Top 2019 Wings
What wings have separated themselves from the pack in 2019? We look at the best shooting guards and small forwards from Illinois here!
Dajuan Gordon (Curie)
Current Ranking: #3
Travel Team: Team Rose
The Curie 2019 shooting guard is a long and rangy wing that has elevated his game to new levels this spring! Consistent shooter from deep with a free and easy stroke. His ball handling has gotten a lot crisper which opens up more avenues for him to get buckets. He scores well in transition. Makes some nice passes in the drive and kick game. One thing that continues to be noticeable is how well he rebounds flying in from the perimeter. Mid-major plus prospect.
Terrence Hargrove (East St. Louis)
Current Ranking: #4
Travel Team: Brad Beal Elite
Hargrove brings a high energy level that we are huge fans of. He plays above the rim finishing big slams and also blocks a shot. The skill is still a work in progress, but it was nice to see him get back to what he does best! Flashes improvement on his jump shot which has made strides over the last year. Mid-major plus prospect that in the right situation can play at a high-major.
Myles Baker (Whitney Young)
Current Ranking: #7
Travel Team: Team Rose
The Whitney Young 2019 two guard had his feathery jumper working from both three and mid-range all spring long for Team Rose. Baker does most of his damage from three, but did show some solid passing from the off guard position throughout the spring. Handles have gotten tighter as well. Mid-major player.
Bryant Brown (Waukegan)
Current Ranking: #9
Travel Team: Illinois Wolves
PHI was impressed with how he shot the ball from the perimeter throughout the spring. Seemed a lot more confident shooting it. Off the dribble he is solid and has a nice second jump getting offensive rebound put backs. Versatility is the name of the game for this Waukegan forward. Brown is currently a mid-major prospect.
Evan Taylor (Glenbard West)
Current Ranking: #10
Travel Team: Illinois Heat
Taylor is a high academic 6’6” wing from Glenbard West that has an extremely versatile game. The junior can score at multiple levels, but is most effective in the mid-range where he can pull up or make a quick move with a couple dribbles to get to the rim. Handles it well in the open floor. I am a huge fan of his passing. We saw it during the high school season and he showed that again this spring. Rebounds well for his position. Taylor is a mid-major prospect.
Jeremiah Hernandez (St. Viator)
Current Ranking: #11
Travel Team: Young & Reckless
Hernandez is one of the top handful of wings in his class. The versatile wing can score with a smooth offensive game and his best asset might be his passing on the wing. Love how he works out of the mid-post area where he is a dynamic distributor and shoots it very well from 15-18 feet. Checks off a lot of boxes. Projects as a mid-major wing.
Perry Cowan (DePaul Prep)
Current Ranking: #14
Travel Team: Illinois Wolves
Cowan entered this spring with a more aggressive mindset and it showed with his play. He was flying in from the perimeter to grab offensive rebounds. He hits jumpers consistently from mid-range which is an area he excels. Scored in the lane on tough takes more that hanging out on the perimeter like he did when he was young. Cowan established himself as a no brainer at the mid-major level.
Anthony Fairlee (Springfield Southeast)
Current Ranking: #18
Travel Team: Mac Irvin Fire
Fairlee is one of the premier athletes in the state. The strong and freaky athletic 6’3” shooting guard plays above the rim and has the potential to be a game changer on the defensive end. Rebounds well for his position. Fairlee led his team to a state runner up finish in 3A as a junior. The skill set showed improvement although he does have more room to grow as a shooter. Projects best as a low-major player.
Lance Jones (Evanston)
Current Ranking: #19
Travel Team: Meanstreets
Jones is coming off a strong junior campaign where he helped lead his team to the state’s final four in 4A. The athletic guard can really score the basketball from multiple levels and even displayed some combo guard skills as the season progressed. Like him a lot at the low-major level.
Martin Macenis (Stagg)
Current Ranking: #21
Travel Team: ET21 Buckeyes
Macenis has size at 6’5” with a skilled European type game. Macenis is an excellent passer from the wing that dishes with creativity while finding his teammates. Handles it well for his size and can really shoot the basketball from both mid-range and three. Does a nice job of creating space. Low-major.
Tujautae Williams (Orr)
Current Ranking: #22
Travel Team: Chicago Demons
Williams is a long and lanky wing that was a role player last year for Orr. He is primed to take over as the go to man next season. The projectable wing is smooth with the ball in his hands accelerating with ease. Rebounds well in traffic and plays above the rim finishing big slams. Underrated passer and has some potential as a perimeter shooter. If he locks in on the defensive end that could be one of his strengths. Low-major.
Deng Reng (Wheaton North)
Current Ranking: #25
Travel Team: ET21 Buckeyes
The 6’7” small forward is a long and rangy forward with a lot of developmental upside. Good skill level which allows him to make an impact on the offensive end of the floor. Reng is a sound perimeter shooter drilling shots from beyond the arc with a fluid three point stroke. He is most comfortable off the catch. He is fairly efficient with his shots scoring on the interior against smaller defenders with the ability to use either hand to convert at the rim. Runs the floor well with his long strides. Rebounds in traffic using his length. Will definitely need to add strength going forward, but we like how his game is progressing. Projects as a D1 prospect at the low-major level.
Julian Barr (Lincoln Way East)
Current Ranking: #26
Travel Team: Team RWA
Barr is a 6’4” wing from Lincoln Way East that shot the lights out when we saw him with Team RWA this spring. He is a well built two guard that drills threes from all over the court. Quick and clean shot mechanics. Most effective off the catch, but did show a smooth pull up from 15 feet as well. Mixes in some off the bounce as he is a decent athlete. Needs to be on the low-major radar!
Antonio Reeves (Simeon)
Current Ranking: #27
Travel Team: Get Buckets
Reeves is a long and rangy wing that is moving back to Chicago after spending a year in Arizona where he helped his team capture a state title. He is best as a spot up shooter being able to let it fly from well beyond the arc! Low-major kid.
Landon Wolfe (Effingham)
Current Ranking: #30
Travel Team: Illinois Irish
Wolfe is a 6’4” small forward from Effingham that can flat out get buckets! He has a tremendous knack for scoring. Sound perimeter shooter with a clean release. His pull up and three off the catch are on point with his feathery touch. Crafty driver that knows how to use angles and uses his strength to finish inside. There is going to be concerns about his ability to defend on the perimeter at the next level. Low-majors and D2s need to track him in July with the Illinois Irish.