Chi-Town Tip Off: Max’s 2023 And 2024 Standouts
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Seven of the top 2023 and 2024 prospects I saw over the weekend in Chicago at the Prep Hoops Chi-Town Tip Off! Braelyn Dale HEIGHT 6'7" POS SF CLASS 2023 Braelyn Dale School: Christ Church Grammar School Club: AUSA Australia…
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Continue ReadingSeven of the top 2023 and 2024 prospects I saw over the weekend in Chicago at the Prep Hoops Chi-Town Tip Off!
Braelyn Dale
Braelyn Dale
I thought Braelyn came off the bench and made a big impact against a tough Team Rose team. He has very good height at his position and a strong frame that should help him at the college level. Immediately after checking in he finished twice over size at the rim and then stretched the floor from three. Showcased a very versatile offensive skillset as he can handle, score inside or out, and is a smart passer. On the defensive end he stood out with his ability to communicate as you could hear/see him constantly talking to his teammates. Has the size and all-around athleticism to guard the 2-4 spots.
Sam has the type of game where everything just looks easy to him. Even against a Chicago Xtreme team that was looking to pressure the ball and play fast, Sam never looked sped up and was always under control taking what the defense gave him. Leave him too much space? Hans could knock down the outside jumper. Get up too tight on him? Sam was able to get by you, pin you on his hip, and work his way to the rim. Hans has excellent touch to finish inside, and also used his size to see the floor and zip in passes from the perimeter to cutting teammates. Really impressive all-around game in a win for Closed Gyms.
Navantae Nesbitt
Navantae Nesbitt
Not many guards could get downhill as quickly as Nesbitt last weekend. If there was even a small gap to attack, Navantae was going to use his quick burst to blow by the initial defender and get to the rack. Has a strong frame to withstand contact, and also showcased some impressive body control as he could hang in the air and contort his body to finish at difficult angles. Whether it was in transition or in the half-court, he found ways to get to the rim and lead his team to a win on Sunday morning.
Not sure I saw a more dangerous isolation scorer than Malachi throughout the weekend. Against Full Package he was making tough shots look routine as he used a shifty handle to create space on the perimeter and knock down threes at a high percentage. After draining a handful of threes in the first half, he started to get to the rim a lot more in the second half. Had some impressive change of direction moves in the open floor as he was weaving in and out of defenders on his way to the basket. Also showed some playmaking flashes in the half-court to beat his man off the dribble, and thread the needle into one of his teammates around the basket.
Highlights
Keagen was facilitating the ball at a high level in a win for 94 Feet Elite on Sunday. It took him just seconds to pick up his first assist as he took the opening jump and then delivered an accurate lob pass from the half-court line leading to a tip-in from his teammate. Later in the game he had another accurate lob from well beyond the arc leading to an easy bucket. Off the dribble he did a nice job scanning the floor and was able to zip in some accurate bounce passes to cutting teammates leading them perfectly to the rim. Showed some finishing ability of his own as he had an acrobatic finish through contact in transition.
Highlights
Trent Rayborn Trent Rayborn 5’11” | CG Brookfield Academy | 2024 State WI had another strong weekend for Closed Gyms, and impressed in the game I watched against Chicago Xtreme. He showcased a smooth jumper as he knocked down a handful of threes and also hit a pair of mid-range jumpers off the dribble. Has some shiftiness to him that allowed him to get to his spots on the mid-range. Defensively he can get up on the ball and was in the right spots off the ball that allowed him to step in and take a charge late in the first half.
Highlights
Steven Tran Steven Tran 5’10” Northside College Prep | 2024 IL came out firing on Saturday morning. He has no shortage of confidence in his outside shot, and a quick release meaning he only needed a little bit of space to get off a shot from three. Playing alongside a very talented young point guard, Steven was putting himself in the right spots off the ball to catch and shoot from three, knocking down a high percentage of his shots in the first half to get his team off to a strong start. Helped lead ICE to two big wins in the games I watched.