Show Me Showdown: Scott’s Saturday Standouts
PrepHoopsIllinois took in another great day of games on Saturday at the Show Me Showdown in St. Louis! Here are the standouts from day 2!
F Jason Mason (Chicago Select 17U)
This Providence St. Mel forward is intriguing with his length and mobility as an undersized four man that can play some combo forward at times. He was excellent getting on the offensive glass for put backs. Quickness inside and a good second jump allows him to make second chance plays for his team. Mason flashed a right handed hook shot and made several effective passes in the paint.
SG Elijah Stewart (Chicago Select 17U)
Stewart is a born scorer. The two guard gets downhill and finishes with acrobatics at the cup. Plays well in transition getting up and down the floor both with the ball in his hands and as a wing finisher.
SF Jeremiah Hernandez (Young & Reckless Denard 17U)
Hernandez is one of the more skilled wings in the Illinois 2019 class. The St. Viator small forward did a nice job of finding the vacant spot in the opposing team’s zone and drilled a number of mid-range jump shots from those spots. His passing ability also played well against the zone making quick finds to shooters finding his big men down low.
PF Kendrick Williams (Young & Reckless Denard 17U)
Williams made the move over to Y&R and in his 17U debut the Joliet Central 6’5” strongly built power forward went all beast mode on the glass with his superior strength. Extremely physical post that plays with a mean streak down low. He finishes on dump off passes and offensive rebounds. Also had a nice spin move on the baseline.
G Nate Duckworth (Illinois Warhawks 17U)
Duckworth is a combo guard at 6’0” that hails from Normal West. He did a nice job directing the offense with crisp passes and is definitely a vocal leader on the floor. What Duckworth does best is shoot it from the perimeter. He is a sound three point threat that can hit them both pulling up and off the catch. Shoots it with a lot of confidence.
PG Bryson Cowper (Illinois Warhawks 17U)
This Champaign Centennial 5’10” point guard also made noise shooting the basketball. The guard drilled multiple corner threes to open the contest and would hit several more as the game went along. Should be a sharp shooter during next high school season in central Illinois.
PF Seryee Lewis (Young & Reckless Boateng 16U)
The jump that this Kenwood 6’7” power forward has made in the last six months is significant. He is trending toward being the top post prospect in the June Illinois 2020 rankings update. His play on Saturday showed why he deserves that distinction. Lewis played above the rim with his big time athleticism posting several monster slams. Dunked it in a variety of ways on tip dunks, transition slams, and jams on dump off passes. Even hit a mid-range jumper. Becoming a lot more assertive on the glass.
SG Johnny Close (Young & Reckless Boateng 16U)
Close is a lights out perimeter shooter from Rockford Boylan High School. The 2020 wing is one of the premier shooters off the catch in the state regardless of class. He has solid size and a quick release to get it off over defenders. The athleticism and ability to go around guys on occasion is starting to come around too!
F Gabe Mason (DiverseCity 16U)
Mason is a 2020 6’5” forward from Metamora. He was the go to player for DiverseCity 16U in the game we saw. Could grow a few more inches which would make him even more intriguing as a face up four man. Mason is best spacing the floor as seen by drilling several three point shots. Also is a decent rebounder that will improve even more with that once he adds strength.
PG Trey Boston (Young & Reckless Parham 17U)
Boston is a microwave type scorer. When he gets hot early usually the other team is in for a big game from the Downers Grove North product. He shot it well from three connecting on four in the game. He also displayed his powerful ball handling in the open floor. Went for 17 points.
SG Grant Western (Machine Elite 17U)
Western is a compact two guard that can really shoot the basketball. The Missouri product opened up play on Saturday with a strong performance from beyond the arc. He hit them both off the catch and pulling up. The wings were definitely his go to spots from the field.
SF Riley Oberbeck (Missouri Showtime 17U)
Oberbeck is coming off a strong high school season in Missouri and we can see why. The Missouri Showtime small forward has some height and length on the perimeter. He has a nice looking shot and is a tough rebounder.
G Luke Ervie (Illinois Bears 17U)
Ervie is a player that we see quite a bit during the high school season at Freeburg. Saturday playing up on the 17U level for the Bears the 2020 combo guard put in his best effort of the spring. Not an overly explosive player he knows how to use angles, is crafty in the lane, and plays tough as nails. He made a lot of gritty plays in the lane rebounding well from his guard position. Passed it setting up his shooters. Finished around the hoop and hit a few jumpers. Went for 14 points.
SG Caleb Zurliene (Illinois Bears 17U)
Zurliene also played up on the 17U level. This Breese Mater Dei guard has size for position and should continue to grow. You have to love this kids ability to shoot it from three. Picture perfect shot fundamentally off the catch from deep. He hit a clutch three to temporarily take the lead late. He scored 16 points. A lot of helium heading into June with his high school team.
PG Blake McKay (Illinois Bears 16U)
McKay is a point guard from Woodlawn that has broad shoulders and likes to get in the lane where he can find his teammates with his creative passing. Also is a solid shooter especially from mid-range.
PF Ashawn Burbridge (Illinois T-Wolves 15U)
Burbridge came back with another strong performance on Saturday. The Joliet West 2021 power forward dominated inside. He is a big time rebounder that grabs them in volume consistently. He scores through contact down low and was excellent working on the baseline scoring with quick moves or short jump shots. Finished with 22 points.
SF Andrew Johnson (Illinois T-Wolves 15U)
Johnson is another projectable wing from Joliet West. He had a strong day slashing with strong drives to the hoop off the bounce. Slippery through traffic. Was aggressive in the second half with the ball. He also had his mid-range pull up jumper on point! Went for 18 points.
PG Parker Wolfe (Illinois Bears 15U)
We might have saved the best performance of the day for last! This Effingham 5’9” point guard is a tough scoring lead guard that gets the most out of his ability every time he steps out on the floor. Wolfe lived at the free throw line in the first half against the T-Wolves getting in the lane and drawing contact. Also made some excellent passes including several on the money full court outlets for layups. In the second half he scored with tough jumpers and pushing it in the open floor. He converted some really difficult layups at the rim including the game winner at the buzzer. You can check that shot out below! He had 32 points.