Ridgewood Live: Mike's Friday Standouts

Ridgewood High School in Norridge, IL is hosting an NCAA Live Event this weekend. I had the opportunity to be in attendance all day Friday checking on teams from across the Prairie State. Let's go ahead and take a look at some standouts from today's action on opening day.    Watched him play at the noon game in team's opening contest of the weekend. Liked the way he fought for location and gained positioning against similar sized bigs. Played with his back to the basket well with a fundamental and disciplined feel. Hands and feet are well equipped for size. Got to the stripe consistently fighting his way through contact. Anticipated reads off the glass and battled hard in that department. Kept ball high after rebounding and went back up quickly for second chance opportunities. Smart to keep tabs on at the 4 or 5 spot at next level.     A great fit for a 2 - 4 spot at next level. Webster is fluidly athletic in multiple phases and plays with an edge. In first game of the day he disrupted passing lanes using his length to advantage and having a knack to anticipate. Also uses his size to rebound it against bigger sized players with consistency. He broke free a couple times off turnovers to finish above the rim with authority. His quickness at the wing or at the small forward spot will provide value. A foreseen stock riser throughout his senior campaign.     There's not much you can dislike about Van Gorp's game. Caught him in team's afternoon action and he excels in multiple phases. His plus length allows him to add value on both ends of the ball. In the 1/2 court setting he screened and replaced the driver or spaced away if the hedge man was dragged over. Was comfortable putting it on the deck for driving opportunities and finishing with a soft touch at the rim. Spread the floor as well on catch and shoot opportunities. He's got 2 years to go in high school so the upside is very well in affect but projection wise would fill a nice 3 or possible 4 man role at the next level.     An underrated slashing off guard for the Ramblers. Was most impressed with his athletic fluidity around the rim and ability to guard multiple positions. Team runs on a lot of energy and he fills the tank with more. Read it off the rim well to win the glass game over more size. Cut hard and fast on a couple blob set plays to find openings and then score it quickly. Also showcased smart verticality on drives with one come from behind block that he ran down. A swing man that can be utilized on both sides of the ball at the next level.     Lappin will be apart of a double edged back court sword for the Spartans this year. May be considered undersized but he's a quick twitch floor general that has a tough handle and plays with grittiness. Caught him in team's first game of the day and he was a tough out to stay in front of. Can be shifty at times and create space off his handle. Sees the floor with court vision as a true connective passer in multiple phases of the game. Provides a lot of positive energy helping speed the pace up. Plays on the defensive end just as hard. A playmaker on one end and pesky defender on the other that will impact.     A stretch 4 that knows where to be at location wise off the ball. Moves consistently to openings around the perimeter to be available for catch and shoot opportunities for good reasoning. Doesn't need much space to knock it down even with a hand up or under 0 gap pressure. Will spread floor with length and play with poise throughout. Also has the ability to put it on the deck and get to the cup using either hand. Runs the floor with pace and overall just makes a lot of corrects reads. High IQ player that should be slated for a standout senior year.     If there was a defensive stopper of the day it would go to Mr. Gulley. The young Trojan had some of the quickest hands I saw guarding the ball and pressuring. He is equipped with quick lateral foot movement that makes it awfully tough for a ball handler to get comfortable. He anticipates the next step and came up with a multitude of turnovers. His finishing ability provides just as much valuable around the cup vs more size or length. Has a quick and shifty handle. Will speed the game up in a hurry turning defense into offense or providing simple opportunities for teammates. Showcased why he's one of the top guards in the 29' class.

Ridgewood High School in Norridge, IL is hosting an NCAA Live Event this weekend. I had the opportunity to be in attendance all day Friday checking on teams from across the Prairie State. Let's go ahead and take a look at some standouts from today's action on opening day.