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 2025 players.
AJ Demirov (5’10 PG, Crystal Lake South)
Demirov has plus top-end speed, blowing by defenders in transition and using his handle to set up his penetration. He has good shake with the ball in his hands, routinely getting his defenders out of position with size up moves. During the scrimmages, he was creative and efficient around the rim with floaters, hooks, and contact layups. Demirov is also an adept passer with good vision and understanding of mismatches. When you add in his three-point shooting off the dribble and defensive potential as a pest, it’s easy to consider him one of the more underrated guards in the class.
Anestis Hadjistomolou (5’10 PG, Glenbrook South)
Hadjistomolou is so composed and strong as a playmaker. During drills, he shot the ball well off the catch with good range, carrying that over into the scrimmages. His ball screen reads may have been the best at the event, timing his passes to beat the weakside help, waiting for the hedge defender to get back before attacking downhill, and knocking down a number of jumpers when defenders tried going under. The high-IQ created open looks all nights. When he was on an island, he showed the ability to break down defenders with quick crossovers and has impressive body control at the basket for his age. Hadjistomolou takes pride in the defensive end as well, power sliding and contesting shots in space. He should be the next great GBS guard.
Athan Berchos (6’0 PG, Andrew)
A skilled shooter at lead guard, Berchos displayed a nice stroke during the drills. He has good lift and arc on his shot and has no issue pulling up from a few feet behind the college line. Once live play started, Berchos drilled threes in transition off the dribble and hit some floaters in the lane. I like his ability to handle the ball in tight spaces and see the floor in traffic. His passing feel stood out, using fakes to free up teammates even more for open looks. Berchos is going to a rock solid PG for Andrew for years to come.
Atticus Richmond (6’7 PF, Deerfield)
One of the most active and disciplined players of the day, Richmond stayed in motion and put his athleticism and face-up game to use all night. When he saw open space, he cut hard, showed his hands, and forced the defense to be aware of his presence. Richmond worked best as an outlet in pick-and-rolls where his quickness and size as a rim runner allowed him to be the first to the rim and first off the ground. He springs off the floor, dunking easily during drills, and knows how pull in rebounds. Richmond protected the rim aggressively and was early to the help to wall up on layups. His upside as a high post option was clear. Richmond made pinpoint passes off of downhill drives and hit a couple of jumpers with nice form, extending past the three-point line. He is one to track.
Brady Sehlhorst (6’6 SG, Notre Dame College Prep)
He probably scored more than anyone else during the scrimmages. Sehlhorst is one of those natural scorers that can fill it up from all three levels. Even at 6-foot-6, he handles the ball very well on the perimeter and uses his long strides to get by defenders. Once he was inside of 15 feet, Sehlhorst used an array of spin moves, eurosteps, and hop steps to get angles for layups and short jumpers. Outside shooting is another tool in the box for him, scoring off the catch and on pull-ups from mid-range and three. As he adds strength, he should also develop into a reliable post-up scorer with how well he uses his pivots. Sehlhorst rebounded well and can guard multiple spots at this stage. He has Division 1 upside.
Brandyn Michaels (6’2 SG, St. Viator)
Michaels did a number of things well throughout the event. He was a willing distributor that always kept an eye out for cutters and shooters. When he put the ball on the ground, he absorbed bumps well and had some athletic takes to the rim. Michaels ran hard in transition for layups and was competitive defensively. The Viator guard has good versatility as a combo guard.
Cam Thomas (6’2 PG, Mount Carmel)
The descriptor that kept being thrown around for Thomas by staff at the camp was ‘dog’. He is explosive, aggressive, and has a great competitive spirit. Thomas got to his pull-up well around the foul line, showed elevation and range on his three-point shots, and was a problem as a driver. He sought out contact and used it to dictate his finishing angles in traffic. With his physical frame, quick first step, and leaping ability, Thomas was hard to stop once he got a head of steam despite going up against quality shot blockers. His defensive intensity was noteworthy, pressuring ball-handlers and directing them off of their spots. Thomas is a true pitbull point guard that looked like one of the top guards in the class in an event with many others there.
Conrad Okulshi (6’1 SF, Palatine)
Okulshi is a solid all-around athlete that rebounds, cuts, and defends well. He’s got a very projectable frame and should continue to grow over the next few years. In the open floor, he runs well and gets off the ground with some force. During scrimmages, he was primarily cleaning the glass and throwing outlets to some of the playmakers he was with. Okulshi knocked down a three and has a decent stroke that he showed during drills. His best basketball is ahead of him.
Dayvion Ellis (5’10 PG/SG, St. Viator)
Ellis was the premier perimeter defender of the camp. He was all over opposing guards, forcing turnovers, recovering to block shots, and rotating to the right spots off the ball to take away cutters and tag rollers. A quick-twitch athlete with great anticipation, Ellis controlled pace on the defensive end with how he was slowing down the ball. Offensively, he was beating defenders with straight line drives and making acrobatic layups around the rim or kicking out to teammates. Even on tough drives, he keeps his eyes on the basket and knows how to finish. Ellis has athleticism that will translate to the next level, but I was really impressed with his constant energy and unselfishness.
Dillon Bagley (6’0 PG/SG, Montini)
Bagley was getting guys open looks all night with his court vision and ability to advance the ball up the court. He runs the floor hard, with or without the ball, and can finish himself or drop off passes for teammates. One area where he really stood out was as a cutter off the ball. He times his cuts and gets positioning to receive the passes before finishing with turnarounds and layup. At 6-foot, he can play either guard spot with his handling ability and IQ defensively. Bagley understands situations well and makes guys around him better.
Domas Narcevicius (6’3 SG/SF, 2025)
Narcevicius is a strong kid with a great outside stroke. His form was consistent and he shot it very well during drills. In scrimmages, he made the most of his catch-and-shoot looks from three and looked good using his frame to seal off smaller players in the paint. He can play multiple positions effectively, especially with his comfort handling the ball in the open court or banging on the interior. A big wing with his shooting ability is worth keeping an eye on.
Donovan Neal (5’10 PG, Waubonsie Valley)
Both as a scorer and playmaker, Neal showed well. He knows how to get other guys involved as a point guard and threw numerous dimes to teammates during the scrimmages and didn’t force things. But when he wanted to get going, he made stepback jumpers, got into the teeth of the defense for layups, and spaced the floor as a shooter. Neal is a willing and capable on-ball defender who can turn ball-handlers side to side. He has a scrappy edge to him that should help as he continues to age.
Gus Donahue (6’2 SG, Loyola)
Donahue is a deadeye shooter that was finding ways to get open. Even the smallest amounts of space led to three points with how quickly he gets his shot off. Donahue has good footwork and feel for attacking closeouts when needed. He’s a solid athlete that looked good during drills changing ends and getting downhill. I would imagine he’s not done growing and has a frame that should continue to add strength. Donahue should fit nicely with the newer up-tempo style at Loyola.
Jake Nosek (6’6 SF, Metea Valley)
Smooth and fluid offensively, Nosek showed off a clean jumper and good footwork to get to his pull-up. He’s a mismatch problem at 6-foot-6 with long arms and a high release point. During scrimmages, he thrived on one or two dribble pull-ups from 15 to 18 feet while making plenty of threes throughout the day. His length allowed him to block some shots and score in the paint off cuts. There’s a lot to like about his shooting, size, and comfort putting the ball on the ground.
Jax Abalos (6’4 SG/SF, Batavia)
Abalos is a knockdown lefty shooter who looks like he will add a few more inches to his frame. He was spotting up and shooting it at a high clip from the wing. A wiry athlete with long strides, Abalos covers ground well in transition and looked good in the open floor. He’s going to be a nice player for Batavia in the future.
Jayden Rodriguez (6’3 SG, Evanston)
There’s a lot to like about the scoring ability of Rodriguez. He’s a physical wing with a compact shooting stroke and natural instincts. In drill segments, he got downhill with force and showed skill and balance when making moves off the bounce. Rodriguez is able to power through defenders on direct drives and used that strength to rebound as well. When he had a mismatch, he was able to take advantage on the block or with his creativity. Rodriguez showed well.
Jon McGee (6’3 SF, Glenbrook North)
Long-range might not do his shooting justice. McGee shot from beyond the NBA range with comfort during drills, getting a ton of rotation on his shot. As McGee got into scrimmages, he didn’t get as many looks but he still showed that he can space the floor and require attention from three. McGee has a solid frame and possesses enough size to play as a stretch four at his age.
Josh Gutierrez (5’9 SG, Lyons)
Gutierrez displayed excellent defensive activity and ball-hawking ability. He really guards the ball and has plus hands to strip the ball and create havoc on that end. Gutierrez hustled the entire night and didn’t back down from any of the talented guards at the event. Offensively, he made a three during scrimmages and outran players for layups.
Josh Tinney (6’0 SG, Waubonsie Valley)
Tinney was really effective for the majority of the night. He was aggressive looking to make plays off the dribble with hesitations and change of direction moves. Tinney has decent burst to get by defenders and complements it with a jump shot that he connected on when he had open looks from the perimeter. A smart and savvy passer as well, he found teammates on the move.
Ricky DiVito (5’8 PG, Hersey)
Don’t let the hype fool you. DiVito is a high-level athlete that plays bigger than his size, scoring amongst the trees and making fearless drives to the rim. He has great hang time in the lane that allows him to make mid-air adjustments. Any time he got the ball in transition, he put pressure on the defense to sprint back to beat him to the rim. In the half court, he made some threes and made leaners and pull-ups around the foul line. DiVito is scrappy and active on the glass too, which helped him grab-and-go. His athleticism is a difference maker, but he’s starting to put it all together.
Ross Robertson (6’7 PF, South Beloit)
Robertson was dominant as a rebounder, interior scorer, and rim protector. He welcomed contact on post ups, bullying smaller defenders and showing quick footwork on dropsteps. The bruising nature of his game and athletic pop off the floor play well together. Robertson was relentless on the offensive glass, getting off the ground quickly and shedding box outs to get second chances. He displayed ideal timing on shot contests and used his base well to hold his ground. On top of having a strong low post game, it was nice to see Robertson face-up, break down players, and use spin moves and jump stops to lose defenders. He set good screens and forced switches, both punishing players on the block and stepping out to hit a couple of threes with time and space. He’s at a smaller school, but Robertson is in the discussion for the best big in the 2025 class.
Tyreek Coleman (5’10 PG/SG, Waubonsie Valley)
Coleman is a natural combo guard, but he stepped into the lead guard role nicely during the scrimmages. He doesn’t let the ball stick, whipping passes around to teammates. Coleman has good wiggle off the dribble and creates separation well. He showed that he can make the right reads after beating initial defenders. The times when help defenders were slow, he exploded to the rim to score. Shooting may be his most projectable skill, making a handful of clean-looking threes and shooting it well during drills. Coleman is another Waubonsie player that has a bright future.
Whitman Charboneau (6’2 SG, Neuqua Valley)
Charboneau is a multi-faceted scorer that has a rhythm jump shot, turnaround game, and confidence getting to the lane. But the other parts of his game are what stood out. He guarded the ball fiercely, sliding side to side to stay in front of the ball and hustling back into plays to get steals and blocks. Charboneau snatched defensive rebounds, initiated the break, and facilitated at a high level. He may have led the 2025 group in assists during the scrimmage off of well-timed deliveries. It was nice seeing the versatility from a solid volume scorer.