First Takes At The Sophomore ID Showcase

The Prep Hoops Illinois Sophomore ID Showcase brought together a talented group of 2029 prospects from across the state. Competition ran deep throughout the day as players tried to make their mark. We had the opportunity to see several prospects who stood out based on their skill, IQ, toughness, and overall impact on the floor. In this opening article, we will take a look at a half dozen players who grabbed our attention. Further in the week we will dive deeper into full team evaluations from this class of 2029 group.    Olingou created mismatches with his size, athleticism, and ability to play at different speeds. He was a foot ahead of most of the players at the showcase. The lefty showed a smooth handle and quickly pushed for pace in the open floor. His plus bounce stood out multiple times with a breakaway dunk while also attacking the glass consistently between defenders. From the guard position, Olingou sees over the top of defenses and will draw a lot of help when attacking the basket.     Johnson stood out on both sides of the floor but really impacted defensively with his consistent on-ball pressure and using his length and quickness to cause problems in the passing lanes. It's always a joy to see guys that like to guard and at this stage Johnson remains a effective 2 way threat. Offensively, Johnson showed nifty movement in the paint with soft touch finishes outreaching over defenders arms. He made a cool spin move finish through contact and was able to get paint touches numerous times with the ball. The Marist guard will be intriguing to watch over the next 3 years with his length, skill, and mobility.     A lanky long prospect from St. Ignatius, O'Reilly utilizes those tangibles to his advantage to make an impact around the paint. He sticks around the glass for boarding purposes and disrupts drivers shot shapes at the rim. His timing was correct for a few offensive rebounds and put backs throughout the day. Offensively for positional size he moves well in ball screening action and then diving to the basket. O'Reilly also showed flashes of versatility with a euro step finish between a couple defenders and a spot up 3 in rhythm.     Smooth floor facilitator that displayed a tight crisp handle and a lot of comfort off the bounce. Lavin has some craft as well to get by defenders and make the defense collapse on dribble drive action. His diverse finishing ability was shown with a euro-step score in transition and an up and under vs more size at the rim. He also can shoot it from 3 which adds another element to his offensive game. Defensively, Lavin's lateral foot movement stood out as he remained an active on ball presence and jumped passing lanes for tips or steals. The Lincoln Way East PG has a bright future ahead.     Lambert presents length at the combo guard spot playing in either the 1 or 2 slot. He showed versatility with the ball in his hands to create separation and then make a play. His shot from 3 has solid from and he is comfortable attacking with either hand. Lambert likes to push for break buckets off of defensive rebounds or outlets. His selfless mentality of making an extra pass and finding open teammates on the arc for assists was evident as well.     Newman has plus mobility for his positional size. He brings a strong physical presence to the paint game and uses that to his advantage in multiple phases. After seeing him compete during the June live period, he showed many of those same attributes throughout today's contests. He works hard to earn his keep off of rebounds on both sides. Newman timed right for numerous offensive second chance opportunities and then drew fouls with his persistence to battle through contact. He also shows good awareness to make the extra pass and runs the floor well keeping up with pace of action.

The Prep Hoops Illinois Sophomore ID Showcase brought together a talented group of 2029 prospects from across the state. Competition ran deep throughout the day as players tried to make their mark. We had the opportunity to see several prospects who stood out based on their skill, IQ, toughness, and overall impact on the floor. In this opening article, we will take a look at a half dozen players who grabbed our attention. Further in the week we will dive deeper into full team evaluations from this class of 2029 group.