Al makes an impact on both ends of the floor every time I see him play. He’s such a difference maker on the defensive end, using his long wingspan to get up in passing lanes or pick his man’s pocket when defending on the ball. Has great instincts to know when to poke the ball free for a steal. Offensively he shows impressive flashes of shot creating ability, able to create separation for a jumper or blow by his man to get to the rim. Jumper wasn’t falling on Friday night but he had some impressive finishes through contact. Really good at extending away from his body to finish off the glass even when taking a bump in the air.

You don’t see many guys who impact a game defensively like Al does. At 6’6 he has no problem moving his feet on the perimeter with smaller wings, and his long wingspan allows him to pick the perfect moments to extend and poke the ball free. Really good timing and instincts to pick up steals on the ball. Off the ball he’s a big time shot blocker as he’s quick off the floor and puts himself in the right spots to make plays at the rim. At his best offensively looking to get downhill and attack the basket. Running with Hoops4Health this weekend, he had no problem playing through contact and seemed to embrace it in the game I watched.

Hansberry hasn’t had the success they’ve wanted so far. But Al Brooks Al Brooks 6'6" | PF Rich Township | 2025 State #239 Nation IL Jr has put on quite the show. The length, versatility, and size is all there and he’s making the most of his opportunities. Finished with 22 points and 7 rebounds while finding the bucket from all three levels.

The ceiling and upside of Al Brooks Al Brooks 6'6" | PF Rich Township | 2025 State #239 Nation IL Jr is something that has to have college recruiters licking their chops when they watch him play. Brooks stands at 6’6 with a whole lot of bounce and athleticism. This was on full display at this Showcase when Brooks was going up and throwing down huge dunks or getting some big time blocks on the defensive end of the court. All day long, there wasn’t a moment where I thought that Brooks would lose a battle while going up at the rim. Doesn’t matter on which side of the floor. Other than this pure athletic ability, Brooks is plenty skilled. He is coordinated, balanced in his movements, and knowledgable about the strategic part of the game. When you mix all this stuff  together, you get a Division-1 prospect and that’s what Brooks is. He still has two years of high school ball left in his career, that he is sure to make the most of but afterward, I expect to see him tearing it up on a collegiate court before you know it.

We wrote about him on Friday night as well, but this prospect deserves another mention. Brooks Jr. was arguably the best shot blocker and rebounder at the Chi-Town Tip-Off this weekend. He is constantly impacting the game defensively at the rim and can go well outside of his area to clean the glass. Offensively, he handles the ball well enough at 6’7″ to go coast-to-coast and finishes well at the rim. You can see why he is considered among the top prospects in the Illinois Class of 2025.

An impressive 6’6″ forward with crazy long arms, Brooks Jr. was extremely active on the defensive end of the floor on Friday night. He is an excellent shot blocker, rebounds his area well, and showed some developing offensive ability off of the dribble. Very mobile and bouncy. A 2025 prospect playing up a year for Chicagoland Grit N Grind 2024 squad.

Hansberry had an up and down 2022-2023 season finishing with a record of 19-11, but 9-0 in the Noble Conference. The team’s success this year flowed through Al Brooks Al Brooks 6'6" | PF Rich Township | 2025 State #239 Nation IL Jr. as he was a do-it-all type of player for the Bengals. Statistically speaking, Brooks was marvelous by putting up 27.5 PPG, 18.3 RPG, and 8.4 BPG, just shy of averaging a triple-double, yet he’s only a sophomore! Being 6’6″ a traditional basketball fan might not believe he would have ball-handling skills, but Brooks shows comfortable dribbling when advancing the ball up-court, attacking the basket and finishing through contact, or going coast-to-coast in transition; his ball-handling skill is similar to a guard. His smooth stroke allows him to shoot accurately from deep or even pull-up over his defender. Whenever a shot would be taken Brooks showed constant effort in battling for offensive rebounds which gave himself easy second chance points or another possession for his team to take advantage. Overall, offensively, Brooks presents guard-like skills and abilities and also attracts multiple defenders which creates easier scoring opportunities for his teammates. On the other side of the ball his long arms and frame causes errant passes, deflections, and steals. When defending the post he does a solid job of keeping his hands high and knows the right time to jump blocking many shots. What I enjoyed most while watching Brooks’ game is that he showcases team captain characteristics. He is energetic for every game and is constantly being the floor general with his communication skills. I can’t wait to see how much he improves during the offseason and seeing his game once next season rolls around.