Scouting the State: Saturday Notebook

Action packed day of hoops with one game after another across the state. The games we evaluated included Oak Forest vs Shepard, Homewood Flossmoor vs Marian Catholic, Evanston vs Glenbrook South, Brother Rice vs Marist, Batavia vs St. Charles North, and Yorkville Christian vs Pontiac. We dive into it all here in our Scouting the State: Saturday Notebook! [player_tooltip player_id="863583" first="Robbie" last="Avila"] Dominates……Again We caught part of Oak Forest’s game against Shepard. Oak Forest 2022 post [player_tooltip player_id="863583" first="Robbie" last="Avila"] is just one of the most productive and fun players to watch in the state. At his size he can handle it, pass, and shoot like a guard. Mix that in with his ability to rebound and dominant inside with his skill and touch. No doubt high-major prospect in our eyes that fits the new age four spot perfectly! Avila finished with 24 points.   Homewood Flossmoor Has Complete Team Homewood Flossmoor hosted a solid Marian Catholic team on Saturday afternoon and took home the win by a final of 45-32. They don’t have one superstar player, but it is their collective effort as a group which has impressed us this season. In the backcourt senior duo Daniel Reed and [player_tooltip player_id="995986" first="Tai" last="Walters"] were particularly good again. Reed is a quality scorer that can knock down pull up shots out to three as he had 12 points. Governors State commit [player_tooltip player_id="995986" first="Tai" last="Walters"] is a crafty left handed combo guard that is silky smooth in the lane, sound passer, and can hit an open three. Went for 10 points. Up front HF is a load with four good big men. [player_tooltip player_id="920954" first="Chad" last="Readey"] is a senior baseball commit to Northwestern that we firmly believe if he would have focused on hoops would have been a D1 player. Strong bodied four finishes through contact, hits the glass, and even hit a three on his way to 8 points. High-motor 2022 power forward [player_tooltip player_id="771544" first="Christian" last="Meeks"] is a tenacious rebounder on both ends of the floor. Showcased in this game his ability to run the floor on his way to 10 points. Ultimate energy and glue guy at the low-major level. The twins for HF [player_tooltip player_id="1048305" first="Wesley" last="Rubin"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1048306" first="Miles" last="Rubin"] have the highest ceilings among anyone on this team. The 2023 tandem each had a bucket with Wes converting in the pick/roll and Miles running the floor for a bucket.   Marian Catholic 2022 Wing [player_tooltip player_id="925222" first="Jeremiah" last="Jones"] Stock Rising We liked what we saw out of [player_tooltip player_id="925222" first="Jeremiah" last="Jones"] over the summer with the Illinois Hoopstars and that has continued into the season. The Marian Catholic guard shined recently in our eval of him against St. Viator. Once again another solid performance. Long and rangy 6’2” junior guard was assertive against HF putting it on the deck for baseline takes and slithery slashes where he either scored or got to the line. Quick bounce to the offensive glass for second chance points. Only hit one jumper but it was a pure one off a jab step for a pull up three. Went for 17 points. D2 programs and low-majors need to have him on their watch list heading into the spring.   [player_tooltip player_id="821736" first="Blake" last="Peters"] Lights Out for Evanston in Win You knew that the top shooter in the state now and on the short list for EVER wasn’t going to stay down after a poor shooting performance last night. Evanston senior Princeton commit [player_tooltip player_id="821736" first="Blake" last="Peters"] struggled last night against Glenbrook South from distance, but he made them pay for it on Saturday in Evanston’s 68-54 rematch win. He connected on six of them from beyond the arc in a 30 point performance. Such a crisp and effortless stroke with elevation off the floor. Set up his shot with jab steps and behind ball screens. One thing that stood out to us in the off season was his growth as an all-around player. That was also evident in this contest. He was the top rebounder on Evanston showing his grit inside, good passer especially in the half court, and has improved his handles considerably putting it on the deck. Top 15 prospect with a monster performance in a prime-time game.   [player_tooltip player_id="652731" first="Ola" last="Ajiboye"] Top Uncommitted Post Evanston power forward [player_tooltip player_id="652731" first="Ola" last="Ajiboye"] only scored four points, but he was the second biggest reason for the Wildkits win. The long and lanky post was a big time rim protector swatting seven shots including changing the tone of the game after Glenbrook South took an early lead. Excellent timing and anticipation on that end of the floor. Also hit a turnaround jumper and baseline shot. Went for 4 points and 7 blocks. Was solid on the glass as well. Low-majors should be all over him as he is an elite defender with upside offensively.   Evanston Depth Major Contributor in Win Much more for Evanston than just those two D1 talents. They have a ton of depth especially at the guard spot. Senior [player_tooltip player_id="821804" first="Elijah" last="Bull"] made little plays on both ends all night getting out in transition for 7 points. Rashawn Bost is a plus shooting threat from three knocking in a pair along with using his toughness in the paint for a couple buckets en route to 13 points. [player_tooltip player_id="821777" first="Isaiah" last="Holden"] rattled off 8 points in the fourth quarter including an array of free throws. [player_tooltip player_id="920984" first="Daeshawn" last="Hemphill"] hit a three for the Wildkits as well. All four of those guards should be playing at the small college or JUCO level next season. An intriguing upside prospect with this team is 6’5” combo forward Price Adams. Lengthy 2023 prospect had a sweet sweeping layup. Displayed versatility on the defensive end.   [player_tooltip player_id="925224" first="Nick" last="Martinelli"] Lives Up to Top 10 Ranking Glenbrook South 2022 6’7” power forward [player_tooltip player_id="925224" first="Nick" last="Martinelli"] posted huge games all summer, fall, and winter in various settings. He is now showing it with his high school team. The four man did about whatever he wanted against Evanston as he scored 29 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. Handles the ball well being able to take it off the defensive boards and go coast to coast. Can initiate the offense, knock down feathery threes, sprint the length of the floor for scores, and has a floater game that is money! Crafty left handed face up four fits the new age game with his diverse skill set. Extremely efficient with the shots he takes as well.   Henderson and Harrell Star in Brother Rice Win Brother Rice got the 63-42 win on Saturday against rival Marist even when their senior star didn’t play his best. Two of the biggest reasons were 2022 small forward [player_tooltip player_id="863607" first="Nick" last="Harrell"] and 2023 point guard [player_tooltip player_id="1048307" first="Ahmad" last="Henderson"]. Harrell is an angular wing that can impact the game on both ends of the floor. He came out aggressive on the offensive end. Early on he finished a dump off pass, hit a three, and took a steal coast to coast. Would go on to hit another triple and have a strong baseline take. Really like what he does on the defensive end with his length and anticipation. Finished with 13 points. Brother Rice has a dynamic sophomore point guard in [player_tooltip player_id="1048307" first="Ahmad" last="Henderson"]. Lit up the nets over the summer with the Illinois Hoopstars and is making a name for himself in the Chicago Catholic League. Quick and shifty guard that wins off the bounce where he often dishes to teammates for easy looks in the paint or from deep. He is a sound perimeter shooter hitting a couple of them from distance including a deep one. The smaller point guard is not afraid of the big men in the paint as he had several acrobatic finishes and stuck his nose in for a few rebounds. Went for 13 points.   Role Players Step Up in Brother Rice Rivalry Win Quality game for multiple role players on Brother Rice. Their senior 6’5” power forward Frank Cunnea got hurt the previous night, but toughed his way through this one providing defense inside and a pair of spot up threes for 6 points. Class of 2021 powerfully built guard Tyler Showers left his imprint on this game with his toughness and crashing the glass for 8 points. The third senior role player that had a big outing was Cullen Cosume. The 6’0” senior two guard is creative with the ball in his hands finishing a spinning layup along with an and-1. Also hit a triple for 12 points.   Big Game for [player_tooltip player_id="939076" first="Xavier" last="Sulaiman"] Marist 2023 combo guard [player_tooltip player_id="939076" first="Xavier" last="Sulaiman"] had an outstanding performance in defeat for Marist. The 6’2” guard shot it well this fall in Illinois Wolves workouts and that has translated over to the season. His shot was on point in the first half with the way he drained them from mid-range knocking them down with regularity. Does a nice job of creating his own shot in that 12-18 foot area. Also connected on a corner three. Mixed in a few tough slashes on his way to 19 points. One of the better scoring and particularly shooting lead guards in the sophomore class at this stage.   2022 Power Forwards Battle We caught the first three quarters of the St. Charles North vs Batavia game. Batavia would win on a buzzer beater 50-49. From a scouting standpoint the story of this one was the 2022 power forward matchup between St. Charles North’s [player_tooltip player_id="925225" first="Ethan" last="Marlowe"] and Batavia’s [player_tooltip player_id="863630" first="Ethan" last="Ivan"]. Both are closely ranked in the overall and positional. They also have similar games. Marlowe is a skilled and athletic face up four that can stretch the floor knocking down pick/pop threes or roll to the hoop to punish opponents. Finishes through contact at the hoop and handles it well enough to consistently take opponents off the bounce. Like the mobility on the defensive end being able to defend in ball screen situations. Good frame that should allow him to add more strength in college. Finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Ivan is also a skilled power forward that can drain threes flaring out after a ball screen. Good shooter in the mid-range that can create on his own at times. Efficient and soft touch in the post on his touches. Can put it on the deck pushing off a defensive rebound. He had 19 points and 6 rebounds. Both should be considered by low-major and high D2 programs.   Yorkville Christian’s High-Octane Offense We closed out last night watching Kenwood and their high-flying offense. Tonight we observed the Yorkville Christian attack. The small school from the western suburbs has the state’s #2 junior in [player_tooltip player_id="863582" first="Jaden" last="Schutt"]. They are much more than just him however. Yorkville scored at will against Pontiac winning 103-60. Let’s start with Schutt. One of the best shooters we have ever evaluated and in this one it was other areas that stood out. Made an impact on the game as a much improved all-around player since his sophomore season. Plus athlete that is crisp and precise with everything that he does. Had the limited crowd on their feet with a pair of dunks one being a reverse and the other a windmill. The athletic pop is definitely shown off the bounce and in the open floor. Like what he brings as a passer and secondary ball handler at the next level. Never going to be a pure point guard, but his ability to dish and move the ball is a value to his team. Rebounded very well going after them aggressively. Finished with 20 points. Their other highly touted prospect [player_tooltip player_id="989266" first="Brayden" last="Long"] is a 2023 6’3” strong bodied two guard that crashed the glass and hit a three. Gritty player that does a little bit of everything. Chase DiVito had a strong performance especially early. The 2021 small forward is a 6’4” lefty that was quick around the basket flying in for second chance points netting 8 points. Junior KJ Vasser ran the show at the point getting in the lane with his quick and shifty handles. Plays with speed and a high motor. Finished with 12 points. Class of 2022 shooting guard Tyler Burrows opened our eyes with a strong performance. Lengthy 6’2” junior was all over the floor. Highly active defender that excels in the open floor and on drives. Has some upside as a two way player as he went for 22 points. They also have a long term prospect to track in 2024 Jehvion Starwood. The 6’3” angular lefty wing has a clean looking shot which he connected on from deep. Flashed some passing flair and took a steal the other way for a dunk. Went for 12 points. This is a fun team to watch!