We had our Spring Showcase Camp last weekend with players from the 2023, 2024, and 2025 classes coming out to compete. Here are the evaluations of the 2023 and 2024 players on attendance. The 2025 evaluations will follow in the coming days.
Aaron Brown (6’5 SF/PF, Joliet West 2023)
A physical, bruising wing, Brown got to the rim from the wing and absorbed contact well around the basket. He got above the rim easily during drills before showing that same athleticism as a rebounder on both ends. He’s got good defensive potential as well with his length and physique to guard both forward spots. If he can continue to knock down mid range shots and expand his range, Brown will be a solid D3 wing early on in his college career.
Benji Zander (5’10 PG, Glenbard West 2023)
Zander understands spacing, angles, and how to use his quickness in space. He operated both on and off the ball effectively throughout the day by knocking down a number of spot up threes and collapsing the defense off the dribble to playmake for others. Never in a hurry but always playing with a sense of urgency, he cut hard off the ball and crashed the offensive glass. Zander also got deflections and steals with his defensive activity. He’s a Division 3 level guard that should have a huge role for the reigning 4A state champions..
Braeden Carlsen (6’3 SG, Wauconda 2024)
Carlsen does a lot of things well and excels as an outside shooter. He was burying threes off the catch, creating space for jumpers, and getting to his mid-range game where his footwork and body control shined. At 6-foot-3, he has a solid build and anticipates well on the defensive end and as a rebounder. Carlsen should be able to guard multiple positions for Wauconda and should develop into a quality positional defender in college with his IQ and length. While he shot the ball well, his comfort making the extra pass, driving and kicking, and creating out of ball screens was impressive. Carlsen’s pace and efficiency were evident all night. He will be a scholarship-level player.
Brock Marino (6’7 SF/PF, Lakes 2023)
The slashing and face-up ability of Marino was causing problems for multiple defenders. He’s a legit 6-foot-7 with upper body strength and good athleticism. When he put the ball on the ground, he took bumps and scored on sweeps to the rim frequently. A lot of those driving lanes came out of respect for his shooting, which stood out during drill work. Marino has a nice, high release and can hit from a few feet behind the line. I like him more as a stretch four in college since his frame should be able to add weight and his skillset would create mismatches. Marino is a combo forward more coaches need to see. High-level, high-academic D3 programs should love him.
Cayden Mudd (5’11 PG, Wauconda 2024)
Maybe the best shooting performance of the whole upperclassmen group, Mudd couldn’t miss. And some of them were flying from the volleyball line. He gets good arc on his shot and has a consistent one-motion release that produced a bunch of makes and good misses. Mudd manipulated ball screens to get defenders caught up before pulling back for threes. On the occasions when he had space to get to the rim, Mudd had some crafty finishes in traffic. I would expect him to have a big junior season and should continue to develop playing with Fundamental U.
Connor Williams (6’2 SG, Stagg 2024)
Williams had a good showing on both ends. He really competed on the defensive end to stay in front of the ball, stay active on closeouts, and recover hard when he got beat. Even at 6-foot-2, he has long enough arms to affect player’s vision and deter passes. Offensively, he created offense in a variety of ways. Off the catch, he connected on multiple threes, made a number of one or two dribble pull-ups, and showed some skill beating secondary defenders and making contested layups. I was impressed with his handling ability as well, especially as a P&R decision maker finding rollers and shooters. Williams is going to be a nice player for Stagg.
Donovan Brown (6’2 PG, Plainfield Central 2022)
The unsigned senior of the group, Brown was so dynamic off the dribble. His first step and change of direction led to layups and open jumpers after losing defenders. He stays low to the ground as a ball handler and rarely loses his handle. Brown scored from all three levels, making jumpers with a hand in his face from all around the perimeter. As help defenders started to load up to his side, he didn’t hesitate to make dump off passes or skips to shooters. Brown showed why he has multiple Division 2 offers.
Ethan Andre (6’0 PG, Belvidere North)
It wouldn’t say that Andre got hot because he’s been shooting like this all spring. His trigger is so quick and compact that it took no time for him to get off shots on ball reversals and kick outs. Even as a smart and savvy point guard, Andre worked off the ball at times to stretch the floor and was lighting up the corners and wings in catch-and-shoot situations. Andre has a floater that he can use when pushed off the three-point line and is a threat to get defenders going downhill before pulling back for a shot. He’s got a steady demeanor that should play well as a guard in college. Andre should have multiple D3 options by the end of the summer.
Ian Brown (6’5 SG/SF, New Trier)
Brown fits the mold of the big, rangy New Trier shooter of past. His pre-shot preparation is excellent, gathering quickly off spot ups and on the move to get shots up. On some difficult actions, Brown was still able to hit threes with regularity. That’s a big benefit as a 6-foot-5 wing with a projectable frame. He wasn’t afraid to get downhill and use his size to score over or around defenders with reverse layups. On a new-look Trevians squad, Brown could be the next floor spacing wing in line.
Jackson Labkon (6’2 SG, St. Ignatius 2024)
Labkon worked off the ball for most of the scrimmages, running to open space and being shot ready. He got a couple of threes to fall and showed a good stroke during drill work as well. On a couple of drives, he found creases in the defense and got the ball up on the glass quickly. A solid outside shooter who might not be done growing, Labkon will only get better.
Jimmy Rasmussen (6’1 PG, Geneva 2023)
The defensive dog of the group, Rasmussen was applying ball pressure, diving after loose balls, and showing a level of energy that jumped out. It’s nothing new as he should be one of the more physical defensive guards in the state. On the other end, he displayed his deep shooting range with a number of long threes from past the college line. Rasmussen can really handle it in open space and has ideal court vision and the ability to zip passes across the court.. He understands how to use his strength to get downhill, keep defenders on his back, and complete plays through contact. The Geneva guard also rebounded the ball very well. Rasmussen looks like a college-ready Division 3 guard that could pick up some scholarship-level interest this summer.
Johnny Ryg (6’3 SF, Hersey 2023)
Ryg has a football player frame at 6-foot-3 and knows how to put it to use. He was stout defensively as a primary and help defender, holding his ground well and moving his feet in isolation situations. Ryg connected on some threes during the scrimmage and cut well for layups. An all-around physical athlete, Ryg should be on some radars going forward.
Logan Brown (6’5 SF/PF, Glenbard West 2023)
The most energetic rebounder of the day, Brown was pulling in everything inside and outside of his area. He just plays hard. When shots went up, he discarded his matchups and fought for positioning to get misses. Brown runs and cuts with intent to score and got layups as a result. He’s a plus athlete with a mature frame that allows him to switch out to guards and protect the rim effectively on defense. Brown can attack from the wing in straight lines or seal off smaller players on the block before going over his right shoulder. Brown is an excellent student who should be targeted by most high-academic D3 programs.
Mitch Humphrey (6’5 SG/SF, 2024)
Humphrey is a straight shooter. He probably scored the majority of his points during the scrimmages without taking a dribble. His shot is pure and he can hit coming off of a variety of screens and cuts. A wiry and growing 6-foot-5, he has a shot that is tough to contest and will be able to provide some instant offense for Loyola this year.
Noah Portalatin (6’0 PG, Lake Forest 2023)
Portalatin shot the lights out and really had a great all-around day. Leading the team that won the most during scrimmages, he made NBA-range threes, broke down defenders, and made difficult scoop layups look routine. He’s a crafty point guard that has toughness on his drives, never shying away from contact. Portalatin played with a lot of confidence and was catching the ball looking to make a play. He also made sound passes, guarded the ball, and rebounded well at his size. Portalatin will be in an elevated role for the Scouts this year and should be a quality Division 3 guard.
Owen Giannoulias (5’11 PG, Glenbrook North 2024)
Giannoulias was the best passer during the scrimmages. His willingness to allow plays to develop, look off help defenders, and deliver passes on time stood out in a good group of guards. He was the primary ball-handler in a number of ball screens and produced in the majority of them. When he had open looks, he was able to pull-up from three or knife to the rim well. Giannoulias looks like he can develop into a valuable floor general and should see some opportunities at GBN this year.
Quentin Jones (6’5 SG/SF, Marian Catholic 2023)
Jones is a diamond hiding in plain sight. One of the most explosive players in the 2023 class, he had a few thunderous dunks. While his athletic punch is well-known, his complete scoring package was what differentiated him. Jones has a textbook pull-up game, especially from 15-18 feet where he can stop-and-pop and elevate over defenders. He was living at the elbows with quick shots off of rip through moves. Jones also stepped out and showed range out the three point line off of kick outs and off the dribble behind ball screens. The defensive impact was there as well, blocking shots and moving well laterally to cover ground. Jones has an offer from Radford and should add some more Division 1 looks in the coming weeks.
Simon Weisserman (6’7 SF/PF, 2023)
Weisserman is a modern four man that has size, strength, and plenty of skill on the perimeter. He did a nice job finding open space along the baseline to get dump off passes where he finished with both hands. I liked his high post game, facing up to hit jumpers, working well in dribble handoffs, and having the ability to catch in traffic or pop for threes. Weisserman is a solid run-and-jump athlete as well with a big frame that should translate nicely to college. He has offers from top 25 D3 programs Illinois Wesleyan and Yeshiva and should see D2 and low-major interest as well.
Tre Dowdell (6’2 PG/SG, Brother Rice 2024)
Dowdell is a scoring combo guard that was primarily working off the ball. He shot it well during drills and the scrimmages and showed toughness as a downhill driver. In transition, he played with tempo and changed gears well. Even though scoring is a strength of his, Dowdell made timely passes and was looking to find teammates in the open floor. His on-ball defense was disruptive at times as well. He will be able to play both backcourt spots going forward and looks like he could be a promising CCL player.
Tylon Tolliver (6’2 PG/SG, Lincoln-Way East 2023)
Tolliver has a balance of skill and athleticism that makes him a projectable scorer in college. His middle game is his bread and butter, making long pull-ups in rhythm. When screen defenders where in drop coverage or soft hedging, he could get to the pull-up or use his burst to blowby them to the rim where he gets off the ground well. Tolliver can fill it up in a hurry and showed some pick-and-roll playmaking game as well. He already has an offer from NAIA University of Saint Mary.
Xavior Gonzalez (5’9 PG, Fenton 2024)
Gonzalez created offense with his tight handle and shot-making ability. He picked his spots during the scrimmages, hitting open threes at a high rate and getting shots up over size in the paint. The 5-foot-9 guard has a good first step and accelerates well after getting a driving angle on defenders. You have to love his fearlessness as a scorer, but he facilitated well for on a team that had other guards. As he’s shown so far this month with Fenton, Gonzalez is a big-time scorer that finds different ways to get going.
Zavier Fitch (6’7 SF/PF, Brother Rice 2024)
The term motor gets thrown around a lot, but Fitch did not waste an opportunity to show his energy and effort on both ends. His first and second jump were quicker than other players at the camp, springing up for second and third chances around the rim. Fitch has a wiry frame and is very agile at his size when changing ends or rim running. He had a couple of dunks and went up to get some contested rebounds in traffic. Even though he’s probably more a four man, he has a decent outside shot, making a couple of threes and also ripping through to attack from the high post. His footwirk and lateral quickness stood out defensively as well. Fitch showed flashes of being a player that could develop into a Division 1 prospect with his energy, length, and two-way upside.