Hard Work Live: Illinois Friday Notebook
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The PrepHoops Hard Work Live began on Friday night with a great round of games. We dive into the first group of games here breaking down the Illinois teams and top performers from the teams from the land of Lincoln…
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Continue ReadingThe PrepHoops Hard Work Live began on Friday night with a great round of games. We dive into the first group of games here breaking down the Illinois teams and top performers from the teams from the land of Lincoln in Hard Work Live: Illinois Friday Notebook!
Illinois Blaze 17U Built Like Football Team
We opened the night checking out the Illinois Blaze. This team from Chicago has an insanely physical team. They have a lot guards and wings that were impressive with the motor they played with, how tough they were, and their physical strength. Joseph Edozie is a strong forward that got on the glass and scored on offensive rebound put backs. Brandon Shoemaker is another jacked guard that mauled on the glass. Tavari Johnson is a point guard that has good length and was crafty finishing in the lane. Their most impressive prospect was Bolingbrook shooting guard DeAndre Turner. Rangy two guard that can shoot it from three. Highest upside prospect on this team.
Illinois Badgers 17U Shows Toughness and Upside
The Badgers picked up a nice win to kick off the Prep Hoops Circuit. Winnebago 6’5” small forward Casey Nsamba stands at 6’5”. This bouncy wing was insanely quick to the glass rebounding in traffic consistently. Slashes well with a burst going through traffic. Rockford Christian 6’1” shooting guard Nathan Tackett was a scoring threat for the Badgers with the way he shot it from three and moved without the ball. One of my favorite players on this team was Belvidere North power forward John Carlson. Undersized post that plays with an all-out motor always being around the ball. Most impressive offensive move was a rip from the high-post finishing with a lefty layup.
All-In Athletics Simmons 17U Brings Versatility in the Backcourt
Brother Rice shooting guard Garrett Greene impressed as a 2021 playing up a year. The 6’3” wing is a lights out pull up shooter. Good length with projectability. Plainfield East 2020 small forward Daniel Gilbreath is a thin and angular wing that is slippery through traffic. He is a high-motor kid that likes to attack first, second, and third off the bounce. Rich East point guard Kyree Banks had his moments as well knocking in a three and finishing tough layups at the rim.
The Work Foundation PUT ON A SHOW!
The most impressive team of the night was by far and away The Work Foundation. This group has a lot of Chicago Public League prospects. Some we have covered for years and others that are new to the radar. The one that is due for the biggest jump in our next update is Bogan’s Antoine Bloxton. The wing went off on Friday night with a 24 point performance where he scored in every way possible. Slick ball handler that got to the rim. Knocked down feathery jumpers from all-around the court. Got to the rim where he either scored or threw insane dimes. Player of the night for sure! The team was more than just Bloxton. Orr wing Bryce Hall flashed with a slick cross over and a top of the key three. Scott Lanier put himself on the map. The Bogan 6’5” small forward has insane length with a thin build. He has range on his feathery jumper and defends all over the floor. Marshall shooting guard Brian Brooks is an explosive slasher that finishes at the basket through contact. In your face defender!
B&B Elite Falls Short in Comeback
The team that The Work Foundation played was another Illinois squad in B&B Elite. Unsigned 2019 combo forward Ja’veon Taylor out of Waukegan more than proved that he is worthy of a small college offer. He is a thick bodied 6’4” forward that plays so hard! Like a freight train going down the lane in the open floor. Gets on the glass. North Chicago power forward Ricky Irby finishes well around the hoop and rebounded very well in his area.
Watch Out for Motion Elite Duo
There was a duo from Motion Elite that put themselves on the map with their performances in the first half of the night cap. Taft point guard Gamaliel Garcia is a 6’0” combo guard that slashed to the rim and made acrobatic plays at the hoop. Von Steuben 2020 wing Damarius Woods is an impressive physical wing at 6’5” with broad shoulders. He can shoot it from deep.
Marquel Brumfield Continues to Play at High Level on PHC
Last weekend Metea Valley shooting guard Marquel Brumfield put himself on the map. This weekend he is ready to make a statement that it wasn’t a one-time occurrence. The 6’5” two guard showed quickness, agility, and power around the hoop attacking downhill and getting on the offensive glass with his second jump.