Chi Town Tip Off: Max’s Wing Standouts
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The Chi Town Tip Off took place this past weekend with plenty of talent from Illinois and beyond competing. I was in the gym all weekend and these are some of the wing prospects who stood out! Calvin Robins Jr…
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Continue ReadingThe Chi Town Tip Off took place this past weekend with plenty of talent from Illinois and beyond competing. I was in the gym all weekend and these are some of the wing prospects who stood out!
Calvin Robins Jr Calvin Robins Jr 6'5" | PF Kenwood | 2024 State IL . (6’5 2024 SF, Mac Irvin Fire EYBL)- Not sure there are many more 2024’s in the nation more explosive than Calvin. The sophomore wing was a walking highlight with his ability to cut to the basket and elevate for some powerful dunks in traffic. Really liked him catching the ball on the block and high post as well, as he has the ability to score with his back to the basket but also showed some passing vision to hit cutting teammates. Calvin did most of his scoring above the rim, but also showed some touch beyond the arc. Defensively he’s a major shot blocking threat with his ability to slide in from help side and elevate to contest/block shots.
Julian Mitchell (6’5 2023 W, R4L)- The long and lanky wing prospect was making big plays for R4L on Saturday. The opposing defense didn’t expect him to have such deep shooting range, and that allowed him to drain a handful of early threes that forced the defense to step out and pressure him beyond the arc. That opened up his game off the dribble, as he’s a smooth ball handler with rhythm. Had a really nice take to the basket where he spun to his right and finished with touch off the backboard. Length and shooting touch make him an intriguing prospect.
JJ Taylor (6’8 2023 SF, Mac Irvin Fire EYBL)- One word to describe JJ’s performances over the weekend? Clutch. In multiple games JJ just came alive in the second half and pushed his team to wins. Against M14 with his team trailing in the second half, JJ scored a pair of buckets, then drained 5 straight free throws to tie the game up. After a turnover his team got possession, and he went on to knock down a stepback mid-range with two defenders on him to give his team the win in the final seconds. He has a ton of length but is still able to handle the ball like a guard, and when you combine that with a high release on his jumper that he can hit from mid-range and three, it makes for a dangerous prospect. Added in blocked shots, forced turnovers using his length to trap opposing guards, and some transition dunks throughout the weekend.
Trey McKenney (6’4 2025 W, Meanstreets EYBL)- The physical wing out of Flint, Michigan was finiding success getting to the rim all weekend long with Meanstreets. He’s strong enough o finish through contact with ease at the 15u level, yet agile enough to beat his defender off the dribble to get to the basket. After blowing by his man a few times, defenders started backing off a bit which allowed him to hit a pair of threes in the game I watched. Defensively his strength allows him to guard taller players, but he can still sit deep in a stance and move his feet to defend guards on the perimeter. Always in attack mode and is able to score with efficiency due to his ability to create high percentage looks.
Vincent Buzelis (6’3 2025 W, Full Package)- Really liked Buzelis’ versatility for Full Package. He’s such a scrappy player who’s not afraid to get on the floor for loose balls, and was fighting against bigger players for rebounds. Vincent can handle the ball well in the open floor and made smart decisions with his passing. Has a smooth looking stroke from beyond the arc off the catch, and can also attack and get into the lane where he’s capable of finishing or dishing it off to one of his bigs.
Jack Dabbs Jack Dabbs 6'5" | SF Stevenson | 2024 State IL (6’5 2024 SF, All In Athletics)- Jack helped lead his team past an EYBL opponent on Sunday with a big performance showing his versatility on the offensive end. At about 6’5 he has some size to go to work on the block, and that’s exactly what he did with time winding down. Jack caught and took a quick power dribble before finishing over size to give his team the win. Throughout the game he showed range beyond the arc, the ability to score with his back to the basket, and showed he can dribble from the perimeter into a post up. Shoots with his right hand but has excellent touch finishing with the left hand around the rim.
Quentin Heady Quentin Heady 6'5" | SF Hillcrest | 2023 State IL (6’5 2023 SF, God’s Gift)- On Friday night the opposing team could not keep Quentin out of the lane. The long and lanky wing is so slippery attacking off the dribble, able to get his man leaning one way with a hard jab step, then attacking the basket where he showed touch with either hand in traffic. Really good at jumping passing lanes and using his length to disrupt when his man looks to put the ball on the floor.
Nojus Indrusaitis Nojus Indrusaitis 6'5" | SG Brewster Academy | 2024 State #79 Nation NLG (6’5 2024 W, Meanstreets)- Simply put, Nojus Indrusaitis Nojus Indrusaitis 6'5" | SG Brewster Academy | 2024 State #79 Nation NLG is a walking bucket. He can get a good shot off just about any time he wants, from any spot he wants. Nojus scored the ball at all three levels showcasing his three point shot off the catch, a smooth pull-up game from mid-range, and the ability to finish explosively above the rim or with touch against size. He found success leaking out in transition, beating his man to the rim with backdoor cuts, and creating off the dribble. With all of the talent around him, Nojus makes the most of his touches by scoring with efficiency while making sure the ball doesn’t stick in his hands for too long if he isn’t able to get a good look.