Chicago Elite Classic: Saturday Notebook

Prep Hoops was back at the Chicago Elite Classic for the final day of action.  Nine games from 9 AM to almost 11 PM.  We look at each game here in Chicago Elite Classic: Saturday Notebook!   Senior D1 Guard Go At It in Opening Game   First game of the day saw Joliet West jump out early on, but Lindbloom turned it up a notch in the second half to score a 72-66 win.  It was a back and forth between the D1 guard commits in Lindblom's [player_tooltip player_id='1750599' first='Je'Shawn' last='Stevenson'] (Cleveland State) and Joliet West's [player_tooltip player_id='1373437' first='Justus' last='McNair'] (Valpo).  Stevenson was excellent scoring off the bounce and getting downhill and to the line where he was 10-14 for 26 points and 11 rebounds.  Sleeper senior guard Quentin McCoy also had a big night with his versatile scoring dropping 23 points (9-20 FG) and grabbing 8 boards.  Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2217973' first='Kolby' last='Capers'] caught our attention with his microwave scoring ability as the lefty notched 13 points.  Agasan Branch was very effective on the defensive end in this one as the big man swatted six shots to go long with 5 points and 6 rebounds.   Valpo commit [player_tooltip player_id='1373437' first='Justus' last='McNair'] used off his athleticism scoring off the bounce, one handed tip slam, and got out in transition.  He had 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 dimes stuffing the stat sheet.  Was very intrigued with what we saw from [player_tooltip player_id='2323237' first='Aamir' last='Shannon'].  The 2026 6'3” two guard has bounce and projectability.  Showed he can impact on both ends while going for 10 points and 5 rebounds.  [player_tooltip player_id='2321459' first='Tristian' last='Saunders'] was another prospect that emerged in 2025.  Scoring combo guard that had 15 points in the loss.  Unsigned senior big man [player_tooltip player_id='1404027' first='Drew' last='King'] was a force on the glass in this one while also finishing well with his left hand.  Great line of 9 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 blocks.   2027 Guards Battle Lives Up to Hype   This was one of the more anticipated games of the event.  It featured two of the premier 2027 prospects in the state in Bolingbrook's [player_tooltip player_id='2323624' first='Davion' last='Thompson'] and Warren's [player_tooltip player_id='2323571' first='Jaxson' last='Davis'].  They more than lived up to the billing as the star freshman went back and forth with Warren winning 77-64.  [player_tooltip player_id='2323571' first='Jaxson' last='Davis'] was absolutely spectacular in this one.  The lefty point guard is such a savvy player that is shifty off the bounce juking defenders, hitting jumpers, and making those around him better with his electric passing.  He had 17 points, 9 dimes, and 2 steals.  Also for Warren [player_tooltip player_id='1874672' first='Alex' last='Daniels'] continues to produce as a senior.  The undersized four is going to be an elite small college recruit with his ability to play inside/out and finish around the hoop with toughness along with rebound.  He had 16 points and 11 rebounds.  A couple of other wings that caught our attention were sharp shooting [player_tooltip player_id='2291830' first='Javerion' last='Banks'] who drained four threes for 18 points and athletic guard [player_tooltip player_id='2321424' first='Immanuel' last='Brown'] is another high motor wing that scored at the rim and got on the glass for 17 points and 11 rebounds.   On the Bolingbrook side freshman phenom [player_tooltip player_id='2323624' first='Davion' last='Thompson'] did what he is best at which is score from all over the floor.  Hit the only three he took, soft touch finishing game, elite mid-range game, and also showed creativity with the rock while going for 19 points and 5 rebounds.  Very good outing from [player_tooltip player_id='1385301' first='JT' last='Pettigrew'].  The big man from Bolingbrook looks trimmed down and was very good on both ends of the floor going for an impressive 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks.   Riverside Brookfield Storm Back to Score Win over St. Ignatius   This one came down to the last shot as Riverside Brookfield got the stop on the final possession to knock off St. Ignatius 50-49.  Their star big man [player_tooltip player_id='1285519' first='Stefan' last='Cicic'] stepped up at the end of the game on the defensive end swatting shot after shot along with securing key rebounds.  As an offensive player he slammed it on dump offs, hook shots, and played with physicality around the rim.  He had 10 points, 9 rebounds, 3 dimes and 4 blocks.  Mehki Austin was the spark for them in the first half as the guard knocked in a pair of threes en route to 10 points.   Top ranked 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1385292' first='Phoenix' last='Gill'] dropped 22 points on 8-23 from the field.  It wasn't his most efficient night, but he got buckets with his burst and creativity off the bounce along with draining a pair of threes.  Big man Justin Scott who is a Miami football recruit and top football senior in state was a force on the boards recording 10 rebounds and fighting inside with Cicic all game.   Pace (GA) Shows Out in Win against Hyde Park   This one wasn't close from the beginning as Pace ran out 21-5 in the first quarter to win 63-45 against Hyde Park.  The Georgia squad has a very talented team led by UCF commit Kyle Greene.  Projectable wing that is super efficient as a scorer going for 15 points on 4-6 from the field.  Junior Chandler Bing (yes not the late FRIENDS star Matthew Perry) had 14 points scoring in a variety of ways.  The prospect that jumped off the floor to us was 2026 MJ Madison.  Long and lanky forward that can hit a mid-range jumper and is super fluid as he had 10 points.   Hyde Park star [player_tooltip player_id='1373451' first='Jurrell' last='Baldwin'] will return in our next Illinois update as one of the top unsigned prospects in the state after briefly moving out to Arizona.  Combo forward that struggled shooting it but still managed 14 points and 8 rebounds.   Sidwell Friends (DC) Survives vs Tough Curie Squad   The talk was that Sidwell Friends was the top team in the event and local squad Curie gave them everything they wanted and more as the team from DC won narrowly 56-54.  For Sidwell Friends Georgetown commit [player_tooltip player_id='2194756' first='Caleb' last='Williams'] took over late in the game.  Strong and versatile forward that can score inside and out had 15 points.  In the first half [player_tooltip player_id='1370500' first='Jalen' last='Rougier-Roane'] was awesome as the broad shouldered forward has a great frame, can shoot it, and hit the game winner on a back cut for 10 points and 7 rebounds.  [player_tooltip player_id='1225257' first='Acaden' last='Lewis'] is a favorite of mine since I saw him in June at Nike Elite 100.  The slick handling lefty reminds you of a DeAaron Fox type player with his blow by ability, mid-range game, and passing flair.  He had 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 dimes.   For Curie [player_tooltip player_id='1157209' first='Will' last='Gonzalez'] is among the better uncommitted wings on the board in 2024 from Illinois.  Long and angular wing that has upside at the next level as a defender and can really pass.  The question has always been how well does he shoot it.  In this one he banged in three from distance en route to 11 points.  On his future home court [player_tooltip player_id='1157211' first='Carlos' last='Harris'] stuffed the stat sheet for 8 points, 6 rebounds, 4 dimes, and 2 steals.  [player_tooltip player_id='1845358' first='Michael' last='Oliver'] Jr was a spark in the first half off the bench as a spot up shooter while notching 10 points.   Gonzaga (DC) Plays Like Best Team in Event   With out a doubt the best team we saw on Saturday was Gonzaga from DC.  They looked like one of the best teams in the country behind their 2025 class in a 77-47 win over Homewood Flossmoor.  Inside [player_tooltip player_id='1409272' first='Christian' last='Gurdak'] was a man among boys.  He absolutely did whatever he wanted as the big bodied true five physically dominated inside, was light on his feet, and snatched rebounds one after another particularly on the offensive end for 18 points and 14 rebounds.  Class of 2025 guard [player_tooltip player_id='1370496' first='Derek' last='Dixon'] has one of the smoothest gamex we have seen as a distributor and ball handler as he notched 8 points and 6 dimes.  [player_tooltip player_id='1434218' first='William' last='Harper'] is a junior that knocked in multiple threes for 15 points.   Homewood Flossmoor was led by [player_tooltip player_id='1352590' first='Gianni' last='Cobb'] as the Columbia commit had 8 points and 4 dimes in the loss.   Cardinal Ritter Wins Despite EPIC Comeback By Whitney Young   Cardinal Ritter out of St. Louis was spectacular in the first half as they led 46-22.  Dolphins coach Tyrone Slaughter must have lit a fire under them at the half as they were by far and away the better team in the second half as Whitney Young got it down to one point with seconds to go before ultimately falling to Ritter 65-63.  The St. Louis power was led by their star [player_tooltip player_id='1427981' first='Clayton' last='Jackson'].  Looks every bit the part of a mid-major recruit with his elite shot making from all over the floor hitting mid-range shots, threes, and getting elevation over defenders on each and every shot for 20 points.  [player_tooltip player_id='1427988' first='Quenton' last='Parker'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1914113' first='Derrick' last='Rivers'] are two other wings that had big games.  Parker has a feathery mid-range game and was explosive in transition going for 16 points while Rivers shot it well from three hitting four of them for 13 points.   [player_tooltip player_id='1545124' first='Damajay' last='Richardson'] is the heart and soul of Whitney Young with his toughness and he started turning the momentum in the second half getting downhill and to the basket while getting after it defensively.  He had 15 points and 3 steals.  Fellow 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1385300' first='Antonio' last='Munoz'] played some of the best basketball of his career in the second half.  He let it rip and the athleticism took over blocking shot after shot while getting out in transition for scores and hit a three late to cut it to a single point finishing with 12 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks.  Top 5 sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1552475' first='Marquis' last='Clark'] is a slick ball handler that wins off the bounce and got to the rim for some nifty finishes going for 11 points.   Thornton Wins Battle of Preseason Top Chicago Squads vs Kenwood   The primetime game wasn't the most beautifully played game as the two teams combined for 33 turnovers, but in the end Thornton gutted it out 52-45 over Kenwood.  Top senior [player_tooltip player_id='1157230' first='Morez' last='Johnson'] dislocated his finger, they popped it into place, taped it up, and he was back out there diving on the floor and playing with his normal toughness inside recording 12 points and 8 rebounds.  Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2083269' first='Chase' last='Abraham'] is one of the biggest stock risers of the early season.  The TF North transfer will see a bump in our next update as he has been the most consistent perimeter force for Thornton as in this one he had 20 points.  Unsigned senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1285479' first='Isaiah' last='Green'] impacted on both ends against his former team with his passing and defense.  Didn't shoot it well but had 7 points, 3 dimes, and 5 steals.   Without question the best we have seen [player_tooltip player_id='1157346' first='Jaden' last='Smith'] play in a high school basketball game.  The Arizona State commit was a force on the interior in this game going 6-7 from the field including a pair of threes which is not his forte.  Finished through contact, rim runs, and hook shots for 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 blocks.   Vashon Scores Come from Behind Win as Randall and Ciaravino Square Off   In the last game of the night it was another St. Louis power Vashon who scored a 58-51 win in a game that Mt. Carmel controlled most of the game.  Class of 2025 big man Nick Randall looked like he is turning the corner from prospect to player as he used his athleticism up front for 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks.  Jimmy McKinney Jr is the next star at Vashon.  Such an electric 2027 scorer that can score at the rim and from deep notching 13 points off the bench.  Been a big [player_tooltip player_id='1552480' first='Trey' last='Williams'] fan for a while.  The combo guard in 2025 can flat out shoot it and he did again in this one with three triples for 11 points.   Northwestern got a good one in [player_tooltip player_id='1373436' first='Angelo' last='Ciaravino'].  He keeps getting better every time we see him play.  The senior wing has great size, frame, and length.  The athleticism jumps off the floor as he threw down multiple dunks, had electric blocks, and allowed his skill to shine through with his handles along with that beautiful jumper.  Went for 20 points, 8 rebounds, 5 dimes, 2 blocks, and 2 steals.  Unsigned power forward [player_tooltip player_id='1285482' first='Christian' last='Uremovich'] transferred into Mt. Carmel and has fit in perfectly with how they play.  He had 16 points (7-8 FG) in this game running the floor and cutting off the ball.

Prep Hoops was back at the Chicago Elite Classic for the final day of action. Nine games from 9 AM to almost 11 PM. We look at each game here in Chicago Elite Classic: Saturday Notebook!