Chi-Town Tip-Off: Friday Night Fantastic

<p>The Chi-Town Tip-Off is off to a great start and like every Prep Hoops event there is loads of talent in the gym. On Friday night I was at the Romeoville Athletic Center and I watched 3 excellent games. In this article we will be looking at the fantastic players from Friday night. </p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/03/NDSDStandouts-2.jpg"><img class="alignnone wp-image-1405749" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/03/NDSDStandouts-2-300x187.jpg" alt="" width="191" height="119" /></a></p> <h4><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>FRIDAY NIGHT FANTASTIC</strong></span></h4> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1356947" first="Shane" last="Rykse"] |6’3 SG|  United Persuit 2024</strong></p> <p>He was the best shooter that I saw on Friday. Shane is a cold-blooded 3-point assassin. He has deep extended range. I watched him nail triples from college range and NBA depth. The opposing team knew that he was a shooter, so he was hounded all game. Rykse still got his. I was super impressed with his passing and unselfishness. He made the easy pass and he threaded the needle. Shane was has great eyes and an excellent understanding for the game. I liked how he elevated for rebounds and Shane also made hustle plays. Rykse showed off his athleticism with a 1-handed WHAM in transition. Shane had a great Friday night.</p> <p><strong>Derrick King jr. |6’1 G| United Persuit 2024</strong></p> <p>He is a serious athlete that shined on Friday. King knocked down multiple three-pointers throughout the night. He was hot in the second half. His range extended out to college depth. King shared the ball and always seemed to find the open man. Derrick showed great body control with an AND1 finish. He looked great in up-tempo situations. This kid is a serious player. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1373456" first="Cole" last="Arl"] |5’7 PG| My Journey 2024</strong></p> <p>He stood out early with his impressive handles and his control of the tempo. In transition Cole was great at distributing the rock. He was pushing the tempo and dropping dimes. Arl was also impressive when he came off ball-screens, he drew help and found the open man. He is a shifty player that changes speeds well. When the defense was up in his face Cole easily alleviated the pressure. He fought for boards on both ends. Arl showed off his shooting with a triple from the top of the key. </p> <p><strong>Kelvyn Darshan Thomas |6’4 F| My Journey 2024</strong></p> <p>He is a long athlete that makes it look easy on the basketball court. Thomas had multiple tough finishes at the cup vs. double teams. He showed great determination and focus. Kelvyn elevates will and he gets off the floor quickly. Thomas also shared and passed the ball well. I liked his hard work when going after rebounds. He grabbed many O-boards. On defense, Thomas was impressive blocking shots with his long arms. Throughout the game, Kelvyn broke down the D off the bounce and he finished smoothly at the cup. Thomas had an impressive night.</p> <p><strong>Dylan Derda |6’6 F| 5 Star 2023 Windy</strong></p> <p>This BIG has arms that never end. I liked his anticipation, Dylan was great at high pointing passes. He went up and grabbed the ball over defenders. After Derda caught he gathered himself, and finished over double teams. He runs the floor very well. Dylan grabbed many O-boards and he scored on putbacks. He is also an efficient cutter, Derda executed and scored on BLOBs. On defense, Dylan blocked multiple shots.  </p> <p><strong>Ty’shaun Grundy |6’1 G| 5 Star 2023 Windy</strong></p> <p>He is a big, strong, and thick player. Grundy has a college body. On defense, Ty'shaun stood out when he picked off a pass and took it the length of the court for a finish before halftime. He is a fast and explosive player. Grundy was very productive late in the game. He had multiple full court finishes. He showed great touch when finishing on an off-balance layup. He also knocked down a triple late in the game. </p> <p><strong>Cooper Walls |5’9 G| 5 Star 2023 Windy</strong></p> <p>This kid can really shoot it from deep. Walls has a quick and silky smooth release. He showed off with a great step-back triple. It was a very quick and impressive play. Cooper showed off his toughness with a transition finish when he had a ton of contact. He might not be the tallest player on the court but he is fast and skilled, this kid gets the job done. </p> <p><strong>Lorenzo Aquino |5’10 G| All in Athletics 2023 Mason</strong></p> <p>I liked the looks of this point guard. Aquino played poised and under control. He never went too fast but he knew when to speed things up. Lorenzo can stroke it from 3-point land and slash into the lane to make plays. His ball skills stood out to me. Aquino handles the rock well and he throws crisp passes off the dribble. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1295556" first="Jayden" last="Small"] |5’10 G| Up Now 2023</strong></p> <p>He had a big first half scoring the ball. Jayden also hit the game winner in overtime! He was one of the best point guards on Friday. He pushed the ball up the court and facilitated. Small is creative off the bounce and he is speedy in the open court. He has great handles and Jayden is always in control of the situation. He was a big playmaker on Friday.</p>