District 16 JUCO Scouting Report: Sophomores

PrepHoopsIllinois attended the District 16 JUCO D1 Quarterfinals this past week.  We were able to see a ton of college prospects with ability to play at the D1, D2, D3, and NAIA levels.  Here we breakdown in depth numerous prospects we saw.  First we will begin with the sophomore prospects at the event.   PG Chris Darrington (Vincennes – Sophomore) Darrington was a complete beast and he needed every bit of it to help his team get the win in the opening round.  The 6’1” combo guard can play both on and off the ball.  When playing off the ball he moves well and works hard to get open to set up his jump shot.  Plus perimeter shooter off the catch from distance.  Has a knack for sliding to the open spot in the defense where he is ready to let it fly when he gets the ball.  Flashes the ability to break defenders off the bounce, but would much rather pull up for a 15 footer than take it all the way to the rim.  We have been impressed with the progression he has made as a passer since last season.  Makes sound reads in the pick and roll.  Really does a nice job of dishing to shooters when he draws defenders giving his teammates open looks.  Feel for the game has greatly improved playing on the ball.  Plays with a quiet sense of confidence.  Struggles defensively against power guards.  Darrington had 21 points and 12 assists.  Mid-major plus prospect with the chance to be a high-major kid in the right situation.   SG Nate Hansen (Vincennes – Sophomore) Hansen stands at 6’4” which is quality size for the two guard position.  He is best as a lights out perimeter shooter.  Hansen excels off the catch from three.  The sophomore can get scorching hot from behind the arc.  Very deep range.  Moves well without the ball and relocates to find open room to let his shot fly.  The area that has impressed us the most is improved handles.  He isn’t going to be a driver at the next level, but has improved enough where he can handle against pressure and bring it up in a pinch.  Plays with good pace.  Rebounds solid for a guard.  Struggles defensively guarding on the ball against athletic wings.  He had 24 points including 6-12 from three.  Projects as a D2+/LM player.   C Dainius Chatkevicius (Vincennes – Sophomore) This Vincennes post stood out with his pure size.  At 6’8” 245 pounds he is a big dude!  Moves well for his size overall.  Can be a bit mechanical at times.  Thought he played with a good motor and was tough on the glass.  High pointed rebounds and secured them with his strong hands.  As an offensive threat he consistently looks to get deep post position and loves to go to his right handed jump hook.  Showed consistency with it going to it multiple times.  Not the greatest vertical athlete, but he uses timing to block shots.  He had 8 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks.  Should be considered by low-major schools.   SF William Tinsley (Lake Land – Sophomore) Tinsley is committed to attend Illinois State next year.  At 6’6” he looks the part with a good build and length for the wing position.  Tinsley was a beast in the preseason Jamborees, but has been inconsistent we were told throughout the season.  He came off the bench in this one and didn’t get a ton done.  Struggled shooting it from beyond the arc as he was only 1-8 from three.  Did have one nice drive down the lane for a bank in, but other than that wasn’t overly effective.  Did a solid job on the glass and picked up a few steals.  Has defensive potential.  He had 5 points, 6 boards, and 3 steals. SF Steven Julian (Kaskaskia – Sophomore) Julian is an uber bouncy 6’6” small forward that can jump out of the gym.  Shows that off by playing above the rim finishing alley-oop slams and loves to go for the come from behind LeBron block in transition.  Offensively he is very inconsistent.  Flashes ability as he can post a smaller wing up and has the ability to slash.  Just doesn’t always play with the highest motor.  Streaky shooter from the perimeter that has the ability to hit a three on occasion.  He had 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks.  Should be considered by D2+ programs because of his athleticism and upside.  Needs fire lit under him to get out full potential.   SG Ryan Obermeier (Kaskaskia – Sophomore) Obermeier is a player we have watched play for six years now after his long career at Centralia.  He is a crafty 6’0” shooting guard that has intangibles way bigger than his measurables.  The kid just gets stuff done.  Sound pull up mid-range shooter.  Active and tough in the paint getting junk points.  Not overly athletic.  Really quality D3/NAIA prospect.   SG Michael Miller (Shawnee – Sophomore) The 6’3” shooting guard has an angular frame.  Good length for his size, but lacks strength.  Shifty with the ball in his hands and slick slashing through traffic.  Likes the runner in the lane.  Not a perimeter shooter.  Had a couple solid passes.  He had 8 points.  D2 prospect.   PG Satchell McDonald (Shawnee – Sophomore) McDonald doesn’t look like a baller at 5’11” with a pudgy body.  The guard is more athletic than he looks as he got in the lane with decent handles and had the ability to finish inside with runners.  Got to the free throw line.  He had 12 points.  Small college prospect.   SG Jalen Perry (John A Logan – Sophomore) Perry has been the go to man for John A Logan throughout the year and this game was no different.  The 6’3” shooting guard is an athletic wing with a solid build.  He can really put the ball in the bucket!  Perry is a plus three point shooter off the catch.  The sophomore has a silky smooth release with sound mechanics and a quick trigger.  He is also effective pulling up from mid-range off the bounce as he hit a pair of those as well.  Cuts well without the ball both to the hoop looking for layups and to his spot on the perimeter to shoot the three ball.  Solid defender on the perimeter.  He also got loose a couple times in transition.  Perry finished with 19 points.  Mid-major prospect.   PF Jerome Davis (John A Logan – Sophomore) Davis stands at 6’6” with a thick body.  He moves well for his mass and can finish above the rim.  Best finishing on the offensive end on dump off passes and getting on the offensive glass.  Area rebounder that snatches them with strong hands.  Low-major prospect.   PG Allen Billinger (John A Logan – Sophomore) Billinger is a 5’10” combo guard that has improved his ability to play on the ball over the last year.  He made several nice passes including a sweet one in the pick and roll.  Billinger can shoot it from three at a solid clip both off the catch and from three.  He is a D2+ prospect.   SG Will Robinson (John A Logan – Sophomore) Robinson was the go to defender for Logan throughout the season.  At 6’4” Robinson uses his length, athleticism, and lateral quickness to defend multiple positions on the perimeter.  Drilled a couple threes in this game.  Mostly known as a slasher, he can hit an occasion jumper.  At the next level his value is in his defense.  Robinson projects as a D2 prospect.   PF Rashaun Richardson (John A Logan – Sophomore) Richardson has been on the all-airport team for his two years at Logan.  The Ball State transfer totally looks the part at 6’8” with a long wingspan and big time athleticism.  He just hasn’t ever been productive.  The sophomore showed flashes of it against SWIC.  He competed at a higher level on the interior especially on the defensive end where he used his length to block a few shots.  Got on the offensive glass and had a couple nice finishes inside.  He needs to play with a more consistent motor, but the physical tools are definitely there.  D2 prospect.   SG Emile Lewis (John A Logan – Sophomore) Lewis is a 6’4” wing originally from New York.  He is your classic 3 & D wing.  Really gets after it on the defensive end.  Can guard three backcourt/wing positions.  Offensively he loves to shoot it in the pick and fade game from three.  Sound form on his shot.  D2 prospect.   PG Darrin Jenkins (SWIC – Sophomore) Jenkins has great size at 6’4” for the point guard position with long arms.  He flashed slashing skill and had a nice up and under, but wasn’t overly consistent.  He had 8 points.  Small college prospect.   SG DeAngelo Isby (Wabash Valley – Sophomore) Isby is a 6’5” shooting guard that was one of the best prospects at the event.  He is a smooth two guard with strength, length, and athleticism.  Very effortless game especially handling the rock.  He was hot early shooting the ball from the perimeter.  Stepped into a couple threes.  Also is an effective pull up jump shooter from mid-range where he is smooth getting in the lane for the stop and pop on a dime.  Slick ball handler that is slippery through traffic getting to the rim.  Strong and aggressive takes to the rim.  A bit turnover prone in the game we saw.  A few were the fault of teammates for dropping passes.  Made a couple nice reads in the half court including a sweet pick/roll dish.  He had 25 points in the win.  Isby is a MM+ prospect at this stage.   SG JuJuan Starks (Wabash Valley – Sophomore) Starks is a 6’4” big bodied wing that might not look like the highest level athlete, but that is exactly what he is.  He has big time hops and loves to attack downhill off the bounce in the half court.  Finishes through contact at the rim.  Rebounds well for a two guard.  He had 14 points.  Not a consistent threat from three.  LM/D2+ prospect.   C Jeremiah April (Wabash Valley – Sophomore) April has great size and long arms at 7’0” 250 pounds.  Struggled when we saw him back in the fall, but was much better at the end of the season.  April fought harder on the interior and had a couple big slams.  Inconsistent hands and making some mental mistakes are a few things he needs to work on.  Average rebounder.  He had 9 points.  D2+ prospect.   SF Gilwan Nelson (Olney Central – Sophomore) Nelson is a versatile wing at 6’5” that has length and defends multiple positions.  He has really rounded out his game in the past two years at OCC.  Was a raw prospect at Mt. Vernon High School, but has improved his game over the two seasons of JUCO ball.  Nelson uses his versatility finishing the high/low game and working as an inside/outside threat.  Can hit an occasional three off the catch.  Nelson had 9 points.  D2 prospect.   F DaQuan Lilly (Olney Central College – Sophomore) Lilly closed out the night with a very solid performance.  The 6’6” 220 pound forward plays mostly on the interior.  He uses his brute strength on the interior to finish well through contact.  Lilly converted multiple and-1’s in this game.  He got on the offensive glass for several put backs.  From a skilled standpoint he displayed the ability to face up from the mid-post area and make a quick moving using one or two dribbles to get to the hoop.  Didn’t show much of a jump shot.  Lilly is a solid rebounder that should be looked at as an undersized four man at the next level.  Projects as a D2+ prospect that could be a low-major kid in the right fit.  He had 18 points.   SG Devonte Myles (Olney Central – Sophomore) Myles came out of nowhere to make a major impact in the Blue Knights game against Wabash Valley.  The 6’2” power wing is a junk yard dog wing.  He makes plays in the lane and is a quality rebounder.  Can hit a 12-15 foot jumper.  Not the most projectable kid, but a D3/NAIA should definitely take a look as he is a workhorse at the wing position.