Battle at the Lakes: Illinois Top Performers
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This past weekend PrepHoopsIllinois was at the prestigious Battle at the Lakes Tournament in Minnesota. This event annually features an outstanding group of Illinois teams and this year was excellent again. We will have our superlatives over the next few…
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Continue ReadingThis past weekend PrepHoopsIllinois was at the prestigious Battle at the Lakes Tournament in Minnesota. This event annually features an outstanding group of Illinois teams and this year was excellent again. We will have our superlatives over the next few days. Today we begin with the top Illinois performers at Battle at the Lakes.
PF RJ Ogom (All-In Athletics 17U)
It was a great weekend for this Homewood Flossmoor power forward. The undersized 6’5” four man has a strong build and a never ending motor. He just mauls opponents on the interior especially hitting the offensive glass. Very good offensive rebounder who has a knack for getting put backs. Scored on several power moves on the block and also took his man from the high-post a few times.
SF Kyndall Davis (All-In Athletics 17U)
Nice weekend for this Bogan 6’6” small forward. He has positional size, strength, and athleticism. Davis shot the ball about as well as we have seen him on Saturday. Consistent from three off the catch. Friday night he was explosive slashing in one on one situations. Had a sweet euro step in the paint. Becoming a go to scorer that can also lock down on the defensive end.
G Keshawn Williams (Young & Reckless 17U)
Williams has made a VERY strong case to move up into the top five if not higher in the June 2020 rankings update. The aspect that impressed us the most was his ability to play on the ball. We saw some of it the weekend before in Fort Wayne and he built on it in Minnesota. As a scorer he is so athletic around the rim finishing well around bigger defenders maneuvering the ball getting it up on the rim. Crisp ball handler.
SF Christian Shumate (Young & Reckless 17U)
Shumate is an elite level athlete that has one of the best bursts in the class. Long strides allow him to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time. Finishes above the rim with authority. Throughout the weekend he threw down a few absolute hammers!
SF Tauren Holtam (QC Ballers 17U)
Holtam was one of the biggest names of the weekend. He scored 26, 48, 37, and 22 over four games! We caught a full game Friday night and half of one on Sunday. This Rock Island wing is definitely a sleeper. He has broad shoulders and a nice frame at 6’5”. Rebounded very well on the offensive glass. Showed flashes as a shooter from deep hitting threes. Slick ball handler.
G Aquan Smart (Pure Prep 17U)
Smart is a prospect we were very excited to see at Battle. The Niles North product has flown a bit under the radar, but is starting to pick up steam at the right time. He has quality length and plus athleticism. Area we saw the most growth since our last eval was his passing. Can definitely see him being a combo at the next level. Didn’t show much in the way of a jump shot, but he didn’t need it as he lived in the lane whether it was acrobatic finishes or getting to the line. He made a ton of trips to the charity stripe. Quality defender of both back court spots.
SG Jayden Johnson (Fundamental U 17U)
I continue to not understand why this kid does not have more offers! Yes he isn’t a freak show athlete, but it is more than adequate to play at the mid-major level without a doubt. Johnson is an ELITE shooter from three with a soft touch on his shot and a smooth release. The 6’6” wing moves well without the ball to get open. He is a team first guy that will play the role he is asked in college. Drilled seven threes in the semis.
SF Connor Kochera (Fundamental U 17U)
Kochera stepped up big over the weekend and was a major reason for their run to the championship game. The 6’4” small forward has good length and solid athleticism. Like his teammate Kochera is a plus shooter from three that shot it very well throughout the event. He has a rangy frame and can take his man some off the bounce. Got out in transition. When they lost their point guard to an injury on Sunday Kochera did a nice job filling in playing more on the ball.
G Darius Burford (Team Rose 17U)
Burford is an athletic 2020 that showed combo guard skills. This Bolingbrook product was electric off the dribble and in transition as a finisher. Quick second jump on the offensive glass high pointing rebounds in traffic. Scored consistently around 15 points a game.
SG Justin Harmon (Team Rose 17U)
Harmon is an unsigned senior that is playing this spring with Team Rose. Productive weekend for the Curie 2019 shooting guard. Excelled like many of his teammates in the open floor as they often turned defense into offense in a hurry. Liked how active he was on the defensive end getting quite a few steals that he took the other ways for scores.
C Devon House (Iowa Barnstormers 17U)
House was another prospect we were really looking forward to seeing this weekend. The 6’7” power forward was outstanding against Team Factory who had a pair of legit sized post players. House is a big bodied five man that mostly plays with his back to the basket, but he flashed face up ability as he knocked down a pair of threes in the game we saw. Soft touch around the hoop and excellent footwork. He had 16 points in a win.
PG Beau Frericks (Team RWA 17U)
Frericks was the most consistent performer on the weekend for the Team RWA squad that went to the semis. The Cary Grove junior is one of the top pure shooters in the state. He knocked down an array of threes throughout the event. More than just a sniper from deep Frericks mixes in mid-range pull ups and floaters. Also a crisp passer that gets others involved.
G Davis Walker (Team RWA 17U)
Walker was a bit inconsistent over the weekend, but was outstanding in their Saturday game against Sizzle who is the same team he lit up a year ago at Battle. Walker is a Home Schooled product that was absolutely in a zone hitting jumpers from all around the floor. He drilled wing threes along with stop and pop jumpers for days.
PF Sincere Callwood (ET21 Buckeyes 17U)
Callwood joined the Buckeyes and made an impression with his new team. He was very impressive against RWA. Callwood is a physical and power post player. Also mixed in several fluid hook shots along with a sweet pick/roll finish. Took his man off the bounce from the high-post on one play. Rebounds well. Tough post defender who really competes on that end. Scored 15 points.
SF Paul Zilinskas (ET21 Buckeyes 17U)
Zilinskas is a smooth offensive weapon on the wing. He has improved so much as a ball handler. One play was super impressive putting his defender through the spin cycle. Creates space on his jumper with his step back. Can score effectively at all three levels.
SF John Poulakidas (Young & Reckless 16U)
We mainly focused on 17U over the weekend, but this Neuqua Valley standout put up the single most prolific performance of the week scoring 32 points in the quarters absolutely carrying his team to a victory with a lot of their team sick or hurt. The long and lanky lefty scored so efficiently from all three levels. Big time three point shooter who hit five in the game. Also displayed skilled drives and runners. Such a slick and effortless scorer!