Steve's Sunday Stars from Romeoville

Here are the top standouts from Sunday's games I saw at Romeoville Live.   [player_tooltip player_id='1874810' first='Jayden' last='Riley'] Yorkville Christian    Riley started the morning off good with his high motor and tempo pushing play. He did a good job at facilitating first a lot of drive and kicks along with dump off passes. Once his teammates were established Riley was active on defense flying all over the court getting steals and scoring off the breaks. He would later start scoring off shifty moves to the rack and jump shots from 15 feet out to the three-point line. Jayden performed well in front of a handful of colleges.   [player_tooltip player_id='2297870' first='Matthew' last='Szafoni'] Lane Tech 2026   I had my first look at Szafoni close up this morning and I liked how versatile he was. At 6'8 he moved well with the ball on the perimeter. He shot it well from three and didn't take a ton but made the few he took. When matched up against smaller players he went to the post and just scored over them. He led his team with 25 points.    [player_tooltip player_id='2406554' first='KJ' last='Miller'] Plainfield East 2027   Miller is a player who is oozing with potential. At 6'6 he's a point guard who is always looking up the floor and advancing the ball to the right person. He showed such a natural feel for the game. KJ made several dropped passes out of the ball screen which hit the role guy right on the money. When looking to score he made 5 threes and a dunk. On defense he blocked 5 shots even pinning one on the backboard. He finished the game with 17 points and 8 rebounds.   [player_tooltip player_id='1501486' first='Ben' last='Akoro'] O'Fallon 2026   Ben is an ultra-talented player who seems to be getting overlooked in this 2026 class. At 6'8 he can do many things with the ball in his hands. Akoro looks comfortable putting it on the deck. He was smooth on the move and physical when he was close to the basket. He shows a feathery touch on his shot from mid-range and three. Ben's athleticism is also underrated as he gets off the ground pretty fast for a big man. He stands out as a top prospect in the class. Let's see if the college coaches paid attention. He led all scorers with 18 points in the loss against Kenwood.     [player_tooltip player_id='2323622' first='Damari' last='Stephens'] Kenwood 2027   I've seen some people mention Stephens as a bull in the china shop and they were not wrong. Damari is an ultra-talented wing who plays with strength and finesse at the same time. One thing I've watched in his game is how well he adjusts to how he's being guarded. Damari will make shots if you back off on him then drive to the basket and use his quick spin move if you play him too close. In the win over O'Fallon he led the team with 15 points.   Quick Hitters   The Crane duo of [player_tooltip player_id='2125641' first='Jamier' last='Montgomery'] 2027 and [player_tooltip player_id='2416041' first='Brad' last='Blackman'] 2026 will be a fun group to watch this season. Montgomery is an attraction with his slick handles and flair to create highlight plays at the basket. And Brad is the hardworking prospect who blocks shots and completes tough baskets when the team needs energy.   Homewood Flossmoor's 2028 duo of [player_tooltip player_id='2467517' first='Darrius' last='Hawkins'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2540205' first='John' last='Brown IV'] is another pair of talented players who can create some memories for the next 3 years together. Hawkins is the speedy and tenacious defender who gets after it on both sides. His handles in itself have created highlight moments this summer. Brown is the long and lanky athlete who can stretch a defense with his shooting and is also a solid rim protector on defense.   The senior Fremd group in 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2839970' first='Jordan' last='Williams'], Tommy Moffet, and [player_tooltip player_id='2540096' first='Rafael' last='Pinto'] can be special and lead their team to a run at state. Williams has the college frame and skillset and provides versatility on offense and defense. He can guard multiple positions and can be a mismatch offensively depending on who's matched up across from him. Moffet does the dirty work on the glass. He does a great job of getting his hands on offensive boards and scoring off putbacks. Pinto is a scrappy guard who makes difficult shots around the rim. Pinto and Moffet are both good shooters. They both hit 4 threes a piece in the win over Plainfield East.    [player_tooltip player_id='1552473' first='Alijah' last='Little'] is the recent transfer to Plainfield East and the 2026 wing has been a major piece to the team. He has good slashing ability and is capable of scoring from all three levels. Little was active on defense causing turnovers with his constant movement. His time in the city helped him provide toughness and grit that will be utilized at Plainfield.    Glenbard East wing [player_tooltip player_id='2839863' first='Michael' last='Nee'] still seems to be under the radar. He had one of the biggest springs and coaches didn't get a chance to see him until Sunday. He lit up Plainfield Central for 5 threes before finishing with 21 points. Nee does an excellent job of getting the ball out of his hands as soon as he catches it. His shot is textbook form and is always on track. I hope schools don't wait until summer to get involved with him.

Here are the top standouts from Sunday's games I saw at Romeoville Live.