First Person Grassroots: Illinois Irish
In our “First Person Grassroots Recap” series we take a look at how the travel team season went for one our state’s programs.
Gavin Sullivan of the Illinois Irish talks about his program’s spring and summer!
Overall Thoughts on Season
I thought the season went well. We pride ourselves on developing our players and I think this spring & summer was an eye opener for a lot of our players. So many are used to having success come easy. So when struggle arises a lot don’t know what do. Some people view struggle as a bad thing, while we view it as part of the growing process. So many players now a days just hear how good they are and when they struggle the would rather run from it than attack it. We push our guys to attack that struggle and be better because of it.
17U Elite
A very late blooming bunch. Not a lot of varsity minutes as Freshmen and Sophomores. As Juniors they all had big roles to fill for their High School teams and will have evening bigger roles this winter. We finished the season a little above .500 but played a lot more consistent during the season compared to the last couple season.
6’5 Calvin Fisher: was the surprise player for this group. Skilled wing player that got more comfortable each tournament. Should have a great High School Season for Monticello.
6’4 JT Wheeler: is an undervalued prospect. Athletic wing with great shooting stroke. Had a great spring, but struggled to get shots to fall in July. He will prove he is amongst Central IL better prospects at Unity this winter.
5’11 Bailey Dee: he is a scoring point that can get buckets in a variety of ways. I have been extremely hard on him over the past couple of seasons on becoming a better leader and distributor. This year he showed a lot more of that and as he continues to buy into that his recruitment with continue to grow.
6’8 Seth Kizer: is a face up 4 man with solid mobility. Works hard and competes. Post game is a work in progress but very fluid stroke from the outside. Should be the key piece at Limestone High School.
6’4 Jace Link: doesn’t do anything great, but does so many things well. This combo forward can guard wings or bang with bigs. Great at getting to and finishing around the rim. Confidence in his jumper has improved and should allow him to be a very difficult match for Pekin this winter.
16U Elite
A very talented, tough, and athletic team. This group might play as hard as any team we have ever had. They aren’t the biggest team but they play for each other and just flat out attack offensively and defensively. It is a great group of young men that play for each other.
Key Wins
PSA Cardinals, Team Griffin, Team Rush, QC Elite, OK Run PWP, Reach Legends, Caron Butler Elite
Standout Performers
6’3 Donavan Moore: was one of the hottest prospects in the Midwest in 2019 class. He is a long, athletic, combo guard that is just scratching the surface of what we can do. Will be fun to see what he comes back like next spring.
6’3 Anthony Fairlee: only played in July due to Track for his High School in the spring. Last year everyone questioned his shooting ability and he definitely showed people in July that he is more than capable of hitting shots from the perimeter. Scott Burgess claims him to be the best pure athlete in the state. With some of the dunks he had in July its hard to argue.
6’5 Collin Dietz: continues to grow into his body and expand his offensive game. Has always been able to fill the stat sheet because of his hustle and toughness. And this season showed he is now able to score in multiple ways. Should have a big season at Metamora High School.
6’4 Sean Houpt: was arguably the teams best defender. He has a sweet stroke from the outside which he showed on multiple occasions. 22pts including 6 threes against PSA Cardinals was a prime example. His Danville High School team will be one to watch out for this season. There is a lot of talent their and he will be a big reason behind their success.
6’5 Karl Wright: has always been a great athlete, but everyone is waiting for his skill level to increase. He is a high energy player that is extremely active on the offensive and defensive glass. He showed an improved post game and the ability to hit the open jumper. Also had some monstrous dunks this year. Will be a major piece for an again loaded Springfield Lanphier team.
6’0 Jirehl Brock: would be a scholarship basketball player if he wasn’t a Power 5 football player. He is a great athlete that has the quickness of PG and the strength of a Center. He was the glue to this group and was the vocal leader of this talented group. This kid is an absolute beast.
6’4 Malcolm Miller: is a gifted scorer who can score in a variety of ways. His ability to space the floor is something every team could use. He is also a physical rebounder at the guard position. He should put up monster numbers for Shelbyville this year.
15U Elite & Select
We split our teams down the middle of talent so that a lot of players could get major minutes in terms of development. I think both teams learned a lot about themselves and what it takes to win and be successful at this level. This is a very deep and talented group and will be fun to see them continue to develop the next couple years.
Key Players
Jack Weber, Drew Wollenschlager, Connor Dillon, Caleb Kizer, Derrick Roberts, Nick Savage, Spencer Yoggerst, Gabe Cox, Tyler Calhoun.