Only one of the four (Simeon) would advance to the…
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Continue ReadingWhat a wild day of action at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament on Saturday. The top four seeds all came in undefeated and among the top ranked teams in the state. Only one of the four (Simeon) would advance to the final four. See who the standout players were on Thursday!
PG Adam Miller (Peoria Manual – 2020)
We made the early drive to Pontiac specifically to check out Miller who is in contention for the #1 spot in the 2020 class. The lefty guard has good size at 6’2” with a frame that he will continue to grow. Solid mid-range shooter that hit a few off the catch and pulling up. Got to the hoop as well with a floater along with a nice and-1 off a shot fake. Feel for the game is advanced despite some turnover problems. He was the top long term prospect in the gym at Pontiac. Miller had 14 points.
PG Neshawn Brooks (Peoria Manual – 2017)
Brooks is an underrated central Illinois guard. He has a strong body and that combined with his quickness off the dribble allows him to get in the lane where he scores with runners and acrobatic layups. Plus mid-range shooter that drills them on a regular basis as he creates good separation. Struggled with turnovers. Brooks had 18 points and 5 rebounds. Worth a look at the JUCO level.
PG Michael Smith (Joliet West – 2018)
The junior Joliet West point guard came off the bench to provide some scoring punch with Teyvion Kirk in foul trouble. He is a spark plug player that comes in and lets it fly from the perimeter. Smith is a catch and shoot threat from beyond the arc as he drilled four of them. Also mixed it up inside some getting a couple put backs on the glass. Next step in his evolution will be becoming a true point guard. He finished with 20 points.
SF Austin Richie (Bloom – 2017 – St. Cloud State)
Best game I have seen out of the St. Cloud State commit. The future D2 wing is a thick bodied combo forward that plays with a motor. Against a talented Joliet West team it was Richie that carried them to the win. In the past Richie has mostly been known as a spot up shooter, but he showed more of a game off the bounce attacking on drives. Improved handles allowed him to slip by defenders. He had one monster jam on the entire Joliet West defense. Got to the charity stripe where he shot it at a high clip. Also hit a pair of threes. Quality area rebounder. He had 23 points and 9 rebounds.
PG Evan Gilyard (Simeon – 2017 – UTEP)
Gilyard was the spark that got things going. The UTEP commit is the senior leader of the Wolverines and that was evident with how he played at Pontiac. He was always in control of the game. When scoring he hit a variety of runners and pull up jumper shots including a few threes. Got in the lane off the bounce where he also made plays kicking to teammates. He had 22 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists.
PF Messiah Jones (Simeon – 2018)
Jones is a 6’5” undersized four man that was a beast on the glass. He is one of the top post players in his class because of his athleticism and ability to board. Phenomenal second jump to the offensive glass. He did just that all game long against OPRF. Jones finished tremendously well in the paint mostly on put backs and finishing up loose balls around the hoop. Love his tenacity and work ethic. Extremely efficient player. Also a rim protecting presence. Jones had 20 points (9-11 FG), 8 rebounds (5 offensive), 2 blocks, and 2 steals.
F Chris Payton (Bloomington – 2019)
The Bloomington sophomore is a 6’6” combo forward that plays mostly on the interior. His biggest presence was felt on the defensive end of the floor where he blocked shots. He had some monster ones including pinning one on a controversial call late. Explosive leaper that protects the rim. Rebounds well using his elite athleticism to high point balls above his opponents. Offensively he still isn’t overly skilled. Hit one mid-range step back, but most of his damage was done on tip dunks and a variety of other slams. Payton finished with 13 points (4/5 FG), 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and 6 blocks. Stock is on the rise.
PG Jack Nolan (Benet – 2017)
Nolan was in video game mode against Bloomington. The point guard drilled jumpers from all over the floor. That is what he does at a high level. Nolan can really shoot the ball from the perimeter particularly off the catch from three. He let it fly all night and they were going in. He even had a four point play to send the game to OT. Mixed in some improved ball handling working particularly well around ball screens. Solid passer in the half court making sound reads and crisp dishes. Nolan had 30 points (7-14 3PT) and 4 dimes. Priority D3/NAIA prospect!
F Terry Smith Jr. (Curie – 2017)
Smith is a 6’5” junk yard dog combo forward that will most likely stick on the interior at the next level. He is so physical in the paint with his strong body and willingness to mix it up with anyone. Smith is a great offensive rebounder that gets a lot of his points on second chance opportunities and dump off passes. Tough post defender. Potential D2 prospect for a program looking for his skill set. He had 13 points and 13 rebounds.
PG Kendle Moore (Danville – 2018)
Moore was the best I have ever seen him at Pontiac. The thin point guard isn’t the biggest guard, but he knows how to utilize his speed in the open floor to make plays. Against an extremely athletic Curie squad Moore got where ever he wanted blowing past defenders off the bounce, but particularly was effective in the transition game where he weaved in and out of the defense. Finishes at the rim well with great body control. Shot the ball good from the perimeter connecting on a nice amount of threes. Showed good feel passing it and got after it on the defensive end. Moore played like a mid-major prospect and a top 10 kid in 2018. He finished with 34 points (11/21 FG), 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals.
SF Sean Houpt (Danville – 2019)
Houpt is an underrated prospect in the sophomore class. He is a strongly built lefty with some projectability to continue to grow from his current 6’3” height. The lefty is a plus catch and shoot threat from the perimeter. Like what he brings to the table on the defensive end of the floor with his toughness. Rebounds well and is a sound wing passer. Houpt had 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists.