Illinois’ Sophomore ID Camp: Mike’s First Impressions

Prep Hoops was back in the gym on Sunday hosting another set of camps in Batavia, IL. The second session of the day played home to the competitive Sophomore ID Camp. PHI had the chance to see a wide variety of hoopers from all across the state. Let's go ahead and breakdown some of the initial impressions from the camp for the class of 2028.    Had great activity in the early 3 on 3 sessions. Moves feet horizontally at a quick rate to stay in front of the ball handler. Can guard 1 on 1 in the open area. Maintains fundamental positioning off the ball. Screens the ball on offense and knows how to use body to clear space. Consistently was in the area for rebounds. Overall, had a great presence in using IQ and skills to make a positive impact.     Strong frame at the guard spot while using that toughness to his advantage. Watched him the 3 v 3 sessions and facilitated at the right times and opportunities. Bounced off guys going through contact with the ball. Unphased vs more height or size. Possesses a tenacity to win. Has good feel and IQ for the game. Hit a cool mid range jay with a hand up against pressure.     Combo guard who is shifty off the dribble. Slows you down and speeds you up. Mixes in a lot of hesitation and cross action movement to facilitate. Has good rhythm and feel with the ball. Scored it using speed and quickness to get a step on defender. Comfortable going into his shot off the dribble from 3 land. Creates quite a bit of space when handling it.     Has a level of speed and quickness he can burst into quickly that makes it tough to stay in front of with the ball. Can play a 1 or off guard spot at the next level. Comes with a pure jump shot from mid range or from 3 land. A space creator. Has a natural bounce and rhythm to get into his shot or draw defenders for dish offs. Works well in traffic or alone in space. Will play with another guard and they should compliment each other really well over next 3 years.     Watched a couple games of his in the 3v3 sessions. Splashed home multiple treys to get the day started. Has good size and length for the 2 or 3 spots. Plays tough with the ball and shares it accordingly. Cuts well off the ball in the half court setting. Overall a team guy that will put you in a position to help win ball games.     Caught team's second game of the day. Lefty combo guard whose nifty with the rock. Went behind the back off the bounce to create space then hit a cool mid-range jumper. Shot form is efficient. Uses a burst of speed to beat defenders in transition. Likes to play in a fast pace style and brings positive energy. Creates space while handling and can utilize screens coming off hard and quick.     Saw squad's last game of the day. Finished out the event on a high note. Lions' lefty guard was highly mobile with a layer of length. A tough guard defensively to handle at the 2 or 3 spots. Uses his physicality enough to guard the 2 – 4. Converted on multiple takes to the bucket while the lane was still clogged. Works effectively in traffic. Made a hard cut to the bucket off the ball to retrieve it and score. Can spot up from range as well. A multi-faceted guy who will affect the game in positive way.

Prep Hoops was back in the gym on Sunday hosting another set of camps in Batavia, IL. The second session of the day played home to the competitive Sophomore ID Camp. PHI had the chance to see a wide variety of hoopers from all across the state. Let's go ahead and breakdown some of the initial impressions from the camp for the class of 2028.