Chicago Elite Classic: 2017 Scouting Pt 2
PrepHoopsIllinois had extensive coverage throughout the weekend of the Chicago Elite Classic featuring many of the top teams and players from the state of Illinois. In this feature we breakdown the scouting reports of the seniors in part two of…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingPrepHoopsIllinois had extensive coverage throughout the weekend of the Chicago Elite Classic featuring many of the top teams and players from the state of Illinois. In this feature we breakdown the scouting reports of the seniors in part two of our look at the 2017 class.
PG Teyvion Kirk (Joliet West – Drake)
Kirk was the star from the state of Illinois on Saturday. The rangy point guard had one of his best high school showings. Despite being in foul trouble for chunks of the game he was insanely productive and helped lead Joliet West to a big win over North Lawndale. Kirk was outstanding getting in the lane and converting in the paint. Slippery through traffic with the ball. Likes to use the euro step in the lane. Also used his defense to flip into points by getting blocks/steals and going coast to coast for buckets. The Drake commit had 27 points (10-11 FG) and 8 rebounds.
SF Trevian Bell (Joliet West – UW Green Bay)
Bell is a 6’5” small forward that has already signed with UW Green Bay. The senior was nonexistent in the first half as he has significant trouble finishing at the rim. He got it going in the second half with a wing three, couple scores in the paint including a seal for a bucket, and got to the foul line at a very high rate. Bell had 21 points in the win.
SF Elijah Ward (Joliet West)
We were extremely impressed with what Ward brought to the table in their contest against North Lawndale. Ward is a 6’5” small forward that has a good strength, length, and athleticism combo. He handles the ball a lot especially when Kirk was in foul trouble. Played a point forward role getting his team into the offense. Rebounded at a very high clip consistently clearing the defensive glass. Big wing defender. Ward had 5 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 assists. Projects as a JUCO prospect.
SG Carlos Hines (North Lawndale)
Hines is one of the top shooting guards remaining on the board in the state of Illinois. The senior stands at 6’3” with plus athleticism. He has a scorer’s mentality seeking his shot. Hines has a good looking stroke from three and is capable of knocking them down. At times forces some jumpers. He is best when attacking off the bounce where he has an explosive first step and finishes with body control. Sweet euro step in the open floor. Potential on the defensive end at the next level with his tenacity and quickness. Hines is a volume scorer that struggles with turnovers at times. He had 16 points (6-14 FG). Low-major prospect.
SG Martrell Barnes (North Lawndale)
This was our first time seeing Barnes play. He stands at 6’2” with a strong build. Power two guard that plays on ball aggressive defense. Also rebounds well for a guard on both ends of the floor. Offensively Barnes is a slasher that attacks the basket from the perimeter and mid-post area with a couple quick dribbles. Smooth acceleration with the ball. Barnes gets to the charity stripe at a high rate. Jumper from 15-18 feet looks solid mechanically. He had 20 points and 6 rebounds. Quality JUCO prospect.
PG Steven Ross (North Lawndale)
Ross is a 6’1” point guard that is usually a good perimeter shooter. He was only 1-5 from three in this game. Quick stroke and sound mechanically on the jumper. Hit a runner in the lane and made a couple dishes inside. Ross had 7 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists. D3/NAIA prospect.
PG Nojel Eastern (Evanston – Purdue)
Eastern had the huge task of trying to carry his team against an absolutely stacked Montverde squad out of Florida. The 6’6” point forward looked to score to try to keep up with the non-stop scoring on the other end. He was at his best attacking and getting to the charity stripe where he didn’t miss from the foul line. Also got on the offensive glass for a few put backs. Really struggled shooting it from the perimeter as he was 0-6 from three. The Purdue commit had 17 points (5-17 FG) and 7 rebounds.
SG Christian Hamil (Evanston)
Hamil is a prospect that has peaked our interest early in the season. The 6’4” wing has quality strength and athleticism. Springy athlete that pops out on the floor even with a lot of talented players out there. Solid perimeter shooter that can be streaky at times. Plus free throw shooter that gets to the line. He had 11 points and 5 rebounds. High end D3/NAIA target.
PF Elyjah Williams (Evanston)
At 6’7” Williams has a strong build. He is a great area rebounder that boxes out his man and secures the board. As an offensive threat he plays within himself. Williams is physical around the hoop and scores in the paint with strength and a soft touch. He had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Small college prospect.
PG Evan Gilyard (Simeon – UTEP)
The UTEP commit drilled 3-6 from three point in their game against Gonzaga. He is small in stature, but plays with a lot of heart. Fast guard that likes to get out and run in the open floor really pushing the tempo. Gilyard had 13 points in a win.
SG Lucas Williamson (Whitney Young)
Williamson is one of the top uncommitted prospects in the state of Illinois. He is a 6’5” wing with a projectable body. The senior is a stat sheet stuffer. Contributes across the board. Offensively as a scorer Williamson hit a trio of triples with a smooth stroke. Also was tough on the offensive glass with a few put backs. Loves to use euro step in transition and had a sweet one against Kenwood. He rebounded at a high rate and shared the ball as a distributor. Williamson had 25 points (9-15 FG), 11 rebounds, and 3 assists. Mid-major and low-major schools need to be recruiting this unsigned senior.
PF Manny Patterson (Kenwood)
The biggest man of the floor for Kenwood stepped up! Patterson who stands at 6’8” with a grown man’s body played physical and tough in the paint against a Whitney Young team that had no size to match up with him. Patterson was a beast on the glass throughout the contest. He consistently high pointed rebounds and snatched 50/50 balls with his strong hands. Was assertive manning the paint on the defensive end of the floor. Offensively he showed flashes of improved skill with a few hook shots and a mid-range jumper. Was overall efficient from the field. Patterson had 16 points (7-11 FG) and 14 rebounds. He is the top uncommitted post in the state. Should attract more mid-major and low-major interest/offers after this performance.
PG Octavius Parker (Kenwood)
It was an outstanding game from Parker. The 6’1” combo guard is a spot up shooter that can be streaky at times, but when he is locked in can get really hot. He was just that against Whitney Young. Parker drilled six 3’s on 6-11 from deep. The senior is ready shoot when spotting up from beyond the arc. Would like to see him diversify the offensive game a little more. Hit the glass well. Parker had 20 points and 7 rebounds. Projects as a D2-/high D3 prospect.
PG Bryson Langdon (Kenwood)
Langdon quietly ran the show and got everyone involved for his team. The transfer from out of Utah pushes it in transition with speed in the open floor. Made several outstanding passes the length of the floor for assists. Ran the show for Kenwood in a huge win on the big stage. Scoring he had an acrobatic and-1 at the rim and a nice pull up mid-range jumper. Finished with 9 points and 9 rebounds. D2-/D3+ prospect.