Adam Lopez Tournament Scouting
PrepHoopsIllinois was in attendance Saturday at the Adam Lopez Thanksgiving Tournament this past weekend. In our scouting report we breakdown the top prospects at the event. PF Jeremiah Tilmon (East St. Louis – 2017 – Committed to Illinois) Tilmon…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingPrepHoopsIllinois was in attendance Saturday at the Adam Lopez Thanksgiving Tournament this past weekend. In our scouting report we breakdown the top prospects at the event.
PF Jeremiah Tilmon (East St. Louis – 2017 – Committed to Illinois)
Tilmon is the state’s top prospect and this event was the first time he was back on the court in a competitive game since last April. The first thing that stood out was he seems to be in fairly good shape. Said he is still trying to get his legs back, but his body looks strong and athletic. Not overly bulky and he moved well on both ends of the floor. He got on the glass early for a couple put backs. Made quick moves with the ball and displayed a soft touch around the rim. Hit a baseline mid-range jumper. Rebounded well high pointing balls. Also did his usual thing on the defensive end swatting shots. Tilmon was limited in the game only playing 19 minutes because of foul trouble. He had 14 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 3 steals.
SF Terrence Hargrove (East St. Louis – 2019)
Tilmon gets all the attention for ESL and with good reason, but Hargrove is one to watch for the future. The 6’5” small forward has a long and angular frame which allows him to be a force on the defensive end which he absolutely was. The sophomore swatted shot after shot. Explosive bounce off the floor and has timing blocking shots while not picking up fouls. Also can defend on the perimeter with his lateral quickness. Offensively he is a bit raw, but flashes potential. He is really effective cleaning up on the offensive glass with a great second jump. A lot of his points came off pure energy. Shoots a good ball and did hit one mid-range jumper, but that will need to improve. Trouble with turnovers when putting it on the deck. Raw upside prospect with a ton of untapped potential! He had 13 points, 16 rebounds, and 4 blocks. One to track at the D1 level.
PG Arthur Carter (East St. Louis – 2017)
Carter is a strong and stocky built lead guard that is a tough scorer around the hoop. Uses his strength to finish through contact and gets to the free throw line at a very high rate. Sound mid-range jump shooter that can also put in a floater from there. Rebounds extremely well for a guard. Carter would be a potential D2 prospect or high level D3/NAIA kid. He had 19 points and 11 rebounds.
PG Cornellius Leflore (East St. Louis – 2019)
Leflore is another new name that came on our radar at this event. The sophomore stands at 5’10”. He is a catch and shoot threat from the perimeter. Had 9 points.
SF Raeshaun Samoa (North Chicago – 2019)
Rangy 6’6” combo forward that is very bouncy. Samoa plays with a high activity level and gets to the foul line. Potential on mid-range shot. He had 10 points and 4 rebounds.
SG Da’Monte Williams (Peoria Manual – 2017 – Committed to Illinois)
The Illini commit took home the MVP of the tournament after a statement performance in the third place game against CBC. The strong and physical shooting guard had one of the best games we have seen him play in his career. He started off on fire from the start opening with a flourish. Williams who playing in front of his future head coach began with a mid-range jumper, and-1, and a deep three. He was in a zone. He continued going to work from there throughout the contest. Williams was very aggressive taking the ball to the rim where he got to the foul line or scored. Great body control at the rim. Williams flew in from the perimeter throughout the game for defensive rebounds grabbing them away from opponents. Also was solid passing the ball having several nice finds to teammates. He finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists.
PG Neshawn Brooks (Peoria Manual – 2017)
Brooks was very good again for Manual. He is the quiet running mate in the backcourt with Da’Monte that just goes about his business and produces. Brooks is a sound perimeter shooter that hit several off the catch. Quality passer that makes decisions on the fly. He has improved his athleticism and is in better shape. Brooks had 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. High level D3/NAIA kid.
SG Deonta Brown (Peoria Manual – 2018)
The junior shooting guard is an athletic wing that slashes and scores in the lane. Quick first step off the bounce. Has body control to finish at the rim. Brown had a sweet 360 finish on a layup early in the game. He had 7 points. One to track more.
PG Adam Miller (Peoria Manual – 2020)
Miller is the early favorite to be the top 2020 prospect in the state of Illinois. The freshman has good size and a frame that he should continue to grow. He wasn’t very good in the first half against CBC. Miller took some forced shots and wasn’t connecting from three. In the second half he got rolling when he started to go to the hoop. Plus ball handler that gets in the lane with ease and finishes well around the hoop. Changes directions in tight spaces. Miller had 11 points. High major prospect.
SF Kale Catchings (CBC, MO – 2018)
The St. Louis product is a strong wing with solid size. He showed that he can take over a game when needed on Saturday. Catchings is at his best slashing to the rim where he consistently converts. Really works well attacking from the mid-post area with a couple quick dribbles and finishing. Plus offensive rebounder that can get them and put it in after securing the rebound. Low-major programs need to be take a serious look at him.
PG Caleb Love (CBC, MO – 2020)
This was my first time seeing the talented St. Louis point guard play. He has a projectable body and feel for the game. Very calm and confident for a freshman. Gets others involved. Quick and shifty ball handler. Solid shooting stroke that is best from the mid-range. He had 9 points.
C Davion Bradford (CBC, MO – 2020)
Bradford is a strongly build and broad shouldered 6’10” freshman post. He looks the part at a young age. Fights hard inside and boxes out on rebounds. Runs the floor well. Offensively he is raw and brings the ball too low at times. Physical tools to work with here. Bradford had 4 rebounds in limited action.
SG Tim Finke (Champaign Central – 2018)
Finke showed off his versatility in the championship game. The 6’5” shooting guard has a great combination of size, skill, and athleticism. He has noticeably gotten stronger in his upper body since the conclusion of the summer. Finke worked most of the night in the middle trying to facilitate their offense against Lanphier’s defense. He made several sweet dishes and also scored in the paint. Hit a mid-range jumper and one big three late, but most of his damage was inside. Jumper which is usually one of his strengths wasn’t falling as he only hit 1-7 from deep. Competed on the defensive glass and had the play of the day with a monster LeBron come from behind block that ricocheted to the other end for a key score late. Finke finished with 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists. High-major prospect.
PG Bailey Dee (Champaign Central – 2018)
The other junior for Champaign Central that is a prospect to track is their point guard. Dee is a strong and stocky build guard in a small stature. He is tough as nails and displays great leadership qualities. Very powerful with the ball scoring off the bounce and converting with acrobatics in the lane. Gets to the charity stripe. Handles it well in tight spaces. Solid rebounder for position. Struggled with some turnovers in the game. Dee finished with 13 points and 5 rebounds.
SF Doug Wallen (Champaign Central – 2017)
Wallen is a versatile 6’5” combo forward that can do a little bit of everything. It wasn’t a huge game for “Ballin Wallen” as he scored 6 points on 3-5 shooting. Hit a deep jumper early and had a quick spin in the lane. Was aggressive flying in to grab rebounds on both ends of the floor. Kept several possessions alive with offensive boards. Wallen had 6 points and 8 rebounds. Should be under consideration at the D2 level.
PG Aundrae Williams (Springfield Lanphier – 2017)
Williams was hot from the perimeter in the championship game. When you are banking in threes you know it is your night. That is exactly what it was for Williams as he started the game off with his defensive intensity really getting after it on that end of the floor as he always does. Quick and athletic combo guard that has active hands and moves great laterally staying in front of his man. Like we said he drilled five big triples for Lanphier in their win. Plus shooter off the catch with pure mechanics. He had 17 points, 3 assists, and 3 steals. More D2 programs need to be recruiting this senior.
PG Yaakema Rose (Springfield Lanphier – 2017)
To be honest for most of the game it wasn’t a stellar performance from Lanphier’s point guard, but when the ‘ship was on the line he brought it! Rose hit some crucial shots late including a three and the layup at the end to seal the deal. Only shot 6-17 from the field, but he hit them when it mattered most late. Did a nice job of getting to the foul line. His defense was superb throughout the contest. In your face defender. Rose had 19 points in the win.
PF Will Boles (Springfield Lanphier – 2017)
Boles is a wide bodied and undersized post that plays physical on the interior mixing it up. Had a tip in off an offensive rebound. Boles went for 4 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 block. D3/NAIA prospect.
SG Cardell McGee (Springfield Lanphier – 2018)
McGee is the best prospect on Lanphier’s roster. He stands at 6’4” with a projectable frame. Early in their game he was a wild with the ball turning it over and taking some bad shots including several air balls. Late in the game he made several key plays off the bounce with back to back finishes on half court drives from the wing. McGee had 9 points and 4 rebounds. Not his best game, but he has mid-major upside.
PF Karl Wright (Springfield Lanphier – 2019)
Wright is a bouncy undersized 6’5” four man that excels being quick to the offensive glass. The skill set isn’t really there at this point offensively. His upside will depend on perimeter development and if he grows. Really athletic kid though. Wright had 2 points and 3 rebounds.
PG PJ Edwards (Springfield Lanphier – 2020)
Edwards didn’t score or even take a shot, but it is worth noting that he didn’t look out of place playing in an intense atmosphere as a freshman. He is one of the best 2020 prospects in the central part of the state and one we will continue to track closely.
SG Quentin Shields (Brooks – 2017)
Shields is an athletic combo guard with a strong upper body. The senior guard is best slashing off the bounce and attacking in the transition game. Has a nice little runner in the lane. Shields went for 18 points in the 7th place game. D3/NAIA prospect.