Havoc in the Heartland: Scotty B’s Saturday Notebook
In this article:
What a day of basketball at the Prep Hoops Havoc in the Heartland in Indy. Here is a recap of what we saw in Havoc in the Heartland: Scotty B’s Saturday Notebook! HIT and Midwest Basketball Club Adkins 17U…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingWhat a day of basketball at the Prep Hoops Havoc in the Heartland in Indy. Here is a recap of what we saw in Havoc in the Heartland: Scotty B’s Saturday Notebook!
HIT and Midwest Basketball Club Adkins 17U Game Stellar at 8 AM
Most of the time 8 AM games are less than glamorous especially when it is the teams first game of the event. This battle between Hoops Intensity Training and Midwest Basketball Club Adkins was one of the best of the day. Batavia 2022 power forward Ethan Ivan Ethan Ivan 6'7" | PF Batavia | 2022 State IL recently scored his first D2 offer and there are going to be many more to follow. The face up four did it all draining threes, gritty finishes inside, passed it well, and rebounded in traffic. A couple more in their front court stood out in St. Charles North wing Max Love Max Love 6'5" | SF St. Charle North | 2022 State IL and Batavia center Austin Ambrose Austin Ambrose 6'9" | C Ba | 2022 State IL . Love is a skilled multi positional forward that hits open shots and always seems to be in the right place to make a play. Ambrose has legit size on the interior and is still learning how to use his body. Lots of intriguing tools with his cutting and rebounding in traffic. Trey Keizer Trey Keizer 6'2" | SG Timothy Christian | 2022 State IL and Billy Bach Billy Bach 6'5" | PF Lyons Township | 2022 State IL shot lights out…..per usual. Midwest won on a buzzer beater. Their standout was Louie Semona. Skilled face up four that stretched it out to three looking comfortable letting it fly along with being active on the glass. Noah Rich is another name to watch with his three point shooting.
Depth of South Cook Jaguars Prevail as Team NLP Standout Shines
South Cook Jaguars got the win in this one behind a balanced effort. The Whitney Young wings played a large role as always with Matt Somerville Matt Somerville 6'6" | SF Whitney Young | 2022 State IL and AJ Williams making shots. Leo center Devon Richardson continues to impress this spring with his agility at his size along with playing bully ball down low. Mt. Carmel point guard DeAndre Craig DeAndre Craig 5'11" | PG Mt. Carmel | 2023 State IL ran the show as a 2023 lead guard to continue to track. Byron Hobbs is the X-Factor for this team with his scoring pop at the guard spot. For Team NLP we came away raving about the play of Justin Banks. The Schaumburg native plays at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. Big bodied four with mobility and agility. Got on the glass and even stepped out for a pair of threes on his way to 16 points.
AIA Phenom Backcourt Fun to Watch
Camron Kincaid Camron Kincaid 6'1" | PG Springfield Lanphier | 2022 State IL (Springfield Lanphier) and Brylan Apholone Brylan Apholone 6'0" | PG Decatur MacArthur | 2022 IL (Decatur MacArthur) were exciting to watch. Kincaid is a tough guard that displayed an excellent passing feel getting his teammates involved. Apholone was the recipient of several of those passes. He can really shoot the rock from beyond the arc. Couple nice small college prospects.
Next Generation 17U Standouts
We caught both Next Generation 17U squads play. Tyler Johnson Tyler Johnson 6'2" | SF Depaul Prep | 2021 State IL is a 2021 unsigned senior from Romeoville who presents projectability and a feathery jumper. Hunter Racic Hunter Racic 6'6" | C Bolingbrook | 2022 State IL is a thick bodied 6’6” four who hails from Bolingbrook. Good area rebounder cleaning up misses for points. MJ Langit MJ Langit 6'0" | PG Bolingbrook | 2022 State IL can flat out score off the bounce. This Bolingbrook point guard was shifty off the bounce putting together a pair of huge scoring bursts. Datavion McClain is a smaller lead guard from West Aurora. Plus shooter especially from the top of the key.
Chicago Lockdown 17U is Super Deep
Got my second look of the spring at Chicago Lockdown. Elijah Jointer Elijah Jointer 6'6" | PF Mount Carmal | 2022 State IL from Mt. Carmel is a thick bodied four that rebounds well in area and is crafty finishing around the hoop. Outside of him they were mostly perimeter oriented. Owen Schneider Owen Schneider 5'10" | PG Prospect | 2022 State IL ran the show at the point with his slick passing. Sebastian Blachut Sebastian Blachut 6'2" | SG Lake Park | 2022 State IL , Sebastian Miller Sebastian Miller 6'2" | PG Wheaton St. Francis | 2022 State IL , and Sergio Rivera Sergio Rivera 6'0" | PG St. Patrick | 2022 IL played well off each other. Johnny Mcgowan Johnny Mcgowan 6'3" | SG Oak Lawn | 2022 State IL proved to be a shooter with size and Donavyn Sayles Donavyn Sayles 6'5" | PF Rockford Lutheran | 2022 State IL used his size and strength to score inside.
Sport-Prep Nothing But Athletes Inc Duo Makes Noise
Landon Johnston from Chesterton (IN) scored 21 points with crafty moves off the bounce, scoop shots, and hit a three. He is an unsigned senior that is more than worthy of consideration at the small college level. David Douglas from Yorkville Christian burst on our radar flashing tools including a floater and smooth three point shot.
Bennie Slater Bennie Slater 6'5" | SF Springfield | 2021 State IL is Bonafide JUCO GEM
Springfield High School unsigned senior Bennie Slater Bennie Slater 6'5" | SF Springfield | 2021 State IL has been a top 30ish prospect for the last year. He more than lived up to it on Saturday. The 6’6” point forward has an elite passing feel. Made several dishes in both transition and half court that had people in the stands in awe. Plus athlete that swats shots and defends on the perimeter. Solid mid-range shooter. Struggles a bit from three with a hitch at the top. He is without a doubt an ELITE JUCO prospect that will be developed into a mid-major or higher player in two years. Another unsigned senior on this squad was Home School forward Isiah Fitch. Small forward was at his best putting it on the deck, running on the floor, and crashing glass. His older brother Joseph Fitch Joseph Fitch 6'8" | PF Christian Homeschool Assn. | 2022 IL has a higher ceiling at 6’8” with legit game! Great frame and has skill to match with quick moves inside showing an excellent feel for scoring inside along with snatching rebounds in traffic.
Team Teague Backcourt is Electric
First time this spring for me to see the complete Team Teague backcourt. Leland Walker Leland Walker 5'11" | PG North Central | 2022 VA has been a favorite of mine this spring with his ability to run the show while still picking his spots to score. Illinois commit Reggie Bass Reggie Bass 6'4" | SG Arsenal Tech | 2022 State #175 Nation IN was electric with his passing as the lefty wing made a ton of spectacular dishes along with banking in a three. Post Charlie Williams Charlie Williams 6'10" | PF Carmel | 2022 State #220 Nation IN continues to be one to watch as the skilled five can step out to knock in a shot from deep.
Ryan Conwell Ryan Conwell 6'2" | SG Pike | 2022 State #155 Nation IN Flying Under the Radar
One of the more underrated guards in the Midwest is EG10 point guard Ryan Conwell Ryan Conwell 6'2" | SG Pike | 2022 State #155 Nation IN . Lefty floor general always plays with so much poise. He can shoot it from three, is a solid passer, and brings toughness to the table.
Y&R/KL Power 5 Stars Showout
We liked what we saw out of the top prospects on Y&R/KL Power 5 on Saturday. Let’s start in the backcourt. Their two headed monster of point guards play so well off each other. Larkin lead guard Damari Wheeler-Thomas Damari Wheeler-Thomas 6'0" | PG Larkin | 2022 State IL is a plus shooter off the bounce that loves to work around screens. So does his running mate Lyons Township point guard Tavari Johnson Tavari Johnson 6'0" | PG Lyons Township | 2022 State #171 Nation IL . Elite in ball screen situations as a passer and scorer. OPRF wing Justin Mullins Justin Mullins 6'4" | SF Oak Park-River Forest | 2022 State IL is red hot on the recruiting trail after scoring a couple offers. He shined in transition along with his passing in the lane. Barrington 6’6” Will Grudzinski Will Grudzinski 6'6" | PF Barrington | 2022 State IL is a high level shot maker off the catch spotting up. Maybe the most impressive on the day was TF South 2022 power forward Xavier Lewis Xavier Lewis 6'7" | PF Tf South | 2022 State IL . The top 10 prospect is a big time athlete that finishes at the rim on dives, runs the floor, and impacts the game defensively with his length.
Ames Dominates Leading Mac Irvin Fire 16U
What a day for Kenwood point guard Darrin Ames Darrin Ames 6'1" | PG Kenwood | 2023 State #99 Nation IL . The #2 2023 prospect looked every bit the part. He sliced and diced defenses up all day long getting whatever he wanted off the bounce. Really like how well he uses his body control at the rim converting difficult finishes at the cup. Speed was excellent in transition where he often played off his defense turning steals into points. Also has range on his perimeter shot. His running mate from Michigan Kaden Brown jumped off the floor at us with a strong day. Versatile combo guard that can score from all three levels and is a creative passer. Bolingbrook point guard Mekhi Cooper Mekhi Cooper 6'0" | PG Bolingbrook | 2023 State IL made plays at the point as well for this squad. Up front Davius Loury Davius Loury 6'8" | PF Phhoenix Prep | 2024 State AZ showed his promise as a high-major prospect. Versatile Kenwood forward came out super aggressive in their second game attacking off the bounce. Really good rebounder with an explosive second jump. St. Rita 2023 duo Solomon Mosley Solomon Mosley 6'8" | C Kenwood | 2023 State IL and Evan Jackson Evan Jackson 6'6" | SF St Rita Chicago | 2023 State IL will be impactful front court players for the CCL program. Speaking of the Catholic League St. Ignatius power forward Jackson Kotecki Jackson Kotecki 6'9" | PF Saint Ignatius | 2023 State IL stretched the floor for his usual corner threes.
Breakaway 1-2 Punch Continues to Roll Along
There is no doubt who the best shooting duo is on the PHC from Illinois as Glenbard West’s Bobby Durkin Bobby Durkin 6'6" | SF Hinsdale South | 2022 State IL and Timothy Christian’s Ben VanderWal Ben VanderWal 6'5" | SF Timothy Christian | 2022 State #201 Nation IL are elite snipers. Durkin continued that on Saturday as he connected on nine triples in one contest. VanderWal is proving he is more than just a spot up threat. Good athlete that can put it on the deck and score off the bounce with tough takes. Also rebounds well for a wing.
New Names Emerge for M14
Couple of emerging names looked good for M14 in the second half of the game we caught. Trent Tousana Trent Tousana 5'10" | PG Batavia | 2022 State IL is a 5’11” scoring point guard that has range on his shot and is a scrappy defender. Lane Mcvicar Lane Mcvicar 6'5" | SG Dekalb | 2022 IL has positional size on the wing at 6’5” along with a nice in between game with runners and turnaround jumpers. Also had a strong baseline take.
Mac Irvin Fire 17U Dominate on Saturday
Super impressive outing on Saturday for the Mac Irvin Fire 17U squad. They were led by Trey Pettigrew Trey Pettigrew 6'3" | PG Hillcrest Prep | 2022 State #143 Nation IL . He attended prep school in Arizona last season and wow has he improved. Much more explosive of an athlete with tight handles. He got to the cup off the bounce where he finished acrobatic layups. Also got out in transition on the regular. Another prospect who moved out of state Danny Wolfe who went from LFA to Northfield Mount Hermon has grown height wise, is starting to fill out, and he was amazingly skilled. Consistently he grabbed defensive rebounds, pushed on his own, and dished for a dime. High level passing post that has a lot of potential. The top center in the 2022 class in Illinois Kyle Thomas Kyle Thomas 6'4" | SG Cloverdale | 2022 State IN did a nice job of running the floor, dominating on the offensive glass, and was a force defensively. Loved how he swatted shots in the paint and beyond the arc. Unsigned senior Grant Newell Grant Newell 6'7" | PF Whitney Young | 2021 State IL played with a high motor being active on the glass and throwing down alley-oops. Simeon point guard Jaylen Drane Jaylen Drane 6'2" | PG Simeon | 2022 State IL was good passing the rock and used his quick hands defensively.
Benson is Physical Force for Southwest Jets 17U
NJ Benson NJ Benson 6'8" | C Mt. Vernon | 2022 State #238 Nation IL felt right at home playing at Mt. Vernon High School. He is from Mt. Vernon in Illinois and was playing at the Indiana version on Saturday. The 6’7” five man was completely and utterly dominant for the Southwest Jets. Broad shouldered five man opened the game up with an alley-oop slam. He was a force on the boards snatching rebounds over and over with his quick second jump. Sealed in the post and finished through contact. Also stepped out and hit a pair of threes. Went for 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Recently got his first two D1 offers. More to come! Peoria Richwood small forward Jamauri Winfrey Jamauri Winfrey 6'3" | SG Peoria Richwood | 2022 State IL is a big time athlete that plays above the rim and lives on the glass. Brylan Phillips Brylan Phillips 6'0" | PG Decatur Macarthur | 2022 State IL from Decatur MacArthur displayed a nice passing feel along with a smooth mid-range game. Springfield Lanphier point guard Mekhi Phillips Mekhi Phillips 6'0" | PG Springfield Lanphier | 2022 State IL was throwing fire from deep with a sweet lefty stroke. Confluence (MO) combo guard Caleb Burton stuffed the stat sheet filling in where he was needed.
94 Elite Guards at 16U and 17U
Several guards stood out for 94 Feet Elite at both the 16U and 17U levels. For the 17U team Shamar Mays and Darren Roach popped to us. Each are speedy guards with range on his shot. For the 16U Demetrius Moss brought in your face D. Tyran Thomas was a scorer off the dribble. Darrius Roach Darrius Roach 6'0" | SG Elevation Prep | 2023 IN has a ton of athleticism and knows how to use it!