Illinois Scouting: Mt. Vernon vs Carbondale
Friday night we were in attendance for our final time at Mt. Vernon’s historic gym as it will be the last season of their current school building. We caught the Rams game against Carbondale and got a look at their…
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Continue ReadingFriday night we were in attendance for our final time at Mt. Vernon’s historic gym as it will be the last season of their current school building. We caught the Rams game against Carbondale and got a look at their 2018 duo of Darius Beane and Kani Acree. In the end it was Lindenwood Belleville commit Braden Fitzjerrells and the game of his life from post Roiyell Nesbitt that gave Mt. Vernon the 61-55 win. Here is our breakdown of the prospects in this one.
PG Braden Fitzjerrells (Mt. Vernon – 2016)
The Lindenwood Belleville commit put on a show in front of one of his future coaches. The 5’8” junior had his pull up three on point early in the game. He is so quick with his handles and has the ability to stop and pop in someone’s face for a three in the blink of an eye. Fitz mixed in a couple strong drives and excellent passes to lead his team to victory. He had 21 points, 7 rebounds, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals.
C Roiyell Nesbitt (Mt. Vernon – 2016)
For 6’8” Roiyell Nesbitt it was the game of his life on Friday. The big bodied post played outstanding against a smaller Carbondale front line. He was physical backing his man down in the post and getting deep position before the catch on a consistent basis. Nesbitt has a soft touch around the hoop and the lefty knows how to use the glass. Solid free throw stroke as well. He had 16 points in the win. Should rebound at a higher rate for size. Could be intriguing upside post for JUCO programs.
PF Malcolm Ruff (Mt. Vernon – 2016)
Ruff was solid, but not spectacular for the Rams. The 6’6” athletic four man flashed his ability with a 15 foot baseline jumper and a quick move inside where he faked his man and finished around the hoop. Ruff moves well for his size and can handle it in the open floor. Projectable big with athleticism that should be considered by JUCO programs as well as D3/NAIAs. He had 9 points.
G Darius Beane (Carbondale – 2018)
Beane was the main reason we wanted to see this game. The 6’3” guard has a long and rangy frame with good athleticism. He is starting to get stronger in his legs and his athleticism continues to improve because of it. Beane is playing more on the ball this year where he shows off his vision as a distributor. He makes crisp passes to shooters and slashers. Beane handles the ball well with slick combination moves and a lethal crossover where he can leave his opponent in the dust. He had one and-1 where he got to the hoop very smoothly. Likes to use jab fake to set up moves. Perimeter jump shot has made strides and is a major weapon. He was on fire particularly in the third quarter drilling three after three. He stepped into them confidently whether it was pulling up off the bounce or off the catch. Balanced, gets elevation, and has good mechanics at the top of the release. All night against Mt. Vernon he was face guarded and they were zoned in on him. Beane had a couple nice rebounds including one where he skied in through traffic on the offensive end. After a slow start Beane finished with 17 points, 3 assists, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal. If he can show that burst both scoring and passing that he did in the second half on a consistent basis he is easily one of the more projectable guards in the class. That third quarter in particular showed the dominant potential Beane has in his game. Just need to see that throughout entire games.
SF Kani Acree (Carbondale – 2018)
Acree is a 6’4” small forward with a strong build. He plays mostly inside for his high school team, but projects on the perimeter long term. The sophomore is a power driver that handles the ball well with both hands and can take his man to the hoop with his off hand to score. Defensively Acree is extremely active. He has a knack for getting in passing lanes and picking the pocket of his opponent. Also is a solid shot blocker. Quality rebounder that snatches them with two hands. Once his perimeter game rounds out we are definitely looking at a D1 prospect here. Acree had 6 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 blocks, and 1 assist.
SG Shahere Lark (Carbondale – 2016)
Lark is the go to senior for Carbondale. The 6’1” power guard does most of his damage on the interior where he uses his strength and jukes to keep defenders off balance. While not overly athletic Lark has the ability to be crafty in the lane scoring. Showed a euro step and late in the game hit a pair of 10 foot jumpers. Finished with 17 points. Worth a look for D3/NAIA programs.