The EXPO: Steve’s Eye Catchers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Prep Hoops Expo was back live in Illinois again. As always we had a lot of high-level prospects in the building. In this article I highlighted a group of players that I saw for the first time.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2617454' first='Simereon' last='Carter'] (Waukegan)&nbsp; 2026&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At 6'5 Carter is an active wing who gets out on the break and scores often at the rim. He has dependable ball skills and is capable of making plays for others. Carter had some moments where he grabbed boards on defense pushed the break himself and made positive plays. He is a terror on defense getting steals on ball and from jumping passing lanes. He could be a rim protector but he moves too well to just stand around the basket. Carter will be one of the players who can breakout this season and have several schools offer him scholarships.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2617430' first='Matthew' last='Szafoni'] (Lane Tech) 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A player who opened some eyes was Szafoni. At 6'7 he's fundamentally sound with the ball in his hands. Matthew has a handle and can score from all three levels. He's mobile on defense showing good footwork to cover smaller players at times. He was strong on the glass and had a couple of blocks that I assumed he would just let go. Szafoni is more of a big wing than a stretch forward and will be one to watch this season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2617386' first='Dustyn' last='Collins'] (Centralia) 2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Collins was a guy that I've heard of but never seen in person. He's a bouncy forward who tries to dunk everything when he gets space to operate. A big energetic guy who uses his explosive athleticism to his advantage. Dustyn on defense challenges shots at the rim and is quick to jump passing lanes for steals. As a rebounder he is hard to keep off the glass on offense and defense. He's a guy who can get the momentum on your side with one or two plays.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2617412' first='Kamari' last='Hamlin'] (Simeon) 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hamlin is a thicker guard who has a lot of game. At first glance, you may think he's a shooter but he has so much more to his game. Kamari has point guard handles and the moves to attack guys at the basket. He is a terrific passer whenever he touches the paint. On the perimeter, he moves well off the ball and if you give him space he's knocking the shot down. Hamlin will be a key contributor to Simeon's success this season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2617408' first='Julian' last='Padilla'] (Lyons Township) 2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Padilla was one of the players that wore on me the more I watched him. He's a shifty off-guard who can make plays for the guys around him. Julian made some passes that I just never expected to hit his teammates.&nbsp; He played the game like he was a step ahead of others. He set guys up throughout the game and it opened up his offensive game as well making tough threes and even getting to his mid-range pull-up. Julian can play at a small college next season so coaches should check him out.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->