We had our fall showcase camp for the underclassmen levels that featured kids from around the Chicago and Northern Illinois area. Here are evaluations on all of the players in attendance.
Aidan Bardic (6’3 PG, Stevenson 2025)
Bardic was one of the more impressive guards at the camp. For a point guard, he’s got ideal size and strength to see over the defense and make plays at the rim after taking hits. His vision and passing prowess were on display during the live segments, both in the half court out of ball screens and in transition with his outlets and advance passes. More of a tough downhill driver, Bardic has shown progress since AAU season with his outside shot. The lefty hit a few standstill threes and shot it with confidence during drills. It was nice to see Bardic use his physicality to operate out of the mid post at times and use that size to keep other guards in check defensively. Bardic was a clear stand out.
Alanas Castillo (6’3 PG, Lemont, 2025)
Another taller guard, Castillo is smooth and rangy at his size. During drills, he got to the rim well off of hesitations and has some craftiness around the cup. Castillo’s pull-up and spot-up shot both looked good, able to connect on both from three during the scrimmages. When he changed gears, he got separation with his long strides and quickness with the ball. Castillo already has good length for a point guard, but expect him to continue to add strength and grow into the next lead guard for Lemont.
Ali Tharwani (5’8 PG, Metea Valley 2026)
A scoring point guard, Tharwani has that combination of handle and shooting ability that makes him a threat inside of the volleyball line. Throughout the camp, he probably shot better off the bounce than off the catch, especially when utilizing his change of pace moves and size ups. Only a freshman, Tharwani was one of the top shooters in the scrimmages during the under-level camp. He’s got the creativity to develop into a high-scoring guard.
Anton Strelnikov (6’6 PF/C, Lake Zurich 2025)
Strelnikov has a developed low post game, but attacked well from the high post. When he was down on the block during 3-on-3, he did a nice job of staying patient, seeing the help defense, and using dropsteps and hooks to score. A face-up big as well, Strelnikov was making his threes during drills and put it on the ground against closeouts to score. I think defenders were caught off guard with how well he moved and the body control he showed around the rim at high speeds. Strelnikov should be an interior centerpiece over the next few years for Lake Zurich.
Charlie Rosenberg (5’11 SG, DePaul Prep 2025)
Once Rosenberg caught fire, he never cooled off. During the scrimmages, he made more threes than anyone else in attendance and did so with a variety of shots off the catch and off the dribble. There’s no wasted motion in his shot and he gets good power that allows him to shoot well beyond the arc. Rosenberg went through a stretch where he hit four or five with defenders in his space that were all net. Overall, he plays the right way and stays active without the ball. Rosenberg had a big day.
Chayse Gray (5’7 PG, Hampshire 2025)
A smaller guard with good energy, Chayse really got up and guarded ball-handlers. He made an impact poking balls out and getting loose balls to turn defense into layups on the other end. Gray is an attacking guard that made the necessary pass when defenders stepped over. Even at his size, he frustrated some of the bigger guards at times with how well he moved his feet. Gray competed throughout the camp.
Chris Bolte (6’3 SF/PF, Hinsdale South 2026)
Bolte was not just the most impactful freshman, but one of the top players at the camp. His motor ran high and his combination of athleticism and perimeter skill made a difference on both ends. When guarding bigger players in the post, he held his ground, went vertical to contest shots, and was quick off of the ground for blocks and defensive rebounds. The lefty forward is a capable shooter that showed his touch during drills coming off of pick-and-pops and curls. He added a three during scrimmages as well, but was most effective using his speed to rim run and making quick moves out of the triple threat to get to the rim. Bolte has good interior footwork and passing ability once he’s in traffic. Right now, he’s a solid four man, but has the skill to play out on the wing. Bolte is a strong multi-sport athlete with upside on the court.
Conrad Okulski (6’2 SF, Palatine 2025)
Okulski has continued to show improved catch-and-shoot ability, making a couple of corner threes and stepping into some more throughout the camp. His frame is suited for contact and paint play, able to move defenders on his drives and get scoring angles off of offensive rebounds. Okulski should see his game continue to progress as his perimeter skill improves, but he is heading in the right direction as a wing.
Corey Nobles (5’8 PG, Joliet West 2025)
The Joliet West guard handled the ball well in tight spaces during the group segments and was effective hounding ball-handlers during the scrimmages. Nobles was solid shooting pull-ups around the elbow when he was in rhythm and has some touch on his floater. He was a reliable defender as well, getting some steals and showing good activity with his hands. Nobles is undersized, but he doesn’t back down.
David McFadden (6’1 SG, Larkin 2026)
McFadden has a projectable frame with long arms and above-average athleticism. Taking part in the scrimmages, he knocked down a couple of jumpers with a good follow through and won some sprints on the outside to get layups. Defensively, there’s a lot to like about how well he moves laterally and the ability to block shots and get into passing lanes. Larkin has a new look team, but McFadden should have a chance to play up at least at the sophomore level.
Donovan Neal (5’10 PG, Waubonsie Valley 2025)
There’s a level of poise that Neal plays with that is noteworthy. He guarded, got into the lane to make plays for others, and was under control. Blessed with a quick first step and possessing a good IQ, Neal was selective when he tried to attack but was successful more often than not. He swept to the paint for layups and delivered good passes out to shooters. Neal is more than capable as a shooter with range beyond the line like he showed during the drills. He’s one of a handful of talented sophomores at Waubonsie Valley.
Drew Bartolai (6’3 SG, Lane Tech 2025)
Bartolai is a physical, athletic two-guard that has a developed frame. He takes contact very well and is comfortable initiating it to get an advantage. Whether he was driving or cutting, Bartolai moved with urgency and had good bounce to get near the rim as a finisher. In shooting drills, he showed flashes of a workable jump shot with elevation on his pull-up. Bartolai should be able to make an impact with his on-ball defense across all three perimeter spots as he matures.
George Richardson (6’5 SF/PF, DePaul Prep 2025)
A modern inside-out forward, Richardson was willing to bang inside or step out to the perimeter and score. There were numerous occasions where he knocked defenders off balance with his strength inside before making a layup and other times when he was shedding box outs to high-point rebounds. Richardson looked good spacing the floor with a number of threes of the catch, a three off of a crossover, and a few pull-ups after getting defenders to bite on shot fakes. Richardson is one of a few underclassmen at DePaul Prep to keep an eye on.
Hayden Hodgson (6’3 SF/PF, Genoa Kingston 2025)
Hodgson is a floor spacer with a big body at 6-foot-3. He loves to step into long threes and was shooting at a high rate on open looks. One of the longest-range shooters at the camp, he hit multiple shots from the college line and didn’t have to adjust his mechanics at all. Hodgson made some plays from 15-feet and in with a few one-foot turnarounds and pull-ups. His size and range are noteworthy.
Henry Marshall (6’1 PG/SG, St. Viator 2025)
Throughout the camp, Marshall didn’t give an inch on the defensive end. For a combo guard, he’s physically strong and took on the challenge of shutting down matchups. His athleticism is plus and he changed ends of the floor quickly with and without the ball. Offensively, Marshall shot the three from the wing well, getting nice arc on his jumpers. He played on and off the ball without losing value, cutting hard, creating with the ball, and looking to chances to crash the glass. Marshall should step into a nice role on a young St. Viator team.
Hudson Fuller (6’2 SG, Glenbrook South 2025)
A smooth lefty shooter, Fuller stood out during drills with his balance and footwork coming off screens and in motion. He’s an active two-guard who got going from three before showing the other parts of his game. Fuller was one of the better off-ball movers, spacers, and cutters, constantly running his lane and opening up opportunities for teammates by clearing his defender out. He made stop-and-pop shots around the foul line, used his body to shield off defenders for layups to his strong hand, and had some runouts in transition. Fuller is also a steady defender who is going to be a nice player for GBS in the next few years.
Iyan Bremer (5’10 PG/SG, Metea Valley 2025)
Bremer was hunting for shots throughout the camp. As a shooter, especially from the corners, he was efficient and showed a repeatable release. During drills, he was able to do a little bit more off of the dribble to get to some short jumpers and get downhill. At 5-foot-10, Bremer isn’t the biggest guard so his ability to consistently make shots and stay involved on defense will be key.
Kain Kretschmar (6’1 SG, Lake Zurich 2026)
Some players are just natural scorers and Kretschmar may be one of those kids. It didn’t matter if it was from three, off of curls, or in isolation situations, Kretschmar displayed versatility and skill as a scorer. When he got all the way to the rim, he converted some acrobatic layups through contact. In the group segments and 3-on-3, his jumper was falling and his one-to-two dribble shot creation was working well. Kretschmar is most comfortable knocking down threes where he can get his feet set and fire from different spots. For a freshman guard, he has good size at 6-foot-1 and has the type of frame that will fill out well. Kretschmar is a 2026 guard to keep tabs on in the suburbs.
Logan Luxem (5’9 PG, Hersey 2026)
In terms of pure skill, Luxem was in the top tier of the camp. His handle is tight, he knows how to deceive defenders with the ball, and his shooting ability off the bounce is advanced. Ball screen actions gave him advantages where he could pull back behind screens or probe into the lane. He’s not big weigh-wise, but Luxem didn’t get pushed off of his spots and maintained driving angles when he wanted to attack before showing some craft around the basket. Luxem is a knockdown shooter in transition and off of hesitations with good footwork and clean pick-ups into his shot. He’s also got the playmaking instincts to whip passes to open teammates when help overcommits. Luxem is next up for Hersey.
Reese Dumpit (5’5 PG, St. Charles East 2026)
Dumpit is a guard who has adjusted to being the smallest player on the court with how he keeps his dribble alive, gets the ball to the backboard quickly, and uses his leverage defensively. Any time he had space to shoot during the group portion, he elevated with a high release point at his size. Quick and low to the ground, Dumpit was weaving inside of the lane and made a couple of tough layups with size in the area. He’ll grow, but Dumpit is at a solid point for young guard.
Ricky DiVito (5’9 PG, Hersey 2025)
You don’t see a lot of 5-foot-9 guards that can finish above the rim and adjust themselves mid-air like DiVito. There was no let up on either end during the camp, constantly looking to get downhill and challenge defenders near the bucket. He has spin moves, up-and-unders, and other creative ways to finish in the paint. On the occasions where he pulled up, he used his athleticism to jump above the crowd. DiVito was up with JV last year and should have a chance to add some punch to the young Hersey team.
Ross Robertson (6’8 PF, South Beloit 2025)
There weren’t many players who had an answer for Robertson on the glass, even when multiple players did their best to block him out. The athletic, active 6-foot-8 forward has great hands and stays in relentless pursuit of the ball. Those instincts showed up on the defensive end as well, quickly closing space to block shots and forcing scorers into difficult attempts in the paint. He’s a true rim protector and a volume rebounder, but his blossoming offensive game was clear. Robertson took bigger guys out to the perimeter to get a step with crossovers and went coast to coast off of defensive rebounds. While his shooting form is unorthodox, Robertson has a good follow through and lines up well from three. His physicality and energy combined with his athleticism and developing skill will put him in the Division 1 discussion.
Ryan Brown (6’4 SG/SF, Fremd 2025)
Brown is a lanky shooter that makes the right reads on and off of the ball. He started off with a couple of threes during scrimmages and made a good number of threes during the drills. His shot has good rhythm to it and he is a shot-ready player. Being 6-foot-4 gives him an edge defensively, but his IQ and anticipation do a lot of good for him as both an on-ball defender, disruptor in passing lanes, and as a help side defender who can affect shots from bigs. Brown can play off of other guys and should fit well for Fremd over the next few years.
Ryan Walsh (6’2 SG, Benet 2026)
Walsh wasn’t missing much during drills, making threes off of flares and hitting open looks during the 3-on-3 portion. His release stays consistent even when he is contested or when he has defenders trailing. A premium catch-and-shoot threat for a freshman, Walsh made a couple threes off of kick outs. He also got ahead of the pack in transition for layups and was throwing some bullets cross-court for open shots. Walsh will be able to develop alongside a loaded freshmen group for Benet.
Sam Hirsch (6’2 SG, Fremd 2025)
Listed at 6-foot-2, Hirsch plays much larger with how well he rebounds and defends. He is a tenacious rebounder that plays with fire on the defensive end both as a perimeter stopper and as the low man when he needs to come over to contest shots. Hirsch scored in various ways, using face cuts, straight line slashes, and standstill threes to score. He’s not a score-first player, but he gets offensive opportunities with his energy and effort with and without the ball. I would expect Hirsch to play a big role on the varsity team as a sophomore.
Tristan Saunders (5’11 SG, Plainfield Central 2025)
When Saunders had his feet set and was in rhythm, he was able to make some bombs from three. The 5-foot-11 guard was making most of his plays with the ball in his hands, looking to create offense for himself in space. Saunders has projectable length and probably isn’t done growing, which is promising considering how he is already capable of finishing on direct drives. Plainfield Central could end up featuring Saunders by year end.
Tyler Thick (6’8 PF/C, Hinsdale Central 2025)
Sometimes it can be a struggle to get big players to play big. That’s not a problem for Thick, using his size to set solid screens, rolling hard, and showing some great timing as a shot blocker. Thick sent multiple shots into the wall and was corralling rebounds at a high rate. He has the look of a rim-protector that can roll or pop, making pick-and-pop shots and stationary jumpers during drills. While he’s better in the paint, he has a shot that could become more consistent from the perimeter. Thick’s presence in the paint was felt throughout the camp and he already has ideal plus size for a high school big.