Film Room: Breaking Down Tape from First Half

Prep Hoops Illinois dives into the film room here looking at some prospects that we haven't been able to see during first month of the season.  We look at prospects here that we have been hearing buzz about or really wanted to evaluate during the first half of the season breaking down their full game tape!   Champaign Centennial vs Mt. Zion   [player_tooltip player_id='2323244' first='JC' last='Anderson'] (Mt. Zion – 2026)   Anderson is one of the top sophomore football prospects in the state currently sitting at #2 overall in the Prep Redzone Illinois rankings.  He is a good hoops player too.  At 6'7” he has good height and a strong frame with broad shoulders.  Moves extremely well inside.  Best play was a physical post move where he shredded his man, drop step and one handed dunk.  Garners deep post position and plays with physicality on the block.  Excellent rebounder on both ends of the floor.  Contributes defensively with his shot blocking swatting one in the paint and on a three.  In this game he had 8 points (3-5 FG), 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks.   [player_tooltip player_id='1545145' first='Lyncoln' last='Koester'] (Mt. Zion – 2025)   This 6'3” combo guard is a tough and competitive guard.  Didn't have his best shooting night as we have seen him shoot it better from distance, but got in the lane for some nifty layups.  Got to the line however at a super high rate.  What stood out to us was his passing.  Crisp dishes one after another all game long to shooters.  Played a big part as well on the defensive end locking down Centennial's star sophomore.  Went for 13 points (2-10 FG) (9-10 FT), 4 rebounds, 4 steals, and 6 assists.   [player_tooltip player_id='2318176' first='Gage' last='Owens'] (Mt. Zion – 2024)   Owens wasn't one of the three players we were anticipating evaluating in this one, but he jumped off the screen.  The senior guard has legit size with a long and thin frame.  Hit several spot up threes with a clean release, high pointed rebounds, and finished out of the dunker spot.  Also cut off the ball for a layup.  He had 12 points (5-6 FG) and 8 rebounds.   [player_tooltip player_id='1552478' first='Jadin' last='Schilb'] (Champaign Centennial – 2026)   Schilb is a prospect we needed to see further before putting him in the January rankings update for the sophomore class.  The shooting guard has solid size, length, and athleticism on the perimeter.  It was a tough shooting game from the perimeter as he couldn't get the jumper to fall.  Shoots a good ball with a free and easy stroke, but they just wouldn't go down.  Most impressive plays were a jump stop off the bounce where he pulled up for a 10 foot shot, euro step in transition, and did manage one three that he created on his own.  Seemed to force things at times when they weren't there.  His stat line in this one was 7 points (3-17 FG) and 3 rebounds.   Bismark-Henning/Rossville-Alvin vs Oakwood   [player_tooltip player_id='1845359' first='Keison' last='Peoples'] (Bismark-Henning/Rossville-Alvin – 2026)   Peoples was the reason and prospect we watched this game for.  The 6'2” point guard has been on our radar since he entered high school.  Missed part of last year and fell just outside the rankings in 2026.  After what we saw in this one he will certainly be in our next one!  Super smooth lead guard that plays with excellent pace and is a fluid ball handler.  Got where he wanted off the bounce regularly in this game.  Slick scoring moves in both transition and the half court slipping past defenders for buckets.  Liked one move where he had multiple shot/head fakes then got in the lane for a runner.  Good finisher in the lane.  Bit of a streaky shooter at the line and only hit one three.  Rebounded well for his position and sees the floor very well for a lead guard making nice dishes in the half court.  He had 22 points and 5 rebounds.   Chaz Dubois (Bismark-Henning/Rossville-Alvin – 2025)   First look at Dubois.  The 2025 wing is a solid athlete that scored from all three levels in this one.  Hit a pair of threes and could post up smaller defenders.  Also liked what he did as a defender creating several turnovers while scoring 18 points   [player_tooltip player_id='2894859' first='Ayden' last='Ingram'] (Bismark-Henning/Rossville-Alvin – 2024)   Ingram is a senior sharp shooter for this team that is at his best spotting up in catch and shoot situations.  Also willing to make the extra pass to be a connector.  He had 14 points.   Alec Harrison (Oakwood – 2024)   Pleasantly surprised by what this 6'6” thick bodied southpaw did on the interior.  Monster rebounder that ate them up over and over again on both ends while playing with a high-motor.  Finishes well through contact on several and-1s, seals on the block, feel on hook shot, and can hit a baseline jumper.  He had 16 points.  Small colleges should take a look.   Jackson Dudley (Oakwood – 2025)   Dudley brings athleticism to the table on the wing along with a skilled offensive game.  Plus shooter who hit three of them off the catch.  Plus shot maker that has some projectability moving forward.  He had 19 points.   East Peoria vs Peoria High   [player_tooltip player_id='1766506' first='Leshawn' last='Stowers'] (Peoria – 2025)   Stowers is a strong bodied 6'4” long armed wing that is built like an outside linebacker.  Physically has the look of a D1 prospect with his ability to impact the game on both ends.  Like what he brings defensively with his positioning and ability to check multiple spots.  Uses his long arms to create turnovers and block shots.  On the offensive end showed he could play with physicality around the hoop on post ups, hook shots, and slashed with force finishing or getting to the line.  Flashed as a shooter with a nice step back three, but most of his 18 points were in the paint.  Passed it better than I expected making several great reads that led to buckets for 5 dimes.   [player_tooltip player_id='2125674' first='Quinton' last='Kitt'] (East Peoria – 2027)   Kitt was super intriguing.  At about 6'4” now he is going to continue to grow as the combo forward seems to have several more inches of verticality left in his remaining years of high school.  Long and gangly frame with a ton of projectability!  Handled it well especially from the high-post in.  Can take it off the defensive glass as well.  Good offensive rebounder for second chance points.  Tough around the hoop and has a soft touch on his jumper from both mid-range and three.  Dropped 15 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.  Looked like one of the top 10 freshman we have seen to date.   [player_tooltip player_id='2323592' first='Cole' last='Dubois'] (East Peoria – 2027)   Dubois ran the point for East Peoria.  Tough as nails lead guard that has a little Brock Harding in his game.  The shots were not falling in the first half, but that didn't stop him from using his crisp ball handling and creativity as a passer to make those around him better.  Mixed in some runners, mid-range pull ups, and a three late notching 11 points and 4 dimes.  Good freshman lead guard to track.   Waterloo vs Mascoutah   [player_tooltip player_id='1766463' first='Alex' last='Stell'] (Waterloo – 2025)   Stell was the reason we wanted to check this game out and man did he put on a show!  At 6'9” Stell is a prospect we had not seen since mid last season.  He has slimmed down and is much more mobile than he was previously.  That showed in a variety of areas.  Stell is great at garnering deep post position knowing how to get where he needs to make the move he intends to make after he catches the pass.  Seals well, quick hooks, and can power through opponents as well.  Likes to work as a face up five that can face and attack with a couple dribbles from the mid-post area.  Had some key buckets in their overtime victory on plays that were run for him.  Shoots it well from the free throw line with great form.  Should be able to knock down 15-18 foot shots with some efficiency although that wasn't a huge part of this particular performance.  He was a monster on the glass snatching them in traffic in bunches on both ends of the floor.  Defensively he cleared the glass very well and was an excellent shot blocker too protecting the rim while also being able to defend in space contesting/blocking jumpers.  What a show Stell put on and he will be moving up the board significantly in our next update after getting to evaluate him.  His line read 24 points, 15 rebounds, 9 blocks, and 3 dimes.   [player_tooltip player_id='2318244' first='Rodrigo' last='Lopez'] (Waterloo – 2024)   Lopez popped on our radar in this one with his size at 6'8” and strong lower half.  He is very efficient on the offensive end with a spin move on a back down, face up move on his man that he won, and knocked in a three.  Rebounds pretty well in his area.  Think he can be a good small college guy.   [player_tooltip player_id='1838836' first='Jayden' last='McCoo'] (Mascoutah – 2025)   McCoo is a prospect that we liked quite a bit over the summer.  Long and angular combo guard that can really go.  Plays with speed and loves putting pressure on the rim with sweeping layups and a soft touch finishing game that is very effective.  Did that throughout the night in this one blowing past defenders while showing some passing feel in the half court to cutters and big men inside.  Flashed as a shooter including a late game baseline turnaround that looked Kobe like in a clutch time moment.  He had 17 points in the loss.   [player_tooltip player_id='2105088' first='Miles' last='Ntekop'] (Mascoutah – 2024)   Thick bodied and undersized five that plays with good positioning and great strength.  Plays through his man even when they are taller than him.  The southpaw is crafty around the hoop and finishes well out of the dunker spot and in the pick/roll notching 10 points.   Illini Bluffs vs Lewistown   [player_tooltip player_id='2318123' first='Hank' last='Alvey'] (Illini Bluffs – 2024 – Lehigh)   This was my first look at Illini Bluffs and their Lehigh commit [player_tooltip player_id='2318123' first='Hank' last='Alvey'].  The big man has a wide frame and stands at around 6'9”.  Really rebounds well both in and out of his area.  Granted no one on the floor was within five inches of him, but what we liked is how he grabbed boards at their highest point, went after them aggressively, and rebounded outside of his area.  He scored quite a few of his points on put back buckets.  Also got to the free throw line at a good clip where he shot a good percentage.  Solid passing big that made quick reads in the post.  Overall liked his activity level on the defensive end using his hands to get steals and tough for opponents to shoot over.  He had 13 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.   [player_tooltip player_id='2321445' first='Devon' last='White'] (Illini Bluffs – 2025)   White is a long and rangy 6'3” shooting guard that has a projectable frame that he will need to continue to add strength on.  Was at his best in transition using his slippery burst to get to the cup on multiple occasions including an acrobatic scoop shot through defenders.  Quick hands on the defensive end being able to check both backcourt spots.  Little loose with his handles at times, but has a lot of intriguing tools he showed in a 10 point outing.   Scales Mound vs Pecatonica   [player_tooltip player_id='1874696' first='Cooper' last='Hoffman'] (Pecatonica – 2025)   This game featured a matchup of two of the best small school teams in the state along with two of the better guards in the area.  Hoffman is a prospect that his high school coach made us aware of as a must see player.  He lived up to it notching 27 points in a win against Scales Mound.  Hoffman is a 6'0” lead guard that turned it up a notch in the second half.  He hit multiple tough step back threes, showed good rhythm on threes off the catch, and was very effective off the bounce.  Got in the lane pretty consistently either scoring himself of dishing off to teammates.  Sees the floor making those around him better.  Mixed in crafty drives along with explosive straight line takes on burst putting pressure on the rim.  Competitive kid that has good feel and plays with confidence.   [player_tooltip player_id='1874685' first='Brody' last='Black'] (Pecatonica – 2025)   The 5'11” junior guard played well off of Hoffman as a spot up shooter that mixed in a mid-rage game as well.  He had 12 points.   [player_tooltip player_id='2318211' first='Thomas' last='Hereau'] (Scales Mound – 2024)   Hereau made noise last season leading his team down state.  He is back again putting up big numbers as a senior.  Score first point guard that plays with a lot of grit.  Crisp mid-range pull up game from 15 feet that he knocked down on the regular.  Shields the ball at the rim and accelerates in the open floor.  Gets to the line.  Good small college prospect.

Prep Hoops Illinois dives into the film room here looking at some prospects that we haven't been able to see during first month of the season. We look at prospects here that we have been hearing buzz about or really wanted to evaluate during the first half of the season breaking down their full game tape!