Illinois Freshman Showcase: Steve’s Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Saturday morning Prep Hoops Illinois hosted its first Freshman Showcase. Some of the best incoming high school stars from across the state made the trip to Aurora to display their talent. Here were the guys who just absolutely stood out above the rest by PHI's Steve Parham!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1552393' first='Gabriel' last='Sularski'] 6'4 Benet Academy&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the bigger forwards at the camp that could put the ball on the ground and make plays from the perimeter and around the rim. Gabriel scored well using either hand when in the paint.&nbsp; He is more of a small forward but can play in the low post as well with his solid footwork.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1552441' first='Joshua' last='Abushanab'] 6'3 Glenbard North&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Joshua is a long wing player that uses a quick first step when beating guys off the dribble. He can finish over defenders with his length and athleticism.&nbsp; When he can't get to the rim he will make shots. He looks very bouncy in his movement and should be dunking on guys real soon.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1552475' first='Marquis' last='Clark'] 6'2 Whitney Young&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Clark is a strong point guard who uses the ball as a yoyo. He has a solid frame for his size and stature.&nbsp; Marquis gets in the lane so smooth and finishes through contact as if nobody is there. He has a real feel of the game and can find mismatches when he's the ball handler. A candidate for top player in the state for his class early in the process.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1552419' first='Ryan' last='Walsh'] 6'2 Benet&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Walsh had maybe the best shooting performances of the day. In a two minute stretch and his team down 20+ points Ryan hit 5 three pointers to get the score to a reasonable deficit.&nbsp; He gets his feet set very quick and has a high release point which makes it hard for players to contest his shot. Walsh also got to the rim a few times for tougher layups when they forced him off the three point line.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1552476' first='Nasir' last='Rankin'] 6'1 Whitney Young&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rankin is a strong guard who uses his athleticism to finish at the rim. He is physically mature for his grade and that helps him absorb contact when he's slashing at the rim. A very underrated part to Nasir game is his mid-range jump shot as he can get to his spot and elevate over guys to knock it down.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1552462' first='Mickeis' last='Johnson'] 6'2 Romeoville&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mickeis is a bigger bodied forward who did most of his damage at the rim. He has a solid handle to take guys off the dribble but he also possesses good hands which gives him touch to finish plays. Johnson is a terrific rebounder who is also capable of pushing the ball on fastbreaks.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1552478' first='Jadin' last='Schilb'] 6'3 Champaign Centennial&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jadin is one of the players who has a ton of upside. He is a lanky guard who is smooth off the bounce. Can maneuver around defenders when he gets in the lane. Schilb's height and length gives him an advantage as a passer to make plays as a lead guard. As his shot is still improving Jadin has a high ceiling as a player.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1552412' first='Aiden' last='Horton'] 5'9 De La Salle&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Aiden was maybe the most dynamic guard of the day. He got to the rim at will with a quick crossover and spin moves.&nbsp; Horton is shifty with the ball. He can find players slashing or spotting up. He has active with his hands on defense getting steals and converted them into points. Horton plays with a motor that will keep him in the mention of the top guards in his class.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1552435' first='Joshua' last='Arce'] 5'6 Morton West&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With Arce don't let the size fool you he is a legit bucket. In a matchup against one of the better teams Joshua went on a one man scoring spree.&nbsp; Joshua can hit deep range three pointers but is more effective playing off ball screens getting in the lane to finish with floaters or find teammates slashing or spotting up for shots. Arce can get in the lane with just a smidge of room to operate with. His heart to go back and forth with some of the bigger guards that were mentioned in this article was the eye opener and we will continue to track him over these next 4 years.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Rico D'Alessandro 6'4 Whitney Young&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rico is another mature looking player who is going to be a Dolphin this season. He has a good IQ for the game and makes the best play off how the defenders guard him. Rico has nice looking shot but was more effective when getting to the rim. He is very athletic, and you can tell because players moved out of the way when he dribbled towards the rim. D'Alessandro is a wing that has good ball&nbsp;skills but could be a versatile stretch forward by the time he becomes a senior in high school.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->