Run N Slam: Saturday Illinois Notebook
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It was a full day of hoopx at Spiece Fieldhouse on Saturday with games from 8 AM until 11 PM. PrepHoopsIllinois was there for all of it! Here we dive into what happened throughout Saturday in Fort Wayne at Run…
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Continue ReadingIt was a full day of hoopx at Spiece Fieldhouse on Saturday with games from 8 AM until 11 PM. PrepHoopsIllinois was there for all of it! Here we dive into what happened throughout Saturday in Fort Wayne at Run N Slam!
Illinois Irish 17U and Connor Dillon Shine to Start Day
For the Illinois Irish this will be the only event we see them in this summer. That makes it even more important for prospects to have big time performances which is exactly what Peoria Notre Dame combo guard Connor Dillon did! The lefty is a plus shooter that when he gets hot scorches the nets! He was on fire from deep, but there is more to his game with his crafty handles and athleticism including banging down a huge slam on his opponent en route to 35 points. Mason Muller (Porta) is an intriguing combo forward with athletic pop and scoring in transition. Connor Heaton (Central A&M) can score it with toughness, slashing, and is a kid that boards in traffic. Went for 14 points. Jack Weber (El-Paso Gridley) is a strong four man that is a solid screener, tough defender in the post, and quality passer. Griffin Yaklich is from Illinois originally, but plays his high school ball now in Michigan. Yaklich has grown so much in his game and body over the last couple years. Now up to 6’5” with a plus shot from three. Handles it, crisp passer, and knocks in runners. Scored 13 points.
Young & Reckless 17U Survive in Pool Play
We caught the talented Young & Reckless group earlier in the day against MBA Select. It was a close game and they trailed for a large portion of it, but survived to win 77-75. It was Bloom’s highly touted shooting guard Keshawn Williams who drilled the game winning shot. Crisp pull up jump shooter that connected on them all around the floor for 19 points. His high school teammate Dante Maddox also had a nice outing shooting it from three pulling from really deep for several threes. He scored 21 points. One of the most intriguing posts and the top center in the 2020 class in Illinois is the third Bloom member of Y&R in Martice Mitchell. Flashes so many intriguing tools with his size, feathery touch on jumper, and when he works inside displays skill potential on the block. Finishes above the rim with thunderous slams and blocks shots. Went for 13 points. Christian Shumate left his impression on this win with a high energy effort. The Plainfield East forward is an impact shot blocker and has an explosive second jump getting to the rim. A couple of guards stepped up too in Alex Wood (Normal U-High) who can knock down open shots and plays within himself. Jaehshon Thomas played up in this game as the 2021 guard used his strength and pull up game for 6 points.
Huge Win for Illinois Stars 17U over All-Ohio Red
The Illinois Stars knocked off EYBL’s All-Ohio Red who went 4-0 last weekend. For the Stars it is a group of unsigned seniors and out of state prospects for the most part. Christopher Burnell is one of the better uncommitted wings in the 2019 class from Illinois. Burnell is a powerful slasher that gets downhill and loves the mid-range game. Sha’Den Clanton is another unsigned senior that is active with his quickness around the hoop. They also got a huge contribution from Jordan Majeed from Wisconsin. The point guard controlled the game in transition and knocked down several shots. Only true 2020 prospect from Illinois that made a mark was Collin Woods who is a long and rangy wing that can hit a three and flew in crashing the glass.
Meanstreets Talented 16U Racks Up 3-0 Record on Saturday Including Top 10 Win
We evaluated Meanstreets 16U group against fellow top 10 16U squad in the PrepHoops Rankings NEO – Tru Game. This clash of EYBL squads was a fun one. The prospect from Illinois that caught our eye the most was Niles Notre Dame’s Troy D’Amico. Such a skilled forward that plays inside and out scoring on the block with a right handed hook shot. Stretches the defense out to three as well. Although he didn’t score a ton Evanston 2021 wing Jaylin Gibson left his mark with his defense, passing, and rebounding. Kenton Wright (Hillcrest) and Brandon Hall (Thornton) brought a scoring punch as Wright drilled jumpers all over and Hall went downhill with strength. David Joplin from Wisconsin is a prospect that is worth tracking with his size and versatile skill set.
Jaylen Drane Was On “Fire”
The state’s top 2022 guard has played most of his career with Meanstreets, but this was our first time checking out the Simeon star with his new Mac Irvin Fire 15U squad. Drane knows on this team that he has to score and that is just what he did. His pull up game is definitely the strength at this stage. He connected from mid-range and three. Even knocked one in while being fouled. Bright future for this combo guard!
Quad City All Day
Like the Irish this will be our only event seeing Quad City Elite this spring/summer so we wanted to get our money’s worth. In doing so we were able to check out all three top squads at each age level. The 17U team is led by and inside out duo from the Chicago suburbs. Stevenson shooting guard Matt Ambrose is a plus plus shooter that was in a zone in the second half from three. There is more to his skill set however with his runner game and crafty handles. Ambrose went for 20 points. Cary-Grove power forward Frank Jakubicek is a four man that has improved his body since we saw him mid-way through the high school season. Stronger in his upper body and has lost some of the baby fat. He was active on the glass and overall very productive recording 11 points. Jackson Watson is a crisp shooter at the point as he knocked in a pair of threes for 6 points. We saw their 16U squad fight tooth and nail against Nike EYBL power Indy Heat. Their opponents from Indiana had higher ceiling prospects, but we were impressed how tough QCE coming back in the second half. That starts with Rock Island 2021 point guard Jordan Rice. The true leader of this team in every sense of the word. He is a playmaker making a huge dish late to send the game to OT. Can score it with acrobatics in the lane despite his size. Eric Price is a tough wing and Evan Ambrose is an exciting bench spark for this group. At the 15U level Moline 6’2” shooting guard Mahki Johnson put his name on our radar because of his ability to score it from multiple levels. Rock Island 2022 Amarion Nimmers can shoot it from the point.
Young & Reckless 16U Has a Little Bit of Everything
The Y&R 16U squad has a nice group with something at every position. At the point Jaehshon Thomas also played here at his normal age level. Powerful combo guard that is physical taking it at the defense. Kimahri Wilson (Carmel) is one of the top lead guards in this class. Quick and shifty guard that gets to the hoop off the bounce and in transition. Elijah Bull also knocked down a few triples. On the wings you have Julius Rollins (Hillcrest) and Julius Byrd (TF North). This lanky duo has upside with their rangy frames. Rollins showed a burst with the ball and passed it well. The star of this team is Neuqua Valley’s John Poulakidas. Skilled small forward that does it all offensively. Plus shooter from three, mid-range, and has improved so much creating his shot off the bounce. Excellent passer and when he grabs defensive rebounds is very comfortable starting the break. Inside Darrell Reed did what we saw during the season as the TF South power forward mauls on the glass and finishes with strength.
Meanstreets 15U is STACKED
We were very impressed by this team as a 14U group last year and they are just as good if not better as a 15U squad. It starts with their inside duo of Indiana native Jalen Washington and five-star Simeon standout AJ Casey. The projectable post is a big time athlete who blocks shots and finishes around the rim with his athleticism. Next to them is Roberto Avila (Oak Forest) who is an uber skilled four that always seems to make the fundamental play scoring or dishing to a teammate. Kam Kraft is a sound shooter despite a funky release they consistently go in. Good size on the perimeter. Also very intrigued by Whitney Young small forward Kanye Smith with his athleticism and upside. Springfield Lanphier shooting guard Tye Banks is primed to debut high in the initial 2022 rankings with a silky smooth and effortless scoring game.
Fire 17U Advance
It wasn’t quite the dominant performance which we saw on Friday night, but the Mac Irvin Fire 17U squad advanced to Sunday with a trio of wins. Morgan Park super star Adam Miller had another good day with his jumper being on point from three. Knows how to set it up so well with slick ball handling. Seryee Lewis (Morgan Park) showed glimpses of why he is the top post in the state. Played with a higher energy level than he did Friday and it showed in his production on the boards and finishing at the rim. The second game we caught the Fire it was a pair of wings that stepped up. Rockford East shooting guard Sincere Parker was lights out shooting it and getting out in transition. Morgan Park 2021 shooting guard Brandon Weston shot it about as well as we have seen him in his career. Oak Forest’s Jayson Kent did well again with his sniping from three. The inside duo of Ryan Kalkbrenner (Missouri) and Michael Foster (Wisconsin) were unguardable with their shot blocking and consistent rim rattling dunks. All the while the one conducting the orchestra was 2020 Morgan Park point guard Marcus Watson.