O’fallon Shootout Top Performers
The 2nd Annual Bank of O’Fallon Shootout was a huge success on Saturday with some of the top teams and players in the state of Illinois. The stars showed out at this first class event! Here were the standout performers. …
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Continue ReadingThe 2nd Annual Bank of O’Fallon Shootout was a huge success on Saturday with some of the top teams and players in the state of Illinois. The stars showed out at this first class event! Here were the standout performers. Check back throughout the week for breakdowns of prospects in each class.
SG Jordan Goodwin (Belleville Althoff – 2017)
Best performance of the day. Best performance I have witnessed out of the state’s #2 junior. The two boxes in Goodwin’s game that needed to be checked off this season were athleticism and jump shot. He has slimmed down which has allowed him to be quicker and more explosive. The junior cuffed the ball and threw down an impressive dunk that had the crowd going crazy. His lateral quickness defensively continues to make strides. The other box was his biggest weakness with his jump shot. I don’t know if I had ever seen him hit more than one jumper in a game. This game he knocked in 6 or 7 of them. He was in a rhythm, had great form, and drilled them! If he does this consistently he is completely and utterly unguardable. Also Goodwin does what he is best at which is attack downhill getting in the paint and finishing through contact. Such a powerful player around the rim where he also has great body control. Dominant offensive rebounder and plays with an off the charts motor. Plus passer for an off guard. Goodwin is starting to become the complete package as a prospect. He had 30 points (11-18 FG), 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.
PG Charlie Moore (Morgan Park – 2016)
Moore put on a show for the southern Illinois fans. In reality it was just a solid game for those of us who have seen him over the years, but he really was a crowd pleaser. The Memphis commit got to the rim throughout the night beating anyone who tried to check him with relative ease. Finished with high flying layups where he shielded the ball from his defenders. He was unguardable in one on one situations and attacked strong off ball screens. Pushed the tempo in transition with his speed and vision. Moore’s perimeter shot wasn’t falling, but it didn’t matter because he got wherever he wanted on the floor and flipped turnovers into points in the blink of an eye. He had 25 points (9-18 FG), 6 assists, and 4 rebounds. Leader for Mr. Basketball and remains the state’s top senior prospect.
SF Nick Robinson (Kenwood – 2016)
Kenwood senior small forward Nick Robinson is a versatile scorer that is continuing to round out his game. The most impressive development is the consistency on his jump shot. Robinson was knocking them in from all over the floor with confidence especially pulling up off the bounce. Can hit it from both mid-range and three. He is very comfortable working out of the mid and high post areas where he can back his man in, face up to take them off the bounce, or hit a jumper. Also sees the floor well and is a better passer than I even thought. Rebounding continues to improve as well as he snatches them out of the air. Robinson went for 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists against a very good Althoff team. After his decommitment from Indiana State the top 10 overall prospect is the best wing on the board and mid-major schools need to take a long hard look at him!
PF Nick Rakocevic (St. Joseph’s – 2016)
Another big time performance out of this year’s Mr. Double Double. The 6’11” Rakocevic was a beast on the glass all night! Particularly on the offensive end where grabbed a ridiculous 12 offensive rebounds. His second jump ability and feel for where the ball is coming off the rim continues to get better each time out. Once he adds more strength in college it will get even better. Rakocevic scored in a variety of ways on post ups, face up mid-range jumpers, got to the foul line at a high rate. He played physical against a much thicker post in CBC’s Duane Clark. Defensively his length was a factor inside. Although he missed some easy shots around the hoop he still finished with a very productive stat line going for 27 points, 18 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 blocks, and 3 steals. High major prospect and the state’s premier uncommitted senior.
C Barret Benson (Hinsdale South – 2016)
The Northwestern commit had a significant height advantage on his opponent Centralia and as the game went along he started to utilize it. Benson is a big bodied 6’10” center that understands how to post up. He gives his guards a wide target to throw the ball into, knows how to position his body, and seals off his man better than anyone in Illinois. I love how Benson keeps the ball high and doesn’t allow opponents to swipe at it. The area his game that has continued to develop greatly is his face up jump shot. It has extended from 10 feet out to 15-18 feet where he is comfortable knocking down mid-range jumpers with consistency. Defensively he has ability as a shot blocker. Would like to see him be a more consistently productive rebounder. Great pick up for Northwestern. He finished with 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 blocks.
PF Luke Davis (Dekalb – 2016)
Davis is a 6’8” 235 pound post with a big upper body. The area of his game that stands out the most is his ability to be mobile in the paint at his size. He does a great job of moving on the interior reposting and sealing his opponent off for scores. Davis shoots a high percentage from the field and has a soft touch around the basket. He is also a terrific passing big man that sees the floor both out of the high-post and on the block. Should find a home a JUCO program where he can be developed. Davis had 14 points (7-11 FG), 7 rebounds, and 6 assists.
PG D’Aaron Owens (Centralia – 2016)
In my opinion this is the state’s most underrated prospect. At 5’9” his size scares some coaches away, but there is no doubt he can flat out play. Owens has a tremendous feel for the game as a distributor, but it was his scoring that was on full display at O’Fallon early. The senior opened the game with 11 points in a row. He can score in a variety of ways particularly getting in the lane off the bounce finishing with floaters and scoop shots. Perimeter jumper has also greatly improved. His vision in the half court is a major weapon hitting cutters as well as guys cross court on a regular basis for open looks. Owens had 27 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists against a quality Chicago team with a high major center. D2 kid in my eyes and an absolute no brainer for every single D3, NAIA, and most JUCO’s in the Midwest.
SG Brandon Trimble (St. Joseph’s Odgen – 2017)
The 6’2” junior put himself on the radar with his performance against Nashville. Trimble is a plus mid-range shooter that gets elevation on his shot. Moves well without the ball off curls, but can also hit it pulling up with a smooth looking stroke. Also an above average athlete Trimble has the ability to explode to the hoop with a strong first step and finishes well around the hoop in both the half court and in transition. Solid passer that has an overall feel for the game. He had 24 points and 3 assists. Worth monitoring going forward.
SG Xavier Sneed (Hazelwood Central, MO – 2016)
Sneed is an explosive 6’6” shooting guard with great size and athleticism. When he is the featured player he can be a dominant scorer. Huge opening quarter for the Kansas State commit. The explosive wing hit several pull up threes with a clean looking stroke although he started to go to it a little too much in their comeback attempt. Sneed knows how to use his elite athleticism and explosive first step to get to the rim off the bounce. Shot it well from the free throw line connecting on 12-14. Also did a nice job on the glass high pointing and snatching rebounds. Sneed had 31 points and 9 rebounds.
PG Jordan Barnes (CBC, MO – 2016)
It was a quiet first half for the Indiana State commit, but he got it going in the second half. The first thing he did well was getting to the free throw line and converting. Barnes went 13-13 from the line in the second half. Consistently got in the lane and to the rim where he was either fouled or converted acrobatic layups. Solid pull up shooter. Pushes the ball in the open floor with his speed. He had 21 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block.