The EXPO Illinois: Team 10 Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Prep Hoops EXPO featured an array of top 2026 and 2027 prospects from Illinois.&nbsp; Here are the standouts from 10!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2125668' first='Nedas' last='Venckus'] Lockport 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the better players I covered at the EXPO was Venckus. Nedas played both ends of the court like there was no tomorrow. He was one of the few kids who kept his hands in the gaps and applied pressure with just a quick twitched motion. He seemed to be all over the place. On offense he got to the basket with straight-line drives and even finished an explosive two-handed dunk. Another aspect of his game I liked is how unselfish he is. Nedas was again one of the few players who kicked out to open players instead of forcing shots in the paint. As a twin he and his brother are primed to be a breakout tandem.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1552421' first='Kris' last='Dowell'] Hinsdale Central 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Competitive guard who played with a continuous motor. Finished a couple of offensive rebounds with putbacks. Dowell is a shooter who didn't get as many shots up on a team full of guards. But he found ways to be active and move without the ball to be effective.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Gary Thorpe Milwaukee South 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Savvy lead guard who is quick with the handle. He looks to facilitate a lot when touching the paint. Thorpe was able to get from point A to B in the blink of an eye. When he did look to score it was transition layups and he only attempted a pair of three-pointers when I watched. A Wisconsin guard who plays with Chicago grit.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2217963' first='Isaiah' last='Whitehead'] TF South 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A small guard at 5'8 who is shifty off the bounce and made some tough layups over much taller defenders. Can pass it with space. On defense you must be aware of where he is because he can come and swipe the ball when least expected. Solid guard who plays an up tempo pace. He can control the game alone with just his passing and defense of the ball.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2949705' first='Maurice' last='Oglesby Jr']. Hinsdale South 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Smaller lead point guard who made nice passes in transition. He scored off the strong drive on the sideline using a high floater off the glass. Maurice showed his knowledge of point guard play by getting the ball out quickly to players running the lanes. He didn't shoot as much but the one he did take looked good. Dependable lead guard.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jayden Lewandowski Centennial 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A combo guard who played with a subtle confidence on the court. Jayden has a nice handle with the rock he made a couple of crossover moves to create space for his shot. He has good size at 6'4 for coaches looking for a player that is a three-level finisher that will help out on the boards.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2823709' first='Brelen' last='Hudley'] Oswego East 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hudley is a 6'3 tall guard who beat his man off the dribble several times got to the rack. He has good arm length to go along with a solid handle. Brelen is athletic in space. He showed good shooting form and can maneuver in different angles to finish layups. Hudley will be a useful JUCO product after a successful senior season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2749990' first='Zane' last='Schneider'] Lemont 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A wing player who battled hard on the glass. Scored a couple of points by cutting to the basket hard. He is known for his shooting but didn't take a ton of shots. Zane isn't afraid of being physical and can help out guards in the backcourt if they can't handle the pressure.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->