I was able to catch the 2023 portion of the Xposure Runs last night via livestream. These are the players who stood out at the event.
Cade Altadonna (6-0 PG, Highland)
Altadonna was one of the stars of the night, putting on a shooting clinic. He was knocking down long-range shots off the catch at every opportunity, showing off a natural stroke from the three-point line. The lefty guard has such a smooth pull-up and understands how to get to his spots around the elbows. As a playmaker, Altadonna’s vision was evident when he found cutters and shooters off the dribble. With his athletic build at 6-foot, Altadonna stood up guards defensively. He had a strong all-around night.
Donovan Collins (6-0 SF, Bolingbrook)
Collins was able to put his head down to get to the rim, showing good athleticism on his drives. The strength was there as a scorer, but he also was able to make a couple of impressive passes, including a behind the back dime on a fast break. His jump shot looked good with range to the three-point line. He has clear talent that should continue to develop.
Grant Fridley (6-1 PG, Wesclin)
A tall guard with good feel, Fridley definitely represented Southern Illinois well after making the long trip up. Fridley is a skilled shooter who stepped into a couple of threes with confidence. When he wasn’t spraying in jumpers, he was decisive getting to the rim. He finished off a nice eurostep in transition and forced secondary help off of penetration. While he had some passes picked off, Fridley was one of the most impressive playmakers at the event. He threaded the needle and threw advance passes in transition to set up dunks and easy looks.
Brett Hardy (6-2 SF, Bloom)
Throughout the event, Hardy was highly active around the basket. He excelled scoring off of second chances and loose balls. The 6-foot-2 wing can really finish in traffic using either hand and against length. His athleticism helps him defend multiple positions where he contests shots and creates turnovers. Hardy has a motor that doesn’t stop. With his projectable frame and length, Hardy has ideal upside.
Marcus Kennedy (5-10 SG, Brother Rice)
Using different moves to create space, Kennedy was a solid offensive outlet. He made a deep jumper off of a stepback move that looked very comfortable. He seems wired to score the ball from the outside. Even on his missed shots, Kennedy displayed an understanding for how to find his shots.
Marvin Lingan (5-8 PG, Carl Sandburg)
Lingan was looking for his offense early and often. He connected on a number of shots from the perimeter, fueling his team in the first game. Whether it was spot up threes or one-dribble pull-ups, Lingan was on point. At 5-foot-8, he keeps his dribble low and plays angles in the pick-and-roll game. He did a nice job of pushing the pace in transition, including a nice finish against length. From start to finish, Lingan was aggressive and assertive. He isn’t the biggest or most explosive guard, but he competes and scraps on both ends.
JoJo Mills (6-0 SG, Hyde Park)
Mills showed some intriguing skills with his length and ball-handling upside. When he was handling in space, he found his way to the paint where he had some acrobatic finishes. Mills has good athleticism and missed a dunk off of penetration at one point. The size and wingspan are there for Mills to develop into an impact defender as well.
Da’Marion Morris (5-9 SG, Hyde Park)
Morris is a physical guard that makes up for a lack of height with strength as a downhill driver. He kept the ball on a string which allowed him to shake defenders to create for himself and teammates. There were a few crisp passes he made that led to wipe open shots off of his drives. Morris is a work in progress as a shooter, but he is going to be a handful keeping out of the lane.
Xavier Sulaiman (6-2 SG, Marist)
During the first game, Sulaiman was struggling to find his rhythm. But he turned it on in the second game. He got it going with some finishes at the rim and then started to convert his three-point looks as he let the game come to him. Easily the most athletic player at the event, Sulaiman was playing at a different speed in transition. He outran defenders on the break, leading to a number of highlight-reel dunks. There was a two-handed putback in particular that was just different. When he was engaged defensively, he showed good lateral quickness and active hands. It’s just a matter of time before Sulaiman’s fluid jump shot becomes a lethal weapon.
Camron Williford (5-11 PG, Hyde Park)
It was easy to see the shooting potential of Williford. His shot was falling at a high rate as the games went on, running to the three-point line in transition. He can dribble into threes or shoot off of rotations. He also has good quickness off the dribble that is going to allow him to dice up defenses that over help on closeouts. Williford has a smooth offensive skillset.