Scouting the State: Saturday Statements

It was a triple header of action for PHI on Saturday taking in teams from across the state. We saw Simeon vs Bogan, Belleville West vs Belleville East, and Whitney Young vs St. Ignatius. We break it all down in Scouting the State: Saturday Statements!   Simeon Survives in OT Anytime Bogan and Simeon meet you know it is going to be a great game. Bogan has gotten off to a slow start this year coming in at 1-3, but wow did they give Simeon everything they could handle. The top ranked team in the state won in OT by a final of 57-51. For Simeon they were without Bynum once again so they had to continue to rely on their depth. Down the stretch though it was top 10 junior [player_tooltip player_id="771517" first="Jaylen" last="Drane"] who went to work scoring six straight in OT giving his team some room to breathe in overtime. The athletic combo guard scored eight of his 14 points in the extra session including four free throws, a floater, and an acrobatic take to the rim. Michigan signee [player_tooltip player_id="920941" first="Isaiah" last="Barnes"] flashed throughout the game as well including having a stretch with a monster dunk and a three ball. In OT he came up clutch knocking in four from the charity stripe on his way to 16 points. The dynamic small backcourt of [player_tooltip player_id="925193" first="Avyion" last="Morris"] and [player_tooltip player_id="939059" first="Jalen" last="Griffith"] also contributed in the win. Morris got the Wolverines going early with a three off a dribble hand off along with several runners. Griffith got his jumper flowing later in the game with a pair of threes. Each had 8 points.   Bogan Backcourt Comes up Big The big bodied backcourt brought it for Bogan in this game. Their senior star [player_tooltip player_id="652762" first="Darrion" last="Jones"] is a thick combo guard that plays both on and off the ball. He is at his best when he squares his shoulders and gets to the rim. Finishes well through contact and rebounds for his position. Such a tough player that D2’s and JUCOs should look at late with his physicality, rebounding, and defense. He went for 16 points. Class of 2023 6’0” guard Dauntrell Dixon is a big bodied guard himself, but unlike Jones he is most effective letting it fly as he hit three triples along with a mid-range jumper for 11 points. Yarell Greer is a slick ball handler that showed glimpses of what he can be. The 2023 point guard handles well in traffic dishing off passes and hit a three for 5 points.   Stars Shine in Belleville East vs Belleville West Rivalry Belleville East came into their second to last regular season game undefeated looking for a perfect season. Their rival Belleville West wasn’t going let that happen on their home floor and senior day. Belleville West won 67-58. Both teams star seniors brought their A games. [player_tooltip player_id="920952" first="Tommie" last="Williams"] is a shooting guard that can slide over and play on the ball sometimes when it is required. He was aggressive from the beginning looking to get downhill and to the rim. Consistently won off the dribble and pushed in transition coast to coast. Flashed as a passer and hit a three. Closed out the game with four key free throws late on his way to 20 points. D2s and JUCOs should be all over him. [player_tooltip player_id="920960" first="Ethyn" last="Brown"] is the standout senior for Belleville East. The point guard turned it up a notch when his team needed him trying to keep them in the game. Smooth ball handler that went coast to coast on several occasions. Knocked in a three along with a stop and pop pull up. Was an effective passer in the drive and kick. Went for 21 points. High level small college prospect that could find a home late at a D2 or JUCO. The highest ranked prospect on the floor in this contest was 2023 guard [player_tooltip player_id="939071" first="Jordan" last="Pickett"]. He was pretty quiet throughout the game until he got hot from three knocking down a pair of clean looking triples finishing with 9 points. The consistency on the jumper has been the question mark so it was a good sign to see improvements in that area.   Tons of Small College Gems in Metro East Battle While the three mentioned above were the headliners there were quite a few quality small college prospects in the Belleville East vs Belleville West matchup. For Belleville West senior 6’2” shooting guard J’Laun Patterson plays taller than his height with his length. Excels in transition and defensively netting 8 points. Ty Lampley is a 6’4” combo forward that plays with energy around the hoop and knocked in a couple jumpers. Struggled at the free throw line, but finished with 13 points. Dwight Newsome stepped up knocking in a pair of threes along with a baseline jumper for 12 points displaying a skilled game. The fourth senior Javieon Wallace is a 5’9” guard who drained several clutch jumpers throughout the game for 10 points. For Belleville East [player_tooltip player_id="995997" first="Bryson" last="Ivy"] is an undersized two guard that has a nose for the ball and just gets stuff done netting 9 points. Junior Alan Mason is one for small colleges to put on their radar early as the skilled wing can knock down shots and has nice mobility.   Versatile Forwards Ignite Whitney Young With limited guard availability for their contest against St. Ignatius Whitney Young turned to their array of versatile forwards which carried them to a 63-56 victory. In the first half [player_tooltip player_id="863585" first="Xavier" last="Amos"] continued his momentum from when we recently saw him with another strong effort. The broad shouldered four man was the Dolphins only offense in the early going scoring on hook shots, takes from the high post, running the floor, and even banked in a deep two point shot. As the game went on he left his imprint on the game with several quick moves for and-1s on his way to 20 points. Expect his stock to continue to rise heading into the spring. Class of 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1048324" first="Daniel" last="Johnson"] was the biggest reason the Dolphins won this game. The versatile forward is a wiry athlete that brings energy. Has always intrigued with skill, but it was on full display in this one as he rained in six threes including a sick step back one. Free and effortless release. With this improved consistency on his perimeter game he is going to fly up the rankings. Went for 22 points. The top 2022 prospect in Illinois [player_tooltip player_id="771516" first="AJ" last="Casey"] had a double double netting 11 points and 10 rebounds. When his team needed him down the stretch he had a monster two handed slam along with a sweet hook shot. Sparingly used power forward Tyson Leitao had a solid outing in this one contributing 7 points which came all in a spurt where he had an and-1 along with a good looking hook shot.   St. Ignatius Wings Show Potential in Loss The bright spots for St. Ignatius was the play of their wings. Class of 2023 big bodied wing [player_tooltip player_id="989270" first="Richard" last="Barron"] came out blazing with a couple threes shooting it with confidence. Has a chance to develop into a nice two way player down the line as he finished with 10 points. Their most consistent performer throughout the game was junior [player_tooltip player_id="863613" first="AJ" last="Redd"]. The 2022 shooting guard is a slender built prospect that slithers through the defense with his handles. Got to the rim on numerous occasions in this one scoring on acrobatic layups. Like how he pushed in transition and was assertive getting to the rim. He had 23 points. Low-majors need to be looking into him heading into the spring. Senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="821823" first="Parker" last="Higginbottom"] was pretty good in this game especially early on. The small college guard knocked in three jumpers including two beyond the arc. Couple nice passes as well in traffic for assists. He had 11 points.