I went out to Supreme Courts for the shootout hosted by Illinois Attack. There were a number of great matchups during the day and a good bang-for-your-buck type of format. Of the teams I saw, here are some of the players who stood out.
Fundamental U UAA 17U
Braeden Carlsen (6’4 SG, Wauconda)
Always a threat to tear it up from three, Carlsen connected on a handful of threes off of active off-ball cuts. He’s got the ability to sprint and quickly set his feet before defenders could recover. With some slower defenders on him at times, Carlsen stayed in motion and was ripping off jumpers. His intensity on the defensive end was notable pressuring the ball in the half court and the timing on some of his passes was nice to watch. Steady as can be, Carlsen is a comfortable scholarship-level guard who high-level D3 will push hard for the next few months.
Jakob Blakley (6’0 PG, Larkin)
Blakley just makes things happen. When he had the ball in space, he was efficient using his dribbles to either drive to his 15-footer or get all of the way to the rim. Still with one of the better pull-up games in the class, he made enough threes to force defenders to extend out. Off of the ball, his cutting and finishing led to numerous layups and second chance opportunities. Blakley is a legitimate D1 guard prospect.
JJ Hernandez (6’6 SF, Glenbard North)
It was a really good day for Hernandez, who was impacting the game on both sides of the floor. The long, rangy wing held his ground when defending drives and went vertical to contest shots. Even in one-on-one situations, he cut guys off to allow the help defenders to stay at home. Offensively, Hernandez finished off back cuts, cross screens, and dump offs in the lane at a high clip. He also added a three, which is a shot that has really come along for him. Hernandez is another FU kid for coaches to keep an eye on.
Nick Taylor (6’7 PF, Glenbrook South)
I can’t tell you the last time I saw Taylor be outworked in a game. You put any other nine guys on the floor and he consistently stands out with his energy. It was more of the same today, as the 6-foot-7 forward used good bumps down low to finish over size and was getting to the foul line and on the glass. Taylor is a productive ball-handler and aggressive driver when placed at the high post, often too quick for bigs and too explosive of a leaper for help defense. Taylor needs to be on more D2 short lists.
Illinois Attack 17U Brooks
Colin Gerrity (6’2 SG, Neuqua Valley)
Gerrity was unconscious in the game that I saw, and most of them came with defenders right in his air space. He was knocking down stepbacks, long pull-ups, quick snatch moves in isolation situations. Gerrity possesses excellent lift on his shot that makes him a difficult cover, even against quality defense. Threes and long twos were where he made the majority of his impact, but he probably had over 20 points on those jumpers alone. Maybe not the most well-known prospect, but Gerrity is a true scorer.
Jordan Brooks (6’2 PG, West Aurora)
There is a lot to like about what Brooks brings to the table. From a passing standpoint, he understands how to suck in the defense and find just the right time to kick it out to teammates. He also was good at using his eyes to set up passes and draw defenders away from his target. Brooks found his way to the paint with quality ball-handling moves and a sense of urgency attacking the lane. He also hit some stepbacks of his own and showed balance on his shot.
MidPro Academy 17U
Braylon Roman (6’4 PG, Normal)
It’s hard to describe Roman’s game without using the word smooth. At 6-foot-4 with long arms and a fluid offensive game, Roman looks the part of a mid-major guard. There were times when he created sizeable separation just off of his change of pace moves and showed quality shot mechanics on his jumper. Roman has the ability to dance with the ball, but impressed most when he picked an angle, attacked with intent, and hit the necessary counters when he got defenders on his heels. As a passer and defender, Roman has plus traits that will translate well.
Hank Alvey (6’10 C, Illini Bluff)
Alvey has so much upside and continues to show signs that he is quickly moving in the right direction. Even with heavy defensive attention on his post ups, Alvey made sound passes against double teams and finished over the top when help was late. He has a level of force and physicality that he showed that was refreshing to see, particularly when carving out space for rebounds and going up through defenders to score. Alvey patrols the paint defensively well and has the mobility that you look for in a big. When you see the added bonus of his shooting touch, which he showed glimpses of from the mid-range, it’s easy to see why I look at him as a top-5 center in the class.
Luke Hopp (6’8 PF, Metamora)
There were stretches where Hopp looked more like a wing than a combo forward. He was comfortable raising up into his shot off of the catch from the mid-range and from three, adding a few good-looking pull-ups. The Metamora product has serious size and a frame that looks easily moldable at the next level. He can pass the ball from the high post, put the ball on the ground, and changes ends of the floor well. As he continues to get comfortable going to work on the low block, Hopp could really be a productive scholarship player.
Midwest Renegades 17U
Larenz Walters (6’0 PG, Kankakee)
Shot-making will always have value and Walters had some good stretches of it. With great range on his shot, Walters was yanking threes and knocking them down. Although he lacks some size, Walters is a fearless shot-maker who looks to be one of the leaders of this Renegades team. Walters has that combination of dynamic ball-handling and floor spacing that is increasingly coveted.
Liam Taylor (6’8 SF/PF, Lyons)
Taylor’s length and athleticism remain worth tracking. He guarded bigs and wings and showed the mobility to do so effectively. His height gave him an edge when making plays within the offense, often acting as a screener and spacer with quick decisions off of the catch. Not only can he step out to hit threes, but the 6-foot-8 forward pushes the break like a guard at times. He’s got scholarship upside.
PJ Chambers (6’2 PG/SG, DePaul Prep)
Chambers is just a tough kid. The decisions that he makes are assertive and confident, showing grit as an on-ball defender and especially as a wired scorer. He has three-point range that looked to be well-equipped to be effective in college with little wasted movement and a consistent release. When Chambers decided to drive downhill, he went left and wasn’t shying away from physicality. After a big June with DePaul Prep, I’ve got to think some D2 and NAIA schools would see value in how well his game could fit in different systems.
Wisconsin Swing 17U Bredesen
Brandon Tilley (6’5 SF, Franklin [WI])
Tilley had an explosive showing scoring the ball. Whether he was ripping through from the perimeter to score through some contact or stepping outside where he has a quality perimeter shot, Tilley was dominating. He’s a long-armed 6-foot-5 wing who is a good athlete with a physical nature in and around the paint. Tilley was not afraid to mix it up inside off of hard cuts or with his back to the basket and looked the part of a productive inside-out forward.
Gavin Van Wie (6’5 SG/SF, Sun Prairie East [WI])
For a wing, Van Wie is also a well-built kid who looks like a player who will be physically ready to compete in college. He showed a clean outside stroke that led to multiple step-in threes and a few in-rhythm pull-ups. Van Wie made some good passes on the move when cut off and used some crafty moves to get to his spots. With his size and strength at that position, his shooting ability and comfort making 2 or 3 dribble moves in the half court should be valuable.
Young & Reckless 17U
AJ Levine (6’0 PG/SG, York)
Levine’s quickness and athleticism shined on both ends of the floor. He was a dynamic defensive presence, turning ball-handlers, getting steals, and disrupting flow frequently. The new addition to Y&R was effective off of the bounce in the half court knifing to the basket for layups where he finished with both hands. There is a good pace and pop to his pull-up jumper that should translate as well. Levine continues to look like a potential D2 target.
Davius Loury (6’7 PF)
A reclass to the 2024 class, Loury should be a kid who opens a lot of eyes this month. His length and perimeter game are more than equipped for the Division 1 game and his body will only continue to progress. The potential as a shooter and comfort driving closeouts stood out among everything else that he brings. He should be able to add value as a pick-and-pop threat and showed that he can get easy looks in the paint off of cuts or his own creation.
Shaheed Solebo (6’4 SG, Lane Tech)
Another new add for Y&R, Solebo’s multi-layered scoring ability stood out. He’s a rock solid 6-foot-4 with confidence creating to his left hand and hitting tough shots. Late in shot clocks, he was calm getting to his spots and showed good shooting ability off of the catch throughout. Solebo will be a player who many scholarship-level schools will be following closely this month.
Fundamental U 16U
AJ Demirov (5’11 PG, Crystal Lake South)
Among the fastest end-to-end players in the class, Demirov was one of the better ball-handlers I saw at the event. He’s got the handle to shake and shift defenders and was splitting and probing well against tight defense. Demirov has a quick stop-and-pop game and was able to connect on a high-arching three in addition to his many takes to the rim. Some players struggle to make passes on the move, but he also looked good making deliveries at high speeds in traffic to teammates. Should be another big month for an underrated PG in the class.
Colby Smith (6’3 PG, New Trier)
Another talented guard for Fundamental U’s 16U group, Smith can help you win in about every aspect on the floor. Very unselfish and tactical offensively, Smith was whipping passes to teammates and picking his spots as a scorer. When he played off of the ball, he hit open threes, effortlessly got by initial defenders, and showed good body control and variety as a finisher. On defense, Smith stayed in position while applying ball pressure and adding value on the glass as well. He’s a rising junior who already looks like an early Ivy League target.
Hudson Scroggins (6’7 SF/PF, Lake Forest)
In his first action with FU, Scroggins fit in well as a switchable forward who was willing to get inside and do some damage on the block. More of a face-up forward naturally, Scroggins scored over his right shoulder a few times off of offensive rebounds and some good seals inside. That will be a worthy complement to his shooting potential and positional ball-handling ability.
MidPro Academy 16U
Braden Freeman (6’6 SG, Moline)
With some guys missing, Freeman was able to show his ability to handle the ball in a larger scale. The highly versatile wing made the right plays with the ball, limited turnovers, and was a positive presence out in transition. I like the seemingly constant improvement of his outside shooting, getting to his pull-up well during the day and always catching ready to fire. Freeman is also a plus athlete who attacks the rim with bad intentions and brings that intensity across three positions on defense. More D1 schools will be keying in on him this month.
Jonah Funk (6’8 PF, El Paso Gridley)
Funk is still putting it all together, but he’s got a ton of high-level upside on both ends of the floor. From a defensive standpoint, his ability to alter and throw away shots is going to appeal to a number of college coaches. He runs like a deer in the open court and finishes well above the rim. What he showed today offensively on top of his athleticism was some activity off of the ball and an understanding of spacing. He’s far from a finished product but Funk is going to be really good.
Kobe Walker (6’8 C, Normal)
Yet another big prospect from Normal, Walker has some good moments around the rim. The soft hands that he had on a number of putbacks and interior pass receivals led to great looks inside. Usually for a player as big of Walker, conditioning is a noticeable issue. On a team with only six guys for the weekend, Walker was getting up and down the floor well and even showed good effort moving his feet to defend on switches on the perimeter. There won’t be a ton of defenders able to displace him, so the traits that he showed today should make for a bright future.
Midwest Renegades 16U
Payton Edwards (6’3 SG, Bloom)
The projectable lefty wasted no time getting into the teeth of the defense and making good things happen. He understands angles well and has a nose for filling it up off of the dribble. Edwards had some double-clutch finishes to go along with some looks in the open floor. He has good energy on the defensive side of the ball and has ideal length and quickness to make an impact on that end.
Young & Reckless 16U
EJ Mosley (5’10 PG, St. Laurence)
It didn’t seem like Mosely missed much today. The electric point guard was putting on a scoring clinic with long-range threes, pick-and-roll maneuvering, and a wide array of interior shots from different angles. His ball control and IQ in tight spaces really shined today against great competition. There is no reason to question whether Mosley is a Division 1 guard prospect. And it doesn’t look like he’s hit his physical growth spurt yet either. The playmaking on display today was great to see.
JT Pettigrew (6’6 PF, Bolingbrook)
Pettigrew is improving exponentially. His composure, skill, and tenacity are worth noting and will eventually lead to more college coaches being drawn to his game. He was taking slower bigs off of the bounce and scoring with both hands through contact. He was constantly drawing fouls where he showed a repeatable stroke at the foul line. That release follows him out to the arc where Pettigrew projects as a plus forward shooter. He rebounded in bulk and was very good as a rim protector on the defensive end.
Nate Marshall (6’5 SF/PF, Fenwick)
It’s been a bit since I’ve seen Marshall on the court, but he was a difference maker today. Playing with the aggression and competitiveness that makes him a Power 5 football recruit, Marshall showed a good first step at his size, three-point range, and great body control. He had a big dunk off a baseline drive, made a three off of the dribble, and even took a charge. Marshall has good ball skills to break down slower defenders and had a couple difficult, acrobatic finishes. He’s a top-flight football recruit, but his impact today had many hoping he plays two more years of high school basketball.
Terrence Smith (6’4 SG, West Aurora)
Explosiveness personified, Smith had multiple highlight dunks during the day, including some thunderous alley-oop dunks that woke the entire gym up. But just as he has shown over the past year, he’s a lot more than just an athlete. Smith’s rotations and hand activity on defense caused a bunch of turnovers and allowed for Y&R to initiate the break. He also showed an improved handle and hit some threes, which is an area that is often taken for granted in his game. Smith remains a player with sky-high potential.