Part 3 of live period evaluations from Riverside Brookfield.
Ashton Grieves (6’2 SG, Metamora 2025)
Grieves is one of only a few returning players who saw big minutes on Metamora’s loaded team last year. He finished at the rim with and-ones and was hustling all game for loose balls and rebounds. His energy was infectious for the young team, cutting hard without shying away from contact as a scorer. Grieves also looked good shooting the three when he had his feet set. Expect him to be one of the key pieces during the season.
Kayden Turner (6’2 PG/SG, Metamora 2028)
Turner had one of the best shooting performances that I saw all June. He hit seven threes, only missing one look from the beyond the arc, in an impressive fashion. The gifted freshman made deep threes off of flare screens, drifts to the corner, and step ins from the wing from NBA range. With length and good ball skills at this stage, I expect Turner’s shot creation to continue to grow. His poise and demeanor in front of 10-plus college coaches was notable.
Matthew Zobrist (6’5 SG, Metamora 2025)
There weren’t many players who helped themselves like Zobrist. He did it all for Metamora, knocking down tough threes, creating off the bounce, using his size to bully guys inside, and rebounding well. Despite carrying a heavy load, Zobrist remained efficient and never got out of rhythm against the defensive attention. He’s got a big, physical frame that allowed him to get to his spots and protect the ball in the process. His one-motion jump shot is fluid and repeatable, likely translating seamlessly to the next level. Zobrist connected on perimeter shots and downhill drives with defenders all in his space. When help overcommitted, he made laser passes to teammates.
Jake Nosek (6’8 SF, Metea Valley 2025)
Nosek shot the ball well from the mid-range and three-point in the game that I saw. The lanky, face-up forward shot right over the top of defenders who tried to close his airspace. He has great touch from the perimeter and is comfortable dribbling into pull-ups. Nosek hit a couple of threes as well, which is where he tends to cause the biggest mismatch for other teams as his size. He’s got some projectable traits
Tre Watkins (6’1 PG/SG, Metea Valley 2025)
The athletic combo guard had a nice weekend showing his explosiveness and dribble penetration skills. He was getting to the rim early and often, finishing with dunks and acrobatic layups in the lane. He’s got a quick first step to lean on but also has an aggressive nature that aided him. He had some good moments pressuring the ball on the defensive end and attacking rebounds.
Cam Thomas (6’3 PG/SG, Mount Carmel 2025)
Thomas was excellent all weekend. Built to deliver contact and finish through tight gaps, Thomas muscled his way to the rim for layups and bump jumpers that he seems to be particularly gifted at inside of 15 feet. He also hit stepbacks and threes when he got his feet set with really good elevation and balance. There are so many little things that he does that help contribute to winning. On an undersized Carmel team, he was a standout as a rebounder and on-ball defender, even taking the challenge of defending some bigger opponents. He’s capable of being a primary playmaker
Grant Best (6’3 SG, Mount Carmel 2025)
I didn’t see many kids throughout the weekend who played with the consistent tenacity and ferocious mentality. That energy showed up most defensively where he was shutting down other guards and wings using his anticipation, quickness, and sheer strength to knock guys off of their line. He does a great job of bumping cutters and rotating to recover on long closeouts. Best had a few big showings, shooting it well from the three-point line and showing good pop vertically in the middle game. When he got inside, he completed plays in traffic and fought for offensive boards on any misses. Motor is the most translatable skill and Best is phenomenal in that area. After a nice weekend, he picked up his first Division 1 offer.
Noah Mister (6’1 PG, Mount Carmel 2026)
Skill wise, Mister is one of the premier point guards in the class. Running the show in a guard-heavy lineup, he regularly shifted defenders to get to his spots and excel in space. Mister made numerous difficult stepback threes and utilized his hesitations well to get guys up in the air before driving. Mister has grown and added strength over the last 12 months and is now finishing comfortably through contact while still making those double-clutch layups inside. The passing ability showed for stretches as well, particularly as an off-the-bounce playmaker who can manipulate defenses. Division 1 point guard prospect.
Cole Kelly (6’6 SF/PF, Neuqua Valley 2028)
Kelly continued to show value in different areas of the game. He took on tough defensive assignments as the biggest player on Neuqua and did an admirable job moving his feet, battling inside for positioning, and going up to high point rebounds. Very skilled and savvy offensively, the lefty handled the ball well in the open floor and used various counters to get to the lane and finish. He has a quick and deceptive spin move with that long reach to get away from shot blockers to finish it off. Kelly also showed reliable mechanics and consistent output as a shooter, with an easy projectable shot that was falling when he got his feet set. I love how Kelly does the little things.
Whitman Charboneau (6’3 PG/SG, Neuqua Valley 2025)
Charboneau has been a force this summer for the Wildcats, now in a lead role where he is staying efficient on a much higher volume. He played some of his best ball over the weekend, pouring in dribble pull-ups and a bunch of threes off of movement. You can’t give him much space, particularly from the wings where he has strong lift and the ability to catch fire in a hurry. The creativity and one-on-one ability that he has only amplifies the shot-making, understanding how to break down initial defenders and maneuver around help defenders for layups. Now in a more frequent lead guard role, Charboneau’s passing, which may be right up there with his shooting for next-level traits, was evident when extra help came. Charboneau is going to be one of the better players in the area this year.
Colby Smith (6’3 PG/SG, New Trier 2025)
You can’t convince me that Smith is anything less than a solid Division-1 caliber guard. Built with a good frame to go with positional size and speed, Smith was able to control the ball against pressure and get where he wanted on command. He has a power to his game as a driver, absorbing contact off the dribble to maintain his angles and finishing with touch. What stood out most on the offensive end was how adept Smith was at stopping on a dime and knocking down mid-range shots and threes once he got defenders backpedaling. He has that quick-twitch, herky-jerky play style that was giving teams fits all weekend. Smith scored it well, but showed just as well as a passer and primary decision maker capable of running a team. His ball pressure defensively made other guards uncomfortable.
Danny Houlihan (6’4 SG, New Trier 2026)
Houlihan was in a secondary scorer role and looked good scoring in bunches for the Trevians. The three-point shot remained a primary source of offense for Houlihan, drilling shots when he was in rhythm and hitting a few after sprinting into looks with trailing defenders on his hip. It was good seeing Houlihan show his shot creation when things broke down, finding different ways to use his dribble to get back to his jump shot. The length and marksmanship are going to be critical as he progresses.
Hunter Gawron (6’6 PF, Niles North 2025)
It was a dunk show for the springy forward. He easily had five-plus finishes above the rim, many in a powerful fashion in transition and off of dump offs. Gawron is a physically impressive frontcourt piece who has an endless motor and nose for the ball. He dominated on both backboards, despite not having great height as a big. In large part because his desire to attack misses and do whatever it takes to win 50/50s. Gawron has developed a solid spot-up jump shot, but leaned on his face-up drives, lobs, and dump offs in this one. Trending up as a scholarship-level forward who will get interest from a few levels.
Reid Olson (6’0 PG, Niles North 2025)
A true point guard with in-the-gym shooting range, Olson controlled all aspects of the game. Defensively, he forced turnovers and got his chest in front of the ball-handlers in the full court. As a passer, he snapped the ball up the court in transition, fed the post, and made second-level reads off of pick-and-rolls. Olson has a solid first-step and that upper body strength to deliver some punishment when he wanted to create an advantage. The driving lanes were open in part because he had already made several deep threes off the catch and behind screens. There seems to be more intrigue for a player who has been consistently excellent for Niles North over the last three seasons.
Yaris Irby (5’11 PG, Niles North 2025)
Irby is a talented guard that picks his spots well with the group. It seemed effortless when he wanted to get a shot for himself, but he really let things come in the flow of the offense. When he was off of the ball, he spaced and moved well to open up the floor and step into jump shots with his hands and feet ready. Irby attacked closeouts to perfection with a low dribble and good burst that freed him up before he used floaters to complete plays. Another active, opportunistic defender, he had his share of steals by getting in the passing lanes. Expect another all-conference season from the standout guard.
Leshawn Stowers (6’5 PG/SG, Peoria 2025)
6-foot-5 guards that have well-developed frame and high IQ are hard to find. Stowers was one of the winners of the entire live period stretch, showing his comfort dominating games as an on-ball or off-ball guy. Few defenders had the strength to deter him from bulldozing his way inside before scoring or whipping passes out to his guys for quality looks. Stowers uses his shoulders well as a cutter to seal off defenders. He’s shown his shooting in the past, but it was probably good for college coaches to see him confidently knock down shots with time and space. The defensive projection is easy with the physical traits and feel for how to beat guys to spots and take away primary moves. Emerging D1 combo guard.
Dietrich Richardson (6’7 PG, Peoria Manual 2025)
Richardson made it look quite effortless. You wouldn’t see him forcing things every possession, but when he was in attack mode, there were dunks, tough pull-ups, and flashy but timely passes when he forced the defense to cave in at times. A natural mismatch as a 6-foot-7 point guard, Richardson was excellent as a defensive playmaker with chasedown blocks, steals, tips, and quick on-ball and helpside recovery. The smooth release on his jump shot hint to prolonged success, particularly as a mid-range shooter where he is most comfortable letting it fly. Still with ample physical upside, Richardson is a sure-fire high-major guard with his skill, feel, and physical tools.
EJ Horton (6’3 PG, Phillips 2025)
Another player who everyone came away impressed with, Horton absolutely dominated at Riverside. The driving force of the reigning 2A state champions, Horton was flying to the rim with reckless abandon for dunks, layups, and putbacks in traffic. He just moved different than other players on the floor, blowing by quality defenders and either making his short jumpers or getting his head near the rim to finish. Horton was a dangerous shot-maker once he got going, with a consistent set shot from three that was falling. A few of his most impressive plays actually came on defense where he ran down guards to block shots on multiple occasions. Horton also rebounded the ball at a high rate in a primarily 4-guard lineup and was a solid facilitator. The Phillips star looks like a potential mid-major recruit.
Al Brooks (6’7 SF, Rich 2025)
A new face to Rich, Brooks will be one of the highest-impact transfers in the state. His long-stride, attacking style got him to the paint and free throw line time and time again. There wasn’t a great matchup to contain him, showing to be too fast for bigs and too tall for smaller wings and guards. The athletic wing impressed on the defensive end where he is among the most versatile kids around. Brooks was blocking shots and getting out in space to defend, even defending the point guard spot for long stretches. The talent is evident and upside is clear, so it will be a matter of consistency and refinement as Brooks develops.
Jamson Coulter (6’2 PG, Rich 2026)
I saw a lot of guards during the weekend. Something about the way that Coulter blended toughness with smarts and skill was notable amongst the crowd. He remained aggressive without losing his efficiency or feel for the flow of the game and what was needed in a given moment. The lefty was weaving in and out of the lane, playing off of two feet with success, and making some tough finishes in crowded spaces. He scored from the elbows and made defenders pay for sagging off, scoring a ton in the games I saw. His ball screen reads were on-point and his general decision-making was excellent when it came to pushing pace or slowing things down. Coulter is a dog on the defensive end, never taking his foot off of the gas on that end and changing games with how he caused havoc. Coulter is one of the more college-ready kids in the 2026 class right now.