Chi-Town Tipoff: Illinois 2024 Standout Wings
The talent of the Midwest was on full display in Chicago over the weekend, and our scouts saw a little bit of everything all weekend. I was at Wintrust Sports Complex all weekend, so let’s take a look at the…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe talent of the Midwest was on full display in Chicago over the weekend, and our scouts saw a little bit of everything all weekend. I was at Wintrust Sports Complex all weekend, so let’s take a look at the standout wings from Illinois that I saw this past weekend.
Jory Boley – 6’3” SF – Yorkville Christian (Flight Athletics Inc. 2024 – 1)
Boley is a big wing who is incredibly strong and smooth inside. He wants to get into the late and make things happen, and he seems to be hustling everywhere on the court. Boley did not quite show the shooting ability, but he was able to score consistently around the rim.
JD Etherly – 6’2” SF – Richwoods (Next Generation Academy 2024)
Etherly is an athletic wing who was active all over the floor. He can jump out of the building, and his strength in the lane allows him to be a very aggressive rebounder. On the offensive end of the floor, he is a very tough finisher in the lane, and he kept several possessions alive with his hustle and offensive rebounding.
Kali Freeman – 6’0” SF – Dundee-Crown (Epic Hoopz 2024)
Freeman is a smart, athletic wing who did a little bit of everything this weekend. He rebounded incredibly well, and his offensive rebounding was very good as well. Freeman also shot it well from the mid-range and attacked the glass. He was one of Epic Hoopz’s top players this weekend for sure.
Antwan Porter – SF (Fierce 2024)
Porter is a big wing with a plus wingspan who uses his athleticism to make plays. He drives it strong to the hole, but he can also knock down shots from the outside. He also has big ups, so he is able to rebound very well, and his plus wingspan helps him be a disrupter on the defensive end of the floor.
Reggie Ray Reggie Ray 6'2" | PG St. Ignatius | 2024 State IL Jr. – 6’2” SF – St. Ignatius (Clippers Nation Elite 2024)
Ray is another wing who can score the ball incredibly well. He was able to get inside the line while also shooting well from beyond the arc. He had several good finishes in the lane, and he was clutch down the stretch with some buckets inside and going 8-8 from the free-throw line in the final minute. Ray was key for the Clippers’ success all weekend.
Avery Rogoz – 5’10” SF – Plainfield Central (Illinois Storm 2024)
Rogoz is a smaller wing, but he was all over the court in the game doing whatever needed to be done. He can handle the ball well, and he has his eyes up at all times which allows him to cut into the open spaces on the floor. He also has very sneaky athleticism, and he plays with a ton of control and tries to outwork absolutely everybody on the floor. He also shot the ball well from the outside. Rogoz finished with 21 points in the win as he was absolutely dominating.
Artavious Smith – 6’2” SF – (Next Generation Academy 2024)
Smith is a smaller wing, but he is incredibly athletic and smooth with the ball in his hands. He is strong inside and a good finisher in the lane. He also has very good body control and plays off of two feet. He shot the ball well from the mid-range, and his passing ability was top-notch as he was getting all of his teammates involved.
Jaylen Taylor – 5’10” SF – Thornton Fractional South (Clippers Nation Elite 2024)
Taylor is a good wing who is incredibly big and hard to move, and he uses his strength to dominate inside. He looked to take it to the rim on every single touch, and he was able to finish through the contact of the bigger defenders. Taylor did also score it in other ways too as he knocked down a three and hit a floater in the lane. Taylor was one of the better players in the tournament, and he should have a strong future ahead of him.
Marvin Tunstall – 6’2” SF – Bolingbrook (Illinois Storm 2024)
Tunstall is a hard-working forward who dominated the glass this weekend. He made a huge impact by doing exactly what needed to be done for his ball club. He also scored the ball well shooting with a nice floater in the lane as well as a triple. He is still developing his offensive game, but he has a lot of potential.
Isaac Witt – 6’3” SF – Batavia (M14 Hoops – 1 National 2024)
Witt is a tough forward who scored the ball very well. He has nice touch around the rim and his footwork allowed for some nice buckets in the paint. He also rebounded the ball incredibly well. Witt is a completely fundamental player who seems to always do the right thing. He is going to be a big recruit for a coach in the coming years.