Top 250 Expo – Max’s Prospect Standouts
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The Illinois Top 250 Expo took place this past weekend in Romeoville, with a talented group of prospects from the 2022-2025 classes competing under one roof. I was in attendance to catch the action, and these are seven of the…
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Continue ReadingThe Illinois Top 250 Expo took place this past weekend in Romeoville, with a talented group of prospects from the 2022-2025 classes competing under one roof. I was in attendance to catch the action, and these are seven of the top prospects that I saw on the day!
Dekwon Brown Dekwon Brown 6'4" | PG Simeon | 2024 #273 Nation IL (6’3 2024 PG, Limestone)- Dekwon was so dangerous off the dribble all day long, as he’s so quick with the ball. He has a tight handle and an endless bag of tricks to either get to the rim or create space to get off a shot. Even as a sophomore he already possesses a strong frame that allowed him to shield off defenders and finish through contact on multiple occasions in the game I saw. The threat of him knocking down threes forces defenders to guard him tight, which allowed him to attack the basket and get his man on his hip. Dangerous scorer who plays with a ton of confidence.
Sam Lewis Sam Lewis 6'5" | SF Oak Park River Forest | 2023 State IL (6’6 2023 W, Oak Park River Forest)- The potential of Sam Lewis Sam Lewis 6'5" | SF Oak Park River Forest | 2023 State IL is off the charts as a 2023 prospect. He’s so smooth attacking the basket and it looks effortless as he elevates for some tough finishes through contact. Sam glides through the air to finish with a soft finger-roll or elevate to throw down some powerful dunks in transition. That length and athleticism translates to the defensive end as well as he showed he can guard in the post or on the perimeter, and his long arms allow him to get up in passing lanes to tip passes or get steals that lead to transition opportunities.
Alex Engro Alex Engro 6'2" | SG Loyola Academy | 2023 State IL (6’1 2023 G, Loyola Academy)- The 2023 sniper was firing on all cylinders in Sunday’s opening game, as his quick release had defenders chasing him all over the perimeter trying to prevent him from getting more clean looks. Anytime he had an inch of space Alex was firing off a shot from three, and he continuously knocked them down at a high rate. Once he knocked down a couple of threes, Alex had the IQ to get defenders flying by with a quick shot fake and then he was able to put the ball on the floor and get into the paint to finish in a variety of ways.
Hunter Duncan Hunter Duncan 6'1" Saint Viator | 2022 IL (6’2 2023 PG, St. Viator)- Hunter was getting after it on both ends of the floor, getting buckets on offense and then bringing some intensity on the defensive end of the floor. He has a creative handle that was giving defenders issues all game long, and after just about every bucket he was picking up full court and sitting deep in a stance to guard the length of the floor. On two occasions that one-man press led to him picking his man’s pocket. Outside of the offensive skillset, he showed some impressive explosiveness with a dunk and then nearly threw down another one over the top of a defender after a baseline drive.
Sonny Williams Sonny Williams 6'1" | PG International Sports Academy | 2023 OH (6’ 2023 PG, Niles Notre Dame)- Sonny had arguably the top point guard performance I saw on the day, as he was doing a bit of everything for his team. Williams was extremely dangerous attacking off the dribble to get into the paint where he showed the vision to quickly locate an open shooter and find them with an accurate pass. That vision led to a handful of wide open looks before he started to put some points on the board on his own. He got to the rim for some crafty finishes through contact, and elevated well on his outside jumper as he knocked down a couple of threes. Defensively he showed the quickness to apply heavy ball pressure on the perimeter.
Evan Jackson Evan Jackson 6'6" | SF St Rita Chicago | 2023 State IL (6’7 2023 F, De La Salle)- Evan showed off his high ceiling as a prospect on Sunday. He has a ton of length and used that to dominate in the paint at times. Jackson was dangerous rolling to the basket as he had the coordination to catch and then quickly gain his balance to explode towards the rim for a dunk. He did most of his producing in the paint as a finisher and rebounder, but showed some flashes handling the ball in transition and in the half-court. Have to like his potential defensively as well as he’s mobile for his size at 6’7 and has the long frame to be a shot blocking threat inside.
Conrad Luczynski Conrad Luczynski 7'2" | C Bartlett | 2022 State IL (7’2 2022 C, Bartlett)- Conrad immediately stands out as the tallest player in the gym, and he backs up that initial impression with production in the paint. If teams didn’t send in an immediate double team, Conrad was going to turn over that left shoulder and score at a high percentage with his right hand baby-hook. Even when defenders were able to force him off the block, he showed that he can face up and knock down a mid-range jumper. Works hard running the floor and is fairly mobile for a player his size on the defensive end.