Steve’s Saturday Stars from Romeoville Live

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was another great day of hoops at Romeoville Live on Saturday.&nbsp; Here were the prospects that shined to me throughout the day.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1874810' first='Jayden' last='Riley'] Yorkville Christian 2026&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Riley is a good change-of-pace guard who has three level scoring attributes. He looked good with the ball in his hands scored a couple getting downhill. Off-ball screens he knocked down a couple of shots from just beyond the three-point line. Looked the part of a D1 guard.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2712818' first='Deven' last='Marshall'] Rock Island 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Marshall looked smooth with the rock. He plays at an even pace. His shot looked smooth at times both the makes and misses. Deven played well off the ball with a sharp cut to the basket. His IQ on defense was just as good as he anticipates steals very well. Marshall displayed his talents so well that he later received an offer from EIU.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2125641' first='Jamier' last='Montgomery'] Crane 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Montgomery is a wizard with the ball. His handles and ability to make a play out of nothing was fun to watch. Jamier was slick with his crossover and in-and-out moves. He has great extensions around the rim for his layups. He can work with or without ball screens and if you sit back he will hit a jumper. Will get another look at him tomorrow.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2865852' first='Torey' last='Baskin'] Hoffman Estates 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Baskin is a slender guard who is quick with the rock and gave Phillips all they could handle at times. He plays at one pace and likes to get from North to South on the drives. He's a scrappy defender who plays the passing lanes well which converts steals into points. Torey connected on three triples before finishing with 28 points in the loss.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1552479' first='RicoAntonio' last='D'Alessandro'] Maine South 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rico stood out because of how physical he plays and it's borderline bullying on the court. Against Perspectives he overpowered the guys while scoring the ball. Many times he would catch the ball from the high post or further out on the baseline and just back guys down until he's around the basket. He contributed 16 in the win.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Panaytiotis Sotos Maine South 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sotos played so well in the win over Perspectives. He is a straight-lined driver who likes to initiate contact before scoring a bucket. He had several moments where he would just put a defender on his hip and score through the bump. If he didn't drive Sotos would make short fadeways in the lane. He was an unknown pretty much last weekend who performed well. This week he was validated after a strong 27-point performance.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2125634' first='Hayden' last='Schroeder'] Wheaton Academy 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The best post player in the 2027 class lived up to his moniker on Saturday. Hayden played very well in a matchup of two very good small-class schools. He is so good with the ball knowing when and where to turn when defenders are guarding him. Schroeder does a terrific job of keeping the ball high when attacking the basket. This alone helped him score 25 points with no three-point attempts.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2125687' first='Travis' last='Brown'] West Aurora 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In a loss to Butler Prep Brown shined with his elite play at the lead guard position. After a slow start, Travis used his passing and defense to motivate his teammates. A couple full-court skip passes for layups were right on the money. He later made a few mid-range shots and a pair from deep. Several schools were impressed with his feel for the game.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2891720' first='Julius' last='Hamlin'] Butler Prep 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A virtual unknown to most he came to play against West Aurora. Hamlin plays at an up-tempo pace and likes to put pressure on the defenders and refs to call fouls when he's attacking. Julius had many points alone just from the defense getting back too late. Another aspect of his game is how well he moves the ball when teams try to cut him off. He always gets to spots on the court and kicks out to players for open shots. Hamlin is an early candidate for Noble Player of the Year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Quick hitters&nbsp;</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2194655' first='Braydon' last='Porter'] Yorkville 2028</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sophomore stud whom I finally got a chance to watch. Like his size and his ability to score from the perimeter along with around the rim.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2323613' first='Demarco' last='King'] Phillips 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>King looks comfortable in his new team. Big guard who can make shots and pass the rock. Very good rebounder for his position.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2323275' first='Adam' last='Flowers'] Downers Grove South 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another good scoring performance from Flowers. He has been consistent scoring in the late teens and early twenties. Taller guard who has a good feel of the game.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2416041' first='Brad' last='Blackman'] Crane 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Some schools are missing out on Blackman. He plays with a continuous motor on the court. He doesn't shy away from contact and will challenge anyone at the rim. Brad may be the best shot blocker in the Chicagoland area.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2406554' first='KJ' last='Miller'] Plainfield East 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A very intriguing player who I watched at the UIC team camp had another productive day. Scores well off the drive. Has some point guard potential at 6'6”. He hit a game-winning three-pointer in the evening session.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->