Peach Jam: Friday Illinois Notebook
Friday was the last day of pool play at Peach Jam in North Augusta, South Carolina. What happened with the Illinois based teams in the event? Here we break down what we saw in Peach Jam: Friday Illinois Notebook! …
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Continue ReadingFriday was the last day of pool play at Peach Jam in North Augusta, South Carolina. What happened with the Illinois based teams in the event? Here we break down what we saw in Peach Jam: Friday Illinois Notebook!
Meanstreets Falls to 0-4 With Loss to Woodz Elite
It was another disappointing loss for Meanstreets as they lost to Woodz Elite out of Arkansas 75-58 in their morning game on Friday. Whitney Young 2020 point guard DJ Steward has his moments. The silky smooth combo guard drilled a few pull up triples and split the defense off the bounce for nifty finishes at the cup. He had 15 points (5-14 FG) (3-6 3PT). Marian Catholic point guard Ahron Ulis shot it a lot more than usual, but did knock down several triples which he hadn’t done earlier in the week. Ulis finished with 17 points (5-16 FG) (3-7 3PT). It was a fast start for St. Laurence 2020 shooting guard Jeremiah Williams as he hit a three and drove for an explosive and-1 in the opening couple minutes. He was active and crashed the glass. Final line was 12 points and 7 rebounds.
Meanstreets 16U Loses to Livon/Fluer De Lis
Meanstreets fell 64-56 on Friday afternoon. Niles Notre Dame small forward Troy D’Amico played well. The good sized forward has a high skill level being able to shoot it from three and put it on the deck. Under appreciated athlete that got out in transition as well and had an impressive block. Whitney Young power forward Grant Newell showed flashes with his face up game shooting and being active. Once he adds strength in college he will finish even better. Wisconsin product David Joplin had a nice showing in the loss. Athletic four man that was all over the glass flying in for put backs and scored on post ups. Makes quick and assertive moves.
Mac Irvin Fire 16U Score Win Over Georgia Stars
The Mac Irvin Fire 16U defeated the Georgia Stars in pool play 83-72 Friday afternoon. The big three came to play and particularly Amari Bailey and Ahamad Bynum. Chicago native and California prep standout Amari Bailey was about as good as we have seen him ever in this one. He sliced and diced the defense for anything he wanted. So slippery through traffic and creative with the ball in his hands. Layups, dunks, and runners. Also hit from three. He had 24 points. Simeon 2021 shooting guard Ahamad Bynum is a microwave scorer! When he is hot he can carry a team and that is what he did in this win. Bynum connected on six 3s scoring 20 points in the win. Loves the pull up three point shot. Showed his scoring prowess off in this one for sure! Georgia Stars 2021 wing Quincy Ademokoya has a connection to Illinois as he played his freshman season at Normal West. The 6’6” wing from Georgia has gotten stronger in his upper body since we last saw him. Plus length and positional versatility. Showed well as a spot up shooter with a fluid shot off the catch.
Meanstreets 17U Finishes Off Peach Jam with Win
It was a tough week for the talented Meanstreets 17U squad, but they played their best basketball in the last game of the week against Pro Skills recording their first win 83-71. Team effort with the highly touted prospects all doing their part. Let’s start with Whitney Young point guard DJ Steward. He made a very strong case for the top player in the 2020 class in Illinois this week with his play. Showed off his complete game Friday night going for 23 points on 10-22 from the field. The three ball only went down at a 1-5 clip, but he scored in the lane at will. Made an array of slick layups including an acrobatic reverse layup. Marian Catholic 2020 point guard Ahron Ulis pushed the tempo all night and got to the rack. Showed a good floor game recording 21 points (8-20 FG), 7 rebounds, and 4 dimes. Romeoville shooting guard Destin Whitaker quietly made people take notice throughout the week and finished the event with a big outing. He drilled a couple threes as well as connecting on feathery mid-range jumpers with elevation. He had 22 points. Geneseo 2020 small forward Isaiah Rivera was efficient with his touches scoring 10 points on 4-7 from the field. Crafty slasher that’s best move was a cross which he finished with a nifty layup. St. Laurence wing Jeremiah Williams didn’t score a ton with only five points, but got on the glass for 9 rebounds and was an impact defender. Meanstreets Peach Jam ends with a 1-4 mark.
Mac Irvin Fire 17U Makes Push in 3rd Quarter, But Comes Up Short to Team WhyNot
Once again the Fire 17U got off to a slow start on Friday night getting down 27-10 after the first quarter. It was hard to recover from that deficit. They did come out more assertive to start the 2nd half making an immediate run getting to within a basket. Team WhyNot answered right back and ran away winning 88-79. Adam Miller struggled with the jumper like he did most of the week again, but he put his head down and got to the hoop pretty consistently. Crisp ball handler that wins off the bounce. A lot of the time when he attacks good things happen as he either scores, converts an and-1, or earns a trip to the charity stripe. Went for 28 points. Michael Foster had his moments where you say “if he could just play with this intensity all the time.” Such an unbelievably great combination of size, strength, and skill. Powerful finisher in the paint! Went for 19 points and 10 rebounds. Marcus Watson pushed the ball in the open floor and dished out dimes all night. Was definitely in a pass first mode recording 4 points and 10 dimes. The Fire finished Peach Jam with a 0-5 record.