10 Best: Holiday Tournament Edition
We covered five holiday tournaments across the state last week. There were tons of great performances. Take a look at our special 10 Best: Holiday Tournament Edition! MVP of Week PG Mark Smith (Edwardsville – 2017) Completely dominant…
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Continue ReadingWe covered five holiday tournaments across the state last week. There were tons of great performances. Take a look at our special 10 Best: Holiday Tournament Edition!
MVP of Week
PG Mark Smith (Edwardsville – 2017)
Completely dominant performance from the Edwardsville point guard. He put on a show in the championship against Belleville Althoff. The 6’3” power point guard did it all. Hit deep pull up threes, got to the basket with both power and quickness, as well as dished the rock. He played like a potential high major prospect. Smith had 35 points and 5 assists on the way to Collinsville Tournament MVP honors.
Play of the week
Alton Thompson (2017) of St. Patrick’s is making spectacular dunks a regular thing after his transfer from California. He opened up their showing at the Jack Tosh Tournament with a posterizing two handed flush. Also have to give credit to St. Ignatius 2018 point guard Carter Higginbottom for coming up clutch at the same tournament with a steal and a one footed three at the buzzer which he banked in for the first round win.
Best offensive performance
Kendle Moore (Danville – 2018)
Moore was a dynamic offensive threat for Danville in their upset over Curie. He isn’t the biggest point guard, but uses his electric speed in the open floor to push the tempo and beat his opponents down the court and to the rim. The most impressive part was his perimeter shooting. He was on point all night from beyond the arc. Moore is a plus passer with a solid feel for the game. He had 36 points in the win over Curie.
Best defensive performance
Demarius Jacobs (Uplift – 2017 – SIU)
Jacobs has become the premier wing defender in the state of Illinois in the class of 2017. He is an absolute force on that end and has been all season. That was no exception when we saw him play at the Proviso West Holiday Tournament. He might be the best shot blocking guard we have evaluated in a while. Every single game it seems like he gets multiple blocks. Also has active hands and moves well laterally which causes steals. SIU is getting a big time two way offensive threat.
Best rebounder
Jordan Goodwin (Althoff – 2017 – SLU)
Goodwin is just a man among boys on the glass. Despite going up against one of the best rebounders in the state in Edwardsville’s AJ Epenesa the top shooting guard in Illinois still went for well over double digit rebounds. He has a relentless motor and tenacity for grabbing rebounds with force. Physical, but also has an explosive second jump which allows him to get tons of offensive rebounds.
Best passer
Chase Adams (Marian Catholic – 2018)
Adams played one of the best games we have seen out of him at the Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic. The floor general has a high basketball IQ and knows how to set others up and get them involved. Works well around ball screens in the half court and can drive and kick to shooters. Speed in transition draws attention of defenders which allows him to find teammates. He had 7 assists in the game we saw along with the game winning score.
Best catch and shoot guy
Jack Marinko (Edwardsville – 2018)
Marinko wasn’t even on our radar coming into the game, but the junior point guard shot lights out from deep! He was phenomenal hitting catch and shoot threes off dribble penetration. One to track over the next year.
Best intangibles
Terrence Hargrove (East St. Louis – 2019)
Over the last month and half Hargrove has quickly become one of my favorite prospects to watch across Illinois. The 6’5” small forward has a great frame with length and the ability to continue to add strength. He plays hard all the time and is relentless on the glass. His skill set sure showed up for the first time since we have been evaluating him against Springfield Southeast as he hit multiple jumpers and handled it well getting to the lane. He is ticketed for top 5 status in 2019 in the new rankings.
Best under-the-radar performance
Austin Richie (Bloom – 2017 – St. Cloud State)
The St. Cloud State commit has always been seen as a thick bodied wing that is mostly a spot up shooter. He broke out of that mold with his performance against Joliet West. Richie did connect on a couple threes, but it was his ability to get to the hoop off the bounce with more consistency which was impressive. Richie should be a nice fit for St. Cloud State.
Best underclassmen
Perry Cowan (DePaul Prep – 2019)
This was the best I have seen out of Cowan in a high school setting. The #3 sophomore in the state has a smooth offensive game, but at times he can float and not be as assertive as he should be with his immense talent. Against Crete Monee and their star Dwayne Rose he went head to head and more that lived up to his elite ranking. Cowan drilled multiple pull ups from all over the floor. Was also impressed with how he took the ball in the paint and scored with quick post moves and short jump shots. Cowan has go to scorer potential at the high major level.