#HardWorkSZN Classic: Scotty B’s Saturday Notebook
The #HardWorkSZN Classic kicked off with the older teams playing in Omaha, Nebraska on Saturday. It was a jam packed day of hoops full of Illinois talent. Take a look at what we saw in #HardWorkSZN Classic: Scotty B’s Saturday…
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Continue ReadingThe #HardWorkSZN Classic kicked off with the older teams playing in Omaha, Nebraska on Saturday. It was a jam packed day of hoops full of Illinois talent. Take a look at what we saw in #HardWorkSZN Classic: Scotty B’s Saturday Notebook!
IL T-Wolves 15U Win in Opener
The Illinois T-Wolves 15U won their first game of the event on Saturday morning 58-52 over Beyond Ball Grind with several prospects making impressions on us. We continue to really like where the game of Lincoln Way East 6’5” power forward George Bellevue is going. He is a projectable four man with plus athleticism and good physical tools. Quick second jump around the hoop being a very good offensive rebounder. Mobile in the pick/roll game and can handle it a little from the high-post in. Liked how he passed it out of the post to open shooters. Brings versatility on the defensive end covering in space and blocking shots. Another Lincoln Way East forward to track is 6’3” Kyle Olagbegi. The 2023 thick bodied forward has long arms and the potential to be a plus defender. Had one impressive swat. Offensively he gets on the offensive glass and hit a three. A third Lincoln Way East 2023 had a solid outing in point guard Tylon Toliver. Tough kid that attacks finishing through contact and hits the glass. Lockport 6’1” shooting guard Adam Labuda is an off guard that moves without the ball and flashed as a shooter hitting one and getting fouled on another. Also had a nice sequence when he got a layup, steal, and another layup late.
Pair of 2023s Make Noise for Illinois Hoopstars Nelson 15U
A couple of prospects emerged for the Hoopstars Nelson squad in their opener. Bloom 2023 power forward Mike Garner is a bouncy 6’7” four man that is a major shot blocking presence. Long arms and explosive shot blocker. He is raw on the offensive end, but has a ton of physical tools to like early on. Brother Rice point guard Ahmad Henderson had the offensive end covered. The Catholic League point guard opened with a three off the catch. Then got to work in the open floor pushing off his defense. One impressive conversion he went end to end for an and-1. Active defender at the point of attack. Illinois Hoopstars Nelson lost to MN Chill 45-35.
RWA 16U Wing Shines
We got our first extensive look at Hillcrest 6’7” 2022 combo forward Kamryn Thomas on Saturday morning for Team RWA 16U. He has great size and length with the ability to play on the perimeter. Opened the game up with a smooth looking triple. Didn’t hit from there most of the rest of the contest. He was effective off the bounce using his long strides slithering through the defense for scores along with earning trips to the charity stripe. Another area that stood out was how well he rebounded outside of his area. He chased down multiple long rebounds and flew in from the perimeter for others. Like the upside here quite a bit! Willowbrook 2022 power forward Sean Paige is a thick bodied four that can hit a face up shot, but seems to fall in love with it as he hit one early and then nothing after. When in the post he uses his power well. Lincoln Way East shooting guard Jack Vegter and Lowell (IN) guard Cayden Vasko are threats from beyond the arc. Yet another Lincoln Way East product Fred Robinson is a stocky point guard that can get to the rim off the bounce on straight line takes. They fell to South Dakota Venom 73-57.
Illinois Hoopstars North Williams 16U has New Names Emerge
Lots of prospects made names for themselves on this group. Marian Catholic 6’2” shooting guard Eddie Barrett had a nice outing. The long and lanky shooting guard is a smooth scorer that can get buckets from multiple levels and made regular trips to the line. Multiple level scorer. An Evanston guard we didn’t know much about was Jamon Brooks. Really like what he brings defensively with his length on the perimeter causing havoc. MJ Cannon is a high energy combo forward at 6’5” with a strong frame. Rashawn Bost is a ranked prospect already. Did a nice job of mixing things up with drives, pushing it, and drilling pull ups. Mario Ramirez out of Lincoln Way East is an intriguing wing at 6’5” with some projectability and how he can shoot it. The best long term prospect on this team might be Fawaz Sukurat. The Sullivan 6’8” center is really raw offensively, but flashes major potential defensively as a rim protector. Swatted and altered shots on the interior throughout the game. They scored a 60-54 win.
Illinois Outwork 15U has Big Man Surrounded by Guards
For Illinois Outwork 15U they jumped out to a 13-0 lead. A major reason for that was the play of their 6’4” center Aaron Miramontes. The wide bodied and undersized Morton five man was excellent at garnering deep post position and scoring through his defender. Decent mobility down low and is a quality area rebounder. He is surrounded by small guards including Adrian Anderson who is a slick scorer from Morton at 5’10”. Terrence Roebuck is a 2024 guard to watch. Xavier Valdivia is a 5’10” point guard that got loose in the open floor, was a solid passer, and capable shooter. Morton 6’5” power forward Victor Garrett is an intriguing prospect physically with broad shoulders and long arms. Didn’t score a ton, but got on the glass.
Kai Rios Dominates Inside in Illinois Hoopstars Central 16U Win
The Illinois Hoopstars Central 16U squad picked up a win on Saturday afternoon. A major reason why was Rock Island 6’8” center Kai Rios. The five man continues to have a strong showing this summer. He is an excellent rebounder with his strong body and knows how to box out. Snatches boards in traffic. He makes quick and assertive moves once the ball touches his hands on the block. Seals defender on the catch and converts dump offs. Runs the floor well too. He led the way with 16 points. Normal West 2022 PG Isaac Demosthenes jumped on our radar in the first half. The crafty guard does a nice job of changing gears and accelerating past defenders for buckets. He had 10 points. His shot didn’t fall as much as it did last week, but still continue to be intrigued by the upside of Bloomington 6’6” small forward Famious French. Long and athletic small forward is a beast defender on the perimeter and contests shots. Brother Rice 2023 point guard Ahmad Henderson who we mentioned earlier got the promotion from their 15U squad and more than held his own. The poised point guard got in the lane finishing several nifty layups. Brought energy off the bench for 13 points. The Hoopstars won 54-41.
Martell Webb Martell Webb 6'7" | C Tinley Park | 2022 State IL About to Fly Up the Board
Westinghouse 2022 center Martell Webb currently sits at #108 overall in the PrepHoops Illinois Rankings. Well…….that’s going to change in a major way! He was very good last week and was a force in their afternoon game. Wow! The big man did everything. He is an old school center that plays like it. None of this face up shooting stuff. Power, light on his feet, and has touch on the block. High level rebounder. Just a beast! He has grown, slimmed down a little, and improved his game so much since high school season. Oh yea and next to him was Homewood Flossmoor power forward Christian Meeks Christian Meeks 6'6" | SF Homewood Flossmoor | 2022 State IL who is among the elite rebounders in his class. He mauled on the glass per usual along with running the floor for buckets. Simeon 2022 shooting guard Jayquan Adams Jayquan Adams 6'6" | SG Simeon | 2022 State IL continues to make strides. Big wing that has grown, gotten stronger, and continues to improve athletically. Checks all the physical boxes you look for in a D1 wing. He is starting to put the production behind it. Excels in transition filling his lane as a finisher as well as putting it on the deck slashing. Continue to like the consistency that Marian Catholic 2022 6’2” shooting guard Jeremiah Jones Jeremiah Jones 6'4" | SG Marian Catholic | 2022 State IL brings to the table. Opened up early with a three. Plus athlete that brings it on the defensive end guarding both backcourt spot effectively. They beat Minnesota Magic 55-47.
Team RWA & Archangels 16U Tangle in All Illinois Battle
It was a test for Team RWA 16U in their second game of the day. Early on it was all about their perimeter shooting. Lincoln Way East shooting guard Jack Vetger got things going drilling three early jumpers including a three. Then Caden Vasko from Lowell (IN) lit the nets on fire with three after three. Also showed some grit as well. They got a big lift in the second half from Willowbrook 2022 post Sean Paige. The big man scored three times in a couple minute span garnering deep post position and using a hook shot for scores. Wasn’t very assertive early, but turned it up when he needed it. Kamryn Thomas flashed in the second half with his length and athleticism on both ends.
The Archangels had a balanced attack. We liked what Canton 6’5” power forward Turner Plumer did early on. Face up four man that can shoot from mid-range, put it on the deck, and converted an and-1 in the post. Another big man with a college future is 6’7” Ben Anderson from Monmouth-Roseville. Wide shouldered five that goes after rebounds and has touch around the hoop. In the backcourt Alexandre Egipciago from Galesburg was a steady presence as a scorer in the paint and distributor. Also liked what 6’1” guard Jeremiah Babers did. Lengthy guard that has a runner game and can hit an open shot.
Beyond Ball College Prospects Live Up to Billing with Win over South Dakota Attack
This Beyond Ball College Prospects team is formed mostly of Illinois prospects where their normal travel teams are not playing during the summer. It is stacked with highly ranked prospects. Early on Whitney Young power forward Grant Newell played with more assertiveness than we had seen in the past. Drilled a pair of jumpers from 15 feet in along with running the floor hard for a score. Defended well inside against posts and on the perimeter. His high school teammate Jaehshon Thomas was excellent in the first half. He is a bit of a forgotten recruit by many schools, but he is one of the best combos on the board. Powerfully built guard that loves to attack downhill. He did just that getting to the rim on multiple occasions. Also drilled a crisp pull up from mid-range. Passed it about as well as we have seen him setting up his guys in the pick/roll, dump off dishes, and entry passes. Blocked a jump shot attempt against his opponent. He played well next to two others that are among the top available lead guards in the class.
Danville combo Nathanael Hoskins is a thick bodied lefty that is crafty with the rock in his hands. Changes pace and keeps the defense off balance. Tight handles on several drives for nifty finishes at the cup. Converted at the free throw line as well. Carmel point guard Kimahri Wilson Kimahri Wilson 6'2" | PG North Chicago | 2021 State IL is a quick and shifty lead guard that has it on a string. He used his tenacity on the defensive end to start his offense the other way turning steals into scores. Burst with the ball in his hands getting to the foul line consistently. His game is predicated on his speed!
Illinois T-Wolves 17U Fall to Iowa Mavs
It wasn’t pretty in the first half for the Illinois T-Wolves as they got down 32-17 and could never recover falling to the Iowa Mavs. It was a rough outing for them. Joliet West 2021 wing Andrew Johnson did have a few nice moments in spurts. Mixed in a couple runners and had a sweet spin move off the bounce. He is a kid that D2s should take a look at. Joliet West power forward Ashawn Burbridge Ashawn Burbridge 6'5" | PF Joliet West | 2021 State IL did his usual thing with his energy getting on the glass for put backs.