Hoop Group Chicago Jam Fest: 17U Top Performers

Here is a list of 17U players that also caught my eye this weekend at the Hoop Group Chicago Jam Fest!   Beau Frericks (RWA – Cary Grove) Frericks is the thin guard with good basketball awareness and a solid handle to go with a good shooting stroke. Beau played really well on Saturday with his shiftiness with the ball and knack for getting to the foul line helped him net 17 points.   Tremear Fraley (RWA – Bogan) The 6-7 big man from Bogan was very active around the basket on both ends in his matchup against Y&R. Fraley use his athleticism to his advantage, his second jump helped him finish well around the basket as well as block shots and alter others around the rim. Tremear is still raw in the post but has good upside if he works on it.   Cooper Bridges (RWA - Plainfield North) Cooper is an extremely hard-working player that seems to be a part of every play. His tenacity to challenge every rebound and get after loose balls caught the attention of everyone in the gym even the referees. Bridges is a solid shooter who if he can work on his ball-handling some more will be a solid small school prospect.   Justin Harmon (Team Rose – Curie) Harmon shot the ball well this weekend for Team Rose. Already known as a marksman Justin put his team on his back when they needed the most. Harmon didn't just shoot he mixed up a couple drives to the rim and showed how athletic he is now. One particular play he crossed his man and dunked on the second defender. Harmon is looking to go to prep school next year.   Antione Bloxton (Work Foundation – Bogan) Antione is an ultimate competitor and Saturday with his new team he showed why he's a top prospect in his class. Bloxton was superb with the ball in his hands as he attacked often with his pull up jump shots and unique layup packages. His play carried his team to a signature win.   Tyrin Kidd (Illinois Heat – Westinghouse) Tyrin is a tough and rugged forward who works hard at initiating contact when attacking the rim. Kidd showed character when down double digits he made two big plays for his team. The first was after a missed shot he jumped over everyone and made converted a huge tip jam. The second was a baseline drive that ended with him dunking on two defenders. Tyrin has a good work ethic that made him standout in a loss.   Johnathan Robinson (Illinois Heat - St. Joseph) Mr. Robinson didn't see a shot that he didn't like on Sunday. He made four of seven shots from long range. He made one deep from the NBA line. Jonathan is more than just a shooter he's a good on ball defender as well. He caused several turnovers in the half court. Robinson is a small college prospect to keep a look out for. RJ Ogom (Young & Reckless Stan - Homewood Flossmoor) RJ had a really good junior year at HF. His play is now carrying over into the spring with Y&R. Ogom was tough to guard all weekend. He did most of his damage in the paint and anytime he got the ball in his hands he used his football frame to damage defenders in the post. RJ showed another dimension to his game as he stepped out and made shots around the perimeter. He’s poised to have a good spring. Dante Maddox (Young & Reckless Stan – Bloom) The Bloom high school standout made a big impression with his new team this weekend. Maddox did what he does best which is making shots from all areas on the court. He is pretty heady off ball screens and using his body on smaller defenders. His high IQ was key for his team all weekend.   Kee Hargrow (Young & Reckless Stan - Hyde Park) The long and athletic big man has been in the gym working on his handles. Hargrow looked more like a guard this weekend than a center. At times he would grab rebounds and push it up the court like a point guard. He was able to bring opposing bigs out of there comfort zones and attacked them with his tight handles usually finishing at the rim with athletic dunks and lob passes to his teammates. He will be a highly sought after junior college prospect.   Adam Miller (Mac Irvin Fire - Morgan Park) Adam looked like the high major prospect he is. His play looked so smooth and so easy it's like he wasn’t breaking a sweat on the court. Shooting threes from deep and slithering through the defense to make spectacular plays is almost expected at all times. Miller is destined to have a great summer to lead to an All American invite next season. Sincere Parker (Mac Irvin Fire - Rockford East) Seeing Sincere Parker for the first time I was amazed at how well he shot the ball, but also shocked at how poised he was at getting to the bucket and finishing with surprising athleticism. In the 3 games I saw him play he was very consistent as a scorer and will be a nice contributor to this Fire team.