Chicago Elite Classic: 2023 Recruiting Notebook

The Chicago Elite Classic was a great opportunity for us to catch up with a number of PHI top 20 prospects in the 2023 class. They broke down the latest with their recruitments in Chicago Elite Classic: 2023 Recruiting Notebook!   [player_tooltip player_id="939050" first="Darrin" last="Ames"] (Kenwood) <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/Darrin-Ames-CEC.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1340898" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/Darrin-Ames-CEC-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>Ames looks like the odds on favorite to take over the vacated spot at the top of the 2023 rankings after his former teammate left. He rattled off a long list of schools involved right now including Milwaukee, Oklahoma, Marquette, Western Michigan, Purdue, Virginia, South Carolina, Wake Forest, Miami (OH), Illinois, George Washington, Austin Peay, Nebraska, Western Illinois, LSU, Maryland, Toledo, Appalachian State, Loyola, Tulsa, and DePaul. Obviously, that’s a lot! Who is pursuing him the hardest? He said, “Marquette, Illinois, DePaul, and Oklahoma.”       [player_tooltip player_id="939069" first="Davius" last="Loury"] (Kenwood) <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/Davius-Loury-CEC.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1342268" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/Davius-Loury-CEC-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>Loury was phenomenal in his performance at CEC draining threes at a high rate along with impacting on the defensive end. The forward listed off offers from LSU, Oklahoma, Illinois, Purdue, Iowa State, DePaul, and more. He took a visit to Illinois this fall. “It was good. I saw how the college is and how hard they work.” Any schools he wants to get out to? “I want to take a visit to Iowa State and I think I am going to LSU next month.”         [player_tooltip player_id="1048324" first="Daniel" last="Johnson"] (Whitney Young) <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/Daniel-Johnson-RB.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1342270" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/Daniel-Johnson-RB-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>Johnson didn’t play at CEC because of a hamstring injury, but we still managed to catch up with the top 10 prospect who is coming off a monster summer. He told us the schools that are recruiting him the most right now are Loyola, DePaul, Iowa State, Toledo, Eastern Michigan, Akron, Boston College, Southern Illinois, and Tulsa.         [player_tooltip player_id="989270" first="Richard" last="Barron"] (St. Ignatius) <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/Richard-Barron-CEC.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1342271" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/Richard-Barron-CEC-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>Barron is a big bodied wing with the ability to shoot it from deep. He took a recent visit to Southern Illinois and also visited Loyola. On SIU he said, “I liked the coaching staff. Coach Mullins is a great coach. They have good facilities, players, and coaches. I think they can go really far in the Valley. They believe in my abilities which is always great. Someone who believes in me from the start. That means the world to me.” How about that Loyola visit? “I love Loyola. Coach Wallace and Coach Valentine. They reach out to me a lot. They make me feel like I am a part of their team already even though I haven’t committed anywhere. I like that it is my hometown.” He rattled off a list of offers that included DePaul, Loyola, Kent State, SIU, George Mason. Interest from Minnesota, Notre Dame, and Butler.   [player_tooltip player_id="939068" first="Sam" last="Lewis"] (OPRF) <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/Sam-Lewis-Ridgewood.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1342272" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/Sam-Lewis-Ridgewood-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>Lewis is an elite shot maker from the perimeter who opened up the CEC on Friday with a big performance. The top 10 prospect broke down where his recruitment currently stands. He mentioned the schools he is in contact with including Iowa State, Temple, Loyola, Southern Illinois, Northern Illinois, Akron, Illinois State, Eastern Michigan, and Butler. Lewis visited SIU in the fall saying, “It was good. I got to go to the football game. I like the culture there.” The offers he currently holds are Akron, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, UW-Milwaukee, and Southern Illinois.       [player_tooltip player_id="994687" first="Kaiden" last="Space"] (St. Rita) <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/Kaiden-Space-CEC.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1342273" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/Kaiden-Space-CEC-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>Space is among the better combo guards on the board in the 2023 class and is coming off a fantastic July on the PHC. Lehigh, Southern Indiana, and Howard have reached out recently. He took a visit during the fall to Northern Illinois saying, “It was good. I feel like I could fit in with their program. I like what they were doing with their guards.” The offers are Toledo, Cleveland State, Chicago State, and Radford.         [player_tooltip player_id="939059" first="Jalen" last="Griffith"] (Simeon) <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/Jalen-Griffith-CEC.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1342274" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/Jalen-Griffith-CEC-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>Griffith is a quick and shifty point guard that loves to get others involved. Good debut for the Wolverines on Saturday. He mentioned some of the schools he is talking with including DePaul, Bradley, and Akron.             [player_tooltip player_id="1048305" first="Wesley" last="Rubin"] (Simeon) <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/Wesley-Rubin-CEC.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1342255" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/Wesley-Rubin-CEC-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>Rubin was fantastic at the CEC. He proved what we have been saying for a year that he is the best passing post since Cam Krutwig while also racking up a ton of points as well. The power forward said on his recruitment, “I am hearing a lot from Loyola. Tulsa. I have an offer from Northern Illinois. Cal Berkley. Those are the schools that have been communicating with me a lot in the past week.” He listed offers from Northern Illinois, Southern Illinois, and Akron.         [player_tooltip player_id="1048306" first="Miles" last="Rubin"] (Simeon) <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/Miles-Rubin-CEC.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1342275" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/Miles-Rubin-CEC-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>Big performance from Rubin in his primetime debut with the Wolverines. Explosive four man is super bouncy on both ends of the floor. “I am hearing from Central Arkansas, Akron, Ohio, Appalachian State, Southern Illinois, and Northern Illinois.” He has offers from Western Illinois, Southern Illinois, Northern Illinois, Akron, and Ohio.