Fall 2024 Top Performers
Prep Hoops Illinois dives into what we saw from a variety of events during the fall months. We saw tons of basketball over the last few months and now we recap that. Check out our Fall 2024 Top Performers! …
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Continue ReadingPrep Hoops Illinois dives into what we saw from a variety of events during the fall months. We saw tons of basketball over the last few months and now we recap that. Check out our Fall 2024 Top Performers!
Nojus Indrusaitis (Lemont)
Event: Breakaway Scrimmage
In this one outing I was blown away with this 6’4” Lemont shooting guard for an incoming freshman. He was playing against players two and three years older, but was the best player on the floor. Plus size for position already. Elite level shooter that connected both off the catch and pulling up from all sorts of different angles. Clean and crisp release with elevation on his shot. Mixed in some crafty scores off his crisp handles including a nice euro step. Freshman to definitely track!
Luke Williams (Naperville North)
Event: Breakaway Scrimmage
This is the younger brother of highly ranked Zeke Williams Zeke Williams 6'3" | SG Naperville North | 2022 State IL and if he continues to progress he will be a coveted prospect by colleges as well. Long and lanky 6’2” point guard that had an advanced passing feel in the half court. Whether it was in the drive and kick or skipping to shooters on the other side. Connected on a pair of threes with one being a pull up and the other a step back.
JJ Hernandez (Glenbard North)
Event: HIT Scrimmages
This was my first look at the 6’3” incoming freshman. We had heard some buzz and there is reason for it. Plus size at a young age with a projectable frame to continue to grow and fill out. Bit of a streaky shooter, but did drill several from distance. He is a silky smooth ball handler that can win off the bounce. Flashed passing flair. Got on the glass for a put back and was a solid defender.
Brendan Molis (York)
Event: HIT Scrimmages
Good sized guard at 6’3” that had it working early. He is a pass first point guard that did a nice job of distributing in drive and kick situations along with in the pick/roll. Creative ball handler and has a floater game.
Allen Tate (Downers Grove North)
Event: HIT Scrimmages
Listed at 6’3” Tate plays much taller than his height. High motor player that is super active on the offensive glass for second chance points. Broad shouldered forward is a shot blocking presence and a versatile defender. Drilled a pull up jumper early on. Interesting prospect to track long term.
AJ Levin (York)
Event: HIT Scrimmages
This 5’9” point guard from York was super productive throughout the night. Pushes it in transition getting to the hoop quite a bit for layups. Shifty ball handler that weaves through defenses in the open floor. Sound jump shooter as well.
James Brown (St. Rita)
Event: Pangos All-Midwest Frosh/Soph Camp
Brown has been hyped as the best incoming freshman in the state. This was my first time seeing him and he definitely has the look of a #1 overall guy. At 6’8” he has great strength, but is very light on his feet for how big he is. Powerful finisher that mauls his opponents with power moves. Also shows his athleticism in the pick and roll along with running the floor hard. High level rebounder that grabbed them at a great rate in his area.
Morez Johnson Jr. (St. Rita)
Event: Pangos All-Midwest Frosh/Soph Camp
Johnson is a four man that stands at 6’6” with a long and thin frame. Very good defender that knows how to use his length and lateral quickness to make an impact on that end. Gets steals using his quick hands to get deflections helping start the break the other way. Offensively he seals well in the post and flashed a sweet looking turnaround jumper from out of the post. A ton of upside here!
Taevion Collier (Curie)
Event: Pangos All-Midwest Frosh/Soph Camp
Collier is the younger brother of former Curie superstar Cliff Alexander. There are some similarities at the same stage. Cliff wasn’t overly refined early in his career, but like Collier had raw strength and could catch and slam. That is what Collier was most effective at. Caught passes in traffic and finished them. Flashed quickness in the paint and was a solid rebounder.
Christopher Riddle (Kenwood)
Event: Pangos All-Midwest Frosh/Soph Camp
Riddle is a 6’4” wing that has quite a bit of buzz as one of the better incoming freshman in the state. We saw some of those tools on Sunday. Strong bodied wing that has skill to match. Capable three point shooter. Good first step off the bounce and has the ability to finish through contact in the paint. Rebounds well for a wing.
Payton Kamin (DePaul Prep)
Event: Pangos All-Midwest Frosh/Soph Camp
Kamin is a prospect we have heard is one of the premier incoming freshman shooters in the state. That checked out when we saw him at Pangos. The 6’3” shooting guard was excellent spotting up from beyond the arc with a free and easy release. Also flashed creativity as a distributor and mixed in a couple layups.
Caleb Jackson (Carmel)
Event: Details Training
Jackson is a small point guard, but the freshman does have long arms. Hit a couple threes with a push shot release. Played with confidence going against older guys.
Jonathan Harrison (Herrin)
Event: Illinois Bears Jamboree
We came away extremely intrigued with this 6’6” power forward. The 2024 four man has a long and thin frame. Very active around the hoop getting on the offensive glass for second chance opportunities. Plays with a high motor on the interior especially high pointing them in traffic. Plus rim protector swatting several shots with good timing. Offensively he did most of his damage on the offensive boards, but did have one nice slash from the wing. One to track closely!
Jaeden Rush (O’Fallon)
Event: Illinois Bears Jamboree
The 5’8” freshman from O’Fallon put his name on our radar with a solid performance. The lead guard has a slender build with slick handles both off the bounce and in transition.
Jaheem Webber (Normal Community)
Event: Illinois Wolves Scrimmages
Webber has a chance to be one of the top big men in this class. Already standing at 6’8” he has great size and a strong frame. Terrific area rebounder that out rebounded players a year older than him. He is pretty light on his feet for his size. Scored on several layups including a reverse one and a give/go pass. Also had a finish with his off hand on a dump off pass. Works well in the pick and roll. Shot blocking presence on the defensive end.
Andre Blakley (Marmion Academy)
Event: Illinois Wolves Scrimmages
Blakley exploded in this scrimmage. The 5’9” guard was lights out shooting the ball off ball screens pulling up a handful of times from both mid-range and three.