Mr. Basketball Candidate: Talen Horton-Tucker
In this series we take a look at the potential candidates for Mr. Basketball in the state of Illinois for this upcoming season. Here we profile Simeon 2018 small forward Talen Horton-Tucker.
Profile:
THT is one of the most versatile prospects in the state of Illinois. He has the ability to score at multiple levels and has a crafty handle which allows him to get where he needs to on the floor. Plus passer for a wing with a good feel for the game. Absolutely a stat sheet stuffer that consistently puts up production game in and game out. He is the #2 overall prospect in the 2018 class in Illinois.
Odds to Win:
3/1
Why He Can Win:
Horton-Tucker puts himself in good position for this award preseason for a few reasons. He is the best player on one of the elite teams in the state of Illinois. The Simeon name is well known throughout the state and they are going to play high profile games in multiple events, tournaments, and shootouts throughout the year where he will have his chance to capture the crown. He puts up numbers across the board so his stat line is going to look impressive in the box score every night.
Obstacles to Win:
One of the obstacles for THT is how loaded Simeon is going to be this year. They have an incredible depth of upperclassmen that have come up through the program together. Then throw in the transfers it makes for a stacked team, but will THT get to shine as much as he did in July with Team Rose? Also sometimes the Simeon thing can go against a player because voters that aren’t as familiar are going to say well yes he is good, but he isn’t Jabari Parker or Derrick Rose.