The Bill Hensley Run N’ Slam is a staple in the Midwest, particularly for Illinois teams who have a chance to play against programs from different circuits and neighboring states. I checked out a few games from the event with some teams who I hadn’t seen a lot of so far. Here were some of the more impressive players from the games that I saw.

Greater Purpose 15U

Jake Nawrot (6’3 SG, Hersey)

Nawrot has a lot of traits that you look for in a guard, particularly at his age. Strong, tall, unselfish, and impactful across the board, Nawrot was dominant in the game that I saw. He has a smooth, one-motion shot with ideal arc and rotation to extend past the three-point line. Nawrot knocked down multiple threes off of kickouts and looked comfortable pulling up off of the dribble. I was most impressed with his passing feel to draw help and put it right on the money in transition, off of ball screens and off dribble penetration in the half court. Nawrot also provided a big boost on the glass and as a direct driver, using his physicality and athleticism to play above crowds. He’s a talented, well-rounded player.

Quinn Zinzer (5’11 PG, Prospect)

Strong and steady with the ball, Zinzer was in attack mode in the game that I saw. Whenever he had time and space from the perimeter, he drilled outside shots with confidence. Zinzer has repeatable mechanics and is a threat to shoot it with distance. Early on, Zinzer connected on threes before showing toughness and craftiness getting to the rim. Despite giving up some height inside, Zinzer powered up in the lane for contact layups and push shots throughout the game. As a playmaker, Zinzer made sound decisions as the primary ball-handler. He brings a level of grit that you like to see at the lead guard spot.

Illinois Wolves 15U

Ethan Vahl (6’0 PG, 2028)

Vahl’s processing is advanced for an 8th grader. He was picking apart the ball screen coverages and made quick reads to get the ball where it needed to go. Vahl exploded off the bounce to finish in traffic and flashed court vision that you don’t see even from high school players. When he had the ball in space, the creativity as a passer and ball-handler was evident with change-of-pace moves, crossovers, and deceptive delivers off of the dribble. Vahl is going to be a fun point guard to watch over the next four years.

Hayden Schroeder (6’7 PF, Wheaton Academy)

Schroeder is a talented frontcourt prospect who looks like a top-10 player in the class at this point. Mobile, skilled, and aggressive, Schroeder did a lot of his work in the game inside of 10 feet. He was decisive on the block with dropsteps and hooks to score over the defense. Schroeder has swift feet and is a threat when facing up with his ability to handle the ball and use his tough. Defensively, the 6-foot-7 forward was highly effective as a help side defender with blocks and quick leaping ability to affect shots. He also moved his feet well in the open court. Schroeder is a difference maker.

Myles Montgomery (5’8 PG, Sacred Heart-Griffin)

Montgomery didn’t score much in the game that I saw but his constant tenacity while guarding and pursuing the basketball was admirable. The SHG guard does a great job of using his leverage and getting up underneath opposing guards to make them uncomfortable. His defense helped spearhead the run that they went on during the game.

Travis Brown (5’10 PG, West Aurora)

There is a lot to like about Brown from a projectability standpoint. He’s got that traditional, lanky, smooth game that plays well at the point guard spot. His ability to apply ball pressure with his lateral quickness and cause turnovers with his length and activity was critical. He turned defense into offense on multiple occasions for the Wolves with steals ending in layups. Brown is a slick ball-handler who seems to have a good understanding of changing pace and controlling tempo while mixing in looking for his own shot.

Illinois Wolves 16U

Jayden Wright (6’0 PG, Benet)

Wright rarely seems sped up or out of rhythm. That was key as the Wolves battled back with Wright’s timely decision-making being a key factor. An NBA-range shooter, Wright hit a few triples and drew contact well on his drives. He’s got that ability to stop on a dime inside of 15-feet for floaters and is fairly strong to absorb contact. There were numerous possessions on the defensive end where he was cutting guys off, stepping over to stop penetration, and hustling for loose balls. Wright also added multiple assists off of dump off passes after he used his shiftiness to get into the lane. The Benet guard is a winner.

Rashaun Porter (6’6 PF, DePaul Prep)

Seemingly a man amongst boys, Porter produced throughout the game against a solid frontcourt. The 6-foot-6 forward was absolutely relentless inside of the paint with multiple efforts on the offensive glass and a couple of and-ones and difficult shots in traffic. The left-handed sophomore uses his shoulders well to create separation and power his way up to the basket after negating shot blockers. In short roll situations or while working along the baseline, he was assertive and looking to score on the catch. I don’t have the official stats, but he must’ve been up near double-digit rebounds to go along with a nice offensive output. Porter is a Division 1 forward with the frame and agility to continue to be a mismatch. His growth on the defensive end has only added to his appeal.

Midwest Renegades 16U

Jaali Love (6’7 SF/PF, Manley)

Love is an intriguing combo forward with his long arms, athleticism, and budding skill. He worked best in situations where he could make quick moves, either on the block or from the perimeter where he only needs two dribbles to get to the rim. Love has a very quick jump off of the floor that oftentimes allowed him to get off looks before defenders could recover. The flashes of open court ball-handling and defensive versatility to cover multiple positions was notable. Love has Division 1 upside.

Jordan Williams (6’6 SF, Fremd)

Williams provided a spark with his rebounding and slashing ability. He came right in and scored a few times at the rim and did a nice job of drawing contact once he got inside. The Fremd wing also knocked down a foul line jumper and was solid on the defensive end. Williams has put together a productive spring to this point and should be in for a big June. Another promising long-term player.

Full Package 17U – Select

Danny Janiszewski (6’2 SG, Lyons)

Janiszewski was productive scoring the basketball for Full Package. To help extend a lead, he went on a stretch hitting multiple shots from beyond the arc and getting into the lane and making plays off of two feet. With his frame, Janiszewski is able to play through the occasional bumps and still get to where he needs to offensively. He spaced to the corners well off of actions that were occurring in the middle third of the floor.

Ian Polonowski (6’7 SF, Lyons)

Polonowski continues to make great strides and was the best player on the floor in the game that I saw. He thrives in the pick-and-pop game where he has good footwork, the agility to slip out into open space, and a pure shot. Even with minimal space, he was able to hit multiple threes. But his confidence controlling games in other areas has elevated his prospects. For stretches, Polonowski ran point, initiating offense at 6-foot-7 and working in ball screens. He used in-and-outs and other start-and-stop moves to get downhill to finish or make the extra pass. The rising Lyons product also scored on hard cuts and rip screens where his size and length were assets. On the defensive end, he recovered quickly to block shots and cleaned up the defensive glass. Polonowski still has plenty of physical upside and should be a priority forward for high-academic D3s.

Mac Doyle (5’10 PG, Benet)

A crafty point guard, Doyle started to heat up as the game progressed. He made a couple of big threes in the second half and was knifing into the lane for layups throughout the game, using both hands to get to the lane. Doyle lulled defenders to sleep and showed some speed in straight lines to get around his individual matchups. He was more than willing to scrap for loose balls and make opposing ball-handlers uncomfortable. It was a solid showing from Doyle.