Thanksgiving Week: Wednesday Scouting Feast

On Wednesday I bounced around the Chicagoland area catching a ton of different games.  I evaluated prospects in six different games on the third day of the season!  We have it all here in our Thanksgiving Week: Wednesday Scouting Feast!   Barrington 2026 is Elite Shooter/Scorer   We caught the first half of Barrington's Wednesday game against Hononegah.  The reason was we wanted to get an updated eval on Barrington 6'5” 2026 shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id='1845354' first='Oliver' last='Gray'].  The top 25 sophomore has been known as a shooter and that is what he showcased draining 4 triples in the first half for 14 points.  He finished with 32 points in their 66-44 win with all of his points in the second half coming from two point territory.  Gray is constantly moving within their offense and has great shot prep with a quick release.  Also mixed in a shot fake getting in the lane for a floater.  Good athlete that is a solid ball handler.  Capable passer and connector as a distributor.  Long and rangy frame will need to add some strength, but definitely a name to track at the D1 level.   Kankakee Scores Road Win at Christ The King Behind 2026 Wing   This was a fun matchup of city and south suburbs.  Christ The King is one of the best small schools in the state and should be competing for a state title come March.  Early on it was the [player_tooltip player_id='1978577' first='CJ' last='Worsham'] show!  The powerful four man is a southpaw that mauls on the interior rebounding while garnering deep post position on his touches.  Spin moves on the block, physical play getting to the line, and short jumpers.  Pounds the offensive glass.  Also showed he is a good passer making a couple quick reads inside.  He had 16 points as Kankakee essentially focused their entire team on him in the second half while shutting everyone else down which led to Kankakee's 60-43 win.   Kankakee's [player_tooltip player_id='2105360' first='Lincoln' last='Williams'] is one of the higher ceiling 2026 prospects in the class.  Long and rangy frame that he will definitely need to add some strength onto moving forward as it will help him convert more consistently at the rim.  Early on he was settling for threes.  Although he did make one he missed several more.  In the second quarter and from then on he got in the teeth of the CTK defense working in the paint and did major damage.  Catches in the paint for runners and short jumpers on flashes.  Used his quickness on a couple dribbles to get to the cup.  Let the game more naturally come to him as he settled in.  Finished dump off passes.  Really like what he brought defensively with his length getting a handful of steals many which went the other way for scores.  The long and athletic small forward has a chance to be a plus defender long term.  Rebounded well from his guard spot and displayed some glimpses as a passer.  Went for 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 steals.  The other standout for Kankakee was [player_tooltip player_id='1464072' first='Larenz' last='Walters'].  The senior guard is a sleeper that can really shoot the rock from the perimeter draining a trio from distance along with using his athleticism around the rim for 18 points.  Small colleges and JUCOs should take a look.   The 2026 Evals Continue with Deerfield's Big Man   Next up we watched Mundelein vs Deerfield.  In this contest the main attraction was Deerfield four man [player_tooltip player_id='1552404' first='Jake' last='Pollack'].  The 2026 post had a good summer and fall showing he is an inside/outside threat with skill and grit.  That was shown again in this one.  In the first half he knocked in a pair of corner threes along with another one on a dribble hand off.  The southpaw has good mechanics on his shot.  Can score inside too with toughness as shown on a quick hitter where he made a decisive move and went off the glass for two.  Second half he went to work down low for put backs and got to the foul line.  Showed he could attack a close out and rebounded very well finishing with 18 points in their 66-56 win.  Solid game from 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1171595' first='Charlie' last='Robin'] who is a competitive guard that made threes, posted up weaker defenders and got loose in transition for 19 points.  Aaron Pelts is a junior guard that provided sharp shooting from deep for 12 points.   For Mundelein 2025 combo guard [player_tooltip player_id='1385286' first='Derek' last='Bishop'] is their top prospect.  Strong bodied guard that is a crisp passer and ball mover on the perimeter.  Solid shooter that hit a pair from deep and mixed in a couple and-1s on his way to 13 points.  Keep tabs on 2025 guard Nate Hauf as the sleeper flashed athleticism on the wing with several nifty finishes at the rim for three point plays going for 11 points.   West Aurora Big 3 Look Ready for Big Year   Next up was West Aurora vs Hinsdale Central.  West Aurora scored the 58-47 victory with a big night from their perimeter trio.  It all starts with their 2025 top 10 prospect [player_tooltip player_id='1545116' first='Terrence' last='Smith'].  One of the best dual sport athletes in the state Smith holds D1 offers in both basketball and football.  The athleticism really pops on both ends of the floor.  High flying dunker, sweeping layups, and is exceptional in transition going end to end.  Crashed the offensive glass for several dunks including a massive on handed tip slam.  Also has improved his mechanics on his jumper shooting a better percentage from three.  Defensively he was all over the place with his active hands creating turnovers and swatting shots.  Such an impactful defensive player with elite athleticism and instincts.  No doubt a mid-major prospect in our eyes.  Smith had 22 points in the game.  [player_tooltip player_id='1285522' first='CJ' last='Savage'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1295535' first='Jordan' last='Brooks'] are a pair of high end small college guards that get stuff done.  Savage is a thick bodied point guard that loves to get downhill like a bowling ball and is a pretty consistent shooter.  Closed it out at the line finishing with 15 points.  Davis was shaking and baking defenders all game long winning off the bounce and getting to the cup in transition.  The senior finished with 9 points.   Hinsdale Central's top prospect is 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2105166' first='Vincas' last='Buzelis'].  He has legit size and plus athleticism which showed in flashes.  Drive/jump stop/layup and swatted a shot emphatically on the defensive end.  Rebounds pretty well for a wing.  He had 8 points.  Daniel Orozco is a plus shooter that drained a ton of threes en route to 17 points with a sweet lefty shot.  [player_tooltip player_id='2538930' first='Tyler' last='Thick'] is a wide bodied post that plays with a good motor finishing through defenders, drawing contact, and gets up and down the floor pretty well for his size.  Went for 6 points.    Naperville North Guard Play and Team D Lead Way in Win   In Naperville North's 54-42 win against Oswego East at the Hoops 4 Healing Tournament on Wednesday it was all about their guard play.  Purdue football commit [player_tooltip player_id='1157239' first='Luke' last='Williams'] is quite a hooper as well.  Long and rangy combo guard that uses his length defensively and flies down the court in the open floor for scores finishing with 13 points.  [player_tooltip player_id='1295542' first='Bryce' last='Welch'] is an uncommitted lead guard that should be getting more looks at the D2 level.  The Naperville North guard is a slick ball handler that creates off the bounce for himself and others.  Pull up from mid-range, can hit from three, and his soft touch floater game is perfection!  He had 12 points.  In the first half they got a big pick up from scrappy wing Jack Kallstrand.  The wing proved to be a gritty defender and intangibles player on the offensive end.   It was a clunky early season game for Oswego East.  Very quiet game from their star and top 10 senior [player_tooltip player_id='1157349' first='Jehvion' last='Starwood'].  He wasn't his usual assertive self on the offensive end.  Did have a few nice dimes.  It was unknown guard Drey Wisdom who carried them for most of the game.  Strong bodied guard that can shoot it on spot up opportunities.  Rangy 2026 Mason Lockett had some flashes and was bouncy around the hoop.   Niles North Wins Thriller at Lane Tech in Back and Forth Contest   In the game of the week at The Battle at the Bridge Tournament Niles North squeaked out a close W 63-61 on the road at Lane Tech in an absolute thriller!  Niles North jumped out with a super fast start behind the sharp shooting of 2025 duo [player_tooltip player_id='1385296' first='Yaris' last='Irby'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2105209' first='Reid' last='Olson'].  Lane Tech then came back with their stars [player_tooltip player_id='1373439' first='Shaheed' last='Solebo'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1545128' first='Dalton' last='Scantlebury'].  Niles North got a huge scoop shot from Olson to give them the lead and despite missing some free throws got the stop at the buzzer to win.   [player_tooltip player_id='1385296' first='Yaris' last='Irby'] was phenomenal in this one!  The scoring lead guard from Niles North dropped 28 points in the win including seven from beyond the arc.  They kept leaving him with a clean look and he kept knocking them in.  Mixed in some pull up triples as well.  Shifty ball handler that is tough to contain in the open floor as shown on coast to coast finishes.  His passing was very impactful as well kicking to shooters, working in the pick/roll, and finding his big man for dump offs.  His backcourt mate [player_tooltip player_id='2105209' first='Reid' last='Olson'] started out on fire hitting a pair of threes with one from the volleyball line and another falling to the side.  They were both insane shots!  Cooled down from distance the rest of the game, but when it mattered he got the key bucket on a scoop shot late to give them the lead in a 8 point outing.  [player_tooltip player_id='2105191' first='Hunter' last='Gawron'] is a 2025 power forward that needs to get more attention.  We liked him late in the season a year ago and saw progress over the summer.  He is a pogo stick athlete that is great on the offensive glass for second chance points.  Got many of his 15 points in that fashion while also working well in ball screens rolling or slipping to the hoop for dunks.   Lane Tech star [player_tooltip player_id='1373439' first='Shaheed' last='Solebo'] is one of the best uncommitted prospects in the state.  The lefty is a professional bucket getter!  That is what he does!  In this game he dropped a cool 23 points in pretty effortless fashion.  Was aggressive getting downhill for scores, made smooth finishes in transition, and connected on a pair of threes.  There is no reason low-major plus schools shouldn't be all over him and he could do some damage at a mid-major in the right situation.  [player_tooltip player_id='1545128' first='Dalton' last='Scantlebury'] is a big man we were huge fans of a year ago.  The 2025 post missed most of the summer, but he has continued to add strength and was a dominant force on the glass!  The Lane Tech five man mauled on the offensive glass fighting with Gawron all night eventually fouling him out.  Offensively he crashed for put backs, made a ton of trips to the foul line with his crafty play inside, and had a couple nice seals for scores.  Blocked several shots defensively.  Definitely has D1 potential without question especially if he can make strides athletically.  A great glue guy for this Lane Tech squad is long and lanky Dylan Pepper.  Lefty can hit spot up shots and always seemed to be around the ball to make a play!

On Wednesday I bounced around the Chicagoland area catching a ton of different games. I evaluated prospects in six different games on the third day of the season! We have it all here in our Thanksgiving Week: Wednesday Scouting Feast!