Illinois Scouting: Salem Invitational Day 4 Standouts
Two things are the norm at the Salem Invitational Tournament. Centralia plays Edwardsville in the title and it is an epic game. After Edwardsville winning crown for several years the Orphans took it back with an overtime win behind MVP…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingTwo things are the norm at the Salem Invitational Tournament. Centralia plays Edwardsville in the title and it is an epic game. After Edwardsville winning crown for several years the Orphans took it back with an overtime win behind MVP D’Aaron Owens. Here we break down the standouts from the final day of the SIT.
PG D’Aaron Owens (Centralia – 2016)
Owens might be only 5’9”, but D2/D3/NAIA/JUCO coaches are insane for not recruiting him! Owens put his team on his back and carried them making huge plays all night against a team with potentially 5 D1 athletes. Owens is so smart with the ball in his hands and is great at making decisions whether it is scoring or finding open shooters/cutters. His quickness off the bounce allows him to get by bigger defenders with ease where he finishes with runners and scoop shots consistently in the paint. Works very well in ball screens. Adequate three point shooter. Defensively he is pesky at the point of attack causing havoc. Did a great job on the much bigger Edwardsville guards throughout the night. He had 23 points in an MVP performance.
SG Tyriq Billberry (Centralia – 2016)
Crafty 6’2” shooting guard that just knows how to play the game. He can shoot it spotting up and is best driving and converting crafty finishes inside. Billberry had a huge bucket on a drive late in OT. He had 11 points. Small college prospect.
PF AJ Epenesa (Edwardsville – 2017)
The Iowa football commit is an elite player on the gridiron, but if he chose to play hoops would probably be a great mid-major talent. At 6’6” he is physically imposing around the rim with his strength. Not only that, but he has sound footwork, mobility, and touch to finish. He wasn’t finishing as often as usual when fouled on and-1 opportunities, but he got two points at the free throw line almost every time as he is a plus free throw shooter. In the fourth quarter he dominated inside both rebounding and scoring until he fouled out of the game. He had 24 points and 8 rebounds.
SF Oliver Stephen (Edwardsville – 2017)
Stephen couldn’t get loose early. The 6’4” sharp shooter got it going in the second half. He had a great drive from the wing showing an area of his game we haven’t seen consistently. That was followed by a three which we have seen a ton of! Then a layup to close the third quarter. Moves well without the ball to get open and is a plus shooter. Solid rebounder for his position. To take the next step in his development he will need to consistently be able to score in other ways, but no doubt he is a D1 prospect with the way he strokes it from three. He finished with 13 points.
PG Grant Wolfe (Effingham – 2017)
The 6’0” point guard from Effingham is tough competitor at the lead guard position that has the ability to take over games. He did just that against Mattoon. Wolfe used his strong ball handling and quickness to get in the paint where he finished. Solid perimeter shooter that is more than capable of hitting a three. Speed in the open floor is impressive. He plays under control and has solid court vision to find teammates. Aware defender that gets his hands on the ball. He had 23 points in the consolation championship game.
F Jacob Donaldson (Effingham – 2017)
This 6’6” forward showed his shooting touch early in the week. Against Mattoon he displayed more athleticism and mobility around the hoop than I thought. Quality area rebounder that runs the floor. Finished with 8 points.
SG Drake Jeffries (Mattoon – 2017)
Bright spot for Mattoon was Jeffries. The projectable 6’3” shooting guard has a long and lanky frame. He has a low release point on his jumper, but overall sound mechanically. He shows potential with it in the catch and shoot. Needs to get stronger and finish better at the rim. The junior had 8 points.
PG Braden Fitzjerrells (Mt. Vernon – 2016)
Another electric performance from Fitzjerrells. He had his entire scoring repertoire working against TF South in the 3rd place game. The Lindenwood-Belleville commit went for 34 points.
PF Malcolm Ruff (Mt. Vernon – 2016)
The athletic 6’6” four man continues to grow on me. Showed his quickness and mobility off in this one. Can handle it a little in the open floor and finished in transition. Ruff had 28 points. D3/NAIA/JUCO prospect with upside!