Regional Final: Young Prospects Star as St. Laurence Moves On

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fun Chicago Catholic League clash in the regional finals on Friday night as Mt. Carmel and St. Laurence battled at Hinsdale Central.&nbsp; There have been some classic games in the playoffs at Hinsdale Central the last few years and that continued as this one went to the wire as St. Laurence edged past Mt. Carmel to win 63-59.&nbsp; There were a ton of underclassmen that shined and we break them down below!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Peoples Imprints Will on Game</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Laurence's top player is 2027 positionless player [player_tooltip player_id='2323617' first='Markese' last='Peoples'].&nbsp; He is a tough as nails big bodied guard/wing that can play bully ball, but is also very skilled.&nbsp; Scored with his power inside throughout the game along with getting to the foul line.&nbsp; Backed in opponents for scores and was crafty around the hoop scoring in the paint.&nbsp; Finished very well through contact.&nbsp; Nifty footwork and is a skilled ball handler and passer.&nbsp; To max out potential he will need to improve as a shooter, but he was a monster in this game netting 21 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>St. Laurence Perimeter Has Plethora of Options</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What we like about this St. Laurence team is they have so many different options and ways they can do damage.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='2125677' first='Reggie' last='Stevens'] got hot early on getting loose in transition, soft touch finishes, and a three off the catch for 11 points.&nbsp; Slick handling sophomore point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2385372' first='Noah' last='Corro'] played with excellent pace all night along with knocking in a couple threes and scoring on moves off the bounce for 14 points.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='2532002' first='Jeremiah' last='Toney'] is a rangy lefty guard that has really made growth as a distributor and hit a three for 5 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Johnson is Sleeper in 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A prospect that has really grown on us this year is [player_tooltip player_id='3361075' first='Jacob' last='Johnson'] of St. Laurence.&nbsp; The 6'6” four man can definitely help out a small college or JUCO with his athleticism, toughness, and ability to stretch the floor with his shooting as he hit a pair from distance, one from mid-range, got on the glass, and was tough defensively as he had 11 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wessel Closes Out Strong Junior Season</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mt. Carmel 2027 wing [player_tooltip player_id='2403910' first='Logan' last='Wessel'] had a good junior campaign for Mt. Carmel.&nbsp; In his last game he dropped 25 points carrying the Caravan offense for stretches.&nbsp; Skilled and athletic wing that drained four threes along with some mid-range shots.&nbsp; Clean shot mechanically and he gets it off quickly.&nbsp; Gritty defender that mixed in some acrobatic layups.&nbsp; Looking forward to see him continue to develop this spring.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Future is Bright with Young Caravan Trio</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The buzz all year for Mt. Carmel was about their young core of freshman [player_tooltip player_id='2767906' first='Ronald' last='Johnson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2915584' first='DK' last='Heard'] along with [player_tooltip player_id='2877491' first='Marshaun' last='Thornton'].&nbsp; They all showed flashes of the promise going forward.&nbsp; Johnson is a strong and athletic lead guard who stuffs the stat sheet.&nbsp; Tough getting in the lane for floaters and bank ins.&nbsp; Drained a top of the key three and got on the offensive glass for 10 points.&nbsp; Heard is a long and rangy wing that plays with a super high-motor.&nbsp; Quickness around the hoop for second chance rebounds, spin moves off the bounce, and a crisp pull up for 9 points.&nbsp; Thornton is an elite football recruit that brings two way intensity for the Caravan on the hardwood.&nbsp; He is an explosive slasher that plays above the rim off his defense in transition netting 8 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->