Who Brought Handles AND Size to The Expo: Illinois

Big players are easy to spot. The ones who can also handle the ball, generate their own offense, and drive the length of the floor? Here are the prospects who effortlessly combined handles AND size at The Expo in Aurora this past weekend.    Size is the first thing that catches your eye with Redento, but his skill set quickly makes it clear there is much more to his game. A legitimate double-double threat, Redento brings a rare combination of size, skill, and versatility. He ran the floor well, handled the ball with confidence and knocked down big shots from beyond the arc, giving him legitimate versatility for his size. Redento consistently positioned himself near the rim for second-chance opportunities, while also showcasing a smooth jumper, three-point range and a polished free-throw stroke. His passing stood out as well, particularly his ability to hit teammates with long-range passes in transition. Definitely a top player to watch.     The thing that stood out the most about Lee was his mobility, maturity, and touch. On a court full of players trying to make big plays, nothing was rushed for him and Lee did a great job of letting the game come to him. Lee showed impressive touch around the basket, finishing scoop shots with a soft, more controlled finish than most. He also flashed his athleticism with some thundering dunks.     Size and shooting are a tough combination to ignore, and Harvey flashed both throughout the showcase. Despite occasionally playing the 4 in the match up I saw, Harvey looked most comfortable when stepping outside and knocking down perimeter shots. I see tremendous upside for him as a 3-and-D specialist, where his size has the potential to create matchup headaches all day long.     A great fit for the modern game, there's little that Leddy doesn't do. His size makes him a difference-maker on the glass, but his ability to handle the ball and drive the length of the court adds another dimension to his game. Leddy played with fluidity and athleticism throughout the day, soaring to the basket while displaying his ability to be an outside shooting threat. Perhaps the most underrated part of Leddy's game was his vocal defensive presence and willingness to direct his teammates on that end of the floor. I would go to a game just to watch Leddy play, which says a lot about his game.     There may not have been many players more dangerous in the open floor than [player_tooltip player_id='2389398' first='Orlando' last='Edwards']. After securing rebounds, Edwards immediately turned defense into offense, thundering down the court for easy lay ups. Defenders do not want to be caught chasing him down or attempting to stop him one on one. In one game I saw, Edwards took some middies that weren't the most effective offensive strategy, but by the next game, he'd already cleaned that up, excelling at not settling for the outside shot and going straight to the rim. Edwards played with an energy and pace that coaches will love.     Long and range-y, there's a real fluidity to Hurd's game. His length gave him a unique advantage as a finisher, allowing him to extend over defenders and finish shots from angles that would be difficult for most players his age. Hurd's wingspan also translated to the defensive end, where he flashed impressive shot-blocking ability around the rim. Looking forward to seeing him put it all together in his senior year.

Big players are easy to spot. The ones who can also handle the ball, generate their own offense, and drive the length of the floor? Here are the prospects who effortlessly combined handles AND size at The Expo in Aurora this past weekend.