Steve’s Standouts from Day 1 at Rich Township Shootout

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On Wednesday I fought through the bad weather in the South Suburbs to catch the third annual Rich Township shootout. The 2 day event&nbsp; has many teams from the Chicagoland area playing in this event. Here are the Players that made statements on day 1.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2827104' first='Rayvon' last='Myles'] | Marshall (Class of 2027)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Myles got off to a fantastic start on Day 1. The rangy, wiry guard from the defending state champion Commandos showcased a slick handle and acrobatic, crafty finishing ability in the lane. Defensively, he boasts incredibly quick hands. He consistently made the right reads with the ball in his hands all day long.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2349619' first='Brady' last='Harris'] | Francis Parker (Class of 2027)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A physically gifted guard, Harris displayed a soft touch from long range and the ability to get to his spots using powerful, straight-line drives. He showed great basketball IQ by trusting his teammates; when his paint touches drew heavy defensive attention, he routinely kicked the ball out to open shooters. Expect Harris to be a small school gem.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2892375' first='Malakhi' last='Calahan'] | Julian (Class of 2027)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Calahan stood out as an exceptional catch-and-shoot guard who can also create his own shot off the bounce. He was locked in today, knocking down multiple tough buckets with defenders' hands right in his face.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2877539' first='Lester' last='Watson'] | Thornwood (Class of 2028)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Watson completely took over a stretch of the second game we covered, going on his own mini-scoring run. He opened the second half with a triple, then immediately turned a pair of defensive turnovers into quick points. The combo guard showed off a smooth, soft stroke from the outside alongside tough, suffocating on-ball pressure defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2422347' first='Darrin' last='Laye Jr.'] | Marshall (Class of 2028)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After standing out this past spring, Laye was back making an impact with his high school squad. He is a tough on-ball defender who genuinely knows how to play the game. He knocked down a couple of shots playing off the ball, but he was at his best when getting into the lane and converting difficult, off-balance finishes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3472220' first='Ryan' last='Whitt'] | Phillips (Class of 2029)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Whitt is a mobile, 6'4" big man who acts as an absolute workhorse inside. He loves to initiate contact before looking to score, utilizing his excellent mobility for his size and build to bully opponents for interior buckets. A true double-double magnet who rebounds at a remarkably high rate.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2964015' first='Kumasi' last='Jones'] | Phillips (Class of 2029)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The new transfer from DePaul Prep is a crafty, lengthy guard. Jones features a very tight handle and slick finishing ability at the rim. He proved to be incredibly slippery through traffic, highlighted by an impressive sequence where he converted three consecutive "And-1" buckets in the second half. He later knocked down some threes. Poised for a breakout season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2125591' first='Caden' last='Crudup'] | Whitney Young (Class of 2027)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A multi-tooled, 6'6" forward, Crudup has really been putting things together over the last few weeks. The ultimate glue guy, he makes sound, fundamental plays around the rim. He flashed his offensive upside by driving to the cup for a score off a smooth spin move, and also drained a wide-open jumper earlier in the day. A dependable rebounder at his position, he projects as a terrific small-school prospect.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2935927' first='Corey' last='Wellere Jr.'] | King (Class of 2027)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wellere Jr. is a tough guard who excelled at cutting into the lane for easy, high-percentage buckets. He possesses a smooth lefty stroke, knocking down a pair of three-pointers from the corner. As a senior leader, he looks primed for a major breakout season alongside a talented crop of young players at King.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Notable Contributors</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>&nbsp;[player_tooltip player_id='3649457' first='Jaivyn' last='Richardson'] | Whitney Young (Class of 2028)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>&nbsp;[player_tooltip player_id='2532333' first='Jordan' last='Johnson'] | Thornwood (Class of 2027)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>&nbsp;William Chapman | Julian (Class of 2027)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>&nbsp;Matthew Golliday| King (Class of 2029)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>&nbsp;[player_tooltip player_id='3624181' first='Ty'ron' last='Holcomb']| Rich Township (Class of 2027)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>&nbsp;Sharvez Scott | Phillips (Class of 2027)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->