Boylan Thanksgiving Invite: Emerging Unranked Prospects

***Use Code “BLACKFRIDAY2025” for 50% off your annual subscription THIS WEEK ONLY***   Tuesday marked the start of Boylan's 52nd Annual Boys Basketball Thanksgiving Invitational Tournament. Teams participating in the event included Thornton, Freeport, Rockford Lutheran, Chicago Marshall, Peoria Richwoods, and host Boylan Catholic. Here are the scores for the first night's games by quarter. Rockford Lutheran: 9, 20, 43, 65; OT – 72 Freeport: 17, 31, 49, 65; OT – 80 Thornton: 15, 28, 46, 68 Peoria Richwoods: 24, 38, 60, 73 Boylan Catholic: 15, 32, 50, 70 Chicago Marshall: 22, 29, 47, 69 In this second segment analyzing Tuesday night's action let's take a look at some of the emerging prospects that will be on opposing coach's watch list throughout this season.    Gets a lot of lift going into his shot from multiple locations on the floor. Jump shot is textbook smooth above his head going off the bounce or shooting it off the catch. Scored it from 3 levels throughout the night with confidence doing so. Has a quick first step and is athletically gifted to sky above defenders' outreach on finishes at the cup. Liked his tenacity to remain competitive in the OT phase to gut out a win and finish with a team high 25 to go along with easy double digits in the rebounding department.       Didn't fill up the scoring box necessarily but made an impact in other areas of the game to help team get first W of season. Came to life in the second half to enhance offensive efficiency. Garnered attention because of ability to speed the game up using agility and athleticism for transition opportunities on the break. Rebounded the ball at key moments giving team second chance opportunities offensively. Got into the teeth of the D to make a kick out or drop it off for assists. Another guard to keep an eye on for the Pretzels this season.     Competes with a toughness mentality around the basket. Ran down a block in transition then grabbed it himself to head the other away. Likes to get on the glass and rebound. If he didn't complete a double double he was awfully close. Tallied a couple offensive boards and put backs to give team momentum. Overall runs the floor from rim to rim and was in the heat of the action on most possessions.     Knows how to fill it up from beyond the arc. Stayed heated all night with 4 3's all off the catch. Nailed 2 from the wing and another 2 from the corner. Moves well without the ball and uses his length to get to open spots on the floor. Spaces accordingly away from the action. Efficient shooter that fits the wing spot effectively.     Facilitates as the other point for the team at times. Handled the ball with toughness under pressure. Liked his ability to rebound it from the guard location on the offensive end. Will spray it for kick outs at times once drawing defenders in. Hit a smooth 3 off the catch and another stop and pop from the free throw line for a little mid range action. Another skilled 2027 class member on the Titan's roster to keep tabs on throughout next 2 years.     Strong frame that possesses good hands and feet on both sides. Guarded opponents big on perimeter with solid quick lateral movement.  Clears space off missed shots and rebounds it with a tough aggression. Moves without the ball offensively in the half court setting. Made a skip pass to the corner to then retrieve it back after cutting through the lane line for a bucket. Also cut to the block for a catch and turn finish. Legit size and strength for next level.

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