5 Takeaways: Tuscola vs Villa Grove
Tuesday night PrepHoopsIllinois was at Tuscola High School to see the host squad battle with rival Villa Grove. The reason we were at this game was 2022 point guard Jalen Quinn who is a fast rising prospect in the sophomore…
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Continue ReadingTuesday night PrepHoopsIllinois was at Tuscola High School to see the host squad battle with rival Villa Grove. The reason we were at this game was 2022 point guard Jalen Quinn who is a fast rising prospect in the sophomore class. Tuscola got the W 64-43. We dive into our 5 Takeaways: Tuscola vs Villa Grove!
Jalen Quinn Evaluation
Let’s start off with the reason we were here. Quinn stands at 6’2” with length at the point guard spot. He displays a quality burst with the ball in his hand with quick acceleration to the basket. Smooth ball handler with creativity that is able to get where he wants on the floor pretty easily especially against the level of competition he was going up against. Early on in the game Quinn struggled to finish at the rim. He was throwing up difficult layups with spin on them instead of just going right to the rim for layups. As the game went on he began to convert at a higher rate at the cup using right handed (off hand) floaters and his length defensively to get steals taking them the other way for scores. In the open floor he has a nice burst blowing past defenders with relative ease. A bit of a streaky shooter from three at this point. He hit one late and displayed a solid looking lefty stroke with room to get even better. Liked the way he rebounded it especially offensively with his quick second jump. As a passer he only recorded three assists, but with a higher level of teammates that he will have during the summer/in college there would have been significantly more. Showed vision and feel hitting shooters right in the pocket and throwing bullets to post players inside. Defensively he got in passing lanes multiple times for steals that he took coast to coast. Also was a solid positional defender in the half court. Walled up inside using his length vertically on players trying to score through him forcing difficult shots. He went for 23 points (8-20 FG), 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. Definitely one of the better sophomore point guards in the state.
Who is in On Quinn Early?
We will have more on Quinn soon in a feature story, but speaking with the sophomore he has been to Illinois and Purdue for visits with Mizzou along with Eastern Illinois showing early interest.
Tuscola Front Line
It was more than just Quinn for Tuscola as they had a pair of strong bodied forwards that contributed in major ways. Jacob Kibler had a big night going for 17 points. He was a tough offensive rebounder that brought a ton of physicality to the table. Kibler attacked on the baseline and even displayed a 15 foot jumper. Ben Dixon is a lefty forward that was excellent defensively early blocking shots and using his strength inside. Sealed in the high/low and had a nice take late for 6 points.
Logan Nohren Carries Load for Villa Grove
For Villa Grove it was the Logan Nohren show! The junior undersized post was scrappy on the glass and in the paint scoring 24 points on the night. He was a big time offensive rebounder and very efficient with his touches around the hoop. Knocked in a couple of mid-range jumpers. Nohren played with a high motor and was an impactful player for Villa Grove.
Small School Basketball
Over the last couple weeks we attended star studded events in the Chicago Elite Classic and Team Rose Shootout with future D1 players all over the floor. This was not that with only one player who will play at that level in college, but it reminds you that this is the core of high school basketball. Small town community support, the student section, and how it is the place to be on a winter Tuesday night. These two schools are rivals and it was a fun small school atmosphere.