The Platform: Scotty B’s Saturday Notebook

Saturday was a fantastic day of hoops at The Platform in Birmingham, Alabama. We dive into all the action here in The Platform: Scotty B’s Saturday Notebook!   Illinois 2022s Making Names There were several under the radar players that made names for themselves from the state of Illinois at The Platform on Saturday. Here are a few that caught our attention. Kenwood wing Niel Davis is a slick handling guard that slithers through the D for scores finding the crease in the D. Dwain Nash was the other guard on Old Gold who caught our attention in the first half of their game. The point guard was active defensively getting steals and taking it the other way. Willowbrook combo guard Marquel Saleek sees his stock rise each time out. Great frame and athleticism at the guard spot being able to play on or off the ball. He is such a smooth bucket getter utilizing a slick pull up game along with easy acceleration off the bounce. D2s should take a serious look here! Trevon Thomas from DePaul Prep shot it well in June and he continued that on Saturday. Marian Catholic combo guard Eddie Barrett has a nice shooting stoke himself connecting from mid-range and on a pair of threes. Tough three guard trio for Illinois Hoopstars Taylor. For the Illinois Bears Brady Moore led the way in their morning contest. The Breese Central shooting guard is a nice small college prospect with his crafty scoring game and toughness. Elliot Lowndes out of Cobden is a 6’11” five man we are high as a developmental big man at the D2 level. Skilled post that seals and can knock in a face up jumper. For Kessel Heat they brought in a couple of new additions for July in Matthew Volkening and Darius Duff. Volkening is a good sized wing that can let it fly from anywhere on the floor. Mixed in crisp pull ups and a couple drives. Showcased he could score in more areas than just beyond the arc. Darius Duff displayed flashes as the Lake Forest Academy two guard has a burst with the rock in his hands and athleticism at the cup.   Meanstreets Goes 2-0 on Day 2 Meanstreets scored a pair of victories on the day first over MPJ Elite 61-30 and then one against Judah Nation 56-46. Top prospect in the 2022 class from Illinois AJ Casey went to work for a big day at the office. In their first game against MPJ he had 21 points in the victory then followed it up with 12 in their second contest. Such a gifted athlete at his size as the power forward snatched rebounds, altered shots, and played above the rim. Shot is fairly well from deep connecting on several threes, but didn’t settle for it as he was aggressive in the paint. Xavier commit Kam Craft was excellent in both games per usual. The Buffalo Grove product is quickly becoming the most consistent member of this loaded Meanstreets squad. Unique scorer that gets it done from all three levels in a variety of ways with threes, fadeaways, slick takes, and can beat you with passing too. Went for 15 points against MPJ Elite then 17 points against Judah Nation. Jalen Washington showed glimpses of what UNC is getting with his skilled post game and mid-range shot while doing a nice job on the glass. Elon commit Nick Martinelli had some flashes in the second game with quick post moves and creativity around the hoop.   Judah Nation 2023 Opens Eyes vs EYBL Power Class of 2023 6’4” two guard Eddrin Bronson put his name on the radar of a lot of college coaches in attendance for their game against Meanstreets. The Judah Nation wing was playing up on the 17U level and starred in this opportunity. Athletic wing that can score from all three levels as he hit from three, mid-range, and showed athleticism at the rack. He netted 16 points and is most certainly going to see his recruitment explode because of it!   P5 Goes Off for Tulsa Hawks Speaking of standout rising juniors on the PHC it was once again a big day for Tulsa Hawks star Parker Friedrichsen. The 2023 shooting guard stands at 6’4” with a projectable frame. Despite playing up an age level the Oklahoma native has been one of the top scorers per game this spring on the PHC. He was up to his old tricks with a 35 point scoring outburst against MN Select. Friedrichsen can get his shot off from anywhere on the floor as he was knocking in jumpers all over the court from two and three.   Georgia Stars Have Shooters, Ball Handlers, and Legit Posts Got my first extensive look of the weekend at the Georgia Stars 17U squad. They have a complete group. At the point Baylor commit Dillon Hunter runs the show. Crisp ball handler that makes solid passes, pushes in the open floor, and drains pull ups. On the wing it is all about their sharp shooters. Robert Cowherd was lights out in both games we saw. The 6’5” shooting guard from Grayson (GA) has a thick body and can absolutely stroke it from beyond the arc. Plus plus shooter that drained them off the catch at a super high rate. He had 23 in their first game and it was more of the same in the second. The other sniper on this squad was 6’5” Kasheem Grady who has a crisp mid-range game and hit from three at a very high rate. Then you get to the big men. Jeremy Foumena and Mady Traore anchored inside. Foumena is a plus rebounder and defender. Traore also excels defensively with his insane length blocking shots and being mobile on that end of the floor.   Beast Up Duo Hold Own A couple of prospects stood out for Beast Up from Texas. Big and athletic shooting guard 2022 Davion Sykes made quite a few plays in transition along with mixing in some shot making. Projectable prospect that’s best hoops is ahead of him. Thatcher McClure is a 6’6” four that plays with a ton of energy hitting the glass and converting acrobatic buckets around the hoop.   Lights Out Shooting from Meanstreets 16U Tandem For the Meanstreets 16U squad it was all about the perimeter shooting. Early on it was OPRF 2023 shooting guard Sam Lewis who opened with a pair of corner threes along with a transition bucket. He continued his hot shooting. Free and easy release off the catch and moves well without the ball. He had 18 points. Whitney Young small forward Daniel Johnson fits the new age three and D mold with his defense and shooting. His feathery three point game was on point as he drained five of them on his way to 17 points making it look easy. Both are mid-major plus guys now that have raised their stock considerably in the last month.   Skilled Wings to Watch Out for in Illinois Hoopstars vs Judah Nation Couple of sleeper wings in the 2023 class caught our eye in this game. Brett Meidel is a crafty wing that can hit spot up threes and flashes some skill getting in the lane. For Judah Nation Eric Vandendriessche has impressed in a couple viewings. Crashes the glass, hit a three, decent handles, and converted in the lane.   Young & Reckless/Authentic Basketball Notches Win over D1 Minnesota Prospects Very nice win for the Chicago based squad on Saturday. Larkin 2022 point guard Damari Wheeler-Thomas led the way. He scored in a variety of ways on threes, transition, and used his change of gears to get in the lane for scores. Went for 18 points. Lyons point guard Tavari Johnson stuffed the stat sheet for 11 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 dimes. Excellent facilitator that can knock down shots and use his speed coast to coast. OPRF wing Justin Mullins played off his athleticism and energy for 9 points and 11 rebounds. Liked what TF South power forward Xavier Lewis brought defensively as a rim protector on one end and rim runner on the other.   Ryan Conwell Does it All Glad that colleges are starting to realize how special of a prospect Pike (IN) point guard Ryan Conwell is. He had not much going in the spring and now his recruitment is ascending and will raise even higher after his play in Birmingham. Heady guard that plays with excellent pace and feel. Tough as nails being able to score in the lane with hesi moves and straight line attacks. Rebounds for a guard, hit a couple threes, and gets his teammates involved. Emerging as a priority mid-major prospect.