There was a talented group at the run this weekend, with some new faces that stood out. Here are the writeups from the fourth run we have held.
2021 Players
Josh Harris (6-4 SG, Timothy Christian)
Harris was relentless getting to the basket. He’s built to take contact, maintaining his driving angles against size and length. He started to heat up as the run went on, going on a stretch where he hit three tough jumpers in a row. Harris is an inside-out scorer who finishes with either hand. Judson recently offered him.
Troy Glover (6-8 C, Glenbard West)
It’s a given that Glover is going to affect any shots in the paint. He was throwing away layup attempts from every angle. Troy got from end to end quickly, getting rewarded for running the floor hard. He had a big-time poster dunk and a number of putback. Glover also hit some jumpers during the run. His high energy level and defensive impact have stood out Uncommitted right now, Glover should pique the interest of coaches at the D3/JUCO/NAIA level.
Danny Mulcare (6-6 PF, Glenbard West)
Mulcare was doing damage from the outside. He looks to be more comfortable shooting threes, hitting a few long ones off the catch. Once the closeouts were more aggressive, he threw in some shot fakes and used his athleticism to finish. Danny is going to be ready to compete from a physicality standpoint right away. His strength and agility at 6-foot-6 are ideal for a D3 forward. There are a lot of different systems where he could fit in, especially if his jumper keeps progressing.
2022 Players
Jerry Abushanab (6-7 SG, Glenbard North)
Lanky and creative off the dribble, Abushanab knifed through the lane with ease. He has good footwork on the perimeter despite having a long, 6-foot-7 frame. Jerry was tough to stop in transition once he got going. His strides give him an advantage and he finished above the rim often. While his ball-handling and finishing were impressive, his potential as a switchable defender and shot blocker were noticeable. Abushanab recently reclassified to the 2022 class and is planning on going to a prep school after this year.
Darius Duff (6-3 SG Lake Forest Academy)
The outside shots were falling for Duff in this one. He hit a high volume of threes off the catch from different spots. While he wasn’t able to get any dunks this week, he was aggressive in transition. He should live at the foul line with the way he drives. Similar to last week, Duff showed off some passing ability as well. He makes winning plays and is a willing and capable on-ball defender. Duff should develop into a three-level scorer that can regularly get to the rim and connect on deep threes.
Gavin Garcon (6-0 SG, Oswego East)
Gavin was a different player than he was at the first two runs. He was much more offensive-minded, taking and making more shots from the perimeter and hitting a few stepbacks in the mid-range. Garcon’s defense, rebounding, and communication are going to be there, but his impact is more apparent when he brings that same energy to the offensive end like he did during this run.
Will Grudzinski (6-6 SG, Barrington)
Grudzinski had a huge day at a run where he wasn’t as well-known as some of the other players. He’s a tall, lanky athlete that has easy leaping ability and a clip from the outside. Will showed good elevation and touch on his jump shot, both off the catch and on the move. He made a few contested pull-ups and threes where he shot right over defenders. Athletically, he is agile in transition with the ball-handling ability that allows him to play both spots on the wing. Grudzinski has the look of a high-upside guard prospect.
Nick Harrell (6-6 SG, Brother Rice)
Harrell is an athletic slasher that is a force ripping through and attacking from the perimeter. He is a legit 6-foot-6 with a plus wingspan and body control that he showed throughout the run when he got to the second line of help. There is so much upside with his game, making a few nice moves off the dribble and hitting a step-in three with confidence. As the run got going, he started to get out in transition more. As a defender, Harrell has tremendous anticipation and can cover ground on or off the ball. Nick has heard from a number of schools, including Elon, Miami (Ohio), and Tulsa.
Daniel Hong (6-1 PG, Barrington)
Hong broke down defenders on multiple occasions and had some finesse finishes around the rim. His shooting form is compact, allowing him to hit jumpers off the dribble or spotting up. He was more active looking for his shot this week, putting pressure on the defense with his handling ability. Daniel has the vision and shooting ability you look for in a point guard.
Nick Martinelli (6-6 SF, Glenbrook South)
At a certain point, scoring at will against top competition shouldn’t be viewed as an exception. Martinelli is one of the toughest scorers in the state and will get a bucket on any type of defender. Shorter defenders were buried in the post and he shot over them with his hook shots. When he was matched up against size, he took them out to the perimeter and probed until he could get to the rim. He didn’t need to take as many jump shots as the last run, looking to do work in the paint. His game is unorthodox but highly effective, making nearly every runner or hook he took. Nick showed off his quick leaping ability with putbacks and dunks on the break. He’s a no brainer from a recruiting standpoint.
Charlie Nosek (6-4 SF, Metea Valley)
Nosek competes at every opportunity on both ends. Compared to the prior runs, he wasn’t as efficient offensively. But he still managed to work his way to the basket using his length. For being 6-foot-4, he keeps the ball low off the dribble which gives him advantage even against shorter, quicker defenders. Charlie’s first step covers a lot of ground and he has the springs to finish up over help. He almost had a poster finish during the run. Nosek continues to show an all-around game.
Cade Pierce (6-5 PG, Glenbard West)
Pierce set the tone by hitting a three a few steps behind the NBA line right out of the gate. He was more aggressive than last week, looking for his shot and pouring in a bunch of deep looks from behind the arc. Cade drove and kicked to shooters in rhythm during every game, showing his passing instincts. Defensively, he was a standout using his length and anticipation to create turnovers. For a guard, he high points rebounds like a wide receiver, pulling down a couple boards in traffic that were tough. Pierce was on point during this run.
Patrick Robinson (6-5 SG, Oswego East)
Robinson was the most physical perimeter player at the run, bulldozing his way to the rim against pressure. He started a little slow, but quickly started driving with force and making would-be and-ones. After having a big summer, Robinson is on a lot more radars and for good reason. At 6-foot-5, around 210 pounds with open court speed and some shake off the dribble, Robinson is a mismatch. His jumper wasn’t falling during the run so he made an effort to rebound and finish strong. More schools will be in touch with Pat as they see him.
Paxton Warden (6-3 SG, Glenbard West)
You wouldn’t know that Warden didn’t have time to warm up. He was excellent for the majority of the run. Acting as the primary ball-handler for his team, he created his own shot as well as I’ve seen. He got to his spots and showed patience, hitting defenders with shot fakes, jab steps, and spin moves to create space. Warden was making tight moves with the ball and hit more step back threes this week. He is the only player who has been at every run and has continued to impress.
Martell Webb (6-6 PF, Westinghouse)
Webb is a big body with skill and footwork on the interior. He connected on a mid-range jumper but also has range out to the three-point line. On one occasion, he took the ball coast to coast, weaved through defenders, and finished with finesse at the rim. His ability to score in the paint is a big asset with his size as well. But his defense is game-changing. At 6-foot-6 with a 7-foot plus wingspan, Webb is a terror protecting the rim. He blocked shots inside and outside of his area during the run and cleaned the glass on both ends. Webb is a big man to track.
2023 Players
Jaloni Johnson (6-3 SG, Proviso East)
Johnson was scoring in bunches during the run. His offensive game is smooth, making decisive moves and finishing with touch. He showed good pace off the dribble to get to his spots and elevated well on his pull-ups. With long arms and solid size, he can make shots over bigger defenders and is able to defend all spots on the perimeter. Jaloni is a very crafty ball-handler that caught defenders off guard on multiple occasions. Division 1 schools have already shown interest.
Yann Koutou (6-4 SF, Notre Dame College Prep)
This was my first time seeing Yann play. His size and length stood out right away for a sophomore. He is a strong wing that has the upper body strength to welcome contact. Koutou hit a stepback three, knocked down a spot-up, and had a really fluid spin move finish off the dribble. As Koutou gets smoother with the ball, he has a chance to be a versatile inside-out player.
Cooper LePage (6-1 PG, Crystal Lake South)
LePage may have had the most assists of any player at the run. He was driving the lane, drawing help, and whipping passes out to shooters often. At 6-foot-1, he has good size and explosiveness off the dribble to beat defenders. His passes were on time and on target. Even though he wasn’t hitting jumpers, we know he is a solid outside shooter as well. Cooper has the leadership qualities to run an offense.
Donovan Nichols (5-11 PG, Barrington)
One of the younger players at the run, Nichols felt his way through the early parts of the event. He can really shoot the ball when he gets space which he showed on a couple of occasions. His release is pretty quick off the catch. Still slight, Nichols relies on his skill at this point to create shots. You can tell he is going to be a scoring guard that can heat up quickly.
Shoi Rathi (6-3 SF, Waubonsie Valley)
Rathi was most effective shooting the ball and scoring off the ball. His activity as a rebounder and defender was apparent, creating second chances throughout the run. Offensively, he hit a few threes from the top of the key and dropped a defender for a wing three as well. Shoi plays hard and has a solid outside stroke to work with going forward.
Ryan Sammons (6-3 SG, Fremd)
Sammons has been one of the most consistent 2023s at the runs. A large part of that is because of his marksmanship from behind the arc. He hit a pull-up three off the dribble and looked smooth on a number of other attempts. Ryan is a slick ball-handler with good burst off the dribble. I would expect him to continue growing and be a high-volume bucket getter at Fremd.
Sonny Williams (6-0 PG, Notre Dame College Prep)
If you walked in the gym, you heard Sonny’s voice. He was far and away the best communicator at the run, even staying engaged while he was on the sidelines. As a sophomore, he has college-ready speed and ball-handling ability. He crossed over good defenders all day, leading to layups for himself or open looks for teammates. Some of the moves were nasty. He has a good feel for when to score and when to set guys up. As a shooter, he was hitting shots off the bounce from three again. The hesitation pull-up three in transition is a nice weapon to add to his speed getting downhill. Even if Williams doesn’t grow, he is going to be a Division-1 point guard prospect.
2024 Players
Jakob Blakley (5-10 PG, Marmion)
Blakley’s skills are advanced for a freshman. He shot the ball well from three, taking advantage of the opportunities he had. The 5-foot-10 guard is quick off the bounce and uses his body to create angles to the rim. Unlike many young guards, he doesn’t seem to be in a hurry and makes calculated decisions with the ball. Blakley is going to be a steady producer over the next four years with the ability he has at this point.