TOC Scouting Report Part 2
PrepHoopsIllinois was at Washington High School this past weekend for the Tournament of Champions. There was lots of talent from Illinois and across the country in attendance. This is part two of our scouting report of the event! …
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Continue ReadingPrepHoopsIllinois was at Washington High School this past weekend for the Tournament of Champions. There was lots of talent from Illinois and across the country in attendance. This is part two of our scouting report of the event!
SG Jayden Gasby (Urban Prep Englewood – 2018)
Gasby put it all together on Friday. He stands at 6’5” with a strong and athletic frame. The junior has the ability to get in the lane with an explosive first step at will. He can score from there in a variety of ways. His most effective is a mid-range pull up jumper that he hit from all over the court. Is always in rhythm and balanced when shooting it. Plays with a great motor and high energy level. He got on the offensive glass for multiple put back opportunities. Sound defender that was active getting deflections. He had 18 points. Should be on the low-major radar.
PG Fred Cleveland (Urban Prep Englewood – 2019)
Cleveland is a tiny 5’6” point guard that is a volume scorer. Smooth ball handler that gets where he needs to on the floor and actually gets his shot off against bigger defenders. Speed in transition plays well scoring on layups. He had one play where he put his defender in the spin cycle and drilled a three over him. Solid passer. Can be a bit wild with the ball at times and forces shots. Pesky on ball defender with active hands.
SG Demarius Jacobs (Uplift – 2017 – SIU)
The SIU commit didn’t have a huge scoring game, but more than made an impact on their win against Washington. The athletic and rangy two guard was a monster on the defensive end of the floor. He had a handful of blocks on drives from the guard position. Jacobs moves well laterally, but when his man did get past him he always recovered to block the shot. His most impressive play was a tough defensive rebound that he took end to end for a dunk. That was followed in the second half by several strong straight line drives to the cup for scores including a thunderous jam. Jacobs had 13 points.
PG Markese Jacobs (Uplift – 2019 – Kansas)
The other Jacobs brother did most of his work in the first half. Markese has already made a verbal commitment to Kansas and the #2 sophomore in Illinois more than lived up to that status in the first half. He got off to a hot start from the perimeter with a pair of triples early hyping his team up. Then he went to work with his blow by speed off the dribble where he got in the lane and finished with his body control at the rim. Elite level athlete with bowling ball strength. Such an acrobatic guard at the rim. Jacobs also made several sound decisions as a point guard throughout the contest. Didn’t get rattled when Washington tried to slow the game down. He had 16 points in the win.
PG Devin Whitelow (Washington – 2017 – Winona State)
Whitelow is a pass first point guard that gets others involved. He didn’t score a ton against Uplift, but made his impact on the defensive end on Markese Jacobs after his huge first quarter. High IQ guard that makes sound decisions with the ball on a consistent basis.
G Andre Ware (Washington – 2018)
Ware is a 5’10” junior combo guard that was a new name on our radar. With Uplift’s defense clearly designed to stop Devin Whitelow it was Ware who stepped up. The lefty was slippery getting in the paint where he drilled a variety of pull ups and runners for buckets. Opened our eyes with his ball handling and slashing skills. Ware had 16 points. Name to track.
SF Collin Dietz (Washington – 2019)
Dietz is a 6’5” wing that is tough as nails. He has a strong body and is willing to do the dirty work inside rebounding and defending against post players. Finishes well around the hoop through traffic and is a capable mid-range shooter. Dietz went for 18 points. Like the potential here.
C Mick Sullivan (Marmion Academy – 2018)
Sullivan is one of the top 2018 prospects in the state of Illinois at the center position. He stands at 6’8” and is country strong. Sullivan isn’t overly athletic, but he runs the floor well and has solid mobility. The junior hit the glass at a high rate in this contest. He snatched them off the glass with both hands and won 50/50 balls. Very strong hands. Plays physical down low getting deep post position and goes through contact. Missed a few bunnies, but overall was effective on the block. Has potential on a mid-range jumper, but guides it a bit too much. Sullivan had 15 points and 11 rebounds. Low-major programs need to take a look.
PF Javonte Perkins (Miller Career Academy, MO – 2017)
Perkins was outstanding for Miller Career out of St. Louis. The 6’8” power forward is a skilled face up four man that drills 15-18 foot jumpers with ease. Even stretched it out to three on one pull up. Pure mechanics and a soft touch on shot. Showed toughness on the glass rebounding at a high rate and cleaning up several misses with put backs. Sounds like he will have to go the JUCO route.
C Brendan Newton (Faith Christian, VA – 2017 – Liberty)
Newton is a 7’2” center from Virginia that has already committed to Liberty. He isn’t a great athlete, but has solid footwork in the post. Used a variety of hooks to score in the paint. Seals well and has a soft touch. High points rebounds. Should be a solid player for Liberty. He had 20 points.
SF Kezie Okpala (Anaheim Esperanza, CA – 2017 – Stanford)
Incredibly impressed with what Okpala brings to the table. At 6’8” he is a point-forward with the ball in his hands. Long strides allow him to get to the hoop in just a couple dribbles. Consistently won off the bounce and got to the rim. Kept the defense off balance by pulling up from mid-range and drilling jumper after jumper. Balanced and pure stroke. Tremendous passer with feel and vision. Quality wing defender. Hits the glass at a high rate too. Okpala had 31 points and 15 rebounds.
SG Brendan Harrick (Anaheim Esperanza, CA – 2018)
The junior wing is a tough and thick bodied shooter. Plus catch and shoot threat from the perimeter. He had 18 points.
SF Zion Williamson (Spartansburg, SC – 2018)
Williamson is considered by some to be the #2 prospect nationally in the 2018 class. A lot of physical tools to like here. He stands at 6’7” with a body that is already more than college ready. Explosive leaper that shows it with huge dunks and swats shots like volleyballs coming from the weak side. Against Kenwood’s zone he tried to penetrate, but was denied most of the time as he was surrounded by defenders. Looked better off the bounce against Union City where he had more room to operate. Seals off and scores in the post. Passes well to the opposite side of the floor when doubled. Jump shot is streaky at best. Will need to make significant strides in this area for his NBA hopes. Without question an elite recruit though.
PG Parker Stewart (Union City, TN – 2017 – Ole Miss)
Stewart is a good sized point guard that plays with a high IQ and uses hesitation to keep the defense off balance. Outstanding perimeter shooter especially pulling up from three. Gets elevation and has deep range. Committed to Ole Miss.