Observations from the Hillcrest-DeSmet Game at Edwardsville Live

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the top games from the second day of the Edwardsville Live Showcase on Saturday was a matchup of 2026 Final Four participants DeSmet and Hillcrest. DeSmet won the Class 6 state title while Hillcrest finished third in Class 5.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hillcrest returns a big part of its nucleus from its Final Four team. For DeSmet, it was a chance to showcase some of their up and coming young players as returning starters [player_tooltip player_id='2334929' first='Will' last='Foulk'] (SEMO commit) and [player_tooltip player_id='2920284' first='Ridge' last='Janes'] sat it out.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Spartans got off to a quick start and built an early double-digit lead, but Hillcrest battled back at tied the game before halftime. A late surge in the second half by the Hornets was enough to take a 58-53 victory in a well-played game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are some evals of some of the top standouts from the Hillcrest-DeSmet game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>HILLCREST</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":3680947,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_3259.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_3259.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-3680947" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2334926' first='Kyrese' last='Simpson']: The 5'10" 2027 point guard scored a game-high 32 points as he put on another electric showcase of scoring ability. He was getting buckets at all three levels, yet he showed how resourceful and creative he can be by wiggling into the traffic and scoring in tight spaces. When Hillcrest was down by 12 points early, he started off the rally with two consecutive 3-pointers to jump start the team in the right direction. He's very quick, but he's also crafty and he's also good at making plays for his teammates.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":3680948,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_3242.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_3242.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-3680948" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jayven Jones: The 6'6" 2027 forward scored 16 points while also having a big impact on the defensive end with his shot blocking ability. He had several swats during the game as he showed his athleticism and length. On offense, he was excellent in the pick and pop as he knocked down three 3-pointers. He also hit multiple jumpers off the dribble. He also rebounded the ball at a high level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":3680951,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_3253.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_3253.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-3680951" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2898246' first='Kaivon' last='Alexander']: The 6'5" 2029 guard didn't score a lot of points, but he had a huge impact on the game on the defensive end. He is an explosive athlete with a big wingspan and he put it to use on defense as he was very disruptive. He was getting deflections and steals on the perimeter and he also blocked multiple shots. He is one of the top young prospects in the state and he is just starting blossom with his big upside.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DESMET</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":3680952,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_3237.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_3237.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-3680952" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2918956' first='Brayden' last='Harris']: The 6'0" 2029 point guard scored a team-high 23 points as he continued his strong play in the month of June. He put on a nice display of shot-making from all three levels, which included a couple of 3-pointers from the volleyball line. He was creating his own shot with smooth handles to get to his spots in the mid-range. He also showed a nice runner in the lane and along the baseline. He also created buckets for his teammates with a few nice dimes off the bounce.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":3680954,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_3252.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_3252.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-3680954" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2389804' first='Lucas' last='Thompson']: The 6'6" 2028 forward is a new transfer from Triad on the Illinois side. He scored 11 points and showed why he is going to be a significant addition to the Spartans. He is a very skilled young big with good footwork and a shooting touch out to 3-point range. He hit one off the catch from about 25 feet that barely rippled the net. He also scored on a spin move in the paint and also a one-legged fadeaway jumper in the lane. He is physically strong, but he plays with finesse in his game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":3680955,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_3256_142602.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_3256_142602.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-3680955" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ty Foulk: A 5'10" 2030 guard who is the younger brother of 2027 guard and SEMO commit [player_tooltip player_id='2334929' first='Will' last='Foulk']. He scored 10 points with all of them coming during a tremendous sequence late in the game when he hit consecutive 3-pointers, then followed up with a pair of buckets off the dribble drive when he attacked the close outs. It came at a time when the Spartans had fallen behind by seven points and it brought them back into contention. He is a very poised young player who was not afraid of the big moment in a close game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->