XposureRuns: Chitown Showcase – Eye Opening Performances

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Today I had the opportunity to attend the Second Annual XposureRuns: Chitown Showcase. This Showcase was an invite only event, held in the middle of the city featuring players from across four different states. (IL, IN, IA, PA) Out of the 39 athletes that were in attendance, 8 of them are committed to compete at the Division-1 level already while 11 others currently hold Division-1 offers.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This event had a little bit of everything. It had high-level players, great people, a welcoming environment, and an atmosphere that you would need to see to believe. This Showcase is rapidly becoming one of the best throughout the city of Chicago and it's only going to become more popular as time goes on. With that being said, over the next few days I will be highlighting multiple players from this event that stood out to me. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the article below I am going to cover five individuals that had Eye Opening Performances on Saturday. Each player came in hungry and showed out in more ways than one, displaying that they all have the talent to compete at the collegiate level once their high school careers come to a close. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1282464"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"The name of this article is Eye Opening Performances and boy did [player_tooltip player_id='1282464' first='Malachi' last='Johnson'] have one at this event. To everyone watching I think it was pretty obvious that Johnson oozes confidence and he turned that confidence into consistent production on the floor. In each game that he competed in, Johnson was lighting it up from deep, throwing down strong dunks in transition, and getting others involved whenever an opportunity would present itself.  Throughout everyone that I saw play at this Showcase, Johnson was definitely one of my favorites and one I'll keep an eye on moving forward. I'm not exactly sure what his college interest is a this moment but wherever he ends up, if he stays disciplined, he is going to be successful at whatever is put in front of him.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["1766437"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"The ceiling and upside of [player_tooltip player_id='1766460' first='Al' last='Brooks'] Jr is something that has to have college recruiters licking their chops when they watch him play. Brooks stands at 6'6 with a whole lot of bounce and athleticism. This was on full display at this Showcase when Brooks was going up and throwing down huge dunks or getting some big time blocks on the defensive end of the court. All day long, there wasn't a moment where I thought that Brooks would lose a battle while going up at the rim. Doesn't matter on which side of the floor. Other than this pure athletic ability, Brooks is plenty skilled. He is coordinated, balanced in his movements, and knowledgable about the strategic part of the game. When you mix all this stuff  together, you get a Division-1 prospect and that's what Brooks is. He still has two years of high school ball left in his career, that he is sure to make the most of but afterward, I expect to see him tearing it up on a collegiate court before you know it.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["1157233"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"The very first note that I have written down for [player_tooltip player_id='1157233' first='Jaheem' last='Webber'] after watching him compete for 10 minutes on the floor is, u0022Big Fundamental.u0022 This so happens to be the nickname of NBA HOF'er Tim Duncan but I think that Webber's game is very much like that, fundamental. Webber stands at 6'9 and displayed a lot of skill at this event. On several occasions he demonstrated that he can catch on either block, going over either shoulder to finish through contact at the rim at a high and efficient rate. One of the best matchups of the day was 6'9 - Webber VS 6'10 - Rutgers MBB commit [player_tooltip player_id='1978576' first='Lathan' last='Sommerville']. These men were going at each other each possession and not giving up an inch. In the end, I would say that Webber held his own and even shined over Sommerville during some possessions.  I'm hoping he can take this momentum into his season at Normal Community this winter but we will just have to wait and see.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["1517913"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Kris Hills was one of my favorite players at this entire event and that's for a few reasons. To start, he kept it simple. Hills isn't going to kill you with flash. He is going to beat you with fundamentals, quick-thinking, and determination. Next, everything he did was within his body. He was never out of control or trying to force action. Instead he was setting up his teammates and trying to get others involved. Lastly, he never takes plays off. He fights until the whistle is blown and isn't afraid to pickup his opponent in the full-court as the game is coming to a close. I watch basketball for a living and evaluation several different levels of competition all across the country. One of the most important traits a player can have, that most college coaches look for, is the ability to be productive WITHOUT scoring the ball. Hills does a great job of that. Not to mention, that he is a positive teammate that communicates well with the others around him. When you take all of the things that I mentioned above into consideration, you can see why someone would love to coach him or watch him compete.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["1373439"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='1373439' first='Shaheed' last='Solebo'] was a Swiss-Army Knife type player out there on the court during this Showcase. Solebo was moving from under the hoop in transition, to the perimeter spot in the half court, to bringing up the ball at times. It didn't matter what he was doing, Solebo was demonstrating that he could be successful at any task given. During warmups I was originally unsure if he was going to be able to handle the rock or not but he made up my opinion early on in the day with his display of a smooth handle under pressure. There is a lot that Solebo can bring to the table when he is determined. He is strong in every movement he makes and isn't afraid to mix it up with bigger players. All in all, his future is bright on the court and his talents could definitely be used at the next level in the correction system.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-653efe273df3e"} /--> <!-- wp:image {"id":2258825,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Screenshot-2023-10-28-at-8.53.23-PM-1.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Screenshot-2023-10-28-at-8.53.23-PM-1.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2258825" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image -->