PrepHoops Top 250 Expo: 2020 Evals Pt 1
This past weekend was the PrepHoopsIllinois Top 250 Expo! It was a great opportunity to see some of the top players from around the state and find new prospects. Check out our evals of the prospects at the event! Here is part one of our breakdown of the 2020 prospects in attendance.
SF Isaiah Rivera (Geneseo – 2020)
In past years the PrepHoopsIllinois Top 250 MVP has gone to some big names before they became state wide stars like Ayo Dosunmu and last year Adam Miller. Another high-major recruit in the making took home the MVP honors from this year’s event. That went to Geneseo 2020 small forward Isaiah Rivera. The 6’4” wing is a top 10 prospect that is making a serious move toward the top 5 overall. His play at the camp cemented that thought. He is a strong wing that still has some room to grow vertically. He showed off his complete offensive repertoire at the camp. His offensive skill level is at another level compared to others on the floor. As a scorer he can beat you with a feathery jumper from the perimeter, but if you get up too tight he will take it to the rack. Smooth acceleration off the bounce and finishes through contact. After one take he looked at me and said “It’s too Easy!” Playmaker with the ball in the open floor as he can finish himself taking it all the way for a dunk or finding teammates. Was excellent getting others involved with his passing making some insane dishes. Rebounds well for his position. Was impressed with the growth he has made on the defensive end of the floor. Rivera isn’t the quickest on the defensive end, but especially in one on one drills he used positioning and active hands to win time after time. Rivera is a player high-majors need to get on ASAP!
SF Christian Shumate (Plainfield East – 2020)
Shumate is a super freak athlete! The 6’4” small forward is a human pogo stick! He is a high flier and was doing it throughout the day with emphatic slams. Shumate is aggressive and plays with an all-out motor all the time. Offensively he is a monster in transition as a finisher and can slash off the bounce from 18 feet in. Handles need to continue to improve as does his jump shot, but you absolutely cannot teach his athleticism and tenacity! Projects as a plus defender down the road.
SF Jayden Johnson (Batavia – 2020)
Johnson is a power wing from Batavia that is steadily making a case for a top 10 ranking in the next update of the 2020 rankings. He opened our eyes when we saw him in July at the High Academic Showcase and continued that momentum at the PrepHoops Top 250 Expo! The 6’4 small forward has a strong body, but one to where he should be able to continue to grow and maintain strength as he gets taller and body matures. Johnson is mostly known as a perimeter shooter. He did show that off drilling quite a few sweet jumpers. Quick release and gets elevation off the floor. Going to be a big time shot maker the next three years at Batavia. He displayed improvement in two key areas. His driving game has developed with tighter handles and finished well through contact at the rim. Defensively his lateral mobility and anticipation was much better than what we had seen in the past. Really looking forward to continuing to track this D1 prospect.
C Nate Seputis (Lincoln Way East – 2020)
Seputis is a player that we are very high on. He is one of the higher ranked posts in the 2020 class already, but will get a bump in the next update. The 6’9” Lincoln Way East center has the ability to contribute in a number of areas. First and foremost he brings a lunch pail attitude and plays hard every possession. Runs the floor both looking for a pass as well as getting back on D. High level rebounder on both ends of the floor. He high points the ball grabbing it at the peak. Physical down low with a strong frame and legit size. Offensively he flashes post moves on the block and getting some garbage points. Can finished with powerful dunks. Legit range on his shot out to beyond the three point arc as he looks comfortable shooting from there with ease. Seputis is a mid-major prospect that could explode this season!
SG Dante Maddox (Bloom – 2020)
It took a bit to get rolling for the Bloom standout, but once he did it was on! Maddox is a smooth shooting guard that made noise this past summer on the circuit and is primed to make an impact at Bloom this season. Once he gets on a roll from deep he really heats up. Good mechanics and stretches the defense with his perimeter shot. Also mixed in some drives. Potential D1 prospect.
SF Connor Webb (Lisle – 2020)
This was our first time checking out Connor Webb out of Lisle. The 6’4” 2020 prospect definitely jumped on our radar with his performance. The small forward has quality size and plays with a lot of confidence. Gets a lot of rebounds from the wing position. Flashed shooting ability.
PG Dakoda Joachim (Joliet Central – 2020)
Joachim is a sleeper point guard in the 2020 class that sometimes gets over shadowed by all the other stud guards with Young & Reckless. He is a smaller left handed point guard that that knows how to run the show. Joachim did an outstanding job getting others involved and playing with pace. Works well in the pick and roll. Got in the lane consistently throughout the camp. High IQ guard that can also score a little. Best using a pull up jumper from 15-18 feet.
C Brandon Lieb (Deerfield – 2020)
Lieb is a big man from Deerfield who played on the circuit this past summer with the Illinois Wolves 15U. He has legit size and length to play the five at the college level. Lieb runs the floor extremely well for his size showing great mobility. He finishes strong around the hoop. Like his ability to score with his back to the basket. Defensively flashes shot blocking potential.
SF Demarius Splunge (Orr – 2020)
Splunge is a name that has been creating quite a bit of buzz as of late. The Orr 2020 has landed a handful of D1 offers. He played last year at a school that hardly anyone has heard of so this was our first opportunity to evaluate him. He has good size at about 6’5” with a strongly built body. Splunge flat out attacks the hoop with authority. He is at his best in the open floor when he can get a head of steam behind him and takes it to the hoop. Tough driver through traffic that is powerful with the ball. Good burst off the bounce. Flashes ability as a passer especially in the open floor. Little flashy at times and that leads to turnovers. He showed potential on his jump shot hitting some mid-range pull ups and mixing in some threes. His best asset is definitely getting to the rim. You can definitely see the talent and he has a chance to be a top 10-15 player in 2020 in Illinois.
PG Ahron Ulis (Marian Catholic – 2020)
The younger brother of Phoenix Suns point guard Tyler Ulis is making a name for himself in his own right. The Marian Catholic lead guard is a slick passer that has a good feel for finding others. Consistently did that throughout the camp making quality finds. Has range on his jump shot to out beyond the three point arc which he knocked down at a good clip.
PG Reggie Strong (Farragut – 2020)
Strong is among the best 2020 lead guards in the state. He is an angular point guard with length and athleticism. He struggled shooting the ball at the camp and that is his biggest weakness at this stage. Once he gets that down he is going to be a very tough cover. Explosive speed with the ball and is slippery through traffic. A scoring point guard that likes to get in the paint to score and push it in transition. Top 10 2020 prospect.
PG Keshawn Williams (Bloom – 2020)
Williams is a 6’2” slick guard that has great athleticism. Slight build and will definitely need to continue to add more strength as his career progresses. Ultra smooth athlete that has the potential to be a guy that gets buckets in bunches. Pull up jumper from mid-range is a weapon and he excels in the open floor. Shows a lot of intangibles on the defensive end.
PG Joey Tianen (Notre Dame – 2020)
Tianen is a 6’2” 2020 point guard that put himself on our radar at the camp. He is a slick handling point guard that flat out attacks! He got in the lane time after time. Finished well at the rim around defenders. Over dribbles and is a bit wild at times, but there is definitely some talent here.
SG Jaquan Davis (Bogan – 2020)
Davis is a freak athlete from Bogan! The 2020 shooting guard is great in the transition game and puts on some spectacular displays at the rim! The skill level flashes, but needs to continue to improve. Plus rebounder for a two guard. Like his upside on the defensive end.
PG Dan Florey (St. Ignatius – 2020)
Florey is a rangy 6’3” point guard that has a high skill level. He can really shoot the ball from the perimeter with easy range out to the three point line. Handles it well and is a solid passer from the lead guard spot. Athleticism is making strides. Will need to continue to get stronger.
SF Daniel Gilbreath (Plainfield East – 2020)
Gilbreath is an attacking 6’3” forward that kept getting stronger as the day went along. He was making power moves to the hoop using his length to cover a lot of ground in a hurry and finishing with dunks. Perimeter shot needs to improve. High motor and energizer combo forward. Will be interesting to see his development.