Grit Region Kickoff: Scotty B’s Saturday Notebook

<p>The Prep Hoops Circuit has officially begun!  We opened our full spring and summer of Prep Hoops Circuit events with the Grit Region Kickoff in Louisville.  The event featured teams from Illinois and around the Midwest in an exciting first day of action.  See what stood out to us in <strong>Grit Region Kickoff: Scotty B's Saturday Notebook</strong>!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>EG10 16U Impresses in Opener Against In-State Rival D1 Indiana</strong></p> <p>My first game of the spring was a clash with two between very good Indiana programs.  Each squad had their moments, but EG10 won it 76-65.  Urbana center Malcolm Morris is a strong bodied left handed five man that rebounds well in his area and finished junk points around the hoop.  He got help inside from Mari Moore as the 6'5” post played with a lot of physicality.  On the perimeter Mason Lewis had it going from the point with his ability to get in the lane for floaters and wrap around passes.  Mathew King was another lead guard that used his burst to impact the game.</p> <p>D1 Indiana had a pair of perimeter prospects to track in Mark White and Dhani Flannigan.  White was more of a power slasher who played off his defense.  Flannigan hit a trio of triples.  Long term like what we see out of Dominique Murphy.  Rangy prospect that is raw, but has some tools to work with.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Peoria Dream Tops ET21 Buckeyes in 16U Land of Lincoln Clash</strong></p> <p>Couple of Illinois squads met up here as Peoria Dream got the win 54-43.  Christian Holt Tidwell from Peoria Manual put his name on our radar in 2024.  The 6'0” guard was silky smooth with his jumper draining four from beyond the arc in the win.  His high school teammate Landon Tolliver is a shifty 5'7” lead guard that loves the mid-range creating off the bounce.</p> <p>In this game for ET21 their top performer was Alex Keizer.  The 6'4” well put together small forward is a catch and shoot first guy that also competed defensively with grit.  Tasso Mikroulis from Lemont brings more depth to his high school team which is a state title contender next year.  The 2024 6'2” wing can shoot it and presents an all-around skilled game as a ball handler and passer.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Chicago Demons 16U Set Tone for Spring with Win over Indy Nets</strong></p> <p>Really nice defensive effort here from the Chicago Demons as they scored a 41-37 victory over a talented Indy Nets squad.  Their toughness in the backcourt stood out.  Bryant Hedrick set the tone early and often as the 6'1” 2024 combo guard from De La Salle was tough as nails getting to the rim and foul line.  Germaine Benson from Fenwick did that as well with his stocky build and downhill attacking style.  Walter Payton 6'5” small forward Kai Fagelson is a rangy 2024 that flashed a decent shooting stroke.  Sammy Horenkamp is the next lead guard at St. Ignatius.  Fearless guard that attacks and plays with tenacity.</p> <p>For the Indy Nets I came away extremely impressed with Reis Butcher.  The 2024 6'4” small forward from Indiana looked like a scholarship level player with the way he played.  Plus shooter that has quality size while also mixing in a few nice takes.  Like his upside quite a bit.  Bryce Gray pushed it in transition with his speed.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Young Prospects Shine in ET21 Buckeyes vs Griffin Elite Woods</strong></p> <p>ET21 Buckeyes flipped the switch in the second game capturing a victory against Griffin Elite Woods who was a 2025 team playing up.  The Buckeyes also had a 2025 of their own in 6'8” center Thon Bill.  First time getting a look at this Timothy Christian five man.  Raw offensively as right now he is mostly getting put backs and will flash a move once a game.  His value comes as a shot blocker and rim protector.  Will see his debut in our next Illinois rankings.  On the other side of the size scale we have Brother Rice 5'5” point guard Cale Cosme.  He is small, but the kid is a winner and playmaker.  Gets others involved and hits creative shots.</p> <p>Sawyer Thompson was a gritty 2025 shooting guard from Kentucky for Griffin Elite that caught our eye with his shot making and how he played with a swagger.  Point guard Christopher Finch got to his spots for mid-range jumpers.  Keshawn Jordan inside provided toughness on the glass.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Chicago Demons US 17U LOADED With Small College and JUCO Talent</strong></p> <p>We are talking rising sophomores and then the next game we saw seniors that are about to graduate who remain unsigned.  The Chicago Demons US 17U squad has quite a few 2022s that will be impactful players at the small college or JUCO levels.  Jaquwan Payton from Perspectives made people take notice with his play in the second half getting hot from distance while also getting to the rim and using shot fakes to get in the mid-range.  Yasir Austin is a bouncy power forward who also played well.  The 6'5” Perspectives forward is long and lanky with mobility in the paint.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Pair of Forwards Standout as Team Iowa Battled Kentucky Vision in 17U</strong></p> <p>Kentucky Vision Elite captured a narrow 44-42 win over Team Iowa 17U.  Two forwards played well in this one.  Unsigned senior Landon Elmore is a 6'7” face up four that can stretch it out to three, rim ran, and finished with athleticism in the paint for Kentucky Vision Elite.  Very good small college or JUCO player. Went for 20 points in the win.</p> <p>Owen Olmstead is more of a three man that stands at 6'4” for Team Iowa.  He has quality size, rebounded, and shot it well with a clean looking shot.  Netted 14 points in this game.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>The UN1T 16U Duo Shows Out in Blowout Win </strong></p> <p>This squad made a statement winning 41-9 in the opener.  The New York 16U team had a pair of 2024 prospects that caught our attention.  Jordan Alexander is a 6'5” projectable wing that won with ease off the bounce and finished with athleticism at the hoop.  His running mate on the perimeter was point guard Nicco DiGiulio.  The lead guard is a lefty with a clean looking shot from both mid-range and three.  Scrappy on the defensive end as well.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Griffin Elite 17U Extremely Balanced As Usual</strong></p> <p>The top Griffin Elite 17U team year after year has a group of talent that play well together and are balanced.  This year is more of the same.  Unsigned senior 2022 6'5” power forward Robby Todd is a four man that brings strength and skill.  He is a crisp mid-range shooter and utilized a hook shot around the cup for 10 points.  Teagan Moore was their most impressive 2023 prospect in my eyes.  The 6'4” wing shot it well from distance with a free and easy stroke.  He also pushed it in the open floor when he saw an opportunity going for 14 points.  Walter Campbell is a tough and rugged shooting guard that rebounds and was a monster on the defensive end while also getting his points in the paint.  Gabe Dynes stands at 7'3” with a thin build.  Altered shots with his length.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Hoops 4 Health Ranked Prospects Show Well in 1-1 Day</strong></p> <p>It was a 1-1 day for Hoops 4 Health's talented 17U team.  They played well in both games holding on in the last one for a victory over Indy Nets.  Let's start with he young phenom Jeremiah Fears.  The top freshman point guard in the state of Illinois went for 14 points in the win.  This 2025 floor general drained an array of feathery jumpers early along with throwing excellent outlet passes on the break.  Often those were going to Jakeem Cole from Leo who was at his best in transition.  Marist combo guard Xavier Sulaiman had the play of the day with a steal followed by a monster one handed jam on a guy for a poster.  Also liked how he mixed it up playing off the ball showing his versatility as a defender and passer.  He had 11 points.  The top scorer in the second game was Simon Weisserman.  The 6'7” forward is a plus spot up shooter that was on fire from distance in this one connecting on six of them for 26 points.</p> <p>Let's talk about their big men.  Tyler Van Gorp has added some strength to his previously thin 6'11” frame.  Pick and pop ability and hit the glass for several put backs.  Bolingbrook's Keon Alexander is a player that when engaged and locked in he is playing with a high-motor and impacting the game on the glass and that is what he did.  George Bellevue from Lincoln Way East is a versatile forward that shot it well from mid-range, passed it, and presented versatility on the defensive end.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Purdue Commit Has Moments of Brilliance</strong></p> <p>The Indy Nets struggled in their first two games of the circuit, but their star Purdue commit Myles Colvin did everything he could to put them on his back.  The 6'5” small forward has a good frame with a nice combination of athleticism and strength.  In the first game he scored 14 points.  Was best as a distributor finding his teammates while also crashing the glass.  As a scorer he excelled in the open floor going coast to coast off defensive rebounds.  He was more assertive in a 23 point outing against Hoops 4 Health.  Drained an array of contested deep twos along with several threes.  Gets elevation off the floor and can shoot over his man with ease.  As the game went on he started to get in attack mode going to the rim including for a pair of HUGE slams!</p> <p>The other player that caught our attention and appears to be their second option is Tyler Kerkhoff.  The shooting guard is a guy you can move off the ball and is at his best as a spot up shooter.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Flee Club 17U Tops Team Future Behind Veteran Guard and Unknown Big Man</strong></p> <p>Enjoyed watching this Flee Club 17U squad.  2-0 day in Pool B including a 71-51 win over Team Future.  Javon Johnson is an unsigned senior and PHI top 100 recruit.  Shot it very well from distance early in this one along with mixing in some passing recording 18 points.  A duo from Marshall in the 2023 class caught our attention.  Their 6'8” junior center Joel Brown is a big body that moves well showing touch around the hoop and was excellent rebounding.  He had 15 points.  Jujuan Cozart is a bouncy 6'6” four man from Marshall that excelled playing off his athleticism on the glass.  Cordy Johnson from Michelle Clark is a smaller guard that has a good pull up game.</p> <p>For Team Future their skilled forward Nathan Nelson spaced the floor with his shooting and even had a little hook shot inside.  At the point Josiah Ullom broke defenders down for mid-range shots.</p>