Romeoville Live: Teddy’s Saturday Morning Notebook

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Made it down to Romeoville bright and early this morning for some action at Romeoville live. Here's some of my top takeaways from Saturday mornings action.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hyde Park beats Plainfield South&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I got up bright and early to watch Hyde Park and Plainfield South. It was definitely a slow game to start before the Thunderbirds pulled away. [player_tooltip player_id='2864925' first='Amare' last='LeFlore'] had an outstanding game on both ends. Making everyone else around him better on both ends. Forwards Jakob Walls and Zyere McNeal also had their way down low. Utilizing some great upper-body strength to make difficult buckets look easy. The Thunderbirds took care of business 51-29.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kaneland plays with great tempo</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This was my first time watching the Kaneland, and it will be a very intriguing group come winter time. It was my first time watching 2027 PF [player_tooltip player_id='2391672' first='Jeffrey' last='Hassan'] up close. Against Leo, the top 5 2027 prospect showcased several elite skillsets. His ability to box out on the glass was superb. Helping create lots of second-chance opportunities in the process. But the tempo of the entire team really caught my attention. Point Guard [player_tooltip player_id='1552428' first='Marshawn' last='Cocroft'] was elite in the open floor and blew by several Lanphier players in transition. Even had a chasedown block in transition. 6'1” G [player_tooltip player_id='2426006' first='Isaiah' last='Gipson'] also shot the ball at an efficient clip and is an underrated playmaker and slasher. Showing great energy up and down the floor. The most enticing name from this group might be 6'5” SG [player_tooltip player_id='2393974' first='Evan' last='Frieders'], who surely boosted his stock after this weekend.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2839970' first='Jordan' last='Williams'] is a game-changer for Fremd</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I love what I saw from [player_tooltip player_id='2839970' first='Jordan' last='Williams'] for Fremd against Marian Catholic. He started this matchup creating so many buckets offensively. I love the quick burst to the rim as well as his ability to move off the ball. He also takes the ball up on most possession. Sloppy passes and turnovers, too. Defensively, Williams found success guarding all five positions. He moved his feet really well to keep opponents in front of him, while forcing several bad misses. Blocked a shot along the baseline late in the opening half and immediately grabbed the rebound. Got to the line a few times as the game went on and made almost all his free throws. Clutch shot in OT gave them the win. Finished with 19 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hungry guards on Marian Catholic</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's a handful of guards on Marian Catholic that made huge impacts against Fremd. 2026 guard [player_tooltip player_id='2414630' first='Cardan' last='Gordon'] showcased elite ball-handling abilities. He created tons of separation with the ball in his hands, but still made some challenging buckets when contested. It was a similar story with 2028 guard Shane Lunford. Lunford will be a key name to monitor in that class. Especially if he keeps growing. On the hustle side of things, 2026 Noah Clay stood out. Getting on the ground for a pair of loose balls in the opening half of this contest. 2028 G Javion Yancy also caught my attention with his efficient 3-pt shooting. Burying at least three of them. In the game's later stages, both Gordon and Lunford started showing aggression as rebounders.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Joliet West full of experienced seniors</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I covered Joliet West's matchup vs Edwardsville to conclude the morning. This Tigers team might not have the superstar power in the past. But they're full of players who work really well together. [player_tooltip player_id='1552462' first='Mickeis' last='Johnson'] is a very bright spot. He's added tons of strength to his frame which allowed for some tough inside buckets. He also got it going as a shooter and playmaker throughout this contest. 6'3” W Aaamir Shannon is a versatile combo with terrific vision. At one point, he made an excellent no-look pass to [player_tooltip player_id='2860144' first='Ryan' last=''] Lipke for an easy slam. Lipke, another senior, has tons of strength on the interior. West held on for a comfortable 48-40 win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Quick look at [player_tooltip player_id='2194999' first='Miles' last='Simpson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2334870' first='Scottie' last='Adkinson']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Out of Webster Groves, Missouri are two high-end prospects. One is [player_tooltip player_id='2194999' first='Miles' last='Simpson'], a 2028 shooting guard ranked near the top of his class nationally. He's got great size as a 6'5” shooting guard and can probably play as a winger if he grows a few more inches. The other is 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2334870' first='Scottie' last='Adkinson']. Another nationally-ranked player, he's got excellent length at 6'4” and will probably be best as a shooting guard at the next level. I caught a small glimpse of both vs Kankakee Saturday morning with many coaches in attendance. Although out-of-state, they're two names I'll definitely follow in the future!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->