West Coast Academic Camp: Evaluations
We attended the West Coast Elite High Academic Camp in Waukegan. Here we break down the prospects in attendance with our player evaluations!
Class of 2019
PG Nolan Niego (Lyons)
Niego had quite a day! The Lyons point guard is a crisp ball handler and shooter. He was on fire drilling pull ups from EVERYWHERE! I don’t think I saw him miss a single one. Dishes the rock with a purpose hitting the open guy in a place where they can do damage. Tough, competitive, and leader describe him!
PF Spencer Boehm (New Trier)
Boehm is one of the better power forwards on the board. He is a tough and skilled back to the basket player that is crafty with his moves down low. Really good footwork. Moves well when facing up on occassion and can pass. The Ivy League school that gets him will have a nice four year contributor.
C Isa Maguire (Northfield Mount Hermon)
Maguire is originally from Chicago, but is going to prep school out east. He has gotten alot stronger over the last year. Super athletic around the hoop scoring above the rim. Quality rebounder and shot blocker that is still just scratching the surface of his potential!
PG JR Cison (Lake Zurich)
Cison is a super competitive point guard that plays with a lot of grit and toughness. Crisp ball handler that works well around screens. Quick with the ball in his hands. Can hit jumpers from mid-range.
PG Eric Cannon (Waubonsie Valley)
Cannon shot lights out from around the floor at the camp. He is a lead guard that has a strong and compact build. His pull up game was on point hitting an array of them from 15 feet and stretched it out to three.
SF Sam Silverstein (New Trier)
Silverstien is a versatile wing with some size. He is a quality athlete that showed some burst with the ball off the bounce and finished well around the hoop.
C Alex Timmerman (Crystal Lake)
Timmerman is the state’s #3 center and a recent Bucknell commit. The big man has the ability to create space on the interior and knows how to do damage with his back to the basket. Sound fundamental post that has a soft touch around the hoop. Utilizes a hook shot as well as shot fakes inside. Seals well.
G Will King (Glenbrook South)
King is a jumbo 6’4″ combo guard that was lights out connecting feathery jumpers all over the floor. Effortless release on his shot from both mid-range and three. His best asset might be his passing at his size!
G Luke Chieng (Stevenson)
Chieng was aggressive looking to score it. He scored mostly taking it to the rim and connected on some takes including using a nice scoop shot.
SG Mac Hubbard (Glenbrook South)
Hubbard is a well built two guard that was best shooting it from beyond the arc. Should be a quality spot up shooter at the next level.
PG Josh Berry (Lyons)
Berry is a point guard from Lyons Township that pushed the rock in the open floor. He had a few strong takes to the hoop off the bounce. Most of his scores when we saw him were on layups at the rim.
SF Daniel Belzer (Geneva)
This small forward handles it well in traffic. Hit a nice pick and pop three along with showing some potential defensively moving well laterally.
SG Ryan Trotter (Walter Payton)
Trotter is sound shooter that was particularly effective from mid-range. Drilled pull ups with ease showing easy elevation and a clean looking shot.
SG Chuck Sweat (New Trier)
Sweat opened our eyes with the way he could shoot it. He caught fire from beyond the arc with his jump shot hitting quite a few threes.
PF Jackson Kenyon (Deerfield)
This power forward has quality size and length in the post. Rebounds well in traffic and can attack from the mid-post.
Class of 2020
PG Luke Scheffers (St Charles North)
Sheffers has proven mostly to be a pass first lead guard early in his career. Excellent distributor that works well in the pick and roll finding teammates for clean looks. His scoring game was on point as well Thursday going for 25+ in the game we saw. Smooth pull up shooter that hit from both mid-range and three. Also got loose quite a bit for layups in transition.
SF Jayden Johnson (Batavia)
Johnson was the top prospect at the event checking in at #10 in the 2020 PHI rankings. What you have to love about Johnson’s game is his shooting and basketball IQ. Crafty wing that just knows how to play the game and not force things. Passed it well getting his guys involved while still scoring.
SF Connor Kochera (St Viator)
Kochera is a wing that is seeing his stock steadily rise! He had a quality spring and showed again those aspects that make him one to track. Plus size for position and he is versatile. Handles it well in space taking his man off the dribble, but is equally as effective scoring cutting without the ball getting passes on the move. Really like his all-around game!
SG Matthew Ambrose (Stevenson)
Ambrose didn’t have his usual three point shot falling in the game we saw, but he contributed in other ways. The Stevenson two guard got on the offensive glass for a couple put backs and scored in transition. Tough kid.
SF John Carragher (New Trier)
This forward is a super gritty player. He is a tough basketball player that also has a little skill to him. Connected on a pair of threes and contributed some on the offensive glass.
PF Josh Preston (Geneva)
Preston played maybe the best we have seen him at the High Academic Camp. Displayed a lot more offensive skill than we had seen out of him in the past. He was outstanding passing hitting cutters on a regular basis for easy buckets. Showed an excellent feel finding guys out of the high post. Shot it well too hitting an array of pick and pop shots or threes off the catch.
SG Uchenna Egekeze (Huntley)
This angular wing is the ultimate glue guy. He gets on the glass. Plays well in the open floor as a finisher. Really like his potential defensively long term.
G Oliver Manilow (Francis Parker)
Mailow proved to be a solid scorer that shot it well from the field. He drilled multiple pull ups.
SF Robert Holmes (Stevenson)
Holmes is a 6’4” forward that has athleticism and a super quick second jump off the floor. He made several plays off his energy and athletic ability. Defensively blocked shots inside and even on the perimeter.
SG Dominic Martinelli (Glenbrook South)
Martinelli is a lefty shooting guard that shot it well from the field. He has a clean looking shot from three connecting on several from beyond the arc.
PF Jack Walsh (Sandburg)
This post is intriguing at 6’8” with the mobility he brings to the table. Definitely will need to add on strength in the future, but liked the skill he showed as well as fluid movement. Can hit a mid-range jumper, but leans forward a bit on his shot.
Class of 2021
C Brian Mathews (DePaul Prep)
We haven’t seen this young post in a while and were impressed with the strength he has added on to his frame. Has a nice combination of height and strength already. Showed mobility and a soft touch around the hoop to score regularly.