Team Rose: Saturday Standouts
PrepHoopsIllinois was at Mt. Carmel High School all day Saturday for the 10th Annual Team Rose Shootout! Check out our standout performers from the first day of action!
SG Robert Harvey (Hillcrest – 2018)
Harvey was the best we have ever seen him on Saturday. The 6’3” shooting guard came out on fire against Romeoville drilling seemingly everything he put up. Harvey hit three triples and looked confident shooting it. Clean stroke with elevation and rotation on the shot. Also hit a tough turnaround fade away. Plus athlete that can finish above the rim in transition. Posted up smaller defenders when those opportunities presented themselves. Harvey struggled in our evaluations of him over the summer, but he was very good against Romeoville dropping 22 points. No brainer at the D2 level and could attract low-major interest if he consistently plays like this throughout the remainder of his senior campaign.
PF Dontia Johnson (Romeoville – 2018)
Johnson was outstanding in their win over Hillcrest. Of the Romeoville “Big Three” he was the guy in this game. The 6’7” senior forward struggles a lot with consistency from game to game, but brought it in this one. He had five offensive rebound put backs! Played with a higher motor and was assertive on the glass. Mixed in a couple runners/floaters, but it was his ability to own the offensive boards that ultimately lead Romeoville to a win. He had 20 points and 11 rebounds. Should be monitored at the D2 level and could possibly be a good JUCO candidate to get more seasoning to his game.
SG Aaron Strong (Farragut – 2019)
It was a bit of a slow start in the first game of the day for Farragut junior wing Aaron Strong. He stands at 6’1” with a powerful body. Not the most athletic prospect and lacks that explosive burst off the bounce. What he did do well was shoot it from mid-range and hit a couple threes. Clean looking stroke from the perimeter. When he does get inside he has the ability to play physical through contact. Strong had 15 points. Projects as a good D3/NAIA prospect.
SF Charles McKinney (Joliet West – 2018)
McKinney was the only consistent scoring threat for Joliet West. The 6’2” wing plays bigger than his size with his length and how angular he is. McKinney handles it well slashing taking quality angles to the hoop. At times he can over dribble. Had a nice euro step finish along with another and-1 at the cup. Drilled a mid-range pull up. Slippery through traffic, but lacks the vertical explosiveness off the ground to finish consistently. Potential on the defensive end. He had 14 points. Quality small college prospect.
PG Markese Jacobs (Uplift – 2019)
Jacobs once again came off the bench for Uplift. The Kansas commit has done it ever since returning to Uplift after a brief stint in Arizona at a prep school. He was instant offense in the second quarter. The 6’0” junior guard is strong and uber athletic. Finishes above the rim in transition and can make some acrobatic finishes at the cup around defenders. He is at his best when he is aggressive taking his man off the bounce and getting to the rim. Mixed in a few pull up jumpers and some free throws. Jacobs had 20 points. Top 5 prospect in the 2019 class in Illinois.
PF Toraze Dobbs (Uplift – 2018)
Dobbs is a junk yard dog on the high school level. He is 6’6” with a strong frame and he is powerful finishing around the rim. Not a great athlete which will limit him long term, but at the high school level he is a monster on the offensive glass mauling opponents for second chance opportunities. He had four offensive rebounds that he converted for points. Can hit an occasional mid-range jumper, but was inconsistent from three. His lack of burst off the bounce will make him a small college four man at the next level. Finished with 20 points.
SG Lance Jones (Evanston – 2019)
Jones had one of the more impressive performances of the day. The 6’2” junior showed more combo guard skills than we had seen in the past out of him. Jones passed it very well especially in the drive and kick and made several other dishes for assists on the interior. If he can prove he is a point guard at the college level his stock will rise even more! As a scorer he put on a show early in their win over Uplift. He drilled mid-range jumpers for days off the bounce. He is a plus shooter off the dribble getting elevation and balance each time. Also hit a pair of threes including a step back. Pushes it in transition and has a great burst with the rock in his hands. Plus athlete that is starting to come into his own. Rebounds well for a guard and competes defensively. He had 20 points and 10 rebounds. Mid-major and low-major D1s need to start investing some time with this guard.
PG Jaheim Holden (Evanston – 2019)
Holden is a 5’10” junior point guard that is quick and shifty with the ball in his hands. Slick handles creating off the bounce and uses hesitation to his advantage to keep opponents guessing. Slippery getting the hoop where he likes to use a runner. Also hit a pair of threes off the catch. Drive and kick facilitator at the point guard position. Went for 17 points. This floor general should be tracked at the D2 level.
SG RJ McGee (Kenwood – 2018)
McGee is continuing a strong senior campaign. He wasn’t quite as good as a week ago at Chicago Elite Classic, but still was the man that put Kenwood over the top in their win over Brother Rice. The biggest aspect we have noticed with McGee early in the year is his confidence that he knows he is good and will put his team on his back when he needs to do that. The 6’5” senior has the size and athleticism for the shooting guard position at the next level. He is best shooting it off the catch where he can get his feet set before letting it fly. Drilled a nice pick/pop three. Got to the line a decent amount. He had an explosive jam in transition. McGee went for 17 points. Projects as a low-major/D2 prospect.
SF Josh Boulanger (Brother Rice – 2018)
Boulanger is a very underrated prospect that not many talk about. We have been fans of his since we saw him in the spring with Chicago Lockdown. The 6’3” small forward plays much bigger than his height with his springy legs and ability to get on the glass. Monster on the offensive boards with his quick second jump and feel for where it is coming off the rim. Right now he is mostly a player that gets junk points inside and finishes in transition. Jumper is a work in progress. Competes on the defensive end and has a chance to be above average on that end. He had 12 points. Needs to be a kid that small colleges take a long look at!