PHI Scouting Notebook: Opening Night

High school basketball is back! Prep Hoops Illinois kicked off the season by covering several games. Check out our scouting reports from all four of the contests we evaluated in PHI Scouting Notebook: Opening Night!   [player_tooltip player_id="863583" first="Robbie" last="Avila"] Posts Dominant Night 1 What a show [player_tooltip player_id="863583" first="Robbie" last="Avila"] put on during the first night of his senior year. The top 10 senior is an Indiana State commit who might not wow you with his athleticism, but his skill set is off the charts. In an incredibly efficient first half we saw him drop 26 points against Dixon. He did it in every way imaginable. Threes off the catch, takes from the mid-post for slo-mo and-1s, put backs, and elite footwork/touch finishing on the block. He did it all. Also rebounded well keeping possessions alive either grabbing the board himself or tapping it out to a teammates. Showed flashes of the passing as well. He finished the win with 40 points and 11 rebounds.   Guards to Track in Oak Forest vs Dixon [player_tooltip player_id="1049075" first="Fred" last="Robinson"] is a name that small colleges and JUCOs should keep tabs on throughout the year. Lengthy combo guard from Oak Forest showed some improved passing instincts especially in the half court. Crisp passes getting his teammates open. Streaky shooter and a bit wild at times in the open floor. Should be a solid defender. Senior Drew Pagnusat is a 6’3” two guard that brings size and toughness. Could be a good third scorer for Oak Forest. On the Dixon side 2022 6’2” two guard Riley Abell displayed a clean shooting stroke off the catch and 2024 6’2” guard Austin Hicks is one to watch down the line with a good looking shot himself.   Brother Rice Impresses in Opener The Chicago Catholic League is going to be fun this year with many contenders for the top spot. Brother Rice is one of them. They are pushed by their 2023 class and they brought it on Monday night. Star junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="1048307" first="Ahmad" last="Henderson"] is one of the most dynamic playmakers with the rock in his hands in the state. Shifty off the bounce getting in the lane for scores or kicking to his teammates for open looks. Put it in the bucket at a high rate in the first half including an array of threes. Like what he brought defensively with his quick hands turning steals into points. Was a bit sloppy with it in the second half for a few turnovers. Finished with 28 points. Junior shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id="1215297" first="Nick" last="Niego"] plays perfectly off Henderson’s drive/kick ability as he is a high-level sniper especially off movement knocking in five triples for 15 points. Pair of lengthy and projectable forward to track on this squad in the 2023 class. [player_tooltip player_id="939074" first="Khalil" last="Ross"] is a transfer that has D1 potential for sure. He was extremely effective getting on the offensive glass with his quickness and long arms for second chance points. Streaky shooter that excels in transition and can guard multiple positions. Went for 16 points. [player_tooltip player_id="1279766" first="Jayden" last="Watson"] is a bouncy under the radar four man in the 2023 class. He shined defensively swatting shots and cleaning up inside. Even hit a three early in the game for 9 points. Stock is trending in the right direction!   Morton Shows Toughness For most of the game Morton trailed, but they fought back in the second half and have some gritty players with college ability. [player_tooltip player_id="1276140" first="Eliseo" last="Gonzalez"] is the go to guy. The 6’0” point guard is ultra smooth with the rock in his hands. He operates well in transition and the half court getting where he needs. Solid three point shooter creating off his own as he drained a handful in this game. Went for 18 points and should be a coveted small college/JUCO recruit. Three juniors up front for Morton. Jamari Ball might be the least projectable, but was super productive. The 6’3” 240 pound post was a beast on the glass and finishing in traffic. [player_tooltip player_id="1215308" first="Dakari" last="Durham"] is listed at 6’6” with a wide body. Rebounds well in his area and plays bully ball with touch around the hoop. Went for 12 points. [player_tooltip player_id="1279763" first="Victor" last="Garrett"] is an intriguing long term post. Lanky 6’4” four that if he grows projects with his athleticism and skill potential as a face up forward.   Curie Defense and Depth Carries Them in Blowout Victory The second game at RB on Monday night was never in doubt as Curie jumped out early and never let Zion Benton back in the game as they won big. Super impressive effort for Curie as they don’t have the marquee star, but these are the types of teams that Curie has been successful with over the years. What we loved was how they got after it defensively. Their ball pressure from all five players and tenacity all over the floor was outstanding. They caused turnover after turnover. They share the ball offensively making the extra pass for a better shot. Their depth of interchangeable pieces makes them foul trouble proof down the line. Man can this team rebound! Lets start there with the front line. It got started early with transfer [player_tooltip player_id="1056104" first="Chikasi" last="Ofoma"] getting a put back and athletic reverse layup. Also got it rolling to begin the third quarter with a ton of athletic finishes in the paint. Plays with energy. He has a lot of untapped potential that if it clicks this year he could put himself into a nice position heading into the spring. Physical body with athletic pop and skill potential. [player_tooltip player_id="1148119" first="Jeremy" last="Harrington"] will probably lead this team in scoring. The 6’5” 2023 power forward is a versatile player on both ends as he rebounded at a high rate and got several steals. Can stretch the floor some as well with his shooting. Went for 16 points. Projects as a nice D2 prospect at this stage with room to grow. Class of 2024 power forward [player_tooltip player_id="1157229" first="Taevion" last="Collier"] was a force on the glass. He rebounded with physicality on both ends and was a good post defender. Offensively ran the floor and displayed a nice looking right handed hook shot along with an up and under move. In the backcourt Curie has a ton of players, but it starts with a senior and sophomore. Class of 2022 combo [player_tooltip player_id="1049088" first="Phoenix" last="Bullock"] is the lone senior on this squad. He is a fluid athlete that can defend and hit an open look. In the second half he shot it very well from deep on shots off the catch. Played with confidence and showed decent passing feel. Went for 17 points. Top small colleges and JUCOs might want to get an early look at him! [player_tooltip player_id="1157211" first="Carlos" last="Harris"] might be the best long term prospect on this team. The 2024 6’2” guard is built like a running back. Gets after it defensively wanting to lock in on that end. He also shot it well from three in the first half. Finished with 8 points. Shawn Brown is a new name for Curie. The 6’1” junior defended all over the floor and made shots when they presented themselves. For Zion Benton the lone bright spot was [player_tooltip player_id="1276128" first="Kenneth" last="Hayes"]. Smooth scoring guard that put his name on the map over the summer. Clean looking jumper and was good in transition. Nice JUCO or small college prospect.   Guards Shine in Larkin vs Rockford Guilford Matchup This game got close late as Guilford made a comeback attempt, but Larkin secured the win 78-66. Larkin is led by three quality guards. It all starts with [player_tooltip player_id="925184" first="Damari" last="Wheeler-Thomas"]. The North Dakota State commit is absolutely electric with the rock in his hands winning off the bounce and getting in the lane. His stop and pop jumper was on point all game long as he drained an array of mid-range shots finishing with 22 points. Early on we were very impressed with the playmaking out of 6’3” unsigned senior [player_tooltip player_id="1276144" first="Fernando" last="Perez"]. Silky smooth guard that has a passing feel. Made several excellent dimes in the half court. Clean looking shot as well hitting a couple threes and a crisp pull up. D2s should take a look here as he has improved since the summer. Finished with 16 points. It was a slow start for star 2024 point guard Andre Blakley but he got it going in the second half as the three ball started to fall. Dynamic scoring combo guard that has creative handles. Went for 15 points. Rockford Guilford was without one of their top players so senior Bryson Hodge had to step up and man did he ever! The 6’0” 2022 guard was on fire scoring from all three levels and whenever his team needed a big bucket he got it for them. Acrobatic layups and deep threes were his forte. We had him for 25 points. Worth a look at the small college level.