Chicago Jamboree’s Unfamiliar Names
This past weekend Chicago Hope Academy hosted the 13th Annual Illinois High School Jamboree. 28 varsity teams competed throughout pool play on Saturday, and Sunday included various entertaining showcase matchups. Prospects who have already made a name for themselves were…
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Continue ReadingThis past weekend Chicago Hope Academy hosted the 13th Annual Illinois High School Jamboree. 28 varsity teams competed throughout pool play on Saturday, and Sunday included various entertaining showcase matchups. Prospects who have already made a name for themselves were able to showcase even more of their respective athletic skillsets. But many newcomers to their varsity squads and unrecognized, experienced players had the opportunity to establish their names. Let’s take a look at Ten Unfamiliar Names that impressed throughout the course of the tourney!
Myles Townsend
Myles Townsend
Townsend’s size and solid build provided many advantages throughout the tournament such as strength, the ability to absorb contact, and create mismatches against smaller opponents. Keeping his eyes up presents good court vision and awareness for open teammates. He demonstrated the skill to deliver accurate and soft touch passes making it easy for teammates to catch in favorable positions. Against Warren and Christ the King, two up-tempo challenging teams, Townsend showed poise and composure in an adverse situation. He displayed the ability to remain focused and productive while playing through adversity.
Aaron Watson
Aaron Watson
Watson excelled at slashing through defenders and attacking the paint, using his agility, quickness, and ball-handling abilities to produce scoring opportunities. Navigating through tight spaces and penetrating into the paint demonstrated control and the capability to finish attempts at the rim. His muscular physique provides the strength to absorb contact while driving, enabling him to finish through contact or draw fouls. Watson elevates gracefully at the rim, where he could finish with finesse and avoid lurking shot-blockers. Included with a gentle elevation was his delicate touch on floaters by controlling his shot during difficult, defensive contests when driving. Watson will be an experienced leader for Bulls Prep this upcoming season.
Jalen James
Jalen James
James utilizes his 6’5″ frame to his advantage. He excelled at grabbing defensive rebounds by demonstrating good positioning, anticipation, and timing, which also lowered second chance opportunities for opposing teams. James used his verticality effectively, contesting shots without fouling and altered opponent scoring attempts. With his height advantage James possesses quality shot-blocking skills and provides rim protection for the team. He isn’t just an offensive post player either, as he displayed a reliable mid-range jumper, which stretches out the defense. There were times where James showed driving capability, using his size and athleticism to finish at the rim or draw fouls.
Nour Mohammad
Nour Mohammad
Mohammad served as a passing facilitator for Amundsen’s offense. He prioritized passing and created scoring opportunities for his teammates. His pass-first mentality demonstrates the willingness to distribute the ball and involve his teammates throughout a game. He has the ability to connect on accurate passes, even no-look passes as well, showcasing his vision, awareness, and unselfish playstyle. Mohammad handled the ball effectively even in congested situations, allowing him to squeeze through defenders and create passing lanes. Against Dunbar, outside of his pass-first mentality, Mohammad spiced things up with a smooth transition euro-step and finished the sequence with an and-1.
Kamrin King Kamrin King 6'3" | SG Julian | 2025 IL
Kamrin King Kamrin King 6'3" | SG Julian | 2025 IL
King excelled in catch and shoot situations from behind the arc and in mid-range areas. He displayed the ability to set his feet quickly and release the shot efficiently. His shooting form and release is smooth, which contributes to his accuracy and consistency as a shooter. On the defensive end, King showed strong basketball IQ, navigating through screens and providing help defense for teammates. Another area to keep an eye on is his vocal presence, a great leadership trait to have for Julian. King displayed loud communication skills and actively directed teammates during gameplay.
Tyjuan Hunter
Tyjuan Hunter
For a young prospect, Hunter demonstrated skillful dribbling and the ability to weave through defenders, utilizing his quickness, agility, and ball-handling to create passing angles and driving lanes. He’s a shifty ball-handler who can change direction quickly, use hesitation and crossover moves making him difficult to guard, and penetrate defenses while either finishing in the paint or accurately passing to teammates. Hunter showed the ability to drive baseline and draw defenders before making smart kick-out passes to open teammates along the perimeter. His strong passing skills also shined during transition where he accurately passed to teammates running the floor for quick scoring opportunities.
Josh Dillon
Josh Dillon
Dillon is an excellent catch and shoot guard especially along the perimeter where he canned multiple three’s over the weekend. He even displayed a smooth step-back three in the final minutes of a close matchup against Julian. During transition offense, Dillon utilized his speed to blow by defenders, creating straight driving lanes to the basket. When he wasn’t able to only use his speed in transition, Dillon demonstrated patience with his attack to the basket, letting plays develop instead of forcing a shot. He finished plays at the rim with a soft touch and converted tough shots in traffic with finesse.
Jervari Jackson
Jervari Jackson
Jackson holds the ability to drive strong into the paint, attracting help defense and create opportunities for teammates plus himself. With his driving mentality, Jackson displayed good vision and accurate passing to open perimeter teammates when drawing help defense. He utilizes calm pump fakes and head fakes to draw defenders off their feet or out of position, allowing him to create openings for himself or scoring opportunities for teammates. Jackson can also expand his range by being a reliable shooter from downtown, particularly in catch and shoot situations. Plus, Jackson is an active presence on defense, showing effort in guarding opponents and disrupting an offense. He’s a solid two-way athlete.
Elijah Embrey
Elijah Embrey
Embrey impressed me with his elevation under the rim and ability to finish shots through contact consistently. He showcased the strength, control, and toughness all while maintaining focus to complete plays. He takes a tenacious approach when driving to the basket, presenting a relentless mindset and determination to attack the rim. Embrey’s continuous hustle is displayed through a high motor. His high level of energy and hustle throughout the game contributes to constant hard work, and being impactful on both ends of the court.
Rae’Qwon Rogers
Rae’Qwon Rogers
Rae’Qwon’s game has advanced over the last few months. His scoring ability includes effectively catch and shooting along the perimeter, pulling up from downtown, and providing a reliable mid-range pull-up jumper. To compliment his shooting arsenal, Rae’Qwon’s vertical has improved mightily as he nearly threw down a poster dunk early in the first half against Bulls College Prep on Sunday morning. His vertical increase allows him to exhibit a smooth and controlled elevation towards the rim, and finish effectively in traffic or over defenders. He’s an excellent playmaking point guard with the ability to initiate an offense, thrive in transition scoring, convert lead passes to teammates, and showcase some accurate no-look passes.