Hoop Mountain Shootout: Mike’s Friday Early Morning Notebook

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Game summaries of Neuqua Valley vs Burlington Central and Naperville North vs Yorkville Christian</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Neuqua Valley Breezes Past Burlington Central</strong><br><br>I started my morning session off with the 9:00AM game between Neuqua Valley and Burlington Central. The Wildcats got off to a quick start and never looked back winning by nearly 30 points in a quick paced contest. While only having 7 players, the lack of legs didn't seem to phase Coach Sutton's short handed squad. 2 of the 7 players in attendance were Illini commit 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2839878' first='Mason' last='Martin'] who got his usual stroke going in the 2^nd half. His jumper from mid range off the bounce is silky smooth and he continued to pour it on from beyond the perimeter as well. His 6'5 lanky frame challenges nearly everyone on the defensive end from bigs to guards. 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2531981' first='Cole' last='Kelly'] also helped pace Neuqua as his toughness and competitive demeanor in the paint was unmatched. What impressed me the most about Kelly this morning was his passing ability. He saw cutters from the perimeter while also making necessary extra dish offs beneath. Maybe we can all start calling it the Joker affect. I've seen so many guys 6'5 or 6'6 plus this Spring being able to pass like guards and Kelly is one of the top prospects in that department. He continues to develop skills besides for scoring the rock. Burlington Central was led by 6'6 [player_tooltip player_id='2125672' first='Patrick' last='Magan'] who will fit nicely into a small forward or 3 and D type player at the next level. I saw Magan at Thanksgiving time last year and his motor and energy level continues to be the reason he will be on more college coaches' radars this June scholastic season. Matching up against 2 future power 5 players was a great test for him in this contest.<br><br>Final<br>Burlington Central: 42<br>Neuqua Valley: 71<br><br><br><strong>Naperville North Edges Yorkville Christian</strong><br><br>For the next game I checked out another Naperville team while Naperville North took on 1A Yorkville Christian. [player_tooltip player_id='2409224' first='Jack' last='Zitko'] was running the show for the Huskies from the early onset and settled in nicely from beyond the arc while also facilitating for others. I tallied him for 6 3's at an efficient clip. His quickness while handling gives him ability to go off the bounce from different angles while his jump shot is pure from various locations on the floor. Defensively he anticipates to the next pass. He came up with multiple steals in the back court which turned into quick offensive buckets. Zitko plays with matured IQ and has a solid frame at the guard spot. The Mustangs are guard heavy but also present an interior presence led by 2027 Kayden Maxwell. Although undersized, he plays bigger than what his stature shows. A garbage man vs bigger bodies who will outhustle and provide instinctual awareness on both ends. Guards [player_tooltip player_id='2417805' first='Blake' last='Wells'], [player_tooltip player_id='2125654' first='Jordan' last='Purvis'], and 2029 Filipe Brancati also had positive showings for the Mustangs. Wells showed some shooting ability from 3 and also can really sky around the rim. He had a long hangtime reverse layup and converted on another quick layup running the break during a 2 vs 1 phase. Purvis continues to be a prototypical 2 man at the next level with touch and continued spacing ability from beyond the perimeter. New on the scene this spring who continued to compete during Saturday's contest is Brancati. He came off the bench as 6th man but his speed vs guys 1 or 2 years older than him still stood out. He presents a feisty quick demeanor while guarding and can really burst in the open floor.<br><br>Final<br>Yorkville Christian: 47<br>Naperville North: 56<br><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->