Havoc in the Heartland-Illinois Standouts

<p>There was a very strong contingent of talent from Illinois at the Havoc in the Heartland event Indianapolis this past weekend. Like I did with Indiana I’ll start with some quick hitters on established prospects that have already been covered.  Then I’ll get five new names that caught my eye </p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1048712" first="Tavari" last="Johnson"] (pictured at top of article) 5-11 Lyons </b>Lightning quick but small point guard that is simply a wizard in pick and roll situations. Having a great spring and his recruitment is picking up. Recently picked up a Toledo offer. </p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1106926" first="Justin" last="Mullins"] 6-5 Oak Park River Forest </b>Played in the same backcourt as Johnson and similarly excelled. Doesn’t necessarily run in the open court just effortlessly glides. Scored efficiently in both the mid range and at the rim. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1048715" first="Matt" last="Somerville"] <b>6-6 2022 Whitney Young </b>Impressive big wing with good size and versatile game. Was forced to play inside for the South Cook Jaguars after an injury to the teams starting center on Saturday. Did it without missing a beat. Led the Jaguars to a perfect 4-0 record on the weekend in a difficult pool. </p> <p><b><u>Class of 2021</u></b></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Amar-Augillard-YR.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1182044" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Amar-Augillard-YR-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1152903" first="Amar" last="Augillard"] 6-5 Zion Benton </b>I first saw this prospect last summer when he was running with an deep Team Herro EYBL team. On a team featuring <b>Pat</b> <b>Baldwin</b> (Milwaukee) and <b>Tyrese</b> <b>Hunter</b> (Iowa St) Augillard showed the willingness and defensive ability to make the plays necessary for winning basketball. This summer running with a Young &amp; Reckless 17U squad. He is now showing the offensive ability to lead a team. Athleticism and wing span make him seem taller than his listed height. Catches everything around the rim. These physical skills make him the rare player who might be able to guard all five positions. Has an excellent handle that allows him to be a good penetrator. Has the ability to hang in the air without getting in trouble and find open teammates. </p> <p><b><u>Class of 2022</u></b></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1106927" first="Elliot" last="Lowndes"] 6-10 Cobden </b>You can’t teach height. No AAU fudging on this young man’s measurables. He is a legit 6-10. While he also has extremely long arms, he is rather skinny. Runs the court well and showed good lateral quickness and mobility. Appears to be well schooled and fundamentally sound. Keeps the ball high in post. Showed a quick second jump on the offensive glass. A lot of long term potential if he can add weight to his frame. </p> <p><b>Marial Puou 6-8 Sandwich </b>Big who lived at the rim on Sunday for a solid M14 Adidas Gold squad. Had multiple dunks and a few big misses that nevertheless showed off his athleticism. Didn’t just do it offensively. Met players at rim and was an intimidating presence with his length. Wasn’t just doing it against little guys. Played well in a decisive victory against a Illinois Bears team that featured [player_tooltip player_id="1106927" first="Elliot" last="Lowndes"] (see above). Has the ball handling ability to play on the wing. Next step is deciding what he wants to be. As he already has the physical ability to play just about anywhere on the court.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/9A83E755-C080-49AE-BE84-E3602AC1BC40-rotated-crop-3024x1986-1621614177.jpeg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1199547" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/9A83E755-C080-49AE-BE84-E3602AC1BC40-rotated-crop-3024x1986-1621614177-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a></p> <p><b>DJ Allison 6-3 Oswego East </b>Playing for Michigan based DV45. Allison’s big summer on the Prep Hoops Circuit might be flying a bit under the radar. Had excellent weekends in previous Michigan events and kept it up in Indianapolis. Very aggressive on the offensive end. Played a key role in a dramatic buzzer beating victory on Saturday. Stepped up to the challenge defensively and was not afraid of the moment. Young man has been around the game a long time and is a very hard worker. </p> <p><b><u>Class of 2023</u></b></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1113516" first="Darien" last="Singleton"] 6-1 Mascoutah </b>Physically advanced point guard who in no way resembles a 2023 prospect. Accordingly was playing up an age group with the Illinois Bears. This is also allowed him to get some additional reps with regular season backcourt running mate [player_tooltip player_id="863605" first="Justin" last="King"]. Played like a true point guard and didn’t look for his shot much in a loss on Sunday. Wide frame and broad shoulders allow him to penetrate powerfully. I thought he played well both in and off of King. They should form dynamic backcourt in the coming year. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p>