PH Windy City War: Max's Day Three Standouts

Seven of the top performers I saw on Sunday in Chicago at the Prep Hoops Windy City War!    Ben has a mature feel for the game as just a freshman. He looks calm on the floor, makes quick decisions with the ball, and is an unselfish player. You'll never see him over dribbling, and when he looks to score it's a quick catch-and-shoot three or a hard drive off one or two dribbles. Has some explosive pop off two feet around the rim, and a smooth stroke on his jumper. Has a well built frame at about 6'1 that helps him play a bit bigger than his size.     Blake showed no fear going up against a loaded Brad Beal Elite 15u team. The 2029 guard drained a handful of threes throughout the game, and was keeping things close early on. He was able to find passes that broke the press to get his team numbers moving forward into the half-court. Against a team that was putting out college level length, Blake did a good job of not getting sped up and sticking to his game. In the 2.5 games of his I watched over the weekend he impressed as a scorer and facilitator.     Austin was producing at a high level in a matchup with [program_tooltip program_id='2075807' first='Ray' last='Allen Select']. The 6'5 forward was working on both ends of the floor, rebounding hard, competing for position on the block, and consistently sprinting rim-to-rim. In the half-court he flashed shooting touch from beyond the arc, able to step out and hit the open three in a way I hadn't seen out of him before. Besides that he was still his usual self finishing hard at the basket, able to convert through contact for two points. Such a consistent producer with how hard he plays in the paint.     DK showed why he's one of the top 2029 prospects in Illinois high school basketball. The 6'5 wing already features good positional size, with explosive athleticism that allows him to play above the rim. Throughout the weekend he threw down some impressive dunks while also showcasing the handle and shooting touch to create space and hit pull-up jumpers. Despite this his defensive intensity was perhaps his most impressive trait. He embraced the challenge of defending an opposing team's best player, and was constantly looking to pressure the ball. Vocal player who competes with a ton of energy.     Elliott was putting on a show in a big win for [program_tooltip program_id='2110787' first='Sixers' last='Elite']. He started off the game with 9 points within the opening two minutes of play, tipping in a backdoor alley-oop, knocking down a corner three, jumping a pass and getting out for a transition dunk, and then finishing another chance at the rim. Throughout the game he showcased his above the rim athleticism as well as shooting touch out on the perimeter. Moves really well in his 6'5 frame and will be a key returner for West Salem as a senior.     Zion had some nice moments for [program_tooltip program_id='2075807' first='Ray' last='Allen Select'] against Milwaukee Trailblazers. Within a couple of minutes he had a nice hesitation move to beat his defender to the rim to score, and then added in a pair of three point makes. Zion was always in control on the ball, and plays with impressive change of speed. He was a 2.1 ppg scorer this past season as a sophomore at Waukesha West, and figures to play a strong role for them over the next two seasons.     Keyae had his team in it until the very end against a tough [program_tooltip program_id='2076459' first='Breakaway' last=''] Gold team. He immediately stands out with his long wing-span at 6'3, which combined with his athleticism makes him a dangerous finisher at the rim. He showed the change of speed on the ball to break defenders down off the dribble and attack the basket, but also crashed the glass hard for an impressive put-back finish. Can create separation and knock down a pull-up jumper as well. His long frame combined with agility allowed him to defend a number of spots on the floor.

Seven of the top performers I saw on Sunday in Chicago at the Prep Hoops Windy City War!