Team Rose Shootout: 2018 Evals Pt 1
PrepHoopsIllinois covered the Team Rose Shootout at Mt. Carmel High School over the weekend. This great event allowed us to evaluate prospects in a variety of classes and college levels. Here is part one of our evaluations from the class of 2018.
SG Robert Harvey (Hillcrest – 2018)
Harvey was the best we have ever seen him on Saturday. The 6’3” shooting guard came out on fire against Romeoville drilling seemingly everything he put up. Harvey hit three triples and looked confident shooting it. Clean stroke with elevation and rotation on the shot. Also hit a tough turnaround fade away. Plus athlete that can finish above the rim in transition. Posted up smaller defenders when those opportunities presented themselves. Harvey struggled in our evaluations of him over the summer, but he was very good against Romeoville dropping 22 points. No brainer at the D2 level and could attract low-major interest if he consistently plays like this throughout the remainder of his senior campaign.
PF Dontia Johnson (Romeoville – 2018)
Johnson was outstanding in their win over Hillcrest. Of the Romeoville “Big Three” he was the guy in this game. The 6’7” senior forward struggles a lot with consistency from game to game, but brought it in this one. He had five offensive rebound put backs! Played with a higher motor and was assertive on the glass. Mixed in a couple runners/floaters, but it was his ability to own the offensive boards that ultimately lead Romeoville to a win. He had 20 points and 11 rebounds. Should be monitored at the D2 level and could possibly be a good JUCO candidate to get more seasoning to his game.
PG DeAndre Heckard (Romeoville – 2018)
We are huge fans of this 6’2” point guard out of Romeoville. Heckard is a guard that is at his best using his athleticism and broad shoulders turning the corner and getting to the hoop. Against Hillcrest he was the most passive we have seen him. Wasn’t seeking his shot or looking to make plays for others consistently. Hit a catch and shoot three early and the rest of his points came late on free throws where he sealed the game away. Heckard had 15 points. Low-major prospect.
SG Eddie Creal (Romeoville – 2018)
Creal is an athletic 6’3” shooting guard that opened the game with the best dunk of the event as he got up and hammered a two handed slam on a defender. He did a nice job on the boards throughout snatching them in contested spaces. He plays best in transition where he has a burst in the open floor accelerating and getting to the basket. Finishes well in the paint. Didn’t show much on the jump shot. Really struggles at the free throw line. He had 14 points. D2 prospect with low-major upside.
SF Charles McKinney (Joliet West – 2018)
McKinney was the only consistent scoring threat for Joliet West. The 6’2” wing plays bigger than his size with his length and how angular he is. McKinney handles it well slashing taking quality angles to the hoop. At times he can over dribble. Had a nice euro step finish along with another and-1 at the cup. Drilled a mid-range pull up. Slippery through traffic, but lacks the vertical explosiveness off the ground to finish consistently. Potential on the defensive end. He had 14 points. Quality small college prospect.
PG Michael Smith (Joliet West – 2018)
Smith was one of my favorite prospects to watch this summer with his ability to score in bunches and come up key in clutch moments with big three point shots. He struggled for the most part in their game against Farragut. Didn’t finish well at the rim at all other than one and-1. Missed a lot of difficult layups throughout the game. Only utilized his three one time making a three off the catch. He had 10 points. Smith should be a high priority small college prospect!
PG Derron Williams and Darren Williams (Joliet West – 2018)
The Williams twins each brought something to the table for Joliet West. Derron gets to the free throw line at a high rate with slippery drives and is a solid on ball defender. He had 6 points. Darren also got to the line at a high rate. This brother had 7 points. Both are role players at the small college level.
PF Toraze Dobbs (Uplift – 2018)
Dobbs is a junk yard dog on the high school level. He is 6’6” with a strong frame and he is powerful finishing around the rim. Not a great athlete which will limit him long term, but at the high school level he is a monster on the offensive glass mauling opponents for second chance opportunities. He had four offensive rebounds that he converted for points. Can hit an occasional mid-range jumper, but was inconsistent from three. His lack of burst off the bounce will make him a small college four man at the next level. Finished with 20 points.
PF Matt Hall (Evanston – 2018/)
Hall is a prospect that we haven’t heard much from since he was young. Talented big man with upside and projectability at a young age, but never really developed like we thought he might. Played well against Uplift. Got on the offensive glass for several put backs. Hit a short jumper and finished an alley oop with a layup. Also provided some defensive pop protecting the rim. Still a bit stiff offensively, but showed more than we have seen in the past. Went for 11 points. Small college post.
SG RJ McGee (Kenwood – 2018)
McGee is continuing a strong senior campaign. He wasn’t quite as good as a week ago at Chicago Elite Classic, but still was the man that put Kenwood over the top in their win over Brother Rice. The biggest aspect we have noticed with McGee early in the year is his confidence that he knows he is good and will put his team on his back when he needs to do that. The 6’5” senior has the size and athleticism for the shooting guard position at the next level. He is best shooting it off the catch where he can get his feet set before letting it fly. Drilled a nice pick/pop three. Got to the line a decent amount. He had an explosive jam in transition. McGee went for 17 points. Projects as a low-major/D2 prospect.
SF Josh Boulanger (Brother Rice – 2018)
Boulanger is a very underrated prospect that not many talk about. We have been fans of his since we saw him in the spring with Chicago Lockdown. The 6’3” small forward plays much bigger than his height with his springy legs and ability to get on the glass. Monster on the offensive boards with his quick second jump and feel for where it is coming off the rim. Right now he is mostly a player that gets junk points inside and finishes in transition. Jumper is a work in progress. Competes on the defensive end and has a chance to be above average on that end. He had 12 points. Needs to be a kid that small colleges take a long look at!
SG Ryan Kellog (Brother Rice – 2018)
Kellog is a shooting guard from the Catholic League program. He is a shooting specialist that can really light it up from three off the catch. Kellog could find a home at the right small college.
PG Kendle Moore (Danville – 2018)
Without question Kendle Moore is going to be a star in the Missouri Valley for Drake! In front of one his future coaches he absolutely carved Orr apart with his elite speed and ability to make tough layups. Moore time after time started his offense with his defense getting steals and taking them the other way for transition finishes. In the half court set he could not be stopped from getting to the rim with his elite speed off the bounce. Now days players just throw up crazy shots hoping to get fouled. Moore has an ability to finish around shot blockers maneuvering his body whatever way he has to for the bucket. Also mixed in some mid-range jumpers and a corner three. Moore had the play of the day when he won the game on a drive to give Danville the win over Orr. Finished with 29 points.
PF Day’len Davis Williams (Danville – 2018)
Williams is a 6’5” undersized four man that has a physical frame and plays tough on the interior. Gets on the offensive glass for put backs and carves out space inside. He had 8 points. Worth consideration at the D3/NAIA/JUCO levels.
C Julian Pearl (Danville – 2018)
Pearl is a football commit for Illinois, but he made a great contribution to their win over Orr. Pearl has a great frame and long arms. Strong hands catching passes in traffic. Finished well inside on pick and roll opportunities and dump offs. Tough rebounder and brought a presence on the defensive end. He had 8 points.
SG Caleb Griffin (Danville – 2018)
Griffin is a 6’4” shooting guard that could not buy a shot for most of the game. He missed three after three including a couple air balls. He has a clean looking stroke and when it mattered most he hit a huge one late! Passed it well for a wing and contributed on the boards. Small college player had 7 points.