I was out at the Fundamental U Fall League on Sunday to check out a few hours of games that featured a number of north and west suburban teams. Here are some of the players who stood out.

Donovan Williams (5’11 PG/SG, Stevenson 2026)

Williams brought intensity on the defensive end and was responsible for multiple forced turnovers throughout the game. Even at 5-foot-11, he can defend both guard spots with long arms and excellent quickness. He also added some threes on the offensive end and get into the paint well. Williams is among multiple promising young Patriots.

Jack Dabbs (6’7 SF/PF, Stevenson 2024)

Dabbs was one of the few returners who was able to play on Sunday and took on a leadership role that he will carry on into the year. Using his size to see over the defense, he was rock solid in the middle third of the court making decisions to find cutters or attack open lanes. The versatility is there for him to play out in space with ample touch or go down to the mid post to score. It should be another good year for a quality high-D3 prospect.

Liam Curtin (6’5 SF, Stevenson 2025)

The 6-foot-5 junior had some good moments, particularly on the inside. More of a wing than a four, Curtin gets low on his drives and rises up well around the rim. He was pulling in rebounds at a high rate and showed good off-ball movement before he came out of the game. Curtin has continued to trend up this fall.

AJ Morgan (6’4 SF, Vernon Hills 2025)

Few players stood out from a physical standpoint like Morgan. Built to take and deliver contact, the junior was effective at keeping guys away from the rim. He kept it simple on the offensive end with hard cuts, putbacks, and decisive moves from the wing. Morgan should be a standout for Vernon Hills this year.

Dylan Lam (6’2 SG, Niles North 2025)

Lam was lighting it up from the outside during the game. He hit a bunch of threes, mainly from the corners off of kick outs. His hands and feet were always ready and the junior let them fly with confidence. Lam is part of a deep Niles North class

Hunter Gawron (6’6 PF, Niles North 2025)

I don’t think I’ve seen a player this fall have more dunks in a single game. Dump offs and cuts led to powerful finishes inside from Gawron, who has top-level explosiveness off of two feet. He dominated the game inside of 10 feet, looking in great shape to have another year shooting over 60 percent from the field.

Reid Olson (6’0 PG, Niles North 2025)

Developing nicely as a playmaker, Olson got the ball moving on offense in a game where he didn’t need to do much scoring. Now able to play with physicality and speed as a result of off-season work, Olson was a getting to his spots and making sound choices. He knocked down some tough jumpers, but continues to show that he is well beyond a straight shooter.

Yaris Irby (5’11 PG, Niles North 2025)

The pace of Irvy is a true differentiator. Yes, he’s got blowby speed, but his start-and-stop ability allows him to get defenders off balance consistently. During the game I saw, he was finishing well against a team that lacked rim protection. Even against a guard-heavy group, he was breaking guys down and showing creativity as a passer and close-range scorer. The vision and passing precision was great to see from Irby, who has the skill and feel of a Division 1 point guard.

Ryan Weil (6’0 PG/SG, Glenbrook North 2025)

Weil showed a quick first step to get to the rim where he was fearless going up against size. The lefty has a solid perimeter shot as well that he was able to make a few times from three. Although GBN was missing most of their primary pieces; Weil was productive with his energy.

Chris Kirkpatrick (6’2 PG, New Trier 2026)

Kirkpatrick’s calm and collected play style is so uncommon for a sophomore. The 6-foot-2 lead guard is a multi-level scorer with excellent footwork. When he got inside, he scored on turnarounds and difficult pivot shots. That craftiness is complemented by quick-twitch shiftiness in space where he got separation for baseline stepbacks and plenty of threes. Kirkpatrick also possesses the traits of a lockdown backcourt defender with length, lateral movement, and zupreme competitiveness. Special two-way PG.

Danny Houlihan (6’3 SG, New Trier 2026)

Houlihan ultimately got going later on with jumpers. I know, it sounds like a broken record. But the lefty marksman found some openings against tight defense and made the most of his looks. On a team full of shooters, Houlihan will have a chance to be a standout in catch-and-shoot situations.

Ian Brown (6’6 SG/SF, New Trier 2024)

The Carnegie Mellon commit looks to be continuing to improve in multiple aspects of his game. Still proving to be a knockdown spot shooter, Brown was really good flying in for rebounds, using his dribble to get where he needed, and basket cutting successfully all game. He gives the Trevians a physical defender as well who just happens to be able to break games open with three-point barrages.

Will LeeaMaster (6’4 SF, New Trier 2024)

Another workhorse for NT, LeeMaster is a strong, heady forward who was making things happen without scoring in bulk. When he had high post touches, he threw numerous impressive backdoor and touch passes to lead teammates. Probably more of a three in college, he still bangs with size inside and was fighting for defensive position. LeeMaster did score a good amount on hard direct drives and putbacks. Should be a solid D3 recruit.

Bryce Smith (6’6 PF, Carmel 2024)

Smith has to be one of the better underrated bigs in the senior class. He’s got both power and athleticism to make plays inside. He had a baseline lob dunk and bull rushed his way to the basket after facing up a few times. He’s going to be a great screen and roll option this year with his hands and body control. Smith also has a good-looking stroke that he showed on free throws and open jumpers.

Kaleb Jackson (6’1 PG, Carmel 2024)

While Jackson didn’t have a huge offensive game, he played aggressive defense throughout in a tough matchup. The returning Carmel point guard can fill it up from the perimeter and has a knack for making shots off of the bounce. Currently uncommitted, he has some playmaking and scoring traits that should translate to the next level.

Jake Pollack (6’7 PF, Deerfield 2026)

Pollack’s strength and driving ability was too much at times for the various defenders that he saw. Looking closer to 6-foot-8 than 6-foot-6, Pollack had some slick takes to the rim and utilized veers and step throughs to finish. He also had multiple hooks on the block and protected the paint well. I would buy stock now.

Sam Hanus (6’2 SG, Deerfield 2025)

At times, Hanus was the best option to create quality offense for Deerfield during the game. While playing at the point guard spot, he had a few difficult layups in traffic and snapped it up the floor. Hanus had a baseline jumper off a crossover and showed some range as well. He’s got some scoring instincts that should be useful for the Warriors

Brady Sehlhorst (6’7 SG, NDCP 2025)

Sehlhorst dominated the game that I saw. He drilled threes throughout the game and went well over 20 points in a variety of ways. Even against taller defenders, his release point and elevation at 6-foot-7 was too difficult to contest. Sehlhorst operated in ball screens to attack switches and converted push shots and other looks in the lane after getting inside. There is an offensive skillset and scoring ability that he possesses that few players match in the 2025 class.

Reid Rosseland (6’7 C, NDCP 2025)

Rosseland seems to be developing nicely, even in a matter of months since the summer. He’s got legitimate size at 6-foot-7 and was working hard in the post on the defensive end to hold his ground and do his work early. Offensively, he has good feet and soft touch, able to score on some hooks and drop offs when guards got inside.

Alex Daniels (6’5 SF/PF, Warren 2024)

There was no off switch for Daniels during this one. The highly active forward was controlling the backboard, generating second chances, and scoring well in and around the paint. Daniels drives to the rim with intent and has a good blend of agility, straight-line ball control, and strength to get inside. Division 3 programs continue to take a long look at a Swiss-Army knife who will be a leader and double-double threat for Warren.

Jaxson Davis (6’0 PG, Warren 2027)

Davis has an unwavering, level-headed approach that you rarely see from a freshman. What stood out most was how well he guarded the ball. He was in constant pursuit and showed quick hands and active feet to make an impact on or off of the ball. His passing and advanced court vision was contagious to his teammates, regularly snapping the ball up the sidelines in transition and looking to set up others. Davis rejected ball screens to get to the rim for finishes and knocked down a three as well. Easily one of the most varsity-ready freshmen in recent memory.

Braeden Carlsen (6’4 SG, Wauconda 2024)

Carlsen never seems to be affected by tight defense when looking to score.  It was a scoring clinic as the game progressed, mixing in difficult turnarounds, hitting threes off of movement, and getting to the rim for and-ones and contact finishes. The Mercer commit’s ball-handling skills have continued to advance, easily getting to the spots that he wants and having counters to respond to different coverages. Carlsen should have an All-State caliber season for a Wauconda team with a solid senior class.

Cayden Mudd (6’0 PG, Wauconda 2024)

Another key returner for Wauconda, Mudd saw tight defense for the majority of the game. He was still able to get open for a couple of threes, where he was reliable when given clean looks. Mudd handled the ball for good portions of the game as well and helped them come back within striking distance with his passing ability to feed the other shooters. Mudd already have D3 and NAIA programs pursuing him.

Tyler Tylka (6’4 SF/PF, Wauconda 2024)

Tylka recently committed to pitch at Parkland, but on Sunday, he was pouring it in from the three-point line. With a solid frame at 6-foot-4, Tylka gets the ball out quickly and has ideal balance on his catch-and-shoot looks. He’s a threat to hit multiple threes a game and could have some big outputs this year.

Anestis Hadjistamoulou (6’0 PG, Glenbrook South 2025)

It was a steady start as GBS wore down a sagging zone, but Hadjistamoulou was key to blowing the game open with his outside shooting. He buried a couple of threes from the wing and corner and probed into the lane to set up others. His on-ball defense was on point as well, getting steals and pressing up in the backcourt. He will have a big year.

Nate Kasher (6’0 PG, Glenbrook South 2024)

A lights-out shooter who will be one of the top shooters in the CSL, Kasher picked the defense apart as a passer in the game that I saw. He had no issue using his strength to get inside, play off of two feet, and throw passes to the rim and for shooters once he drew two. Kasher got up near the rim in transition when he had runouts and was taking it strong to the rim in the half court.

Nick Taylor (6’7 PF, Glenbrook South 2024)

Taylor ultimately had a field day against a team that lacked the size or athleticism to match him. He had a couple of high-flying dunks, shot it very well from three off of kick outs against the zone, and was well above the rim on lob finishes. It seemed like the defense was daring Taylor to shoot, but that ended up being a bad bet as he hit jumpers and still was a force inside. Going into the season, Taylor could be the most dominant player in the CSL.