Run N Slam: 2019 Evaluations

PrepHoopsIllinois had wall to wall coverage of the Run N Slam tournament in Fort Wayne.  Now it is time to look back at the weekend with our evaluations of the prospects from the class of 2019!   SF Martin Macenis (ET21 Buckeyes) Macenis is a prospect that PHI has been a fan of for a while.  He has legit size at 6’6” and an uber skilled game.  He had that rolling on Saturday handling the ball well for his size slashing with creativity.  Moves well without the ball.  Plus pull up jump shooter and can drill it from beyond the arc.  Like how he was active on the defensive end.  Never going to be a lockdown defender, but showed strides and was active with his length getting steals and deflections.  Macenis projects as a mid-major prospect in our eyes.   PG Matas Masys (ET21 Buckeyes) This Willowbrook point guard is more of a scorer that can really shoot the basketball.  Tough and competitive kid moves well without the ball to get open and has a quick release on his shot.  Got loose for a couple layups in the open floor.  He is a high level D3 prospect.   SG Javon Cooley (ET21 Buckeyes) Cooley is a new name that emerged.  The St. Rita 6’4” shooting guard is a lefty with a thick body.  He looks to score in a crafty manner off the bounce, but was most effective as a spot up shooter.  Small college player.   PG Ray J Dennis (Milwaukee Spartans) Dennis is a lead guard from Oswego East that continues to see his stock rise this spring.  He will make a big splash in his debut in the 2019 rankings in June.  This 6’2” combo guard is ultra-smooth with the rock in his hands.  He is an excellent passer that reads defenders and finds teammates for clean looks.  Very effective in the drive and kick.  Slick getting to the rim.  Can hit threes.  Was a bit streaky throughout the day, but he shoots a good ball.  Low-major plus prospect.   SG Perry Cowan (Illinois Wolves) Cowan is a 6’4” two guard from DePaul Prep.  He made a few nice passes inside.  Jumper was very streaky during the event.  Best from mid-range, but struggled from deep.  Cowan is a low-major plus/mid-major minus prospect.   SF Bryant Brown (Illinois Wolves) The Waukegan top 5 2019 prospect is a 6’5” junior that has made the transition to a true wing.  He used to be more of a four or even combo forward, but his three point shot has taken his game to another level.  Brown drilled threes all day long especially off the catch.  Consistently stretched the floor with his perimeter stroke.  Played with a nice degree of energy mixing in some junk work inside and a few nice drives.  The best was a rip that he took baseline for a big jam.  Brown is a very under recruited mid-major/mid-major minus player.   PG Marquise Kennedy (Illinois Wolves) Kennedy was one of three Wolves under the weather, but he still continued his strong spring.  The Brother Rice point guard is an athletic combo guard that pushes it in the open floor and drove it really hard to the rack all weekend long.  He has a burst with the ball.  Capable shooter, but right now is best getting to the hoop.  Kennedy is low-major plus/mid-major prospect.   PF Keenon Cole (Illinois Wolves) Cole is a rangy 6’6” bouncy four man that plays above the rim.  Will definitely need to add on more strength and improve his low post game, but there is a lot to like here.  He shot the ball very well hitting from three in the pick and pop at a nice clip.  At times can settle for it a bit too much.  Quick moves from the mid-post and in.  Cole is a low-major prospect.   PF Tom Welch (Illinois Wolves) Welch was also under the weather for the Wolves.  He fought through it when we watched them in a couple games on Saturday.  The Naperville North 2019 four man has picked up a ton of offers in the last few weeks.  He displayed some of why in Fort Wayne.  He is a broad shouldered and strong post that has great mobility to go with it.  Even handled it on occasion including a sick drive that he finished with his off hand.  Sound area rebounder.  Plus passer for a big man.  Mid-major prospect.   SF Terrence Shannon (Mac Irvin Fire) This Lincoln Park wing who is reclassifying and heading to Woodstock Academy for a prep year continues to improve as a late bloomer.  The 6’6” small forward is a big time athlete that excels in transition.  He was a finisher a lot getting out ahead of the break winning in one on one situations with layups.  One sick euro step that he hammered home with a dunk.  In the half court he was more aggressive than earlier in the weekend getting downhill and not settling as much for threes.  Shannon is trending as a high-major minus/mid-major plus prospect.   PG Markese Jacobs (Mac Irvin Fire) Jacobs is a scoring point guard who is headed to Kansas.  He played well on Saturday.  Explosive scorer that has speed with the ball.  Actually made a few nice passes as well.  Sometimes he makes some high risk dishes though.  Struggled in their game on Sunday.   PF Rashaun Agee (Mac Irvin Fire) Agee is a quality area rebounder that continues to see his stock rise.  He isn’t going to wow you, but he just gets stuff done hitting the glass hard.  Powerful around the hoop snatching boards with his strong hands and can finish through contact.  Runs the floor hard and can block an occasional shot.  Low-major.   PG Demari Grant (Chicago Lockdown) This Bolingbrook point guard continued his monster spring at Run N Slam.  The point guard was in a zone shooting the ball from 15-18 feet drilling them over and over again.  He seemingly didn’t miss almost the entire game with his jumper.  Grant is more than just a shooter.  He has some quickness and handles that let him get in the paint.  Grant is worth monitoring by D2 programs and with a big senior season could emerge on the low-major radar.   PF Nate Ferguson (Chicago Lockdown) Ferguson is one of the state’s top 2019 post prospects.  The 6’9” four man is a great combination of skill and athleticism.  The skill part was shown through most with his passing.  Best we have seen him pass the rock in his career.  Worked well finding his other big man for easy buckets.  Connected on a pair of threes.  His footwork is excellent in the post and is tough to stop with his right handed hook shot.  Ferguson played above the rim with a monster alley-oop slam and high pointed several tough rebounds.  Ferguson is primed to move into the top 10 overall in the state’s 2019 class and is a no brainer mid-major prospect.   F Trevon Jones (Chicago Lockdown) Jones is a physical combo forward that has great strength.  He was most effective as an area rebounder that gobbled up boards in traffic.  Got several offensive rebound put backs.  Small college player.   SF Jeremiah Hernandez (Young & Reckless) Hernandez is one of the more talented wing prospects in the 2019 class.  The rangy small forward handles it well in the open floor and is an excellent passer for a wing.  Made quite a few nice finds in the half court.  He scores well at the rim winning in one on one situations as well as making regular trips to the three throw line.  Hit a pair of pull up threes to keep his team in the game.  Mid-major prospect.   SG Keshawn Williams (Young & Reckless) Williams is a 6’1” undersized scoring guard.  He is wiry and extremely athletic.  He showed that off with a big alley-oop slam.  Quality shooter that can connect from both mid-range and three.  Would like to see the passing improve especially at his height.  Like him as a D1 prospect for sure.   PF Dachaun Anderson (Young & Reckless) Anderson is a beast area rebounder.  The physical Leo four man is built like a college defensive end.  Quick twitched and strong post that is super aggressive on the glass.  Plays bully ball on the interior and gets a lot of his points in a junk yard dog fashion.  D2 prospect.   SF Maurion Scott (Young & Reckless) Scott made his debut with Y&R over the weekend and the Homewood Flossmoor wing got off to a promising start!  This lengthy wing has some projectability.  He got loose for quite a few transition finishes.  Connected on a pair of threes as well.  Worth monitoring at the D2 level.   SF Greg Outlaw (Chicago Select) Outlaw is a 6’4” wing from Bogan that has had a strong spring making a name for himself.  He is a big and powerful small forward that has off the charts athleticism.  The jump shot from three definitely needs some work, but there are a lot of things to like about him.  First is how hard he plays and the intensity he brings on both ends.  Came out of the gates attacking with straight line drives including a baseline one that he hammered home with force.  Outlaw got after it on defense getting several steals and bringing intensity to that end of the floor at points of the game.  He is one to continue to monitor the remainder of the spring.  Outlaw is a no brainer D2 player that if the jumper becomes a weapon in July could become a name to watch by low-majors.   PG Damari Nixon (Chicago Select) Nixon is a combo guard from Fenwick that is an angular lefty.  He was more of a distributor than scorer in the game we saw.  Got in the lane for some nice dump off passes and other assists.  Capable shooter and is an active defender.  D2 upside here.   SG Elijah Stewart (Chicago Select) Stewart is a wing from Kenwood that has scoring potential.  Didn’t have a huge game, but showed he could drill pull up jumpers and with balance on his left handed shot.  Stewart is a small college scorer.   C Taeyon Neal (Chicago Select) Neal is a huge bodied post that at a legit 6’9” is a space eater on the interior.  He plays physical and has a mean streak to him.  Solid fisher.  A D2 program could take a shot on him and try to get him in better shape and hope his knees hold up as he was grabbing at them a bit in the game we saw.  There are not a lot of guys as big as him out there though so he is intriguing.