Prep Hoops NEXT Camp: Team 5 Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here is the Team 5 recap from the Prep Hoops Illinois Next Middle School camp.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2393299' first='Duain' last='Johnson'] Yorkville Christian 2030 6'5</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The biggest player in the gym and actually played that way. Duain is a throwback player who likes to bang in the post. He is working on being fundamentally sound around the basket. What I like is how well he battles for positioning with his back to the basket. Johnson is also a space-eating glass cleaner. Everything in or out of the area belonged to him. He will be a player who is considered right out of the gate for the 2030 watch list at Yorkville Christian.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Yates White Buffalo Mandan MS (ND) 5'5</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tough guard from North Dakota who was effective getting to the basket and scoring through contact. He played at a steady pace that showed how well he understood how to attack the defense.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2932831' first='Preston' last='Linden'] Rockford Lutheran 2030 5'5</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Preston is an aggressive guard who puts lots of pressure on the opposing team. He got to the basket at will whenever the ball touched his hands. From three he made a couple with a hand in his face. Linden was a good glue guy who contributed to the team's success.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2796867' first='Jacob' last='Pharthong'] Palmer MS 2030 5'8</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A savvy guard who showcased his scoring ability from all three levels. Jacob was shifty with the handle and made some defenders freeze with his creativity. A few times he got in the paint and high-arced shots off the glass. Pharthong's shot looked good from three and will probably extend his range as he gets stronger heading into high school. Looked good playing defense and having active hands that led to a pair of steals.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2830814' first='Keenan' last='Perry Jr'] Obama MS 2031 5'8&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Perry is a shifty guard who gets into the lane at an instant. He showed excellent body control and stability when getting bumped. What impressed me about Keenan was that he can play either way an uptempo style or slowed down in the half-court. Nothing stopped his activity or progress on the court. When on the perimeter he made the few shots I watched him take. But for the most part he was more effective as a driver.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2952689' first='Tyler' last='Barger'] Massac Jr. High 2030 6"1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Very skilled wing player who makes shots when left wide open. Barger was good at shooting but better at making plays. His vision and ability to pass the ball from the wing spot were above the norm for a player his age. He threaded so many very good passes that some high-school point guards wouldn't try. Tyler is agile and is capable of scoring in multiple ways when driving the lane.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DeMarco Weldy Christ Lutheran 2030 5'4</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A smaller guard who kept the defense on their heels with his speed and ability to finish at the basket. Weldy didn't have a ton of touches but when he did have the ball he made a play. As a point he showed some command and put teammates in better positions whenever he drove and kicked the ball out.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->