Five Standout Prospects - Center Point-Urbana at Marion

Center Point-Urbana went into Marion on Thursday night and handled the Wolves pretty much wire-to-wire, cruising to a 61-51 win over a Marion team that had been hot. Center Point-Urbana improved to 9-3 with the win, while Marion fell to 6-5.    Grimm was in complete control of the game on both ends of the floor for the Stormin' Pointers. He's a 6-3 combo guard who can play with or without the ball in his hands, but he's at his best when he's initiating the offense and using his size advantage to shoot or pass over defenders. He handles it well, changes speeds, and is a creative all-around offensive player with really good footwork.   He displayed the ability to score from all three levels, shooting it from 3 off both the dribble and the catch, and perhaps the most impressive part of his game was the nice lefty floater (he's a righty) that he used to finish in the paint against bigger defenders. Having the ability to finish from 10 feet with a floater with either hand is something that we don't see too often from high school players. He (unofficially) finished with 26 points on 11-15 shooting, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists in the win.     Estling is a short but scrappy guard who isn't afraid to stick his nose in amongst the bigger players and compete on the glass on either end of the floor. A crafty player with good footwork, he finishes through contact well around the bucket, absorbing the contact and powering through it. He keeps the ball moving on the offensive end, handles it well, and does a nice job keeping his head up, finding open teammates when he gets into the teeth of the defense. He had 5 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists for CPU.     Coates is one of the most intriguing players in the state's 2027 class - a unique blend of size, mobility, length, and athleticism. He has a ton of upside, it's just going to be about putting everything together on a consistent basis now. He had flashes of brilliance throughout this game, showing deft touch around the rim, a tenaciousness on the glass on both ends of the floor, and the ability to switch defensively. The raw tools are here, without a doubt, to become a coveted college prospect.   He had 8 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks in the loss.     Griffith is a talented shotmaker who moves well without the ball in his hands, finding open spaces in the defense both in the mid-range and beyond the arc to get his shot off. He's a smooth shooter off the catch, getting into his shot quickly, and his high release is tough for defenders to contest. He gets good rotation on his jumper, which helps him get some friendly rolls, and he showed some ability to create shots off the dribble as well. His length can be an asset on the defensive end, making life difficult for opposing ball-handlers.   Griffith had 11 points in the loss.     Rahe is a creative offensive player with good footwork, handles, and the ability to score from all three levels. He's probably at his best at this point operating in the mid-range, where he's able to use his size advantage to see over the defense and either knock down shots or create plays for his teammates. He doesn't shy away from contact at the rim, capable of finishing through it. He didn't have the most efficient game, scoring 11 points on 3-10 shooting, but there were some real flashes of offensive potential.

Center Point-Urbana went into Marion on Thursday night and handled the Wolves pretty much wire-to-wire, cruising to a 61-51 win over a Marion team that had been hot. Center Point-Urbana improved to 9-3 with the win, while Marion fell to 6-5.