Chi-Town Tip Off: Steve’s Saturday Stars

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Saturday the Romeoville Athletic Center was packed from sunrise to sunset. With all 10 courts filled all day. Here are some of the standouts I watched.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2531961' first='Amarion' last='Smith-Holley'] [program_tooltip program_id='2452456' first='Mac' last='Irvin Fire'] 2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The number one point guard in the freshmen class was spectacular on Saturday. He scored 16 points in the first game hitting a trio of threes and scoring the rest in the lane. He later followed that performance with a 20-point game. He's a slick ball-handler with good vision and composure. Has all the tools to be the next big thing in the state of Illinois.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>J'Cobi Mathis Wisconsin Playground 2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mathis is a quick guard who made an impression Saturday morning with his 24-point performance. He hit four threes in the game most with hands in his grill. His other buckets came off shifty drives to the rim beating defenders with side hops and tight euro steps in the paint.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2125612' first='Devin' last='Cleveland'] [program_tooltip program_id='2452456' first='Mac' last='Irvin Fire'] 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Devin proved why he was the number 1 prospect in the state early with his lights-out shooting and overall smooth presentation. He finished with 22 points while knocking down 4 triples in the process. He set the tone early shooting the team out of their zone defense, but mixed in some very heady point guard play with his passing to show he can run a team effectively.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cooper Markee Team Herro 2026&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In a very early clash, Markee shot the ball well hitting from different areas on the court. For a 6'5 wing he's very fluid in catch-and-shoot situations. Against [program_tooltip program_id='2076904' first='Chicago' last='Hoops'], he nailed three 3's in what would eventually be a double-digit win. Cooper also made some mid-range shots with guys running at him from all angles.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>D' Lontae Black Work Foundation 2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Black scored a smooth 17 points mostly off his drives to the cup. Black has a second gear when getting downhill and blowing past defenders. As a shooter, he also made two threes in the win over Hoopademics.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1598786' first='Willie' last='Felton'] 1 Dream 2025&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the underrecruited players in the senior class, Willie had a special second half in the win over the Chi-Town Bulldogs. Felton scored all 14 of his points to attack the basket. He has the ball a string when guys press up on him and his moves to get out of double teams are highlight-worthy. Willie also racked up a ton of assists with his ability to find guys while jumping in the air.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2105376' first='Colin' last='Stack'] [program_tooltip program_id='2078374' first='Full' last='Package'] 2026</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Stack has improved so much as an individual since his state championship run a month ago. I was impressed with how well he moves and contested shots at the rim. At 6'11 he is more fluid and doesn't play as stiff. Colin also has become more explosive around the rim, getting quicker off his feet for dunks, and offensive glass putbacks. Against the Fire, he scored 16 in the loss with 8 rebounds and 5 blocks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2105360' first='Lincoln' last='Williams'] [program_tooltip program_id='2452456' first='Mac' last='Irvin Fire'] 2026</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The top players in the 26 class showcased his whole arsenal against [program_tooltip program_id='2078374' first='Full' last='Package']. Lincoln caught lob dunks some off the backboard, and defended multiple positions using his length to disrupt passes and drives to the rim. He's a Swiss army knife on the court and can be used in multiple ways. Williams scored 16 points majority off transition plays but was very active nonetheless.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->