M14 Workout Notebook

Ahead of Chi-Town Tip Off this upcoming weekend in Chicago we checked out a workout at M14 Basketball in Aurora where we evaluated their 17u, 16u, 15u, and 14u teams Thursday night.   M14 17U National 1 Shines in Competitive Scrimmage   The 17U Adidas, National 1, and National 2 squads had a three way scrimmage to close the night.  It was a super competitive effort from the jump and a huge reason for that was the National 1 team came out with a ton of high-energy plays including a monster one handed tip dunk by [player_tooltip player_id='1580327' first='CJ' last='Valente'] of Batavia.  The high-motor four man is a strong bodied post that brings a lot of intensity and strength on the interior.  Isaac Wit also of Batavia provides more size at 6'4” with his ability to put it on the deck showing a solid feel for the game.  [player_tooltip player_id='1295606' first='Cameron' last='Morel'] of Aurora Christian is a 6'3” sharp shooter that has a consistent spot up shooting stroke to go along with a tenacity to his game.  Geneva 6'5” small forward [player_tooltip player_id='1295610' first='Luke' last='Matan'] caught our eye with his competitiveness, scoring from multiple levels, and toughness on drives.   M14 Adidas Gold 17U Stacked with Ranked Prospects   For the top M14 team it was Waubonsie Valley small forward [player_tooltip player_id='1295644' first='Treshawn' last='Blissett'] who stands at 6'4” with long arms and a lanky frame.  He shined defensively using that length blocking shots and defending on the perimeter.  Slick ball handler that was impressive off the bounce and playing in the open floor.  Really liked the toughness we saw from West Aurora point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1285522' first='CJ' last='Savage'].  Strong bodied lead guard that is a scorer and intense defender at the point of attack.  [player_tooltip player_id='1285490' first='Nick' last='Schroeder'] (Metea Valley) and Jeffery Fleming (Plainfield North) are both spot up shooters with size that will find homes at the small college level.  Point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1295542' first='Bryce' last='Welch'] is a shifty ball handler with a passing feel.  Like the ceiling of Wheaton North power forward [player_tooltip player_id='1545137' first='Jalen' last='Crues'].  Good defender both as a rim protector and perimeter defender.  Flashes as a finisher around the hoop.  Metea Valley 6'5” combo forward Will Ashford flashed as a rebounder and skilled forward.   Moncau Shines for M14 National 2 17U Squad   For the National 2 squad one prospect stood out above the others as Wheaton Academy 6'6” four man Alex Moncau showed a ton of stretch ability with how well he shot it from three draining them in bunches!  Oswego East 6'0” junior Bryce Woods showed leadership and IQ at the lead guard spot making the right plays.  Metea Valley's 6'2” 2024 Alex Danehl is a plus shooter with a very fast release on his shot.   16U M14 Adidas Gold Led by Abalos Lights Out Shooting   Early on during the shooting drills it was apparent that Batavia 6'5” combo forward [player_tooltip player_id='1295579' first='Jax' last='Abalos'] was on with his perimeter shooting.  The lefty has quality size and could develop into a three or a four long term.  His ability to knock down spot up jumpers along with mixing in some pull ups was very impressive.  Quick release with consistent accuracy.  Oswego 6'5” small forward Dasean Patton displays a lot of potential with his size for position and athleticism.  [player_tooltip player_id='1874676' first='Anthony' last='Quaranta'] of Wheaton St. Francis is a strong bodied point guard at 5'10” that was active defensively as a help defender creating steals along with knocking down shots with regularity.  Lyons 6'5” combo forward [player_tooltip player_id='1524193' first='Bobby' last='Vespa'] is a solid athlete that can handle it from the high-post, hit an open shot, and plays very hard.  Wheaton Academy 6'1” point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1401824' first='Tyler' last='Smith'] can shoot it from mid-range and three along with being a solid passer.   Athletic and Projectable Quartet Emerges for 15U M14 Adidas Gold   There were several new prospects in the 2026 class that made impressions in their scrimmage against the 16U.  Oswego 6'0” point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1874810' first='Jayden' last='Riley'] jumped off the floor to us with his competitiveness at the lead guard spot.  He can really pass the ball on drives and making sound decisions around ball screens.  Scrappy defender that was a good help defender including ripping the ball out of several guards hands on drives.  The athleticism of [player_tooltip player_id='2105431' first='OJ' last='Powell'] from Willowbrook 6'1” two guard was fun to watch.  He flew around blocking shots and finishing on explosive slashes.  Mason Lockett from Oswego East is a projectable 6'2” two guard that is a solid passer and has potential as a shooter.  Glenbard West has a nice guard to build around going forward in 6'0” two guard [player_tooltip player_id='1552408' first='TJ' last='Williams'].  Should continue to grow and has a silky smooth three point shot.  Aware on the defensive end as well.   Duo to Monitor on M14 in 2027 Class   We got a glimpse at a couple of future prospects to monitor in the 2027 class.  Hayden Schroeder and [player_tooltip player_id='2323620' first='Edvardas' last='Stasys'] are a pair of skilled small forwards that already have legit size at about 6'4” each.  Stasys caught our attention early on with his long and thin frame.  Needs to add strength, but the skill set was impressive with how well he passed the ball, pushed in transition off the defensive glass, and flashed potential.  Schroeder turned it up a notch at the end of their scrimmage.  Broad shoulders and a frame to add strength.  Was very good in the open floor using his strength and fluid handles putting pressure on the rim over and over again.  Plays with a high-motor and proved to be a capable shooter.   Thanks to Matt Miller and Bill Baldridge for having PHI out at their outstanding facility!

Ahead of Chi-Town Tip Off this upcoming weekend in Chicago we checked out a workout at M14 Basketball in Aurora where we evaluated their 17u, 16u, 15u, and 14u teams Thursday night.