Lindenwood Team Camp: Scotty B's Saturday Notebook

Prep Hoops was back at Lindenwood on Saturday.  Earl Austin Jr of our Missouri site was in the house on Friday and I attended on Saturday.  Here we look at what caught our eye from the Illinois and Missouri squads in the event in Lindenwood Team Camp: Scotty B's Saturday Notebook!   Illinois Notes   Three Major Transfers of Note in Metro East   Let's get the transfer news out of the way to begin with.  There were three major transfers we noticed that we were not aware of before entering the gym on Saturday.  O'Fallon picked up two of them.  First is 2026 small forward [player_tooltip player_id='1501486' first='Ben' last='Akoro'] who is transferring from Principia.  We will have more on this D1 prospect momentarily.  Second is [player_tooltip player_id='1404855' first='Nathaniel' last='Smith'] who is a ranked wing that brings two way versatility.  He comes from Belleville East.  The third was [player_tooltip player_id='2323266' first='Alex' last='Johnson'] who left Belleville Althoff in favor of East St. Louis and the 2026 two guard had a strong day.   O'Fallon New Addition Akoro Could Debut as Top 10 in 2026 Class   [player_tooltip player_id='1501486' first='Ben' last='Akoro'] is a prospect we have seen in several settings early in his career including most recently with Team Herro at Chi-Town Tip Off in the spring.  The 6'7” small forward has the looks of a potential top 5-10 prospect in the 2026 class next week.  Rangy frame with plus athleticism.  He can handle it with ease in the open floor taking it off the glass, shake defenders in the half court, and finishes pretty well in the paint on drives.  Also has a nice looking mid-range pull up game that he displayed throughout the day.  Defensive versatility to switch in ball screens and guard multiple positions.  Such a smooth wing that can even play some small ball four.  [player_tooltip player_id='2323293' first='Brenton' last='Hunter'] is a 2026 guard that we are fans of for O'Fallon.  Combo that can really shoot it and plays with spark in transition.  [player_tooltip player_id='2724308' first='Eric' last='Swartz'] had a strong day overall at the point using his speed to get to the rim for acrobatic finishes and is a capable three point shooter as a 2025 to track at the small college level.   Lloyd Emerges in 2027 for Belleville West   We got a glimpse of J'dyn Lloyd this spring with [program_tooltip program_id='2075324' first='Brad' last='Beal Elite'] where he plays more of a complimentary role.  He looks like he will be the guy for Belleville West the next three seasons.  The 6'3” shooting guard has a nice frame with long arms and a frame to add strength.  Plus athlete that is super fluid in transition making plays with the ball in his hands and raining in mid-range jumpers over and over throughout the game we saw.  Slippery handles getting to his spots displaying a good overall feel.  Bright future for this guard.  [player_tooltip player_id='2823498' first='Nick' last='Hankins'] is a 2026 that also caught our attention for Belleville West.  The point guard is a southpaw that finishes well through contact, gets on the glass, and is scrappy on the defensive end.  Also hit a three.   East St. Louis Stacked with Length, Wings, and Breakout 2025 Scoring Guard   Although they were without one of their top prospects there is a lot of pieces for Mark Chambers and his staff to work with at East St. Louis this upcoming season.  The Flyers have lengthy wings and forwards emerge year after year and this upcoming one will be no different.  Let's start first however with a scoring combo guard in the 2025 class that was magnificent on Saturday in [player_tooltip player_id='2427992' first='Montreal' last='Stacker'].  He was so good we might have to add him to the 2025 rankings we just debuted earlier in the week.  In their first game he had 24 points as the lefty got two feet in the paint all game long!  Shifty ball handler that was able to break down defenders off the bounce getting to the cup for scores.  Very good handles.  Nice combination of a soft touch floater and acrobatic finishes.  Aggressive and put pressure on the rim all game long.  Speaking of all those athletic wings let's start with the Althoff transfer [player_tooltip player_id='2323266' first='Alex' last='Johnson'].  The 2026 shooting guard was excellent all day long with a free and easy shooting stroke and he crashed the glass very well from his two guard spot.  Can take his man off the bounce and score in transition.  Going to be an instant impact guy for the Flyers.  Lawson Bynum is a 2026 strong bodied combo forward that emerged in the spring with [program_tooltip program_id='2077051' first='Team' last='Ramey'].  Excellent combination of strength and length.  He loves to attack downhill with slashes where he finishes through defenders in the paint.  Can check both forward spots on defense.  [player_tooltip player_id='2458184' first='Tyrik' last='Barnes'] is a 2027 that jumps off the floor physically.  At 6'6” he has tremendous length and plus athleticism.  Gets on the offensive glass and plays off his athletic ability.  Still a bit raw, but the physical tools are so tantalizing!   Mascoutah's McCoo is Major Sleeper in 2025   Mascoutah 2025 combo guard [player_tooltip player_id='1838836' first='Jayden' last='McCoo'] continues to show he is going to be a steal for the college that gets him.  He is a plus defender that can defend all over the floor with his length including snatching several steals taking them the other way for buckets.  Shot it very well in this particular game draining an array of threes and mid-range shots.  Also used his body control at the rim to convert.  [player_tooltip player_id='2383264' first='Matthew' last='Smith'] is a face up four that also has a future at the small college level.  The power forward can stretch the floor with his shooting and handle in the open floor.  Their third rising senior to keep an eye on is Corey Harris.  Thin and wiry lead guard that has shifty handles and a good mid-range jumper.   Mt. Vernon Wing Duo to Track Next Two Seasons in South 7   We caught one of the games of the Mt. Vernon Rams.  They have a bright future with prospects in 2026 and 2027.  Their junior small forward [player_tooltip player_id='2334401' first='Cale' last='Maurer'] is wing that has a good frame and a nice skill set.  Plus shot maker that knocked one down from the corner.  Showed some athletic pop in transition along with rim running.  In 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2455403' first='David' last='Barnes'] is a power wing that plays through contact very well being physical on his drives and in the open floor.  LJ Shelby also made a name as a 2027 to watch playing with speed and a nice float game.   Missouri Notes   Son of Rams Legend Might Go Football in College, but Can HOOP!   Early in the day we saw SLU High which was led by [player_tooltip player_id='2576024' first='Landon' last='Pace'].  He is the son of St. Louis Rams (yes Stan Kroenke ST LOUIS) legendary hall of fame offensive tackle Orlando Pace.  While Landon will most likely play football at the next level as he has an array of FBS offers he is a very good basketball player as well.  Skilled small forward with a big frame.  Liked how light he was on his feet and showed good touch around the hoop.  Also was outstanding as a passer finding his teammates with excellent dishes.  Rebounds well and has a good IQ for the game.   Battle Backcourt Duo Makes Impression   Battle High School has quite a talented young back court in [player_tooltip player_id='2334930' first='Brandon' last='Rooks'] and Chaion Crump.  The 2027 point guard Rooks is a combo guard that shined with his burst off the bounce getting in the paint throughout the day for soft touch finishes along with being a quality three point shooter.  Crump brings quality size on the perimeter.  Can slash with smooth handles and play above the rim.    CBC 2025 Big Man Has Statement Weekend   [player_tooltip player_id='1425715' first='Matt' last='Michalski'] was one of the stars of the day.  The 6'10” big man from CBC is a true old school five with broad shoulders and tremendous strength.  Rebounded well in his area snatching them at the highest point.  As an offensive player he used his physicality inside to get buckets mauling on the offensive glass or going right through opponents which using both touch and power to score in the paint.  Solid athlete and had a nice looking free throw shot.   MICDS 2026 Guards to Track   We got to check out MICDS with their 2026 backcourt of [player_tooltip player_id='1790003' first='Brandon' last='Clemens'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2090481' first='Jason' last='Stokes'].  Clemens is a smooth combo that probably leans more toward a two.  He can really shoot it in the mid-range with a feathery pull up stroke.  Slick ball handler that also has some passing feel.  Stokes is another guard that has a lot of upside as a rising junior with a smooth driver and plus shooter off the catch.   St Mary's Star 2025 PG Is Kind of Guard Who Wins in March   You would think that colleges would have learned their lesson with Yuri Collins as he had a legendary career at St. Louis University.  [player_tooltip player_id='1422723' first='Zyree' last='Collins'] is up next as the St. Mary's lead guard brings a great combination of elite IQ, strength, acrobatic finishes in the paint, shot making, and distributing.  He had a great showing this spring with [program_tooltip program_id='2075324' first='Brad' last='Beal Elite'] playing against the best competition in the country and is going to put on a show across St. Louis as a senior.  Mid-major plus schools should be all over him as he will win you games in March!   Lindenwood 2027 Coaches Son Lights Up Nets in Familiar Gym   In front of his dad who is the head coach at Lindenwood [player_tooltip player_id='2338877' first='Karson' last='Gerdeman'] put on a show throughout the day proving he is one of the better up and coming guards in St. Louis in the 2027 class.  The rising sophomore lead guard can really shoot the basketball from beyond the perimeter.  Much more than just a sniper he handles it well, displays burst with the rock, and brings toughness at the lead guard spot.   Pair of Upperclassmen Sleeper Wings Emerge   Jackson 2025 shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id='2120369' first='Kole' last='Deck'] had a nice outing against East St. Louis scoring 17 points. Has some projectability and creative handles with good size. Got to the line at a super high rate along with showing he can knock in shots from deep. [player_tooltip player_id='1598824' first='Brody' last='Owen'] is another wing that shined as the 2026 from Marquette brings good length and was outstanding finishing with his body control at the cup. Plus athlete that had an array of finishing moves at the cup while playing above the rim!

Prep Hoops was back at Lindenwood on Saturday. Earl Austin Jr of our Missouri site was in the house on Friday and I attended on Saturday. Here we look at what caught our eye from the Illinois and Missouri squads in the event in Lindenwood Team Camp: Scotty B's Saturday Notebook!