Next Level Invitational: Recruiting Notebook
PrepHoopsIllinois continues our coverage of the Next Level Invitational with our Recruiting Notebook from the event. Here we provide updates on prospects at all college levels from around the state!
Josh Berry (Lyons)
Scoring point guard that has a feel for the game. Berry tells us he is hearing from Carnegie Mellon, New York University, MIT, Rochester, and Macalester. He has visited Williams College for a camp. Also visited Carnegie Mellon in June. He will be visiting MIT and Columbia after July. Also wants to get out to NYU and Rochester as well.
Fillip Bulatovic (Maine South)
This is a two guard that can score the basketball! He is talking to North Central, Quincy, Augustana, Illinois Wesleyan, and Illinois College. Bulatovic knows he wants to get out to a visit to Augustana. St. Norbert’s and St. Mary’s both want him to visit.
Luke Yoder (Bloomington Central Catholic)
Yoder landed an offer from Eastern Illinois before the live period opened up. On EIU he said, “I really like the coach. He is really positive. Really good guy to talk too.” Picked up a pair of D2 offers from Quincy and Truman State at the Next Level Invitational. Other schools to show interest include SIU-Edwardsville, Air Force, West Point, Cornell, and Penn. He will visit Penn in August.”
Payton Havens (Metamora)
Havens attended elite camps at Columbia College and Minnesota State. Tough and competitive point guard.
Mitch Mascari (Geneva)
Mascari landed an offer from D2 Winona State over the weekend. He says his recruitment has really picked up with other recent offers coming from Quincy and St. Cloud State. Mascari said of Quincy “They text me a lot. I like their coaching staff. They seem like a fun staff.” On St. Cloud State he mentioned “I went to their elite camp and it was a cool gym. Their coaches were cool and had good personalities. Easy to bond with.” Lewis is also showing quite a bit of interest.
Aidan Shore (Sterling)
The 6’10” big man tells us he has offers from St. Cloud State and Lewis. He spoke about those two offers, “I have had a great relationship with St. Cloud. We talk a lot on the phone. It is a nice school and I like their gym. With Lewis I don’t know a lot. I just met their coach for the first time last week.” Interest from Denver, Western Illinois, Eastern Illinois, Lafayette, Western Michigan, and Ball State.
Justin Eagins (Downers Grove South)
Eagins was on fire from the perimeter shooting lights out at Next Level. He tells us that programs interested include UIC, North Dakota State, Wofford, Lewis, and Grand Valley State. No offers on the table. Grand Valley State, UIC, and Wofford are showing the most interest and he would like to see their schools.
Jack McDonald (Geneva)
This high IQ point guard updated us with the latest saying that he is hearing from a lot of D2s and D3s. Landed his first offer from St. Cloud State in June. He was excited about that offer, “I went up there for their elite camp and liked it. Great facilities and coaches.” Other programs talking to him include Quincy, University of Mary, Northern Michigan, Augustana, and Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Anthony Roberts (Oak Park River Forest)
Roberts says he has heard from Central Michigan and Northern Illinois. Aurora University along with some other small colleges have shown interest.
Donovan Clay (Alton)
Clay is a 3 and D guy that has spoken with SEMO, Utah State, and SIU-Edwardsville. He has not taken any visits so far.
Malek Davis (Cardinal Ritter, MO)
Davis has spoken to SEMO, Eastern Illinois, SIU-Edwardsville, Rockhurst, and Quincy. He has an offer from Maryville. He talked about them saying, “I like coach Stricker. He was the first person to give me a chance. I like them a lot.”
Ray Adams (Webster Groves, MO)
Adams is a sharp shooter that has been in communication with SEMO, UMSL, Northwest Missouri State, and Rockhurst. Hit some big shots for Ramey-Jets United over the weekend.
Martin Macenis (Willowbrook)
It’s crazy to me that this 6’5” top 25 prospect still doesn’t have an offer. Schools that are talking to him include UIC and Southern Illinois. He says that he would like to visit both of those programs.
Deng Reng (Wheaton North)
Reng says the latest school to contact him is UMass-Lowell. Others to contact him are Kent State, Oakland, Central Michigan, Southern Illinois, and Colorado State. Kent State is a school that intrigues him and would like to check out. He plans on making a late college choice playing his senior season out.
Matas Masys (Willowbrook)
This sharp shooter has a variety of interest from Augustana, MIT, and Amherst. He attended the Brown and Princeton elite camps. Cornell has spoken with him.
Ryland Holt (Gibson City)
Holt was one of the prospects that created the most buzz among schools at the Next Level Invitational. Holt picked up offers from Truman State and Illinois-Springfield. A lot of coaches monitoring him including Illinois Wesleyan, Augustana, Macalester, and Quincy.
CJ Wilbourn (Normal Community)
Wilbourn really opened eyes with his improved face up game. He will visit Cornell in early August. Eastern Illinois is a school that he will get out to. Northwest Missouri State, Minnesota State, and West Point are showing interest.
Deonte Billups (Moline)
Billups recently got an offer from D2 McKendree. D1’s that are monitoring him include Bradley, Drake, Utah State, and St. Louis.
Jamir Price (Rock Island)
The explosive guard tells PHI that he is in communication with Bradley, Northwest Missouri State, and he holds an offer from D2 Quincy. “I like that they were the first ones to pull it! They trust me and believe in me. It was really cool to get my first offer.” Bradley is the D1 program talking to him the most, “The coach likes real physical guys. Guys that can play up and down. He can develop point guards since he played that position.”
Jermaine Hamlin (Lincoln)
The big and physical center who is a defensive presence says he holds an offer from Eastern Illinois. “I like the coaching staff. They seem like good people.” Other schools that are talking with him are Utah State, Colorado State, Bradley, Western Illinois, and others. Not sure on plans for post July visits at this time.
Zach Vaia (Riverside Brookfield)
He recently visited Carroll. Talking to a lot of small colleges like Augustana, University of Chicago, Lawrence, and Carthage.
Connor Ilyavi (Downers Grove North)
This sharp shooting lefty reports that he has heard from Coe College, Rose Hulman, and Illinois College. He is looking for a high academic school where he can major in business.
Caden Phillips (Glenbard West)
This physical four man has been talking with Rose Hulman, Michigan Tech, and North Central. Also University of Chicago has reached out to his high school coach.
Demari Grant (Oswego East)
Grant is a quick point guard that is coming off a monster spring with Chicago Lockdown. Eau-Claire really wants Grant. Emporia State is looking at him pretty hard. Southern Illinois is monitoring him.
Charlie Hoehne (OPRF)
Hoehne landed his second offer from Southern Indiana recently. The forward spoke about USI saying “They are a powerhouse in D2. That is a great thing. I haven’t visited there yet and don’t know much about them, but the coaches seem great.” UW-Parkside has also offered him. On UW-Parkside he says, “I visited there and the campus is beautiful. I love the coaches and the team. They have good education programs.” Other schools showing interest are UIC, Quincy, Lafayette, Upper Iowa, Rose Hulman, and Grinnell.
Dashon Enoch (OPRF)
Enoch had a great week with Made Men playing with his all-out motor. He told us that the only offer he has currently is Western Illinois. He has been talking to Northern Illinois, UW-Parkside, UW-Milwaukee, and a couple more. When it comes to a college he says “I want to play. When I first get there I want to play. I want to go to a school that plays defense. I like to get up and play D. A coach that is going to be fair.”
Austin Rager (Mt. Carmel)
This athletic wing is hearing from Illinois College and Wabash Valley College. Of the two he said, “Illinois College seems pretty interested and I like the say the school is. Wabash is my hometown so I am keeping them in mind.”
Wyatt Krohne (Okawville)
This sharp shooting lefty guard is talking to Rose Hulman. He wants to major in Sport Management in college.