Grit Finals: Scotty B's Saturday Notebook

The Prep Hoops Grit Region Finals continued on Saturday with action across all ages in numerous venues.  I was at Pacers Athletic Center again to take in 17U games.  Here is what I witnessed in Grit Finals: Scotty B's Saturday Notebook!   Balance Leads DTM in First Game of the Day   Do The Math was effective in the opening game of the day recording a 53-33 win over Sky Ice Elite.  It was their depth having eight guys score at least five points in the game and none scoring over ten.  Englewood STEM wing Martrell Britten is a power wing to track that makes plays getting downhill in transition and can shoot it a little.  Thornwood power forward Kaden Faber made a big debut in our most recent update.  The bouncy four man rim runs and has such an explosive second jump.  Also hit a corner three.  Early in the game Westinghouse point guard Askia Bullie was a menace on the defensive end with the way he created turnovers and turned them into points by layups or dimes.   For Sky Ice Elite Mattoon shooting guard Bryce Jean got off to a fast start with a soft touch finishing game along with a clean jumper.  Lucas Westendorf of Deitrich came on strong in the second half using his size and strength to score in the paint.   Archangles Trio Impresses vs In-State Opponent   The Archangles were very good in this game against Illinois Storm winning 64-51.  Mercer County point guard Lucas Collison dropped a cool 28 points in the victory.  The 5'11” point guard hit only one three rather it was his crafty finishing game and creative handles in the lane for an array of finishing moves that did the trick.  Stephen Braun from Illinois Valley Central is a 6'3” off guard that can shoot it off the catch and post up a little in a 12 point performance.  Macomb 6'7” five man Ian Case is a 2024 post to track as he runs the floor very well for how strong he is and crashes the offensive glass for 11 points.   Avery Rogoz is a wing that made an impression on us back in the spring.  Strong bodied wing that is explosive with the ball in his hands showing burst getting downhill and can hit a crisp mid-range jumper as he had 10 points.  Joseph Kone from Westmont also is worth keeping tabs on as the rangy 6'2” wing is a slick ball handler and capable shooter that notched 12 points.   Full Package Gold Makes It Look Easy with Only Five Players   The Full Package Gold 17U squad only had 5 players and that didn't matter as they rolled to a 89-73 win vs Michigan Goonies.  Class of 2023 center Mykolas Ivanauskas is an unsigned senior from Sunrise Christian who has great size at the five with the ability to play physical around the rim.  Big dunks, power moves, spins, pick/roll finishes, and pounded the offensive glass for 23 points.  Class of 2024 Carmel 6'6” power forward Bryce Smith shot it well from three as the stretch four hit six of them in the win recording 20 points.  Kolby Capers from Lindbloom is another to keep tabs on as the smooth guard showcased more than we saw during the high school live periods.  Athletic guard that is slippery through traffic with his handles showing burst.  He had 19 points.  La Lumiere 6'1” shooting guard Jackson Harper also chipped in 15 points hitting an array of jumpers.   For the Michigan Goonies it was again all about Nicholas Speiser.  The wing dropped 31 points in the loss as he was the only one who could get their offense going.  He was fantastic with bombs from deep, crisp 15 footers, and showed toughness scoring on drives.  Really boosted his stock this week.   Midwest G2G Comes Back to Win vs Full Package Black   Full Package Black led the majority of this game.  Midwest G2G made a run in the second half to grab a victory 73-72.  The Illinois squad is led by one of the better lead guards in the 2025 class Keshaun Vaval.  He scored 18 points in the victory including a couple threes, but was most effective using his excellent handles weaving in between defenders for acrobatic layups.  Waukegan point guard Joseph White had a big game with 17 points.  First time we had seen him in a while as he transferred from St. Rita where he played as a junior.  The 2024 guard shot it well and used his athleticism off the bounce.   Glenbrook South 6'1” shooting guard JP Hubbard had a big day as he went for a monster performance earlier in the day and then backed it up with 21 points in this game.  Plus shooter who hit 5 from beyond the arc moving well without the ball and showing quick shot mechanics going from catch to shot.  Caden Minehart and Kelvin Clement also had good outings for Full Package Black who was also short handed with each recording 14 points.   M14 Adidas Gold Advances to Quarterfinals Against High Scorer of Day 1   It was once again another big game for West Aurora 2024 point guard CJ Savage as he had 22 points in a 50-43 M14 Adidas Gold victory against Columbia Supreme.  Savage is making Pacers Athletic Center his personal playground scoring at will with an array of threes and powerful straight line takes.  Waubonsie Valley wing Treshawn Blissett used his wiry and long frame to score in the lane for 7 points while Metea Valley standout wing Will Ashford chipped in 11 points.   It wasn't quite the massive outing from Friday, but there was still a lot to like in the 12 point performance by Columbia Supreme power forward Nelson Shinkle.  Broad shouldered four man rebounded well, was quick around the hoop on dump offs, and stretched for a three.   Illinois Orange Continues to Have Different Guys Step Up Each Game   One thing you know about Illinois Orange 17U is that they will always have a different guy step up.  With so many ranked prospects there is bound to be one that is on and in this game that was Jordan Lacey.  The Belleville West shooting guard paced them to a 69-63 win against OPS Blue.  Lacey is a 6'0” scoring guard who brings big time athleticism at the guard spot accelerating through defenders for scores while being able to stop and pop as well as he had 14 points.  Belleville East combo guard Tallis Lowery had 14 points in the win.  Rangy guard that has a sweet soft touch finishing game and is super smooth with the rock.  Freeburg point guard Cole Stuart got loose in transition, hit a three while being fouled, and was adept as a distributor in a 13 point game.  The 2025 prospect playing up to watch is Nathaniel Smith.  Don't sleep on this Belleville East wing as he has legit three level scoring ability going for 11 points.   OPS Blue was led by Boston Conley with 17 points in the game.  Plus shooter from three that was most effective as a marksmen from deep.   Perimeter Attack Paces Illinois Valley Warriors   Illinois Valley Warriors won their game 60-50 over Illinois Bears Snider.  It was Tanner Faivre who led the way in this one recording 22 points including three triples.  Kid shot it with confidence and looked like a legit small college prospect.  It was a good first half for PHI favorite Ryan Browder recording all of his 8 points in the first stanza including being fouled on a three, hitting another, and taking it coast to coast.   Ellis Scorches Nets Again to Advance Kyle Guy Elite to Final Four   In the 17U quarterfinals Kyle Guy Elite got down early to Illinois Bears Parr, but in the end Eli Ellis was just too much!  The scoring point guard put on a lethal shooting display with threes in bunches to go along with shifty takes off the bounce for scores in the paint racking up 26 points in the victory.   Have a weekend Isaac Billington!  The Benton two guard continues to produce with his crisp one dribble pull ups and attacking the rim with reckless abandon as he recorded 13 points.

The Prep Hoops Grit Region Finals continued on Saturday with action across all ages in numerous venues. I was at Pacers Athletic Center again to take in 17U games. Here is what I witnessed in Grit Finals: Scotty B's Saturday Notebook!