NEXT Chi-Town Tip Off: Saturday Live Notebook

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Today was Day 2 of the NEXT Chi Town Tip Off in Chicago, IL. Throughout the day I saw several interesting prospects play their hearts out and leave it all on the hardwood. While this was happening I was taking some quick notes about what I was seeing, live-in-action. Below I highlight seven individuals and briefly describe what I saw out on the floor in their specific contests.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#10 - [player_tooltip player_id='2405233' first='Marquis' last='Howard'] - 2028 - 5'9 - Combo Guard - [program_tooltip program_id='2075314' first='Big' last='3 Basketball'] 2028</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>"Kid can do it all at a high rate. He can create off the dribble, he score through contact, he can pass when he is overplayed, &amp; he is CRAFTY. This will be one of my Top 5 prospects that I've seen at this event if he played on Sunday, like he did on Saturday. Overall he does a lot of great things on the floor and is vital in his teams success."</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#33 - [player_tooltip player_id='2404346' first='Jason' last='Stratta'] - 2028 - 6'0 - Forward - [program_tooltip program_id='2075314' first='Big' last='3 Basketball'] 2028</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>"Stratta has solid size at 6'0, moves well, maybe somewhat skinny but he has a physical demeanor down low, &amp; he understands his job for this group. He is very good at doing his work early on in possessions, usually beating his matchup down the floor for an easy bucket on offense or stop on defense. He is comfortable with his back to the basketball with the ability to turn and score over either shoulder."</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#21 - [player_tooltip player_id='2381426' first='Trent' last='Williams'] - 2028 - 5'10 - Combo Guard - [program_tooltip program_id='2075383' first='Chicago' last='Demons'] 2028</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>"Do it all type prospect. Has solid size, good in 1v1 matchups, can be moved around to every position on the floor if need be. On a number of occasions he was screening the ball, looking for a switch into an easy matchup for himself or a fellow teammate. He displayed that he can score from all three levels offensively, while bringing chaos on the defensive end of the floor with his pressure. This group is stacked with talent prospects and Williams is going to have a chance to be one of the best if he continues to expand his play-style overtime."</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#1 - [player_tooltip player_id='2403463' first='Verton' last='Freeman'] - 2029 - 6'0 - Combo Guard - All In Athletics 2029 Rodell </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>"A promising young talent out of the 2029 Class. A lot of his team's action is played through him. He can screen and roll, with an impressive second jump near the rim. He already stands at 6'0 &amp; he is very athletic for that size. When watching this team and program compete, they have 2-3 prospects jump off the page right away and Freeman is one of them. What he brings to the floor could turn out to be really special in the long run. He seems to have a smart head on his shoulders and that's only going to make him better."</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#14 - Liam Bazin - 2029 - 6'1 - Combo Guard/Small Forward - Region Force 2028 Hughes </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>"Bazin stands at 6'1, he plays off of two feet in any given situation, he understands to keep it simple more times than not, and he is smart with the ball in his hands. He can be trusted to bring up the ball against a press or he can post up on the block while going to work. He has fantastic size for her age and has been on a tear even though he is playing one. This is going to be a prospect in the conversation for one of the most impressive I've seen on the weekend from his performances on Saturday. Can't wait to see how he will do on Championship Sunday."</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#2 - Jeremiah Martinez - 2028 - 5'11 - Combo Guard - Work Until Basketball 2028</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>"Guard that has done a little bit of everything in his team's first half this afternoon. At times he is bringing it up and creating for others. If not, he is finding holes in the defense himself, leading to some easy finishes at the rim. At his best with the basketball in his hands, that way he can be in control of what is going on around him. The type of prospect that NEEDS to touch the ball every possession for his team to be at their best as a whole."</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->