Xposure Runs: Class of 2022 Top Performers
On Friday, September, 11, I checked out the latest Xposure Runs in Homer Glen. There was plenty of talent in the gym: more than 30 2022 and 2023 prospects in total. The 2022s were loaded with guards, and five in…
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Continue ReadingOn Friday, September, 11, I checked out the latest Xposure Runs in Homer Glen. There was plenty of talent in the gym: more than 30 2022 and 2023 prospects in total. The 2022s were loaded with guards, and five in particular stood out.
Top 2022 performers
Den Juette (SG, Fenwick)
The night’s MVP filled it up like nobody at the event. In the first quarter he played he dropped 16 points, knocking down three after three from the left wing and tossing in a dunk for good measure. He’s always looking to leak out in transition, either for the easy dunk or to flare out to the wing for a triple. When he does have the ball in his hand he likes to get a head of steam at the point of attack to beat his defender, then slither his way to the rim. The lefty has good body control around the basket.
Juette is a slender 6-3 with long limbs that scream defensive potential. He’s got the quickness to guard either guard position, and he likes to press out on opponents. But overall it was the offensive performance of the night for Juette.
Jiovanny Garcia (PG, West Leyden)
Garcia stepped on the court and immediately showed me I shouldn’t take my eye off of him, and neither should defenders. At a slippery 5-10, he had knocked down three triples before the game even got going. He hit them in a variety of ways: running off of screens, pulling up in transition, stepping back off the dribble. He was a threat to score every time he touched the ball, and that possibility changed the way opposing defenses guarded his teams.
His handle was perhaps the tightest of the group, and he’s ultra quick. He was patient around the rim and scored with floaters and crafty layups. His quickness translated to the defensive end, where he’s the type of player who can lead a team in steals and deflections. He gets super low and into the guy he’s defending all over the court. He’s completely the player you hate to have guarding you but love having on your team. Against bigger point guards he’ll give up height and strength, but he’ll frustrate anyone who matches up with him.
Bryant Handley (PG, St. Joseph)
The St. Patrick transfer was a do-everything lead guard that made everyone around him better. He really impressed me with his vision, particularly in the open court. He knew how to draw defenders in and find an open teammate just at the right time, and he threaded the needle with a couple cross-court passes.
I’m not sure he took two shots in the first game I watched, but he looked for his own baskets more in later games. He has a nice three-point stroke and really attacks the basket well; at 6-2 he’s got a lot of size for a point guard. He picked his spots on the offensive glass and has good instincts there. He works hard on the defensive end and really impressed in a quiet way all night.
Adidas Davis Adidas Davis 6'5" | PF Buffalo Grove | 2022 State IL (SG, Buffalo Grove)
Davis is a smooth wing with a lot of upside who can play multiple positions. At 6-3 with long arms he’s got the ability to switch most screens, and good athleticism and strength to compete against bigger guys. He rebounded well for someone who spends most of his time on the wing, and he does a good job of grabbing a board and pushing it up the court. Davis had solid court vision in the open court and looked for his teammates.
The lefty has a really smooth stroke. He missed a couple threes in the first game I watched, but his shot just looks like it’s going in. He also had the smoothest mid-range jumper of anyone I watched on the night. He didn’t shoot a ton of them, but he had great body control to pull up on a dime and got good elevation on the shots. He finished well in transition attacks the rim well. He has plenty of potential on the wing.
Dajour Stephens (PG, Niles North)
The way Stephens played impressed me more and more as the night went along. The 2022 group was filled with lead guards but he found ways to make a difference even when he didn’t have the ball in his hands. When he did he attacked the rim fearlessly. He’s a strong 5-11 and just keeps going at the basket. He had at least a pair of up-and-unders around bigger players that I didn’t think he could finish.
Defensively, Stephens is a bulldog. He gets into the body of other guards and hounds them on the perimeter. He’s absolutely the type of guy you’d want at the top of a press.
Other Notable Performances
John Anthony (Forward, Bolingbrook)
Anthony is 6-4 and one of the most athletic players at the event. He plays unselfishly, has three-point range and a good handle. He has all the potential to be a high-level player. He’s definitely still raw. There was one sequence where he was blocked twice at the rim by a shorter player in just a handful of possessions, and he had some unforced turnovers. But he has the tools to be a force on both ends.
Tyquan Butler (Guard, Downers Grove South)
Butler has the ability to play both guard positions, though he’ll defend point guards (listed at 5-10). He showed good range and gets into the paint well. Defensively he’s a pest with really active hands.
Sebastian Drag (Guard, Marist)
Marist is going to be loaded with guard talent this season. Drag has size at 6-3 and had a nose for the ball on the defensive glass, and he likes to grab boards and lead the break. He showed good three-point range as well.
Jordan Lodygowski (Center, North Town Academy)
Lodygowski was possibly the strongest player in either class at the run. One of the biggest players in the class drove right into him and bounced off while Lodygowski didn’t move an inch. He moved really well for a big guy; in warmups he dunked with ease and showed nice footwork. I wanted to see more of him in these four-out, one-post games. Instead he looked a bit tentative. Still, the size and skill are there for him to be a force.