Nearing the end of September, fall leagues are well underway. I was out to see Breakaway’s fall league during their two older sessions and saw a number of talented players across courts. Here are some of the standouts from the two slots of games.

Aidan Bardic (6’3 PG, Stevenson 2025)

Bardic’s calming presence and hard-nosed style of play were from the onset. Opposing guards had to work to get quality looks against his bruising individual defense. He also took smart angles to get inside offensively and was efficient with his looks inside of 10 feet, finishing with power and finesse when needed. His perimeter shot continues to be a developing asset, hitting a couple of dribble pull-ups and knocking down a three comfortably off the catch. The anticipation as a passer should continue to make life easier on his teammates. He’s due for a huge year.

Alex Gossett (6’6 SF/PF, OPRF 2025)

There is upside with Gossett that extends to both sides of the ball. A rock-solid, laterally quick wing with big-time raw athleticism, Gossett was able to slide his feet and keep guys in front. He’s got the build of a player with ample physical upside and the instinctual offensive game to take advantage of it. Gossett looked best in transition running the wings and getting some early offense at the rim. While his jump shot is a work in progress, it’s nice to see him shoot it with confidence. He made a couple of standstill threes and has form that you can work with. Above all else, his quick springs inside as a rebounder and finisher stood out. Gossett is far from a finished product, but his approach and traits will push his growth exponentially.

Alex Miller (6’5 SG, Downers Grove North 2024)

Miller had a great summer and has become a target multiple D3 programs for good reason. The 6-foot-5 wing is a knockdown shooter who has a release point that is hard for most perimeter players to contest. He made a handful of threes and generally showed a high level of activity as an off-ball mover, rebounder, and defender. Miller even took a charge early on. A few of his buckets came off of decisive drives against hard closeouts, which he does particularly well using his long strides. There is a lot to like about the way Miller competes and plays the game.

Andrew Hill (6’5 SF/PF, ICCP 2025)

From a physical standpoint, Hill checks off a lot of boxes of a face-up forward. Long arms, good build with some strength to him, and a productive outside shot that he can make off of different actions. He came out firing with multiple threes early on using a one-motion shot that has range. Hill slashed to the basket in transition and in the half court when he saw creases in the defense. With both the upper body strength and body control, Hill drew contact and completed plays well. I liked what I saw from him.

Athan Berchos (6’1 PG, Andrew 2025)

For Andrew, Berchos was a quality floor general who got others involved as a sophomore. He’s still got that passing sense and creativity, but looks a lot more assertive looking for his own shot. The threes were falling from long distances today, dropping right in after the high-arching looks came back down. Berchos is a heady decision maker, so the threes typically came when defenders had their hands down or in the flow of the offense when those openings presented themselves. He’s got the game to be an all-conference player.

Atticus Richmond (6’7 SF, Stevenson 2025)

Richmond showed a little bit of everything today. As is often the case, Richmond’s perimeter shooting at 6-foot-7 stood out in the group. He gets the ball in his shooting pocket in a hurry and has become a reliable pull-up shooter in transition with space. But the flashes as an attacker off the bounce, rebounder, and defender were there as well. Richmond is an above-average run-and-jump athlete who can really get up when he gets to the block. The athleticism aided him at times with blocked shots and traffic rebounds. There is good reason to expect Richmond to be a big-time transfer in his first year at Stevenson.

Bobby Grganto (6’6 PF, Downers Grove North 2025)

A big who can do some nice things outside, Grganto’s floor spacing has progressed nicely. When he got open looks with his feet set, he delivered on a good percentage of them. At times, he also pushed the break off of rebounds and made plays off of the bounce to get inside, which is where he is most effective. The good feet, soft touch, and physical athleticism all helped Grganto make different hooks and scoops inside.

Bradley Biedke (6’6 PF, Conant 2025)

Another bouncy, projectable forward in the GBL, Biedke moves up and down the floor like a scholarship-level player. He was a terror in the passing lanes with his long arms and first step to jump ball reversals, and patrols the paint like a true center with aggressive shot contests and blocks on and off the ball. I see his defense as his most ready ability right now, but the cutting and rim running on offense were good to see as well. Biedke doesn’t need plays drawn up for him to score double-digits on extra effort plays, including a few effortless dunks and putbacks inside. Even as his handle and jump shot are becoming more comfortable, Biedke has an impactful game.

Cam Anderson (6’6 PF, Schaumburg 2026)

Anderson was one of the higher-volume rebounders of the day that I saw. It seemed like half of the missed shots from his teammates were pulled in and put back up by the 6-foot-6 sophomore. He has a huge wingspan and looked more under control inside with his interior footwork and finishing angles. Anderson looks the part with his size, length, and explosive leaping ability that all make players think twice about going for layups in his area. Expect that to continue to mold into more frequent big outings.

Chris Bolte (6’5 SF/PF, St. Ignatius 2026)

Bolte has a chance to be a player who alters the season for St. Ignatius. He is 6-foot-5 with the physicality to play inside but also the face-up skill to take slower defender off the dribble or spray in outside shots. When he got the ball down low off of direct post ups or dribble posts, he was patient and calculated in reading the defender. He used shot fakes and step throughs to get good angles and use his strength to finish plays. Since last year, Bolte has improved the elevation on his jump shot and was regularly connecting on open jumpers. An all-around efficient scorer, he is also a bulk rebounder who communicates and shows versatility defensively. Bolte is among the top combo forwards in the class.

Cole Kelly (6’4 SF/PF, 2028)

Kelly is an eight grader who was playing with the top group in the league, but you would never know it with the composure, athleticism, and size that he has already. The first thing that stood out was how active he was on the defensive end getting deflections, stunting to clog up driving lanes, and flying around to get guys off of their spots. Kelly moves very well for a player his age and rebounds up around the rim. His offensive skill set is beyond advanced at this point, able to push in transition, create space in isolation situations to get to pull-ups and stepbacks, and crafty enough to get inside to finish. The lefty had multiple takes to his strong hand and showed well as a cutter and quality passer. I don’t know him personally, but Kelly seems to have that rare combination of elite talent with a team-first, workmanlike mindset. Crazy potential.

Jack Duffer (6’0 PG/SG, Rolling Meadows 2025)

Duffer seemingly brought his precision from the golf season to the gym. He was on fire from three and had it going for long stretches in spot up situations. Fluid from a mechanics standpoint, Duffer has good shot preparation before receiving passes which ultimately allows him to get looks off quickly. He was making the defense pay for leaving him open and the knockdown shooter is expected to have a much bigger role for a junior-heavy Rolling Meadows team.

Jack Weigus (6’2 PG/SG, Hinsdale South 2025)

Weigus is another guard who has a burner. Among the better movement shooters in this fall league, he truly sprints off of screens and in transition while being able to corral himself enough to take on-balance shots. Being able to handle the ball or space to the corners and wings like Weigus can is an asset, particularly on teams with other good guards. He is both a plus shooter and a guard who has spent heavy minutes as the primary ball-handler as he showed during the games today. Weigus is taller than he was a year ago and is entering his third varsity season where he will carry a heavy load for Hinsdale South.

Jimmy Bies (6’4 SF/PF, Maine South 2025)

Bies was aggressive and played with confidence against a solid group. Built more like a four than a three, he was on of the stronger players on the floor and used that inside to rebound and take bumps offensively. Bies really impressed as an outside shooter, hitting all net on numerous looks from around the arc. He made plays on the wing and did some work around the block as well. Bies enters his first varsity year with Maine South.

Jordan Tunis (5’11 PG, Schaumburg 2025)

Tunis played great in both games as a playmaker and scorer. A bit under 6-foot, he’s got a crafty way of finishing around the rim with scoops, floaters, and hooks. His sheer speed was giving him ample opportunities inside to score, but he always seemed to find a way to get it up on the backboard in traffic. Tunis drew in multiple defenders and sent out passes for open looks from around the perimeter. When Tunis is also shooting it like he was, connecting on a good number of threes during the day, it’s hard to cover him. Also of note was how Tunis got up and turned other ball-handlers without giving up a step. He’s now an experienced lead guard at Schaumburg who will return as the primary ball-handler.

Kyle Waltz (6’6 SF, York 2024)

Of all of the players there today, Waltz was one who I came away most impressed with following a big summer. His effortless athleticism, promising length, and ability to affect the game in different ways all stood out. As a spot-up shooter, he has a fluid release with consistent mechanics and minimal movement, hitting countless outside shots as a spacer. I love his motor and willingness to change ends of the floor with urgency. He had putbacks and affected some shots on the defensive ends solely due to his effort getting back into plays. Waltz skies above the rim and used that to heavily contest shots and bounce up after getting to the paint off straight-line drives. His handle is developing, but he attacks with good force and has the IQ to know when to pass or pick it up. Waltz is 6-foot-6, can shoot the three at a high rate, defends, drives closeouts, and has a great vertical leap. A classic late bloomer, Waltz is a D2-level kid with huge upside if he fills out and keeps refining his game.

Mike Nee (5’10 PG, Glenbard East 2026)

For a fall league, Nee sure got a lot of defensive attention. It makes sense considering how prolific of a shooter he is as only a sophomore. Nee was followed closely, but still managed to change his tempo up off the ball to lose his defenders and get some decent looks from three. He has that type of range that opens up things for his teammates, as shown by the driving lanes and post one-on-one situations that were able to be exposed while Nee was being tracked.

Rafael Pinto (6’3 SG, Fremd 2026)

Pinto has a good frame and the toughness to play with the older kids. His ability to stop on a dime and raise up into his pull-up will be a valuable as he advances as a player. He knocked down a handful of threes and other jumpers while also getting to the rim for the game-winner in the last game. Pinto plays off of his hesitation well and has enough shiftiness to get a step on guys. Overall, he had a solid showing with the sophomore-led team.

Ryan Cox (6’4 SG, Fremd 2024)

Cox was one of the better all-around shooters in the gym when factoring in range, consistency, and ability to make shots off of the dribble. He didn’t rely solely on the three-ball, though he did make a couple as usual. Cox was getting the ball out to other guys and ran his lanes hard in transition to force his defender to get back. Using crossovers and decisive triple-threat moves, Cox got to the paint under control and flipped up different layups to evade the help. I still believe more D3 programs should be looking at him.

Ryan Walsh (6’3 SG, Benet 2026)

Walsh is another sophomore who was a serious threat from three during the two games. He has a knack for making tough jumpers from the wings and top of the key. But Walsh probably did more inside from three, getting into the lane and either scoring himself and finding teammates on hard drives. Being 6-foot-3 allowed him to see over and around help side defenders to get a few dump off passes out. Walsh should fill a role as a floor spacer this season.

Talen Pearson (6’6 SG, Nazareth 2024)

Pearson was playing like the vet of the group, doing a lot of those little things that maybe don’t get charted in the box score but are noticeable if you watch close enough. His talk on the defensive end was excellent and he deterred a lot of layup attempts and on-time passes due to his length and activity. He knifed to the rim for some layups on offense and connected on an open jumper. Pearson has a smooth outside shot and looks like a player who could really develop into a productive 3-and-D, multi-purpose wing at the next level. High-end D3 and D2 programs should be targeting him right now.

Timmy Sloan (6’3 PG/SG, Lyons 2027)

The only freshman with the older group, Sloan’s poise was noteworthy. At this point, he is already a high-level passer with the timing and precision of his deliveries. The ball never stuck and he was able to get teammates wide open looks with lead passes, kick outs on penetration, or bullet passes to cutters. For his age, Sloan has long arms and high-IQ on the defensive end to cut off drives and be early to the help side. The freshman showed that he can knock down threes as well and has a follow through that should allow him to stretch out his range as it becomes more consistent. He is a winning player.

Tyler Smith (6’2 SG, Wheaton Academy 2025)

Smith is hyper-athletic and has one of the better verticals of any 6-foot-2 guards in the state. Excellent in space, Smith exposed slow transition defense with bull rushes to the basket and at-or-above the rim looks. A lot of the positives he brought came on the glass and as a one-on-one defender where he rarely got shook and used his body and speed to cause problems for other guards and wings. Smith’s going to be a difference-maker for Wheaton Academy this year.