The EXPO: Steve’s Top Passers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After a pretty exciting weekend in Plainfield at The EXPO: Illinois I put together a list of players who showcased their passing ability at the event. Here is a look at the better assist makers at the EXPO.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2617460' first='Willie' last='Felton'] (Bishop McNamara)&nbsp;2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Maybe the most underrated player at the event. Willie should be in the conversation for the best setup guy in the state. He's quick with his handle and sees the court very well. Felton had several dimes that made you question how he got that pass off so clean. Willie is a dynamic scorer who can fill it up but is at his best as a facilitator. Felton should be a highly coveted prospect for colleges this season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2617400' first='Jayden' last='[player_tooltip player_id='2389565' first='Riley' last='']'](Yorkville Christian) 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2389565' first='Riley' last=''] is known for how electric he is as a scoring threat. What we saw this weekend was how well he sets guys up when he's aggressive. Jayden has good upper body strength to get to the second level of defenders where he finds guys in the dump off or out on the wing. He's a Division 1 caliber player who will get more attention when schools see him as a point guard.  </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2617408' first='Julian' last='Padilla'] (Lyons Township) 2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Padilla is a steady guard who played well in the half-court and made the right passes when guys were open. He used his shooting ability to draw defenders out to him on the perimeter. Julian was able to attack the lane and drop some textbook passes off to teammates for layups. Small college guard who is under the radar.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2617353' first='Andre' last='Tyler'] (Simeon) 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Exciting in the open court we are used to seeing Andre on the receiving end of dimes. But at the Expo he often made the passes to the guys around him. Tyler has a way of showing one look and then zipping a pass right by hands on a fastbreak. Some of his better assists came from drives where he looked to score and at the last minute hit guys right on the money spotting up for threes. Andre is an exciting talent who can be used as more than a scorer, but can also become a diversion to get others open.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2617405' first='Joey' last='Hernandez'] (Hoffman Estates) 2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hernandez has been a regular at our events and in his senior season he came out to show he's a legit PG for the next level. Joey is a smaller guard who has a good IQ and vision. He passes well out of pick/rolls situations but also had a second gear to get to the basket and whip a pass out to an open shooter at the three-point line. Hernandez can score as well but he will be recruited based on how well he can run an offense. His passing in the half-court will be his ticket to playing basketball at the next level.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->