Chi-Town Tipoff: Teddy’s Saturday Afternoon Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a look at some of my most notable standouts from Saturday's action in Batavia. I'll be in Romeoville tomorrow.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2433331' first='Alexander' last='Wiggins'] - I Got Next 14u</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wiggins is arguably the most high-school ready prospect in this game. Nice frame for a combo-guard. Opened the game with a pair of tough drives to the rim. Followed that up with a turn-around fadeaway. Wiggins became more of a presence in the rebound and passing game later on. Displaying nice vision in the open floor. Most important bucket came on a go-ahead layup to secure a 48-46 win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2433525' first='Gavin' last='Ortiz'] - I Got Next 14u</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ortiz was a big threat offensively for IGN against Milwaukee. Buried back-to-back triples late in the first half. Opened the second half with a very tough bucket in transition. Slides his feet well in transition and makes good decisions with the ball in his hands. Coast-to-coast finish late was huge.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2401532' first='Matthew' last='Christianson'] - Milwaukee Basketball Club 14u</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2029 prospect based out of Wisconsin. Christianson is a 6'2” F who showed he can do a little bit of everything. He was a very effective rebounder and boxed out well. Created second-chance opportunities while forcing separation from opponents down low. Even tried making plays as a ball-handler. Pushing the tempo at times in transition. Still a lot he can do to improve, but I like what he has to offer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2828846' first='Clay' last='Tithof'] - Milwaukee Basketball Club 14u</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the best passers I watched today. Tithof created tons of buckets for his team in the first half. At least 4-5 assists from the start. Later on, he showcased an ability to score from outside. Cutting a contested 3-pointer with tons of confidence. Plays with lots of energy. Avoided turnovers, too. Maybe had one all game vs I got Next. Buried another 3-pointer to tie the game in the final minute.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ryan Whitt - [program_tooltip program_id='2075957' first='The' last='Work Foundation'] 15u</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He excelled playing two years up. The 2030 forward is very strong on the inside. But I was just as impressed with his ability to push the tempo in transition and even make plays as a passer. He already has the upper body strength of a seasoned varsity player. It will be interesting to see how he develops.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Khalil Leonard - [program_tooltip program_id='2075957' first='The' last='Work Foundation'] 15u</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Leonard's used his superior strength to be a difference maker in so many ways. Drew tons of fouls while converting from the FT line at a high clip. Powered through defenders in transition for several buckets, too. Rebounding also shouldn't be overlooked as he created several second-chance opportunities in the 2nd half vs all-in. Finishing the game with 20 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2826422' first='James' last='Callahan'] - Hoopademix 15u</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>5'11” sharpshooter buried three triples in the first half vs Flight. Also created a very challenging 2nd chance opportunity midway through the game. Got hot again in the 2nd frame with three more triples which really kept Hoopademix in this game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2403168' first='Masyn' last='Harrell'] - Flight 15u</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Harrell's a lengthy 6'1” combo from Schaumburg with tons of upside. Did an excellent job vs Hoopademix to keep opponents in front of him on defense. Not many players can really get in your face defensively the way he can. Also showed he can score from all three levels while snagging boards and passing the rock at an efficient clip, too. Even added a block late in the game to help secure a win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->