Rock N Ball League: Takeaways Pt 2

<p>The Rock N Ball Winter League in Hammond, Indiana was a tremendous addition during an unusual year.  It gave players an opportunity to play and elevate their games in a time where there was no high school basketball in Illinois.  Here we look at some of our takeaways from the league over the last couple months.  This is <strong>Rock N Ball League Takeaways Part 2!</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="925224" first="Nick" last="Martinelli"] Continues Breakout at Rock N Ball</strong></p> <p>The player that made the biggest name for himself over the last six months was Glenbrook South 2022 small forward <strong>Nick</strong> <strong>Martinelli</strong>.  He continued his ascent with several epic outings at Rock N Ball.  He is a skilled forward that can get buckets from all over the floor.  Finishes well in the paint with either hand.  Plays with pace and flair.  Such a fun player to watch and college coaches are going to really enjoy watching him!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Loyola Has Next Star in [player_tooltip player_id="814694" first="Ty" last="Johnson"]</strong></p> <p>DePaul Prep 2021 point guard <strong>TY</strong> <strong>Johnson</strong> is the type of player that can continue to help Loyola build on their final four appearance from several years back.  The Ramblers have consistently landed top 10 in-state talent over the last half decade and Johnson is the latest.  He proved to have deep range on his shot and a smooth handle to get in the lane where he finished acrobatic layups.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Illinois Hoopstars Name Continues to Elevate</strong></p> <p>The Illinois Hoopstars had their first year as a travel team program this past year and produced a ton of college prospects across all levels.  They performed well on the Prep Hoops Circuit where they will be back again this spring.  Rock N Ball was another great opportunity for this program to have it’s brand grow and it did just that reaching the championship game.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Senior Sleepers</strong></p> <p>The seniors from Illinois had a chance to put quality film together at Rock N Ball for college coaches.  That was especially critical for an array of small college prospects that are flying under the radar.  There were quite a few that made the most of their opportunity including <strong>Damarcies</strong> <strong>Moore</strong> (Longwood), <strong>Antonio</strong> <strong>Leavy</strong> (Rockford Jefferson), <strong>Kendall</strong> <strong>Brasfield</strong> (Curie), <strong>Amarion</strong> <strong>Savage</strong> (East Aurora), and <strong>Dylan</strong> <strong>Ingram</strong> (Simeon).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="989265" first="Owen" last="Freeman"] and [player_tooltip player_id="939056" first="Bryce" last="Coleman"] Team Up in 2023</strong></p> <p>The Avengers team featured quite a few nice prospects, but the anchors of this team were top 10 2023 duo <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="939056" first="Bryce" last="Coleman"]</strong> from St. Rita and Bradley Bourbonais’ <strong>Owen</strong> <strong>Freeman</strong>.  Coleman is strong bodied scorer with plus size.  Can score from deep with range and use power around the hoop.  Freeman is one of the better posts in that class.  Tough rebounder and has touch around the basket.  They shared the go to role for the Avengers squad.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>TF South’s Lewis Brothers Both College Prospects</strong></p> <p>Power forward <strong>Xavier</strong> <strong>Lewis</strong> from TF South is a top 10 prospect in the 2022 class.  We liked what we saw at Rock N Ball.  Length and versatility on both ends.  Bounce on the glass, defends multiple positions, and has an improving face up game.  His older brother <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="920975" first="Isaiah" last="Lewis"]</strong> is a small college prospect in 2021 that works well in the mid-range as a shooter and passer.  Would be a nice late addition for a program looking for a piece that will fit in their system.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="920956" first="Luke" last="Moustakas"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1048307" first="Ahmad" last="Henderson"] Were Born to Play Together</strong></p> <p>For Team Rio their 1-2 punch of senior <strong>Luke</strong> <strong>Moustakas</strong> and sophomore <strong>Ahmad</strong> <strong>Henderson</strong> worked together like peanut butter and jelly.  They complimented each other so well.  The Brother Rice duo were excellent in the pick/roll and pick/pop.  Moustakas was lights out shooting it from deep and was also amazingly effective rolling to the hoop showing improved athleticism.  Henderson is a ball screen savant that works well reading defenses and hitting pull up mid-range jumpers.</p>