The Tune Up Illinois: Scotty B’s Thursday Notebook

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><em>***Use 4th of July Code “Fourth50” for 50% off your subscription. Code Only Good Through Weekend***</em></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thursday the Prep Hoops Circuit began it's July slate with the first day of The Tune Up: Illinois!&nbsp; There were a ton of high profile prospects in the house along with new names that emerged.&nbsp; We dive into them here in <strong>The Tune Up Illinois: Scotty B's Thursday Notebook</strong>!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Perimeter Attack Leads BP Hoops 17U Past [program_tooltip program_id='2075957' first='The' last='Work Foundation'] to Start Day</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We began the day with a tight contest as we saw BP Hoops 17U score a narrow 50-48 win over Work Foundation.&nbsp; TF North 2027 6'5” wing [player_tooltip player_id='2125598' first='Christopher' last='Pulliams'] had a breakout game as the strong bodied wing played with physicality getting fouled in the paint then drained tough threes.&nbsp; Pulliams got a ton of help from a trio of perimeter prospects in [player_tooltip player_id='2879381' first='Mekhi' last='Young'] (Thornwood), [player_tooltip player_id='2532344' first='London' last='Rome'] (Walter Payton), and [player_tooltip player_id='2632056' first='Jonathan' last='Booker'] (Rich Township).&nbsp; Young is a 2028 lead guard who is super slick with the rock in his hands being a blur in transition to the rim along with pouring in mid-range shots.&nbsp; He had 14 points in the win.&nbsp; Rome continued his momentum from last weekend during the high school live period scoring 12 points in the victory.&nbsp; Slick ball handler who got to his spots consistently for pull up twos and threes.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='2632056' first='Jonathan' last='Booker'] is a lead guard that has nice length.&nbsp; Soft touch finishing game in the paint along with pouring in several crisp jumpers for 11 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kamari Hamlin was the top performer for [program_tooltip program_id='2075957' first='The' last='Work Foundation'].&nbsp; He is reclassifying to 2027 and attending Victory Rock Prep in Florida.&nbsp; Strong bodied wing that is a straight bucket getter as the powerfully built wing poured in six triples in the game along with a couple of crafty layups for 22 points.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='2963278' first='Messiah' last='Horton'] out of Richards had shot it pretty well from three in this one as the guard created and was a solid connective passer while scoring 8 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Horton Powers [program_tooltip program_id='2452456' first='Mac' last='Irvin Fire'] 16U to Narrow Victory</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Curie 2028 point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2844431' first='Dream' last='Horton'] powered the [program_tooltip program_id='2452456' first='Mac' last='Irvin Fire'] past [program_tooltip program_id='2078449' first='Meanstreets' last=''] EYCL scoring a 51-50 victory as the rising junior guard poured in 25 points.&nbsp; Had the ball on a string getting to the cup and line at will down the stretch.&nbsp; Also made a trio from deep as he carried the Fire in this game.&nbsp; Up front they got solid games from Shepard big man [player_tooltip player_id='3643306' first='Amari' last='Williams'] along with Kenwood post [player_tooltip player_id='2384522' first='Elijah' last='Shim'].&nbsp; Williams finished out of dunker spot, hook shot, and got on the glass for 9 points.&nbsp; Shim continues to intrigue as a shot blocking four man who protects the rim along with playing with athleticism at the other end even flashing three point shooting.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jacob Wren was the show for [program_tooltip program_id='2078449' first='Meanstreets' last=''] EYCL in this game.&nbsp; The King shooting guard is a quality offensive rebounder that got second chance points on the glass, got downhill for buckets along with trips to the charity stripe, and turned defense into offense netting 20 points in the loss.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Class of 2030 Prospects Continue to Burst on Scene for Fire 14U Black</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Throughout the month of June we learned more about 2030 prospects who we will hopefully be covering the next four years.&nbsp; With the [program_tooltip program_id='2452456' first='Mac' last='Irvin Fire'] Black 14U squad we saw a dominant outing as they blew out CBG behind some eye popping performances while playing up in the 15U division.&nbsp; Bloom combo guard [player_tooltip player_id='3665027' first='Larry' last='Ellis'] is one of the best perimeter prospects early in the process among the 2030 players we have seen.&nbsp; Lengthy guard that has some projection.&nbsp; Creative layup game around the hoop scoring a ton in transition often off his own defense netting 31 points in the victory.&nbsp; Chad Carter from Joliet West is another highly touted guard who is more off the ball.&nbsp; Strong frame along with his ability to attack downhill with strength while mixing in three balls for 24 points.&nbsp; Rich Township point guard Jacob Miller creates with his quickness and passing.&nbsp; The two most eye popping prospects from an athletic standpoint were Bloom power forward Tre Johnson along with East St. Louis forward Dezmond Wyatt.&nbsp; Johnson has a ton of projectability with his length, athleticism, shot blocking, and skill level notching 13 points in the victory.&nbsp; Wyatt is a prospect from the metro east that is a pogo stick with the way he threw down massive dunks on alley oops, rim runs, and lobs.&nbsp; He had 8 points.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Tons of Intriguing Prospects Shine in All-In Athletics 17U Win over [program_tooltip program_id='2078374' first='Full' last='Package']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Next we moved to the older group in a fun contest where All-In Athletics narrowly edged [program_tooltip program_id='2078374' first='Full' last='Package'] 67-64 as their top teams clashed in a battle that went to OT.&nbsp; De La Salle power forward Orville Cross is a powerful player that opened the game with explosive dunks, rim runs, and pounding the offensive glass.&nbsp; Finished out of dunker spot and even stretched hitting a three netting 18 points.&nbsp; Niles North shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id='3669950' first='Collin' last='Tobin'] broke out during the high school live periods and is taking that helium into July. &nbsp;Well built guard is a shot creator who loves to pull up from both two and three for buckets.&nbsp; Mixed in some outlets and solid defense as he went for 18 points.&nbsp; Wheaton Warrenville South wing [player_tooltip player_id='2255121' first='David' last='Showman'] had some big moments in the game shooting it from deep and getting to the line as he had 11 points.&nbsp; OPRF 2027 wing [player_tooltip player_id='2860531' first='George' last='Gray'] is a lengthy wing that presents a nice mid-range game with size on the perimeter as he had 8 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lyons 2027 shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id='2442186' first='Ty' last='Smith'] is a high level shooter from the perimeter who poured in a plethora of threes along with displaying a nice layup and euro step game for 18 points picking up right where he left off in the spring.&nbsp; Benet wing [player_tooltip player_id='2125689' first='Tyler' last='Cibulka'] brought them a spark in the first half with his toughness, defense, and crafty finishing game for 14 points.&nbsp; Also on the perimeter Lake Forest Academy guard [player_tooltip player_id='2125684' first='Tej' last='Johnson'] proved to be an effective play maker along with scorer with his crisp ball handling creating for himself and others going for 11 points.&nbsp; Inside big man [player_tooltip player_id='2632014' first='Boti' last='Szabo-Zsamba'] has great hands, rebounds well in his area, and has great footwork while scoring 10 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>All-In Athletics Tops [program_tooltip program_id='2452456' first='Mac' last='Irvin Fire'] in 16U 2 OT Thriller</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was another over time thriller in fact this one took two sessions as All-In Athletics won over [program_tooltip program_id='2452456' first='Mac' last='Irvin Fire'] EYBL 63-62.&nbsp; Warren 2028 shooting guard Haze Massey is a prospect that you should be buying stock in!&nbsp; Quick twitched and super explosive two guard that is dynamic attacking off the bounce along with pouring in mid-range shots stretching to three on occasion as he had 17 points in the victory.&nbsp; His backcourt mate top 10 2028 Libertyville guard [player_tooltip player_id='2540198' first='Terrence' last='Davis'] had a slow start to the game, but turned it up in the second half starting with a sweeping lefty finish.&nbsp; Got loose in transition on multiple occasions including one steal where he burst past the defense on the sideline for a dunk.&nbsp; Passing was on point in the half court making good reads when playing on the ball.&nbsp; He had 8 points.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='2366141' first='Owen' last='Towne'] from OPRF is such a high level glue guy.&nbsp; Lengthy wing that is a capable spot up shooter, active rebounder, and can deck it when needed for 7 points.&nbsp; Big man [player_tooltip player_id='2390523' first='Evan' last='Okey'] is tough around the hoop while using his footwork and touch to score 8 points including quite a few at the line.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shepard big man [player_tooltip player_id='3643306' first='Amari' last='Williams'] had a strong outing in this one as the top center in the 2028 class went to work down low.&nbsp; Carved out space, ran the floor, finished out of the dunker spot, and used spin moves in the paint as he had 16 points.&nbsp; Braiden Alford from Vashon in St. Louis is a wing with upside in 2028.&nbsp; Athletic two guard has a burst with the ball in his hands showcasing handles and pop.&nbsp; He had 13 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ridgewood Star Guard Goes for 35 Points in [program_tooltip program_id='2078374' first='Full' last='Package'] McCormick Victory</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last weekend Ridgewood 2027 guard [player_tooltip player_id='2125614' first='Dino' last='Giannini'] put his name on the map leading his team to a huge win.&nbsp; A few days later he continued to cement his status as a major stock riser dropping 35 points in the victory in [program_tooltip program_id='2078374' first='Full' last='Package'] McCormick's 70-49 victory against All-In Athletics' Drobnik.&nbsp; Giannini made great decisions as a passer in the half court while scoring a ton of points with his shot making from beyond the arc including five triples.&nbsp; Big man [player_tooltip player_id='2834320' first='Danny' last='Simon'] has a strong frame and good length inside.&nbsp; Finished out of the dunker spot, hit guys on the move with his passing, and finished in the pick/roll as he had 11 points.&nbsp; Couple of long term prospects that caught our attention included forward Nick Konchan and Danny Spychala.&nbsp; Konchan from Loyola is a wing that had sweeping scores off the bounce along with flying in for rebounds.&nbsp; Spychala is a floor spacing four that has a clean release.&nbsp; Liked what we saw out of Prospect point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2123656' first='Quinn' last='Zinzer'] who dished the rock in the half court along with scoring in the paint for 8 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>AIA Drobnik was pushed by [player_tooltip player_id='2403595' first='Eli' last='Leyva'].&nbsp; The guard had 10 points showcasing a crafty finishing game around the cup.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='2831286' first='Nathan' last='Ottaway'] popped in the spring and flashed again as a face up four that can shoot it off the catch along with run the floor a little.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>BP Hoops 15U Tops [program_tooltip program_id='2075957' first='The' last='Work Foundation'] in Contest with Emerging 2029 Class Talent</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was a close 59-55 W for BP Hoops 15U against [program_tooltip program_id='2075957' first='The' last='Work Foundation'] as several prospects put themselves on the map.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='3685652' first='Andre' last='Harris'] is a 6'3” thick bodied wing that used his physicality attacking downhill for bully ball scores.&nbsp; Knows how to create space and finish well in traffic.&nbsp; Got loose in transition and rebounded well as he had 20 points in the victory.&nbsp; His backcourt mate Ashton Obasiolu had a big game as well.&nbsp; The guard is a slick scorer off the bounce using his speed and quickness as he dropped 20 points helping his team get over the top.&nbsp; Warren two guard [player_tooltip player_id='2883710' first='Shaquille' last='Henry'] is an athletic wing that impacted on both sides of the ball for 9 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Leonard Thomas was the leading scorer for [program_tooltip program_id='2075957' first='The' last='Work Foundation'] as the Tinley Park 2029 guard poured in threes, runners, and displayed a good passing feel.&nbsp; He had 21 points.&nbsp; Ton of upside with Thornwood post Kingston Harris.&nbsp; One of the more projectable posts early in the process as he presents mobility impacting on both ends as a rim protector, rebounder, and solid passer as he had 8 points.&nbsp; Rich Township lanky wing [player_tooltip player_id='2842256' first='Larry' last='Booth'] shot it well from three as he made a trio from deep en route to 11 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>First Glimpse at 2031 Prospects</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I was able to see [program_tooltip program_id='2078449' first='Meanstreets' last=''] 13U playing up in the 14U tournament featuring some top 2031 prospects.&nbsp; In my initial eval of them several players really stood out.&nbsp; Max Michaels is a highly skilled wing with projectability who displayed a clean shooting stroke from both two and three.&nbsp; High level shooter from the perimeter.&nbsp; He mixed in handles and a soft touch finishing game on the baseline.&nbsp; Trio of talented guards on this squad in PJ Rose, [player_tooltip player_id='2896040' first='Decari' last='Palmer'], and Kayden Lusby each showed long term tools with their basketball IQ, projectability, and a shooting upside.&nbsp; Lawson Sommerville and Treshon Sudberry are forward that have solid size and length in the paint.&nbsp; Sommerville rebounded very well in his area.&nbsp; They went 2-0 on the day moving to the title game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Baker Next Standout from Rockford?</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In that game against [program_tooltip program_id='2078449' first='Meanstreets' last=''] 13U there was an incoming freshman who continues to make a case for one of the top incoming 2030 posts in Rockford Guilford 6'6” four man [player_tooltip player_id='2897245' first='Mamadou' last='Baker'].&nbsp; Fluid four man who can shoot it from three, use his athleticism on the offensive glass, and is fluid with his post moves.&nbsp; Rockford is an underrated area for hoops and this [program_tooltip program_id='2785912' first='Team' last='FVV'] post could be their next standout.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='2452456' first='Mac' last='Irvin Fire'] EYBL 15U Closes Night with Win vs [program_tooltip program_id='2078449' first='Meanstreets' last=''] EYCL Behind Billingsley</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Our final game of the night was [program_tooltip program_id='2452456' first='Mac' last='Irvin Fire']'s 64-44 win against [program_tooltip program_id='2078449' first='Meanstreets' last=''] EYCL.  There were a lot of impressive performances for the Fire, but it starts with Simeon wing [player_tooltip player_id='2922280' first='Jalonny' last='Billingsley'].  He was an absolute terror on both ends with his shot blocking and covering space defensively.  On the other end he put a ton of pressure on the rim with his slashing, powerful dunks, getting to the line, and mixed in some 10-15 foot shots netting 17 points.  Big game as well from [player_tooltip player_id='2918205' first='Keiwon' last='Gulley'] out of Bloom.  The bowling ball guard is so much fun to watch with his speed, three point shooting, and flair that he brings to the table as he had 19 points.  Mt. Carmel point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2767906' first='Ronald' last='Johnson'] continues to showcase a complete game including setting everyone up as Bloom 2029 guard [player_tooltip player_id='2918202' first='Kaden' last='McClellan'] did the same with his feel in the half court.  Mt. Carmel small forward [player_tooltip player_id='2915584' first='DK' last='Heard'] and [player_tooltip player_id='3472215' first='Zahari' last='Threatt'] brought the energy, athleticism, and tenacity up front as Heard had 8 points while Threatt dropped 11 points of his own.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='2078449' first='Meanstreets' last=''] EYCL was paced with a big game out of Evanston power forward Leo Mckenzie.&nbsp; The 2029&nbsp; lefty four man showcased excellent hands, touch in the paint, and an extremely efficient low post game as he went for 17 points carrying his squad.&nbsp;<br><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->