Steve’s Riverside Brookfield Standouts
This weekend was the annual Riverside Brookfield Shootout where the top high schools in the Chicago area get a preview of next season team. Here are some of the players who made major contributions to their high school programs.
SG Robert Harvey (Hillcrest – 2018)
Harvey will play a major leadership role for the Hawks this upcoming season. He showed great poise this weekend. Robert got out quick on breaks spotting up for threes and making hard drives to the rim. Harvey is an excellent shooter who made several three pointers over the weekend. I expect to see his game mature and become a low-major prospect.
PG Xavier Castaneda (Whitney Young – 2018)
The Whitney Young guard made the game easier for himself and his teammates. As he does often Xavier gets the ball into transition and goes to work. He sees the floor well delivering on point passes and finished through contact if the defense was playing back. Xavier showed some athleticism on a break when he put down a two handed slam. Castenda is a mid-major talent who has an high IQ on the court. Look for a huge breakout season from him.
PG Jeremiah Washingson (Bogan – 2019)
Washington is a dynamic basketball player with the ball in his hands. He kept defenders of balance with straight line drives. Used his speed with his quickness and shifty crossovers. Jeremiah played with an injured ankle on Sunday but it didn’t seem to stop his progress on the court. His jump shot has improved and he is starting to score on all three levels.
SG Perry Cowan Jr (DePaul Prep – 2019)
Cowan has become the master of the mid-range jump shot! He is deadly when his pull up jump shot is falling. Perry’s frame is starting to look slim so naturally he’s showing he will become more athletic around the basket. His second jump is pretty quick. It helps him with put backs and dunks on the offensive glass. I like what his future can become if he improves his ball handling. Cowan is a walking stat stuffer. Will be a mid-major plus guy.
SG Jayden Gasby (Curie – 2018)
Jayden is a physical guard who can put it on the floor and eat up contact when around the rim. He scores in many ways. Gasby plays hard and he plays with a lot of grit that Curie will lose with the graduation of Terry Smith Jr. He’s still learning his new role with the Condors as he and two other transfers (Maurice Commander and Marquise Walker) upgrade an already solid Curie squad. Will be a key factor in his team’s state run.
C Jalen Shaw (Larkin – 2018)
The Larkin big man went to work this weekend eating up rebounds as well as showing some nifty moves around the rim. Jalen isn’t the most athletic big, but he is very good at using his length really well. Shaw showed major improvements in his post game as well as his movements around the basket. College coaches will love the fact that he’s rebounding out of his area and could grab the attention of some mid plus schools.
F Messiah Jones (Simeon – 2018)
Messiah has been under the radar a little this spring, but he reminded us this weekend how explosive he is and what he does so well changing shots and cleaning up any and everything around the rim. Jones has been working to become more a perimeter player for college, but one thing he hasn’t change is his tenacity on the boards a skill that colleges love to have. Now with Simeon adding another perimeter guy in Zion Young. Look for Messiah to be one of the most explosive bigs in the CPS.