Chicago Summer Challenge: Parham’s Friday Standouts
Friday kicked off the Summer portion of the Prep Hoops Circuit. I was able to catch 3 games and of those games 5 players stood out the most. Darrion Baker Darrion Baker 6'8" | PF St Rita | 2023 State…
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Continue ReadingFriday kicked off the Summer portion of the Prep Hoops Circuit. I was able to catch 3 games and of those games 5 players stood out the most.
Darrion Baker Darrion Baker 6'8" | PF St Rita | 2023 State #227 Nation IL (Team Rose) 2023
Still hot off a strong June period Baker looked really sharp on the court. He showcased his defense early getting a steal on a guard at the halfcourt turning that into a fast break dunk. Darrion then on hit two threes and the rest of the game he went into the post scoring off a jump hook and then made an unusual spin move into a nice lay in. He definitely had it rolling as he finished with 24 points and about 8 rebounds.
Matas Buzelis (Full Package) 2023
Boy was it nice to see the former Illinois high school basketball prospect back at in the city. Matas who recently committed to play in the G league was playing with a group he knew really well. After a slow start Buzelis game picked up as he became the primary ball handler. At 6’10 he is dangerous when he pushed the ball making tight angles to score layups in traffic. One of the biggest momentum plays was when he drove coast to coast down the lane and dunked the defender. He is a matchup nightmare for most players because at his size he can pass and shoot. Buzelis finished with 21 points.
Jake Fiegen Jake Fiegen 6'3" | SG New Trier | 2023 State IL (Full Package) 2023
Fiegen is another prospect who is coming off a solid June showing also picking up some Division 1 offers. Was a very slow start for Jake as he comitted 3 fouls in the first half and had to sit. In the second half started he was back to normal as he found open space to knock down 5 threes. Jake is arguably the best in game shooter in the state and he finished with 7 threes while playing through foul trouble the whole game. Jake led all scores with 27 points in a win.
Josiah Butler ( Wisconsin Playground) 2023
Josiah had a solid game himself opposite of Fiegen. The Wisconsin guard started the his team off well hitting 4 of 6 threes in the first half giving his squad a double digit lead at half. But as the second half started Butler knocked down a three again but that would be the last shot he made as the rest of the half. He had to defend Buzelis which stifled his scoring. Butler finished with 17 points in the loss.
Jaiden Harrison ( Corey Graham Elite) 2024
Harrison is a junior playing up with the 17U squad and because of how smooth of a scorer he is I can understand why. Jaiden is 6’3 point guard with the ball on a string. His ability to break defenders down numerous times, drive in the lane, and hit couple of nice floaters is what made me notice him. But what really stood out about Harrison was how he hit shots from the perimeter. His ability to get enough separation to make threes was phenomenal. Jaiden finished the game with 26 points and out dished 6 assists in a losing effort.