5 Takeaways: Rolling Meadows Vs. Fenwick
The When Sides Collide shootout and Glenbard East High School included four games and some of the best prospects in Illinois. The individual matchup of the day was undoubtedly Rolling Meadows’ Max Christie against Fenwick’s Bryce Hopkins, the Nos. 1…
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Continue ReadingThe When Sides Collide shootout and Glenbard East High School included four games and some of the best prospects in Illinois. The individual matchup of the day was undoubtedly Rolling Meadows’ Max Christie against Fenwick’s Bryce Hopkins, the Nos. 1 and 2 prospects in the Illinois 2021 class, respectively.
The former AAU teammtes went head-to-head most of the night, and didn’t disappoint: Hopkins and Christie were the top performers of the event. The stars were the biggest story, but there was plenty to watch across both teams.
Bryce Hopkins: Undeniable Strength
Hopkins, a Louisville commit and currently the No. 2 prospect in Illinois’ 2021 class, is an absolute force on the court. When he’s attacking the basket, there might not be a player in the state who can stop him one-on-one. Hopkins is 6-6 and built like an absolute tank. He makes the average prep player look small, but even the 6-6 Christie was knocked around by Hopkins, who finished with 37 points, the bulk of which were around the basket. He added 14 rebounds, and just gobbles up seemingly every missed shot.
At the next level, Hopkins won’t quite be able to body players like he does in high school, and lateral quickness can be an issue for someone of his size. If his matchup with Christie is any indication, Hopkins will be just fine. Defensively, he stays a bit too upright, but he generally did well staying in front of the quicker Christie.
Max Christie’s 3-and-D Potential
Currently ranked as the No. 11 prospect in the 2021 class, including tops in Illinois, Christie is far from a sleeper. But what’s clear immediately when you see him in person is his immense potential. Christie’s 6-6 frame couldn’t be more different than Hopkins’ – Christie is lean with an enormous wingspan. He might not have the frame to bulk up a ton, but he leverages his body well, and his arms and springiness make up for some lack of strength. Twice, Hopkins bullied Christie to the rim, only for Christie to deny Hopkins with a strong block. He finished with four total for the game.
Christie’s arms and a smooth, high release make him an absolute weapon on the other end. He has to do too much in Rolling Meadows’ offense, but even in a smaller role on a top college roster he’ll always be able to get his shot off. When the Mustangs fell behind in the second half, Christie drilled some deep threes over Hopkins with the Fenwick star contesting. That’s a skill that will always be in demand.
Pettigrew Makes His Case
Fenwick 2021 point guard Trey Pettigrew came into the event ranked as the state’s No. 7 prospect. There’s a case to be made that he’s underrated.
“Sophomores, I’ll take Trey over anybody,” Fenwick head coach Staunton Peck said after the game.
Fenwick trailed 19-14 after the first quarter after a flurry of threes by Rolling Meadows. Fenwick led 36-30 at half, and Pettigrew was the catalyst in the reversal, hitting a pair of threes and dunking twice. He finished with 20 points and was far and away the best player on the court after Hopkins and Christie. He got frustrated by some questionable offensive foul calls, but when he’s aggressive and attacking the basket, he makes Fenwick a dangerous team.
Work in Progress
Christie’s brother, 2022 guard Cameron Christie, has gotten some buzz on his own as a prospect. He already starts for the Mustangs and is built like a younger version of his brother at a lanky 6-0.
He handled the ball often for Rolling Meadows and made good decisions initiating the offense. He has similar quickness and burst of his brother, and his shot looks good. But he was held scoreless by the Friars and took a pair of shots in the second half that looked rushed. Cameron Christie clearly has big potential, but it’s fair to temper expectations for the freshman.
Young Friars
Fenwick is already one of the top teams in 3A and has high hopes for this season, but this is one of the younger teams in the state. Beyond Pettigrew, the Friars are playing are playing five other sophomores significant minutes: guards Eian Pugh, Denium Juette and David Gieser, and forwards Max Reese and Gabe Madej.
“We’re crazy young, which puts a lot more pressure on Bryce not just to be a good player, but to be a leader,” Peck said.
Hopkins and Pettigrew were the only Friars in double-digits, but these five are all getting playing time in big games. Fenwick’s future is bright.