Riverside-Brookfield: Teddy’s Sunday Notebook (Part 1)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's part 1 of my Sunday notebook. It was a jam-packed day to conclude this years tournament at Riverside-Brookfield.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>My second article + photos will be published after tonights NBA finals game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Curie Rolls Past Lake Park</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I opened the morning with perennial CPS power Curie facing lake park. Like in recent years, it was a tremendous full-team effort from the Condors which had them ahead for much of this contest. This group has a handful of hungry guards who contribute. [player_tooltip player_id='2734369' first='Justin' last='Oliver'] is one of them. A lengthy 2026 prospect who makes plays on both ends of the floor. 5'10 G [player_tooltip player_id='2877501' first='Malik' last='Horton'] was unfazed by his smaller size. He utilized plenty of upper body strength for several tough buckets through the contest. [player_tooltip player_id='1845358' first='Michael' last='Oliver'] Jr is entering his fourth varsity season and helps put all the pieces together. They also have an intriguing 6'5” F in 2028 named [player_tooltip player_id='2844456' first='Amir' last='Green'].&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wegrzyn, Davis Propel Libertyville</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Libertyville will be an intriguing team to watch this upcoming season because of two key guys. One of them is [player_tooltip player_id='1552460' first='Bryce' last='Wegrzyn'], who had a monster morning for Libertyville when I watched them vs Niles North. He buried three triples in the opening stages of the game. Then he showcased what he can do attacking the rim, converting a very difficult and-one off a quick first-step. The other is Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2540198' first='Terrence' last='Davis'], made the same kind of impact. An athletic-two way guard wound his way with a smooth touch attacking the rim. He also excelled as an on-ball defender while getting guys involved consistently as a passer. Later showed bounce with a transition dunk in a tight game. Followed that up with an and-one conversion on the next possession.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2297870' first='Matthew' last='Szafoni'] is a Stock-Riser</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Szafoni might be one of the biggest stock boosters in the 2026 class this season. He's a 6'7” Small Forward from Lane Texh with the physical tools and athletic skillset to make an impact for a Low Major or D2 squad. He plays really well with the ball in his hands. Avoids silly turnovers and likes to push the pace up the floor. Finished a fastbreak dunk with authority in the first half vs bloom. As a defender, he guarded all five positions and moved his feet well. Also a presence in the boards. As the game progressed, he displayed a unique ability to score from all three levels. The corners were definitely a sweet spot for him. Knocking down several 3-pointers from that area.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Bloom's Full of Young, Intriguing Faces</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Trojans have just one senior on their roster for this tournament. They also started a freshman and two sophomores in this game. The freshman, 6'0” G Keiwon Gulley, has tons of explosiveness. Made a great play vs Lane Tech where he drove baseline for a tough and-one finish. He also showcased great vision in the open floor. Sophomore Joaquon Harris is a lengthy 6'0 guard with underrated ball-handling and vision. Threading the needle for a pair of nice assists in the second half of the same contest. Another freshman, Kaiden McCullen did a nice job working off double-teams. He also did a nice job moving off the ball to get open. This Bloom squad will definitely be one to watch going forward.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Strong Showing for [player_tooltip player_id='2531981' first='Cole' last='Kelly']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I love what I saw from [player_tooltip player_id='2531981' first='Cole' last='Kelly'] vs St. Laurence. He was undoubtedly the most impactful prospect on the floor. His defense was very strong, and found lots of success guarding the perimeter and inside. Blocked a handful of shots in this contest, too. Offensively, Kelly made an impact playing like a guard, wing, and post player. Making very strong cuts and drives to the rim. Making difficult shots look easy. His abilities as a shooter and ball-handler are very underrated. Buried numerous outside shots in this game. My favorite part of his game might be his glass cleaning abilities. He came out of nowhere on several instances to put back buckets. Ended with 25 points in a narrow OT Loss.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->