#HardWorkKickoff: Scotty B’s Saturday Morning Notebook

<p>Saturday the action continued at the #HardWorkKickoff in Council Bluffs, Iowa.  We have an absolutely jam packed notebook for you recapping the Illinois teams and much more here in <strong>#HardWorkKickoff: Scotty B’s Saturday Morning Notebook</strong>!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Team RWA 16U Gets Saturday Morning Win</strong></p> <p>We started the day off by checking out Team RWA 16U against the Iowa Mavs.  We came away very impressed with Kenwood 2021 point guard Caleb Horton.  This lead guard worked well in the pick and roll, got to the rim off the bounce where he finished acrobatic layups, and also proved to be a capable shooter.  A new name that jumped on our radar was Wheeling small forward Jaden Terrell.  The lefty wing has a lanky build and he was a force attacking downhill slithering his way through the defense for scores.  Couple defensive minded guards that made an impact on that end of the floor were Kenton Pryor (Homewood Flossmoor) and AJ Coleman (OPRF).  Another breakout player for the RWA 16U group was Lincoln Way East small forward Ryan Sucha.  He has nice strength and size on the perimeter.  Displayed and inside/outside game with his ability to rebound, finish at the rim, and step out to hit threes.  The Iowa Mavs had an Illinois high school product on their team in Connor Barrett.  This 6’1” shooting guard from Fulton High School proved to be a smooth shooting two guard.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>BBA Force 15U Knocks Off Team RWA in Close Game</strong></p> <p>BBA Force had an impressive front line at the 15U level.  Jerry Deng stands at 6’5” and this combo forward has skill, athleticism, and projectability.  He rebounded well in his area high pointing boards.  Also showed he could put it on the deck some and even hit a three.  Agnok Akot who is also his high school teammate stands at 6’5” as well.  He knocked in a turnaround jumper and finished well around the hoop.  Defensive presence.  Tosh Lunden is undersized at 6’3”, but the big bodied forward gets the most out of his ability carving out a niche getting offensive rebounds and hit key free throws down the stretch.  For Team RWA they were led by Leo 2022 point guard Cam Cleveland.  The younger brother of Fred Cleveland has a lot of similar traits.  Slick handling guard that can make threes at a high clip.  Crisp ball handler that got through traffic several times for runners.  In the backcourt Home School 2023 point guard Ahmad Henderson got things going late. The tiny point guard was super pesky on the defensive end turning defense into offense.  A couple of projectable kids to watch on this group are Marist small forward Caleb Hannah and Lisle power forward Tubari Stewart.  Hannah is a wing that can shoot.  Stewart is a post with size and athleticism.  Each need refinement, but they have a chance.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Hoops Intensity Training 16U with Huge Comeback to Win 45-43 over South Dakota Venom</strong></p> <p>Early on in this game it was all South Dakota Venom.  They made three after three after three.  It wasn’t just one guy either it was across the board at all five positions.  They had a significant lead.  HIT chipped away throughout the game coming back to take their only lead in the last minute.  St. Charles East point guard Tommy Craven did some nice things in the first half.  Crafty guard that can score in the lane and is a decent passer.  The standouts were wings Tyler Van Eekeren and Odin Lium.  Benet 2021 6’5” small forward Tyler Van Eekeren broke out on our radar about a week ago and continued his momentum in Iowa.  Big wing that can attack with burst downhill.  Capable three point shooter.  Flies in for rebounds.  Lium has so much projectability.  The Oswego East small forward is crisp with everything he does.  One dribble pull up.  Scored inside well despite his lack of strength.  Rebounds well for a wing.  Roanoke Benson power forward Luke Braman had an up and down game.  He struggled finishing at times, but late in the game he had a few key blocks and conversions in the paint.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Illinois Tigers 15U Roll</strong></p> <p>Because the previous game ran late we were only able to catch part of the Illinois Tigers rout of Iowa United Select.  The Illinois Tigers are mostly comprised of Springfield Southeast players with a few Lanphier and Springfield High guys sprinkled in.  Southest High School is a program that has been dominant the last two seasons in central Illinois during the high school season.  This is an all guard based team at the 15U level.  Selvonte Williams is a long and lanky 6’1” guard that flashed with his silky smooth game.  Kansan Banks is a powerful 5’7” point guard that made some noise.  Other guards that contributed when we were watching included Jcorrian Kittrell and Omar Abdul-Rahim.  All four from Springfield Southeast.</p>