Post Season Profile: Team Illinois 2026

Team Illinois 2026 [Coached by Spencer Adams] is stacked with hungry athletes who came into the Prep Hoops NEXT circuit wanting to get better and turn heads. From all over central Illinois, practices were limited but as a group, they quickly learned how to gel together and get the job done. The ceiling is high for this team. Keshon Mims (MICDS – St. Louis, Mo.), Tishawn Clemmons (Decatur Eisenhower – Decatur, IL), and Khymir Carson (Decatur Macarthur – Decatur, IL) are all Varsity prospects this coming season at their respective high school programs. Those three along with the multiple stock risers on this squad are players to keep an eye on before next season! 

Below is the latest team roster and a few notes on what each player brings to this squad. 

Maliq Givens | 2026 

Maliq controlled the tempo this summer, he’s a good 3-point shooter and floor leader. He’s also a good defender who likes to pick up full court. 

Chris Nelson | 2026 

Chris showed flashes of his potential all summer, standing 6’5 he’s a good rebounder and finisher around the rim.

Keshon Mims | 2026 

The vocal leader who brings a lot of versatility and a high IQ to Team Illinois. Keshon can defend 1-4, as well as score from all 3 levels on the offensive end. 

Tishawn Clemmons | 2026

A dynamic scorer who filled up the scoring column all summer. Tishawn is an elite shooter and a pest on the defense.

Khymir Carson | 2026

Khymir is the floor general and has a knack for getting to the rim and finishing well. Defensively he applies constant pressure over the full length of the game.

Sean Lee | 2026

Sean brought a level of toughness to the team that Team Illinois loved. Sean usually had to guard the opponent’s biggest player, which he was exceptional at. He also likes to attack the offensive glass for easy putbacks.

Monte Phillips | 2027

A natural-born leader, a pure point guard who makes everyone around him better. Excels at attacking the rim and also setting up his teammates for easy buckets. He’s also a very tough defender who competes for every play at a high level.

Owen Kirby | 2027

Versatile stretch big who can score from all 3 levels of the floor. Owen has an excellent feel for the game, which made him easy to plug in at multiple positions on our 2026 team. Owen has a lot of upside to his game.

This team turned heads this summer! The guard play and multiple players who consistently can take their defender to the hoop were game-changers. Below we dive more into Team Illinois with Coach Adams. 

Which Prep Hoops Next event do you remember most?

I think our play at Prep Hoops Next Nationals in Kansas City stood out to me the most. Not only did we pick up some wins against quality competition but I was able to see how much our kids improved from June workouts and games with their perspective high schools. I saw a lot of growth in terms of IQ level with our 2026 team.

How do you feel your program competed throughout? 

I felt our team competed at a high level all throughout the Prep Hoops NEXT circuit, we finished at least .500 or above at every event we competed in. Right now, our guard play is the strength of our 2026 team. We have a good group of guards who can score pretty consistently as well as compete on the defensive end.

Who are a few of your team’s biggest Stock Risers from the summer? 

Keshon Mims – Showed steady improvement in his offensive skill set throughout the summer. Had a great month of June playing varsity at MICDS in St. Louis.

Tishawn Clemmons – Showed steady growth in his game throughout the summer. Was a big contributor in June for his varsity team at Decatur Eisenhower.

Sean Lee – Trimmed his body down, ended the summer way more explosive than he began it. Excited to see him continue to develop his body and reap the benefits.

Who are a few of the team leaders? 

Tishawn Clemmons – Vocal leader and natural-born scorer. An excellent student also.

Keshon Mims – Our most vocal player, always speaks life into his teammates on the court. Off the court, he’s an extraordinary student-athlete who excels in the classroom as well.

Khymir Carson – Vocal leader who also brings a lot of energy to our team. Controls the pace offensively, rebounds well, and plays hard nose defense.

Plans for next season? 

We are expecting everyone to return and to add a few pieces to our team as well.

Prep Hoops is excited to watch the growth of these athletes who competed extremely hard and well over the 2022 season. Good luck to this group in their HS seasons!