Holiday Tournament Standouts: 2022 Prospects Pt 1

Prep Hoops had wall to wall coverage from eight holiday tournaments across the state. Check out what players left the biggest impressions in Holiday Tournament Standouts: 2022 Prospects Pt 1!   [player_tooltip player_id="925232" first="Evan" last="Porto"] (Stevenson) Liked what we saw out of Porto early on at the Hinsdale Central tournament. Combo guard that is a good passer, crafty driver, and overall has a nice feel for the game. Mix between scoring and setting others up. Impact small college player.   [player_tooltip player_id="771544" first="Christian" last="Meeks"] (Homewood Flossmoor) Meeks was named the MVP of the Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic and rightly so after leading his team to the championship with dominant performances one after another. He is the ultimate junk yard dog four that plays with so much energy and toughness. Very effective offensive rebounder that rim runs and makes quick moves in the paint for scores. Elite level rebounder that snatches them in traffic.   [player_tooltip player_id="1106930" first="Marquel" last="Saleek"] (Willowbrook) Saleek is a silky smooth combo guard that can put up points in a hurry! Three level scoring combo that has deep range on his three point shot and creative handles to win off the dribble. Pushes in the open floor.   [player_tooltip player_id="925222" first="Jeremiah" last="Jones"] (Marian Catholic) Jones is one of the more under appreciated players in the senior class. He has three and D ability at the two guard spot being able to knock down shots and be a force on the defensive end as a perimeter stopper. His game off the dribble and in open floor has greatly improved. Low-majors should take a look as a late steal.   [player_tooltip player_id="1048722" first="Garrett" last="Bolte"] (Hinsdale South) Bolte’s team was overmatched in the first game of the event, but he was a beast scoring 30 points against Lake Forest. He is a floor stretching four man that has such a feathery stroke from the perimeter. He hit spot up threes and pulled up from 15 feet over the defense with regularity. Tough rebounder and shows skill around the hoop. I can see why D2s would be intrigued as he fits today’s game to perfection.   [player_tooltip player_id="863619" first="Ben" last="VanderWal"] (Timothy Christian) VanderWal is one of the top forwards in the class and the Furman commit dropped 27 points against Lemont in their first-round game at Jack Tosh. Great size and frame. Physical slasher that wins on straight line takes and is a plus spot up shooter off the catch.   [player_tooltip player_id="1210381" first="Orlando" last="Thomas"] (Rolling Meadows) We caught three games of Thomas at Jack Tosh and he was a pretty consistent threat. Stock continues to rise each time out as he is a combo guard that can beat a defense in so many ways. Creative ball handler that is slick through traffic. The three point shot has gained consistency over the last year as he knocked in shots from three at a good clip in the games we saw. Solid distributor that has room to grow there but has shown improvement. Sound defender that can check either backcourt spot. D2s check him out.   [player_tooltip player_id="863630" first="Ethan" last="Ivan"] (Batavia) The PHI favorite didn’t disappoint in a comeback win over Stagg. The Wisconsin-Parkside commit is a skilled four that can drain shots from all over the floor. He loves the corner three which he hit at a high rate. Showed some pop in the paint and touch for 33 points.   [player_tooltip player_id="1210416" first="Trent" last="Tousana"] (Batavia) Tousana is a microwave scorer. First put himself on our radar over the summer and continues to shine. Can get really hot from three like against Stagg when he hit an array of them along with getting steals and pushing the other way off turnovers. Small college player.   [player_tooltip player_id="925230" first="Zeke" last="Williams"] (Naperville North) Williams is headed to Northern Illinois for football. Definitely reestablished himself as a legit basketball player with his play at Tosh. The guard torched defenses all week with his mid-range game nailing free throw line extended shots over and over again.   [player_tooltip player_id="771543" first="Timaris" last="Brown"] (St. Patrick) Brown was a force in their first round game against Minooka. Physical combo forward that does most of his damage in the paint with his strong frame and quickness. Mauled on the offensive glass for put backs. Quick takes from the mid-post as he had 22 points.   [player_tooltip player_id="1210374" first="Ty" last="Rogers"] (West Aurora) Rogers is emerging as a potential D2 prospect. Combo forward that can really shoot it off the catch hitting four of them in their opener against Lockport. Decent ball handler and is a good multi positional defender.   [player_tooltip player_id="1210370" first="Jackson" last="Munro"] (New Trier) Munro has established himself as one of the best posts in the class and he cemented that with his play at Pontiac. Pick and pop four that can kill teams with his shooting, but is much more than that. He loves to use crafty moves around the hoop as he seals, can put it on the deck, and has a great spin move. Efficient and excellent touch in the paint. He is headed to Dartmouth.   [player_tooltip player_id="771517" first="Jaylen" last="Drane"] (Simeon) Drane helped lead his Wolverines to the championship at Pontiac. He was a major reason for their success including a crazy four point shot. The jumper fell pretty consistently throughout the event shooting it with quite a bit of confidence from both mid-range and three. Good pushing in transition with his speed and was effective as a drive/kick threat.   [player_tooltip player_id="925193" first="Avyion" last="Morris"] (Simeon) Morris is the Patrick Beverly of Illinois high school basketball. He gets under the opponent’s skin and if he is on your team you absolutely love him. Pitbull defender that brings so much intensity on that end which translates over to the rest of his team. Offensively he isn’t afraid to take it in for tough layups and is a solid passer. Hit some big threes too.