Illinois Prospect Camp Emerging Faces
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The Illinois Prospect Camp hosted at Romeoville Athletic Center showcased over one hundred high school upperclassmen and underclassmen prospects from all-around Illinois in great competition. This article includes an analysis of some new, underclassmen athletes who impressed many with their…
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Continue ReadingThe Illinois Prospect Camp hosted at Romeoville Athletic Center showcased over one hundred high school upperclassmen and underclassmen prospects from all-around Illinois in great competition. This article includes an analysis of some new, underclassmen athletes who impressed many with their game.
Vee Edwards Vee Edwards 6’0″ | CG Bolingbrook | 2025 IL , 5’11” Christ the King Jesuit College Prep 2025: Edwards caught my eye with his attacking mentality. When putting the ball on the floor Edwards attacks the basket with authority, either taking the rock straight to the hoop or finding open teammates with accurate kick-out passes. Communication was also a huge factor of Edwards playstyle. I could constantly hear him loudly calling out his man while also directing his teammates with ball movement. Edwards provided consistent hustle throughout the event and that showed on the defensive end. He has superb lateral quickness allowing him to stay in front of his matchup and disrupt the ball-handler with active hands shadowing the ball. Edwards also crashed the offensive glass with toughness which ended in an offensive rebound or keeping the ball alive for his teammates to gather.
Highlights
Antwan Porter Antwan Porter 6’2″ | PG Plainfield South | 2025 IL , 6’2″ PG Plainfield South 2025: Porter impressed the audience with his constant, competitive energy, running the floor from end-to-end. Many times throughout each game Porter was seen hustling for loose balls, diving on the floor in hope of gaining another possession. At a young age, Porter has great offensive cutting IQ seeming to know where open spots on court will create scoring opportunities and making his defender turn their body out of position. With his knack for cutting this opened himself up for spacious three-point shots which he calmly knocked down. Defensively, Porter maintained exceptional on-ball pressure, getting his hands on the ball, or even poking the ball loose causing frustration for the ball-handler. The flow of game will come with playing experience which will allow Porter to play lock-down defense and save his energy to become an offensive reliability.
Cooper Buelna Cooper Buelna 6’4″ | SF Crystal Lake South | 2025 IL , 6’4″ SF Crystal Lake South 2025: Buelna is a force to be reckoned with inside the paint. He is a strong, big-bodied forward who always fights for defensive and offensive rebounds. Even when Buelna was matched-up against a taller opponent, he still produced continuous effort on the glass creating second-chance opportunities, or strongly securing defensive boards and quickly delivering the ball for an outlet pass. Buelna even displayed patience when he received the ball in the post, holding his pivot foot to create scoring opportunities, or keeping the ball alive to deliver dump-off passes to cutting teammates. If Buelna receives a pass along the three-point line, defenders shouldn’t lazily close out because he showed the ability to knock down the three ball.
Highlights
Donte Montgomery Donte Montgomery 6’2″ | SG Oak Lawn | 2025 State IL , 6’1″ SG Oak Lawn 2025: Ball-handling is Montgomery’s forte. Each game I caught with Montgomery on the court he flashed his ability to size-up his defender and put them on skates. With his thin, long frame Montgomery took advantage by blowing past his defender and slicing his way to the rim. While in mid-air, Montgomery flaunted a handful of unique finishes at the rim, whether it was changing hands during flight or sneakily completing reverse layups. As his confidence and strength grows he will turn into a quality attacking guard who can finish through tough contact. In addition, Montgomery exhibited a good release from three-point land where he’s capable of creating separation with solid ball-handling skills or popping a three a couple feet beyond the arc making his defender respect his shooting ability.
Highlights
Quentin Stephens III Quentin Stephens III 6’2″ | SG Saint Ignatius College Prep | 2026 IL , 6’3″ SG Saint Ignatius College Prep 2026: As a freshman, I was very impressed with Stephens playstyle. He could have came into the camp with butterflies in his stomach, but it was actually the opposite as Stephens showed a nonchalant, composed, and patient all-around game. He has the ability to penetrate gaps smoothly, keeping the ball tight to his hip, and not forcing any shots or difficult passes. Often during the day, Stephens was capable of maneuvering his way into the paint, jump-stopping, pivoting gracefully, and portraying shot-fakes to get his defender off balance. For a young athlete, footwork can be challenging to get the hang of, but Stephens showcased that fundamentals are a part of his craft.