Illinois Freshman Showcase: More 2029 Impactful Players

Prep Hoops was in Chicagoland for a jam packed weekend of high school hoops covering 4 classes of campers from the state of Illinois. PHI had a chance to see 4 hours worth of action from the guys just entering their first year of high school basketball in the first session on Sunday afternoon. Some of the players in attendance will be ranked in the forthcoming updates. In this article, let's breakdown some more guys from other teams that I had the opportunity of seeing throughout the days games of 3v3 and 5v5 action.    Caught the 2nd game of 5v5's. Displayed consistency shooting the 3 ball with willingness to spot up off the catch from deep. Made a cool smooth reverse layup in traffic with poised body control and touch. Converted on a nice pullup going from the deep corner to elbow for a mid range splash. Liked what he gave on the other side of the ball as well. Knows his help side rotations and digs at the ball when handler gets passed defender.     Showed toughness defensively sometimes picking up within 3 quarters court or full court. Shorter guard that makes up for it with quickness. Handled the rock under pressure. Will board on both ends from the guard location. Got his hands on a couple O boards for put backs which gave an extra spark. Off the ball made a hard cut and score. Liked his tenacity to grab defensive boards and get off to the races quickly. Not afraid to kick it out for assist opportunities or to pitch ahead to start the break. Good feel for the game.     Jalonny is a player that will turn heads in high school because of his athletic ability with size that knows how to play the game competitively. Has a higher ceiling to still go but displayed a lot of already established skills at the camp. Knocked down multiple spot up 3's off the catch. Handles the ball to stretch the defensive bigs out. Made a text book pump fake and drive to finish in the lane. Defensively pick pocketed the ball handler to go the other way for an easy lay-in. Will speed the offense up making them initiate negative decisions. Plays hard with a strong will to help win games.     Mixed it up in the 1 - 3 spots in the 5v5 session I caught. Handles the ball effectively with disciplined movements. Hard to turn over with the rock. Strong with the ball. Catches to face and read the defense accordingly. Hit a couple spot up 3's off the catch with a crisp release and shot form. Jump shot looked pure. Runs well in transition. Put it on the deck and got to the cup a couple times showing a first step quickness. Overall is effective in the 1/2 court setting because of IQ and consistent correct reads. A dual threat combo guard with a matured game.     Watched the post from the Northside play a game of 3v3 and 5v5 during today's camp. The lanky Von Steuben big should have a successful high school career with his mobility and size. Has the frame already of a true 5 man. Will catch and face from the perimeter and knows how to post up on the block. With continued development will make some noise in the paint. Defensively challenged beneath showing good verticality to block shots and change offensive players trajectory of the play. Played with a competitive spirit at times. Runs the floor to best of ability with long strides. Overall has an upside that should be followed along with closely.     Caught a game of his in 3v3 action. Played hard to get on the glass consistently crashing for boards. Made a strong take through the lane showing strength with the ball and court awareness. Spotted up for 3 as well. Defensively was active in the passing lane and on the ball. Came away with a couple instinctual steals. Overall liked his mobility and activity to compete.     A scoring point guard that had good feel and rhythm with the ball during last game of 5's. Defensively had multiple take-a-ways that led into positive offense the other way. Lateral quickness is there on and off the ball to make plays. Had him down for 3 3's all within flow. Overall shot it at a high clip. Made pitch ahead passes to initiate primary break buckets. Boarded from the guard location to come up with a couple second chance opportunities. Oliver played overall with a good knack for the game to be a prime impact player in high school over next 4 years.     Watched last game of the day. Played in the 1 or 2 slots and had the athleticism to out pace opponents. Scored multiple transition buckets running ahead of the defense. One of which for a tough And1 through 2 defenders. Showed quick hands and feet on the ball as well. Had him down for 2 take-a-ways for more transition work in the open court. Offensively off the ball cut through the lane after passing to retrieve it and score. Has solid bounce around the rim. Hit a cool mid range jumper off the dribble at the elbow. Good things to look forward to for the future Blue Devils combo guard.

Prep Hoops was in Chicagoland for a jam packed weekend of high school hoops covering 4 classes of campers from the state of Illinois. PHI had a chance to see 4 hours worth of action from the guys just entering their first year of high school basketball in the first session on Sunday afternoon. Some of the players in attendance will be ranked in the forthcoming updates. In this article, let's breakdown some more guys from other teams that I had the opportunity of seeing throughout the days games of 3v3 and 5v5 action.