IL Tune Up: Teddy’s Saturday Notebook

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's my notes from the July Tune Up in Lisle. Some exciting games between 15u-17u teams. I'll be back tomorrow for more action.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>First Look at Pure Hoops 15u</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I love what I saw from Pure Hoops against Big3 Saturday morning. Early on, every player on the floor was touching the ball with all points coming off assists. They also played great trap defense to force bad shots and turnovers in a tight contest. The off-ball cuts were extremely effective. [player_tooltip player_id='2860144' first='Ryan' last=''] O'Shea did an amazing job of this both as a slasher and cutter. They also had stellar contributions from 2029 C [player_tooltip player_id='2853760' first='Jack' last='Cunnea']. Cunnea was super active on the boards and utilized great footwork on the low block. PJ&nbsp; White has decent size as a forward and added more physicality to the interior. In the 2nd half, Oliver Oder, a lengthy combo-guard, led a strong run for Pure Hoops. Showcasing a terrific first step to the rim while playing an up-tempo style with the ball in his hands. The matchup was very tight formuch of the contest until Pure Hoops pulled away late.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>FP Select 16u Beats Outwork In OT</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The second game of the week came between Outwork and [program_tooltip program_id='2078374' first='Full' last='Package'] 16u Select. It was outwork who was in control for most of this first. Led primarily by [player_tooltip player_id='2405962' first='Khaleb' last='Ervin'], who was finding his way attacking the rim and finishing through contact. But FP was right there and never went away. [player_tooltip player_id='2125614' first='Dino' last='Giannini'], [player_tooltip player_id='2387469' first='Jayden' last='Invencion'], and others hit key shots to eventually tie the game with pfive minutes left. The game went into Overtime where Giannini and Invencion came through in the final seconds to secure an OT Win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Indiana Game Cruises Past Big3</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I missed the first part of this game due to the previous game I covered going into OT. But this game had prospects with tremendous size and upside. Especially from Indiana Game, who took an early advantage vs Big3 because of it. Nothing got past the interior presence of Colin O'Hara. O'Hara has outstanding size for a power forward with the athleticism to back it up. Blocking numerous shots, forcing missed layups, and cleaning the glass. Offensively, [player_tooltip player_id='2829613' first='Danny' last='Ruffin'] got it done in so many ways. The physical bodied-guard finished tough shots through contact, drew fouls, and converted a pair of outside shots to keep his team ahead comfortably. Then an alley-oop slam from [player_tooltip player_id='2403028' first='Jeffrey' last='Cade'] to O'Hara made it a 20-pt game. Cade was arguably the best playmaker from this group and got everyone involved at an efficient clip. A big part of Game's 66-35 win. Cade scored 16 and Ruffin added 19 to lead the way.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Big 3 16u (3) knocks off Intentional Basketball</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Intentional basketball is a mix of 2027 and 2028 guys that are part of this group. They had a good lead early on. Much thanks to 2028 point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2823549' first='Gabriel' last='Harris'] and 2027 G Johnell Walker. But Big 3 used a big second half run to secure the win. [player_tooltip player_id='2420564' first='Wyshawn' last=''] Scott had a great start shooting the ball. Then he turned into an effective playmaker and slasher as the game progressed. Kristian Bogacz also contributed shooting the rock and hit a pair of key 3-pointers late. Lucas Jazerskas was a valuable presence inside. Showcasing a great touch around the rim with advice hands on defense. Big 3 won 55-46.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>CBG 17u wins Thriller vs Outwork</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The afternoon saw me cover two Illinois programs in CBG and Illinois Outwork. CBG had the hot start with [player_tooltip player_id='2830800' first='Tony' last='Salemi'] contributing in all aspects. A pure, athletic, three-level scorer who gets it done on both ends. He banked home a difficult 3-pt shot at the buzzer to tie the game at half. But it was Outwork who stood out more as the game progressed. Chas Onteveros was a valuable interior presence that made plays on both ends. Finding so many ways to score. They also saw great production from [player_tooltip player_id='2407608' first='Freddy' last='Macias'] both as a shooter and passer. Macias also drew a key and-one in the final minutes. However, the lead would dwindle as Chris James led a run from CBG. James showcased tons of athleticism in the ladder half of this contest and his play could not be matched in many aspects. A put-back bucket tied the game late. Then Jakobe Jones-Tolbert scored the game winning layup to give CBG a 59-57 win.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->