There were a number of impressive individual performances at Riverside Brookfield’s live event, but we are highlighting teams who really came together throughout the weekend. The below 10 teams all finished 4-0.
Benet
Despite losing four of their starters and key bench pieces to graduation, the Redwings looked like a well-oiled machine. Four-year player Parker Sulaver is a workhorse inside and Patrick Walsh is a gritty two-guard who is going to make some noise as a spot-up shooter and defender. 6-foot-8 forward Daniel Pauliukonis used his length well and guard Blake Fagbemi had good moments playmaking.
At times, they were led by their youth. 6-foot-6 sophomore Gabriel Sularski was terrific operating in ball screens and getting to the paint for tough finishes or pinpoint passes. Fellow sophomores Jayden Wright, Colin Stack, and Ryan Walsh also gave significant contributions with Wright balancing scoring and facilitating, Stack protecting the rim, and Walsh draining threes. They were without a few key seniors as well who will boost them. Benet isn’t going anywhere.
Bloom
One of the many teams at Riverside who have gotten richer through transfers, the Trojans were athletically imposing at times with the length and quickness across the board. I really like point guard Elijah Lovemore. The junior sees the floor well and was a disruptive defender. Transfer Marcus Everhart gave them a nice energy boost around the rim on both ends while they got a ton of long, agile wings and forwards who run the floor and seemingly just keep rotating in. Junior guard Payton Edwards stood out as a scorer for them with strong, left-handed drives to the rim. They have a lot of pieces to throw at you.
DePaul Prep
This was the best defensive team I saw all weekend. The attention to detail, pursuit of the ball, and recovery were excellent on that end to suffocate opponents. 6-foot-7 forward Jaylan McElroy was a monster on the glass and on the interior as a post scorer, cutter, and transition scorer. Senior guard PJ Chambers scored the ball well at times and the junior duo of Makai Kvamme and Rob Walls was tenacious on defense and steady as an offensive threat. Kvamme is an elite decision maker and Walls was giving full effort from end to end, diving for loose balls and sprinting to get back into plays.
They were missing 6-foot-6 forward Jonas Johnson, who is among the best combo forwards in the junior class. But I liked the upside that sophomore Rashaun Porter showed. He communicated well in ball screens and showed some physicality as a post-sealer and offensive rebounder. The defense was a breath of fresh air.
Hinsdale Central
The Red Devils are another team that was hit hard by graduation. But a promising junior class looks ahead of schedule. Dillon Orozco is a very creative and aggressive guard who went on some nice scoring stretches while 6-foot-8 center Tyler Thick moves well and scores in the paint effectively. Both showed well. Their defense was solid, loading up paint and contesting shots well. There was also a pleasant surprise of the return of 6-foot-4 junior Vince Buzelis, who was out of state last season at Sunrise. He’s an additional athletic, skilled piece to impact the wings.
Joliet West
With the influx of new faces, it wasn’t a lock that Joliet West would be clicking like they were. Justus McNair (Valpariso commit) did a nice job of galvanizing the group of late with his defensive activity and downhill scoring. His brother Miles, along with a bevy of other young guards gave good minutes. Rajan Roberts was a standout as a freshman at Proviso West and seems to have that isolation skillset that breaks things down defensively. He had some really nice flashes after recently transferring in. On the inside, 6-foot-8 Drew King looked like the type of defensive anchor that scholarship programs would love to work with. His offensive game around the rim continues to progress. They have plenty of time to get more comfortable as a unit, but the talent is evident.
Kenwood
One of the big stories was standout wing Davion Hannah of Wisconsin running with Kenwood. The highly-recruited junior was getting to the rim and showing supreme athleticism around the rim. His AAU teammate Aleks Alston was fluid and noteworthy making plays off of the bounce. He continues to be a rising high-major recruit. Even without forward Calvin Robins Jr., they looked plenty explosive. Sophomore point guard Noah Mister and freshman guard Devin Cleveland both look like they’re ready to play big varsity minutes and make big shots. From a talent perspective, they were drawing floods of college coaches this weekend.
Metea Valley
Metea has quietly had a great summer so far. It starts with senior Will Ashford and junior Jake Nosek. Both filled up the scoring column but also provided some defensive flashes and rebounding. Ashford has a couple of plays in a game where he looks different from other players on the floor. The straight-line driver was living in transition and showed some shooting ability. Nosek has a ton of upside at 6-foot-8 with an effortless three-point shot. He looks like he’s still growing too. They have a ton of pieces that fit around them, including quality guard play.
Neuqua Valley
Powered by senior marksman Luke Kinkade, Neuqua knocked off a couple of really good teams en route to an undefeated weekend. Kinkade manned the point guard duties well, getting them into offense and still finding ways to get into his jump shot. That playmaking ability is just another layer that should add to Kinkade’s appeal. Outside of him, the junior class did a nice job of stepping up and spreading the floor. 6-foot-2 Whitman Charboneau and 6-foot-4 Vova Polishchuk both had some solid outputs and provided needed three-point shooting and threats around Kinkade. The motion offense with cutters and plus shooters across the lineup will make them a tough cover.
New Trier
A solid group despite some meaningful graduations from their downstate team, the Trevians are still tough. Wing Ian Brown is set to have a breakout senior year, another big, strong wing shooter who really flashed his athleticism as a rebounder and direct drive finisher. 6-foot-4 point guard Logan Feller played all over the floor, guarding out of position at times well. Both are going to be a joy for D3 programs. Junior guard Colby Smith is the one-on-one creator of the group with a chance to be really good. I was impressed with the sophomores. Chris Kirkpatrick was excellent shooting the basketball and showed high IQ as a passer. 6-foot-4 guard Danny Houlihan is another sniper and Maks DePalo has legit size and potential with his skill at 6-foot-8. They move it, cut hard, and really mesh defensively despite their inexperience.
Riverside Brookfield
The focal point was also the biggest player at the tournament. Stefan Cicic was an absolute force for RB with soft hands, deep posts, and the touch to score over the top or through defenders. It was almost a lock that he was going to score on post-touches. Cicic was the driving force, but the surrounding guards were doing a nice job defensively of funneling them to him and rotating well to not allow for easy kick outs. Among the group, sophomore guard Cam Mercer was the standout. He stepped up to hit some open shots and act as an additional source of offense. He also looks like he will be a weapon as a distributor off of the bounce.
St. Laurence
The new-look Vikings were letting it fly this weekend. With a guard-heavy lineup, they were converting on threes and pull-up jumpers in bulk. Iowa State commit Nojus Indrusaitis was the best of the bunch, getting to his spots and showing a ton of patience and maturity on both ends of the floor. It was great to see Jacob Rice‘s shot-making shine at times, as he is one of the more under-the-radar players in the class. EJ Mosley, Khalil Jones, and Zerrick Johnson, all returners from last year, took turns getting their offense going and turning steals into easy ones. I liked the defensive presence that Caleb Lindsay provided them, switching all across positions and walling up well as a quasi-five man at times. 6-foot-5 senior Josh Pickett knocked down some deep threes as well and looks to be another quality addition for Laurence. They have serious offensive firepower.
Thornton
Morez Johnson was the name people came to see. The transfer forward was absolutely dominant with his rim protection, rebounding, and diversified offensive game. He connected on multiple threes, was looking to tear the rim down on dunks, and had numerous thunderous blocks. But his unselfishness and ability to make those plays in the flow of the game make him special. Chase Abraham likely opened the eyes of some coaches with how well he got into the paint and guarded the backcourt spots. The addition of Isaiah Green is also bound to pay dividends in the winter with his shot-creation, passing ability, and in-your-face defense. Coach Streets has a very hungry and committed group that looks like it’s been playing together for years.
York
Another West Suburban team who went undefeated, York was driven by senior star AJ LeVine. Athletic and assertive from the jump, LeVine set the tone with his energy defensively and constant application of pressure offensively. He gets to the rim so well and can finish off of one or two feet in traffic. LeVine looked like a D2-level player. What a weekend for 6-foot-5 senior Kyle Walz. He went off for over 25 points in a game and was knocking down threes, running the floor, and finishing with forceful dunks. He definitely caught the attention of many. The group is senior-heavy and should have a shot to challenge in the WSC this year.