The EXPO Illinois: Steve’s Top Playmakers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In this article we recap the top playmakers from the Prep Hoops Illinois Expo that I saw.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2712818' first='Deven' last='Marshall'] Rock Island 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Marshall is an electric guard in the open court. He got better every possession during the games. Speedster on fastbreaks he is good at weaving in and out of the lane to set up teammates or create shots for himself. Deven showed good body control when attacking the lane. Division 1 level prospect.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2125687' first='Travis' last='Brown'] West Aurora 2027 6'0&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brown is one of the better passers in the class and a top 5 talent overall. He has explosive speed combined with a high IQ of the game. He uses his arm length as a weapon to move the ball around guys and he finds ways to thread passes to teammates cutting to the basket. Travis is more of a scorer but will be recruited heavily when he showcases how much of a facilitator he has become.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1552438' first='Mason' last='Lockett IV'] Oswego East 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lockett has recently committed to DePaul University and I wasn't expecting him to come and perform at such a high level as a facilitator. Mason looked good playing out of the pick and roll finding the roll guy the majority of the time because he put pressure on the defense by driving the lane. At 6'5 he has terrific ball skills to play some PG at the college level. He shoots the ball well from all three levels and that makes teams crowd him a bit more and he becomes a playmaker.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2455399' first='Myles' last='Montgomery'] Sacred Heart Griffin 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Montgomery is a speedster on the court. End-to-end one of the quickest guards in the camp. He has some shake to his game and it shows well when he's getting in the lane creating for himself and others. Other strong areas of his game are his activity on defense and how he covers so much ground with his quickness. Myles has been offered by EIU and should have more schools getting in on him.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2125688' first='Tray' last='Alford'] Yorkville Christian 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Quick guard who likes to penetrate defenses with his handle. Alford is a terrific drive-and-dish player who sets up shooters well on the wing. He is shifty and is low on the dribble so it's hard for a player to stay in front of him. Playing alongside [player_tooltip player_id='1874810' first='Jayden' last='Riley'] will boost his game this season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->