20 2022's to Track - Prep Hoops

THIS IS NOT A RANKING! Glad we got that out of the way. These are 20 freshman prospects that we have seen in person throughout the high school season/fall camps and been impressed by early in the process. They have a chance to be legit college prospects down the line. Yes, I know there are players not on here that will be among the best prospects in the state, but we haven’t seen them yet with our own eyes. It is insanely early in the process and you can’t do a legitimate ranking at this point as some are playing varsity with big roles, most are on varsity with small roles, and others are on JV. We will get a much better feel for this class in the spring and summer on the 15U level, but we wanted to give everyone a look at some of the freshman that have stood out to us this year. Once again THIS IS NOT A RANKING! Here are 20 2022s to Track!   Point Guards Jaylen Drane (Simeon) This Simeon combo guard is one of the top 2022 prospects in the state with high-major looks already. At 6’2” with a long and wiry frame he has explosive pop with the ball in his hands. Slippery weaving through traffic. Such a good layup maker early on. Works well around ball screens. Can be an excellent defender with his length and quick hands. Played major minutes as a freshman for the Wolverines.   Donovan Jones (Solorio) This point guard is a quick twitched athlete that proved to have a nice pull up game. Speed in the open floor. Athletic guard with upside that posted big numbers as a freshman at Kahlil Whitney’s former school.   Caleb Burton (O’Fallon) Burton is a point guard at 6’0” that is definitely worth keeping tabs on out of the metro east this spring on the Southwest Jets. Played with a lot of confidence when we saw him during the high school season. Showed potential as a passer. Burst off the bounce with the rock in his hands. Shoots a good ball mechanically, but results were mixed on them going in. Think he should be a solid shooter in time.   Terrance Ford and Leontae Lilly (Orr) These small point guards both played limited minutes for the 2A champs throughout the season. Quick twitched guard with handles and have potential to develop into solid three point shooters.     Shooting Guards Jaden Schutt (Yorkville Christian) The Yorkville Christian 2022 two guard is a player that posted monster numbers in grammar school and followed that up with a solid freshman season. What you have to like about him is his shooting and feel for the game. Very clean shot mechanically pulling up and off the bounce. Consistent mechanics every time he lets it fly. Moves without the ball to get open. Good athlete. Smart basketball player.   Tye Banks (Springfield Lanphier) The Springfield Lanphier 6’2” shooting guard has a chance to be the next guard to come out of Springfield. He has a nice frame and a smooth game. Banks made key plays for his team throughout the season starting as a freshman. Strong slasher that gets downhill with force. Solid mechanics on the jumper. Plays under control and doesn’t get rattled on a big stage.   Mikell Jones & Mikqwon Jones (Farragut) These 6’4” twins from Faragut put themselves on the map during the high school season. Decent athletes with potential as mid-range shooters. Lengthy and versatility on the defensive end.   AJ Redd (St. Ignatius) Redd is primed to be the next big time prospect out of St. Ignatius. Attacks the basket with a purpose and is very explosive. Handles well against pressure. Above average court vision. Coachable player that wants to get better. Outside jumper has to improve.   Chase Travis (Olney) Only a freshman the 6’2” two guard has length, projectability to grow, and athleticism. He is extremely smooth with the ball in his hands getting where he wants with crisp moves. Blows by his man with ease in the half court off the bounce. Creative handles allow him to maneuver inside the heart of a defense.     Small Forward Kam Craft (Buffalo Grove) Craft is a 6’4” small forward that put up solid scoring numbers as a freshman. Quite a few things to like here. First is size for position. At 6’4” with long arms he has positional size and is still super young. He is a guy that has been known as a shooter early in his career. Bit of a funky release on the side of his head. The inconsistent release point leads to streaky results, but definitely has potential as a shooter. Crafty game off the bounce. Handles it ok in space. Effective rebounder.   Kaden Stork (Normal U-High) This central Illinois 6’4” small forward was one of the more intriguing prospects from outside of Chicago at the Pangos Camp. The young forward has long arms and a projectable body. Range on his three point shot out to well beyond the high school line. Also can handle it too in the open floor.   Kanye Smith (Whitney Young) Smith stands at 6’5” already and is a pure wing. Tons of projectability here! Long and lanky build. Smooth looking jump shot. Handles it well although he can be a bit wild at times. Like his potential a lot on the defensive end with length and blocked a couple shots at the camp.   Timarius Brown (St. Patrick) Brown was probably the best prospect of the 2022 players in attendance back in the fall at the Prep Hoops Top 250 Camp. The lefty stands at 6’4” with an angular build. Could easily see him growing more. Bombed in threes both off the catch and pulling up. Very projectable. Little bit raw with his handles, but has plenty of time to tighten that up.   Christian Meeks (Homewood Flossmoor) Meeks stands at 6’5” with strength. He impressed at several camps in the fall. Definitely more of a wing prospect, but plays tough around the hoop with how he gets on the glass and finishes. Works well as a scorer in the pick/roll. Physical body at a young age.     Posts AJ Casey (Simeon) Casey is the next five star from powerhouse Simeon. Already he is 6’8” he has plus athleticism and a wing type skill level. It is absolutely scary how good he could be. Comfortable handling and finishing at the rim with both hands. Puts the ball on the deck quite a bit bringing the ball up the court many times and can take his man off the dribble from the high-post area. Defensively he is so active covering ground with his quickness and length. So engaged on that end of the floor for a young prospect. He came on very strong at the end of the season scoring, rebounding, and blocking shots. Major contributor for Simeon in his first season.   Kyle Thomas (St. Joseph’s) We caught our first glimpse at this talented 6’7” power forward back in the fall at an Illinois Wolves workout. First thing that stands out is he has a projectable frame. Broad shoulders and a frame that should easily be able to carry 25-30 more pounds as time goes on. Coordination is still a work in progress, but he did show off potential including a baseline take for a dunk. Moves his feet pretty well. Like his potential as a shot blocker down the line. Still early, but a big man to monitor.   Robbie Avila (Oak Forest) One of the most productive freshman seasons in the state. The power forward has some baby fat still on him which means he will continue to grow and once he add strength he could be scary good. Avila is very mobile on the interior being able to use both hands to score with a soft touch and can face up a little with potential as a shooter. Bright future for this big man!   Sam Bradbury (Mattoon) This 6’5” freshman definitely put his name on the map at the Wooden Shoe Shootout. Wide bodied five man that is a bit raw, but definitely flashed potential. Powerful finishing around the hoop. Decent area rebounder. Definitely a young big man to track!