Next Level Invitational: Wednesday Standouts
The NY2LA Sports Next Level Invitational kicked off on Wednesday night at Homestead High School. PrepHoopsIllinois was in the house to take in the action. Here are our standouts from the first night.
SG Eddie Creal (Hoops4Health 17U)
Creal is a 6’3” shooting guard that is transferring to Romeoville next season for his final year of high school ball. He is a strong and athletic wing. Creal throughout his career has heavily relied on his raw tools, but the skill set is starting to progress. His jump shot is making strides in the right direction. We saw him connect on several from three. He will never be a knock down shooter, but it is definitely becoming more of a threat. What he does best is get out in the open floor and finish. Creal did that running the floor hard as a wing finisher and was rewarded with several passes that he converted into slams. He has a chance to be a plus defender with his physical tools, but needs to lock in every possession. Creal is a low-major D1/high end D2 prospect.
PG Brian Conaghan (Hoops4Health 17U)
This New Trier lead guard is a heady floor general that plays the game the right way. He isn’t a guy that is looking for his offense, but rather lets the game come to him. The 2018 guard is a plus shooter especially off the catch. Very quick release once the ball hits his hands with a pure stroke from beyond the arc. Showed some sneaky athleticism as well with a couple nice up and under finishes. Crisp passer that makes sound reads with the ball in his hands. Conaghan should be a priority D3/NAIA prospect.
PG Hayden Sprenkel (SEMO Storm 17U)
The North County High School point guard from Missouri put on a show to open the event! He is a lead guard that works well in the pick and roll and makes good passes in the half court. It was his perimeter shot that took over the game and was a major reason SEMO got an upset victory. He was in a zone throughout the game! The strong shooter has a clean release and once he gets going he can get unconscious. This was my first time seeing him, but looks like a very nice small college prospect.
PF Logan Windeler (Example Sports 17U)
Windeler is a 6’8” power forward that attends Victory Rock Prep in Florida, but is originally from Manteno, Illinois. He is a face up four man that is known for his perimeter shooting. He showed that connecting on a pair to start the game we evaluated. When he is in rhythm he can be a very effective shooter as a floor spacing four. Also showed some of his underappreciated athleticism with a few slashes including an and-1 that he converted. Looking more comfortable handling the ball. This is a prospect that would be worth consideration at the low-major level.
SF Calvin Fisher (Illinois Irish 17U)
Fisher stood out for the Irish on Wednesday night. The 6’6” Monticello wing has plus size for the position with a strong build. Fisher shoots the ball well from three especially off the catch. Also has the ability to mix in a mid-range jumper on occasion. Plays hard and really competes on every possession. Will need to improve lateral quickness on the defensive end. Fisher is a quality small college prospect.
PG Octavius Parker (Playground Elite 17U)
Parker plays his best at Homestead High School. He did it again on Wednesday night. The former Kenwood point guard who will be doing a prep year at Victory Rock in Florida is a combo guard that is a streaky perimeter shooter. When he is hot though he is on fire! Parker shot it well both pulling up and off the catch. Puts a lot of arc on his shot. Mixed in a few slippery drives and passed it well.
F Ethan Schuemer (Mercury Elite 17U)
Schuemer is a skilled 6’5” combo forward from Willowbrook that is in the process of making the transition to the perimeter. He isn’t overly comfortable on the perimeter beyond the arc, but can take his man off the bounce from the mid-post. In this game he used his quickness, skill, and crafty finishing ability on the interior to score at a high rate. Displayed a nice right handed hook shot. Was excellent on the glass. He isn’t the strongest or most athletic player, but has a knack for grabbing rebounds in his area. High level D2 prospect with the chance to sneak into low-major with the right fit.
C Ben Wolf (Mercury Elite 17U)
Wolf is a physical 6’9” center from Naperville Central that has the ability to overpower opponents. We didn’t see that late in the spring and this was one of the prospects we were most looking forward to seeing at this event. He was solid on Wednesday night in our evaluation. Had a couple strong dunks in traffic and finished in the high/low game. A few times lost it in traffic, but overall played much more assertive. The aspect that might have been most impressive was how well he ran the floor for his size. Wolf is a big boy that has some mobility, but we hadn’t seen him run the floor this well in the past and he was rewarded with several transition dunks. Solid rebounder, but would like to see him be even better. Low-major D1 upside/high D2 prospect.