Team Rose Shootout: 2019 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 2019.
SG Aaron Strong (Farragut – 2019)
It was a bit of a slow start in the first game of the day for Farragut junior wing Aaron Strong. He stands at 6’1” with a powerful body. Not the most athletic prospect and lacks that explosive burst off the bounce. What he did do well was shoot it from mid-range and hit a couple threes. Clean looking stroke from the perimeter. When he does get inside he has the ability to play physical through contact. Strong had 15 points. Projects as a good D3/NAIA prospect.
SG Lance Jones (Evanston – 2019)
Jones had one of the more impressive performances of the day. The 6’2” junior showed more combo guard skills than we had seen in the past out of him. Jones passed it very well especially in the drive and kick and made several other dishes for assists on the interior. If he can prove he is a point guard at the college level his stock will rise even more! As a scorer he put on a show early in their win over Uplift. He drilled mid-range jumpers for days off the bounce. He is a plus shooter off the dribble getting elevation and balance each time. Also hit a pair of threes including a step back. Pushes it in transition and has a great burst with the rock in his hands. Plus athlete that is starting to come into his own. Rebounds well for a guard and competes defensively. He had 20 points and 10 rebounds. Mid-major and low-major D1s need to start investing some time with this guard.
PG Jaheim Holden (Evanston – 2019)
Holden is a 5’10” junior point guard that is quick and shifty with the ball in his hands. Slick handles creating off the bounce and uses hesitation to his advantage to keep opponents guessing. Slippery getting the hoop where he likes to use a runner. Also hit a pair of threes off the catch. Drive and kick facilitator at the point guard position. Went for 17 points. This floor general should be tracked at the D2 level.
SG Ryan Bost (Evanston – 2019)
Bost is a 5’11” shooting guard that is a shooting threat from deep. Hit a trio of threes shooting best from the wings off the catch. Small college prospect. He had 14 points.
F Jalen Christian (Evanston – 2019)
Christian intrigued us with his play at the Team Rose Shootout. He is a 6’4” combo forward that is thin and really athletic. Bouncy off the floor and plays with a high activity level. Solid rebounder that gets to the glass for an occasional tip in. Not really skilled, but he plays with a motor. He had 12 points. Worth monitoring at the small college level.
PG Artese Stapleton (Kenwood – 2019)
Stapleton really elevated his stock with a monster July for Young & Reckless. We were very disappointed with the way he played at the CEC a week ago. He was better, but still just ok against Brother Rice. The point guard is slippery with the ball in his hands slicing and dicing the defense with straight line drives. The problem in this game was he just couldn’t finish once he got to the rim. Missed acrobatic layups over and over. We are still fans of Stapleton with his speed and ability to attack. Finished with 7 points. Low-major prospect.
G Elijah Stewart (Kenwood – 2019)
Stewart is a 5’11” combo guard that can play both on and off the ball. Probably best off the ball. Transition scorer that can also hit jumpers from 15 feet. Air balled a three. Finished with 9 points. Small college player.
G Andrew Stewart (Kenwood – 2019)
Andrew Stewart is an outstanding pull up shooter especially from mid-range. Drilled three of them looking comfortable scoring off the bounce. He had 6 points. Small college player.
SG Marquise Kennedy (Brother Rice – 2019)
Kennedy put on a show when we saw him last Christmas as a sophomore for Crete Monee at a Holiday Tournament. He was solid throughout the summer where he was clearly the best player on his travel team. The junior transferred over the Brother Rice for his last two years. He is an angular shooting guard that is a smooth athlete. High points rebounds with his springy legs. Most of his scores were slashes off the bounce including a huge one late in their contest against Kenwood. He did hit a three early. Clean shooting stroke. Right now he is best scoring off the bounce. Potential defensively if he wants to lock in. He went for 11 points. Should be on the low-major and D2 radar.