5 Takeaways: Niles North vs Prosser
Monday night we went to Prosser High School to see them take on Niles North who is one of the top teams in the Chicagoland area this season. They lived up to that reputation in this game! Jumped out with an early 8-0 run seconds into the contest and never looked back taking home an 85-59 victory on the road. Check out our 5 Takeaways: Niles North vs Prosser breaking down the game!
Niles North Belongs With Elite Chicago Teams
I couldn’t have been more impressed with how Niles North played. They absolutely dominated from the opening tip and never let their foot off the pedal. Niles North shoots the basketball at a very high rate from the perimeter and passes the ball so well as a team. Always makes the extra pass for a better shot. They play as a team and although the two we will talk about next are the stars the team plays well together. Coming into the season there was a Big 5 teams of Simeon, Whitney Young, Orr, Curie, and Morgan Park. Niles North is not that far behind them at all!
Dravon Clayborn and Damaria Franklin Back Up Hype
I totally admit we have Niles North 2018 guards Dravon Clayborn and Damaria Franklin way too low in the current rankings. We liked what we saw out of each of them last high school season and thought they were worth monitoring going forward. We didn’t see either of them play at all during the spring and summer on the circuit as they played on an out of state team that we didn’t even know they were on who didn’t play in tournaments we covered. Their stock will skyrocket in the mid-season rankings after what we saw Monday night. Clayborn is a 6’1” point guard with length and has good muscle tone in his arms. Plays with feel for the game and can really shoot the ball from the perimeter. Gets elevation off the floor and has a nice looking stroke. Smooth explosion off the bounce getting to the rack both in the half court and in transition. Can finish with both hands at the rim. Crisp passer that makes sound decisions with the ball especially in the half court. Drive and kicks to shooters. Defensively he gets up in his man and moves well laterally. He projects as a low-major prospect and will be ranked as one of the better uncommitted point guards on the board. Finished with 28 points and 5 dimes. Damaria Franklin is a powerful 6’3” guard that is built like a linebacker. Franklin is at his best spotting up from three. Drills shots with a quick release and a compact stroke. Also a quality pull up shooter from 15-18 feet off the bounce. Rebounds very well for a guard. Franklin projects as a high D2 prospect with the chance to elevate into low-major status. He had 17 points.
Niles North Depth and Defense
Niles North is much more than just Franklin and Clayborn. They have a lot of depth and will get even more once Jamal Stephenson returns later in the season from injury. They have a ton of quality players and all of them seem to have tremendous length. That plays well on the defensive end of the floor being able to cause havoc pressuring the ball all over the floor which they do very well. Niles North quickly transitions from defense to offense turning turnovers into points on the other end. Demarion Bariffe-Smith brings uber length and athleticism on the defensive end. Also a pair of shooters in Julius Francellno and Omar Policape provide additional perimeter shooting.
Future Bright for Niles North
They are just role players right now, but Niles North has a pair of young players to track down the line. We saw both of them this fall at camps where they played well against prospects their own age and shined. Aquan Smart is a 2020 shooting guard that is a wiry athlete. Runs the floor well and finishes in transition. Jalen Butler is a 6’6” jumbo small forward. Long, lanky, and projectable. Bouncy around the hoop and rebounds well. Skill needs improvement, but he has time.
Freshman Shines for Prosser
The best player for Prosser was 2021 point guard Norvell Meadows. The 5’10” lead guard has a strong and compact build with good athleticism. Shifty ball handler that is at his best attacking off the dribble and getting downhill. He can hit shots from deep, but forces a lot of bad shots. Not a great feel for the game at this stage. That will come in time. He is a volume scorer that has a chance to be pretty good with some refinement down the line. Meddows had 22 points.