Riverside Brookfield: Scotty B’s Saturday Notebook

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was another day at the Riverside Brookfield Live Event on Saturday with games from 8 AM to 7 PM.&nbsp; PHI was in the house for it all and has the recap here in <strong>Riverside Brookfield: Scotty B's Saturday Notebook</strong>!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mister Continues Helium from Day 1 and We Get First Look at Caravan 2029s</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We started the day off with Mt. Carmel vs O'Fallon.&nbsp; Mt. Carmel got the win 74-60 behind the play of their rising senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1845357' first='Noah' last='Mister'].&nbsp; Coming off a strong first day he continued that scoring 28 points in the victory.&nbsp; Shifty ball handler that banged in three from distance.&nbsp; Won with his quickness off the dribble finding creases and attacking.&nbsp; Also made some solid passes in this contest.&nbsp; We also got our first eval of the hyped 2029 duo DK Heard and [player_tooltip player_id='2767906' first='Ronald' last='Johnson'].&nbsp; Heard is a 6'5” wing that has a great frame with long arms and fluid movement skills.&nbsp; He got out in transition, to the foul line, and flashed defensively scoring 6 points.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='2767906' first='Ronald' last='Johnson'] is a 6'3” combo guard who has positional size with a nice skill level.&nbsp; Quick passes on the move and had an acrobatic finish.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='2832912' first='Luke' last='Segroves'] is a plus shooter that made several from the baseline and finished out of the dunker spot.&nbsp; Class of 2027 wing [player_tooltip player_id='2403910' first='Logan' last='Wessel'] and 2026 wing [player_tooltip player_id='2860531' first='George' last='Gray'] also put their names on the map with strong performances.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1501486' first='Ben' last='Akoro'] is the top prospect for O'Fallon.&nbsp; He had a solid outing scoring 14 points in the loss.&nbsp; Akoro has a lot of physical tools that make him intriguing with his length, skill, and athleticism.&nbsp; Spin moves for scores off the bounce, coast to coast takes, strong baseline takes, and a step through off a shot fake.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='2454165' first='Lawson' last='Bynum'] is a transfer from East St. Louis that will be a nice running mate for O'Fallon.&nbsp; Strong body that can post up as he did for an and-1, banged in a crisp mid-range jumper, and was active on the offensive glass.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Peoples Asserts Will on Game for St. Laurence in Victory Against Rich Township</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It is a new era for St. Laurence with the graduation of a core group that had been around for multiple years.&nbsp; The young prospects from those teams are ready to step up as was shown with Markese People's performance on Saturday in their 57-52 win against Rich Township.&nbsp; The 2027 strong and compact guard was outstanding being consistently aggressive attacking downhill like a running back wearing Rich down. An array of and-1s, crafty finishes, and hit the offensive glass for 19 points.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='2532002' first='Jeremiah' last='Toney'] had a nice game for St. Laurence as they guard dropped 14 in the win.&nbsp; Liked what we saw out of 2028 point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2385372' first='Noah' last='Corro'] running the show making good decisions and getting in the lane for scores when opportunities presented themselves as he had 8 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Top 10 senior [player_tooltip player_id='2734366' first='Jayden' last='Williams'] led the way with 15 points.&nbsp; Came out aggressive shooting it well from deep beginning with a trail three.&nbsp; Tough put back on the offensive glass and got to the foul line.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='2416198' first='TJ' last='Eaton'] also had a nice game as the tough and gritty guard notched 12 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Evanston 2028 Guard Ojala's Hot Shooting Leads to Comeback over Lemont</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was over to the solo gym on court six for Evanston vs Lemont.&nbsp; For the majority of the game Lemont controlled it, but the Wildkits got hot in the second half particularly their star 2028 guard [player_tooltip player_id='2531970' first='Ben' last='Ojala'].&nbsp; Evanston got the win 59-56.&nbsp; Ojala is a combo guard that can really shoot it from distance.&nbsp; Free and quick release on his shot and when he gets going is about as tough to stop as anyone.&nbsp; Made five of them in a short time span along with a slick and-1.&nbsp; Crisp ball handler that can play both on and off the ball.&nbsp; Went for 25 points in the victory.&nbsp; Their other top prospect is 2027 wing [player_tooltip player_id='2540157' first='Vito' last='Rocca'].&nbsp; Well built wing that brings size and athleticism on the perimeter.&nbsp; Skilled scorer netting 12 points, but it was his defense that was the largest contribution he brought in this game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lemont got a fantastic performance from their rising junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2749990' first='Zane' last='Schneider'].&nbsp; Effectively scored from all three levels with an array of jumpers early.&nbsp; Then it was all out attack off the bounce over and over and over for sweeping layups, spins, and straight line takes through contact for 31 points.&nbsp; He has really elevated his stock in the spring and this is another positive sign of where his game is trending.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='1552393' first='Gabriel' last='Sularski'] is the #3 overall prospect in the 2026 class.&nbsp; Lefty had a few nice passes and grinded it out getting to the line and cutting off the ball for 13 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DePaul Prep is Who We Thought They Were</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The three time defending champs DePaul Prep looked every bit the team that could four peat in a dominant showing winning 79-56 over Rock Island.&nbsp; Their 1-2 punch of point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1435692' first='Rykan' last='Woo'] and post [player_tooltip player_id='1845360' first='Rashaun' last='Porter'] might be as good as any in the state.&nbsp; Porter was dominant in this game.&nbsp; He played above the rim in transition and was powerful through contact scoring in the paint with his new found explosiveness.&nbsp; Also had left handed hook shots, quick post moves, catching lobs, and winning off the bounce on shot fakes.&nbsp; Also hit a three en route to 27 points.&nbsp; Woo went for 22 points of his own in the victory.&nbsp; He is a plus shooter from three especially off movement.&nbsp; Can get in the lane with his speed for floaters and is a dynamic passer setting all his teammates particularly Porter up.&nbsp; The x-factor guard for this team is [player_tooltip player_id='2323334' first='AJ' last='Chambers'].&nbsp; The lefty wing is a plus shooter and crafty layup maker that had 12 points.&nbsp; Their defense was on point and shined against a really good Rock Island squad.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For Rocky they got nice outings from a pair of their guards.&nbsp; Moline transfer [player_tooltip player_id='2455389' first='Arthur' last='Abbey'] dropped 17 points showcasing his shake, shot making from three, and passing on the move.&nbsp; Rising senior [player_tooltip player_id='2823476' first='Lawson' last='Zulu'] was better than when we saw him on Friday.&nbsp; The athleticism and speed played well.&nbsp; Got in the paint where he converted floaters for 15 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Prospects Shine as Yorkville Christian Edges Past Glenbrook South</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Next up we saw a fun contest as Yorkville Christian topped Glenbrook South 51-47.&nbsp; Yorkville Christian star [player_tooltip player_id='1874810' first='Jayden' last='Riley'] is a shifty lead guard that is among the best point guards in the 2026 class.&nbsp; He plays off his speed, handles, and flair.&nbsp; He is a high scoring guard, but we have always said his best asset is his passing.&nbsp; Slick distributor that made excellent passes in the half court tht led to assists.&nbsp; Capable shooter from three, can post up weaker guards, and got to the free throw line on drives while scoring 18 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the other side it was Glenbrook South 2027 big man [player_tooltip player_id='2125637' first='Jacob' last='Fuller'].&nbsp; He is a skilled face up post that's strength is his perimeter shooting.&nbsp; He scored 19 points including five triples.&nbsp; Feathery touch from distance which he got hot as the game went on.&nbsp; Didn't play much in the paint.&nbsp; Cut off the ball for an and-1 and had a pick/roll finish for his two buckets inside.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Marist Post Brown is Stellar vs Romeoville in Win</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We came away very impressed with Marist in their 61-46 victory against Romeoville.&nbsp; Marist 2026 post [player_tooltip player_id='1845350' first='Stephen' last='Brown'] is one of the better power forwards in the rising senior class.&nbsp; He played like it in one of the best showings we have seen in his career.&nbsp; Passed it on the move, pounded the offensive glass for put backs with his athleticism, finished with explosiveness in the paint, rim runs for slams, and was strong as a rebounder on both ends for 16 points.&nbsp; Athletic 2026 wing [player_tooltip player_id='1552436' first='Karson' last='Thomas'] brings strength and big time athleticism on the perimeter.&nbsp; He played above the rim, cut off the ball, and got to the rack on slashes for 19 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We got our first look at Tim Winkler who is back for his senior season after leaving before his freshman year.&nbsp; The five man has legit size, a good frame, and solid mobility.&nbsp; He threw down an alley-oop, had a nice baseline take, and a sweet turnaround jumper en route to 16 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>De La Salle Tops Joliet West</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Meteors used their front line to take home a 45-40 win against Joliet West.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='2323326' first='Jordan' last='Shaw'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1552397' first='Remi' last='Edwards'] were keys to the win with their strength inside as Shaw had 10 points and Edwards went for 9 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1948375' first='Luke' last='Grevengoed'] led Joliet West with 9 points as the wing has a nose for the ball making key plays along with being able to bomb in a three.&nbsp; Intrigued by 2028 6'3” shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id='2546996' first='Abrey' last='Robinson'] who has a lengthy frame and clean shot.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top 5 2027 Schroeder Leads Wheaton Academy Comeback and to OT Win vs Maine South</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This game was Maine South's for the majority of the contest before Wheaton Academy stormed back late to win 54-50.&nbsp; Wheaton Academy 2027 power forward Hayden Shroeder was the largest reason for the win.&nbsp; Super mobile and skilled around the hoop.&nbsp; Reverse layups, hook shots, finishes out of the dunker spot, slams on offensive rebounds, and handled it in transition.&nbsp; Went for 21 points in the victory.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Maine South 2026 combo forward RicoAntonio D'Alesandro is a strong bodied prospect that has nimble footwork.  Plays with a high motor and good skill level.  Knocked in a pair of threes, cut off the ball for scores, and won off the dribble with his quickness for 20 points.  Panaytiotis Sotos put his name on our radar with a 20 point performance as well.  The well built 6'3” point guard made good decisions with the ball.  Crisp mid-range shooter that also scored on downhill takes.  Crisp passer as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cocroft and Hassan Combine to Score Victory Against Marian Catholic</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kaneland had a big season last year.&nbsp; They return a pair of key contributors from their deep playoff run in 2026 point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1552428' first='Marshawn' last='Cocroft'] and 2027 post [player_tooltip player_id='2391672' first='Jeffrey' last='Hassan'].&nbsp; They led them to a 65-42 win against Marian Catholic on Saturday night.&nbsp; Cocroft is a smaller lead guard that dropped 24 points in the win.&nbsp; Knocked in pull up jumpers from two and three.&nbsp; Also used his quickness off the dribble to score for himself and get others involved.&nbsp; Hassan is a super bouncy five man that ranks in the top 5 in the rising junior class.&nbsp; He played his game.&nbsp; Finished out of the dunker spot, ran the floor, used his athleticism, high/low conversions, and protected the rim at a high rate on the defensive end for 16 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Slender guard [player_tooltip player_id='1552417' first='Jordan' last='Walker'] had the best game we have seen from him in his career.&nbsp; The 5'9” point guard poured in jumpers throughout the game from two and three along with mixing in some soft touch finishes for 19 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Transfer Brothers Making Instant Impact for East St. Louis</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Two of the most impactful transfers this month have been East St. Louis' addition of [player_tooltip player_id='1873523' first='Jamison' last='White'] and Jahadi White Jr.&nbsp; They are big men that have legit size, strength, and game.&nbsp; That was shown particularly by Jamison in their 58-40 victory over Glenbard West.&nbsp; Jamison is a four man that is well built and mobile.&nbsp; He was a bit wild and both he and his brother missed a few bunnies, but he still scored 17 points.&nbsp; Got to the rim with his handles, power, and strength for dunks.&nbsp; Used his quickness on the offensive glass for put backs.&nbsp; Can also post up and flashed some passing instincts.&nbsp; Jahadi only scored 4 points, but he impacted the game with his physicality, rebounding, and defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Relatively quiet game for Glenbard West star 2026 wing [player_tooltip player_id='1552441' first='Josh' last='Abushanab'] who scored 10 points in the loss.&nbsp; Still really like his upside as a jumbo wing.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Rockford Auburn's Backcourt Carry Squad to 20 Point Win</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Big time performance by the duo of [player_tooltip player_id='1845353' first='Amir' last='Danforth'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2105407' first='Champ' last='Parker'] for Rockford Auburn in their 72-52 W against Barrington.&nbsp; Danforth is a North Dakota State commit that is among the better two guards in the class.&nbsp; He is a plus shooter from deep with a clean stroke and a lot of arc as he made three of them.&nbsp; The growth in his handles and added strength in his upper body allowed him to be more effective attacking in one on one situations and transition.&nbsp; Got to the foul line.&nbsp; Went for 18 points.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='2105407' first='Champ' last='Parker'] chipped in 19 for Rockford Auburn in the win.&nbsp; The point guard has also added strength since we last saw him.&nbsp; Quickness off the bounce mixing in floaters, layups, and turned steals into points in a hurry!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Barrington wing [player_tooltip player_id='1845354' first='Oliver' last='Gray'] is among the better wing for D1 and D2 programs to take a look at.&nbsp; He has positional size, athleticism, and a feathery shot.&nbsp; The later was seen early in the contest with a barrage of baseline jumpers, pull up threes, and other shots from the perimeter.&nbsp; He scored 20 points in the loss.&nbsp; Also displayed growth as a secondary playmaker with his passing.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Venckus Closes Night Strong for Lockport in Victory</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the last game of the night Lockport beat McHenry by a final of 62-38.&nbsp; Wing [player_tooltip player_id='2125671' first='Nojus' last='Venckus'] poured in 22 points in the victory.&nbsp; Had a flame thrower from three knocking in an array of them.&nbsp; Spinning layups, put backs, and floaters helped his team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the other side [player_tooltip player_id='1552440' first='Adam' last='Anwar'] didn't shoot it quite as well as he usually does, but still impacted with his passing, soft touch around the cup, mid-range jumper, and footwork for 10 points.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='2886358' first='Blake' last='Renfro'] is another 2026 to monitor.&nbsp; Good athlete that had 13 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->