As AAU season is about to unofficially kick off, I have started making some rounds to check out teams in the area. I was out in Lombard yesterday to watch the 16U and 17U Breakaway 3SSB teams following their matchups with Meanstreets on Saturday. The 16U evaluations are below.

Timmy Sloan (6’4 PG, Lyons)

Sloan remains an intriguing lead guard prospect with his ability to set the table for his teammates, guard the ball, and hit open jumpers at a legitimate 6-foot-4. Coming off of a strong end to the high school season, Sloan’s athleticism continues to pop, getting above the rim easily and covering ground well in the open floor. He lifted up quickly for pull-ups and threes during drill work, which is an area where he has added more arc and consistency from distance.

Even during on-air segments, Sloan’s competitiveness showed in how he attacked every rep and looked to lead by example. His passing instincts and touch on his deliveries were notable, as was his rebounding as a backcourt player. Sloan should have a big spring running this team.

Elton Jaegerskog (6’4 SG, New Trier)

Jaegerskog plays with a level of intelligence and force that makes an impact on both sides of the ball. He excelled off of stampede catches during practice where he exploded off of kick outs to get into the lane. Once he got paint touches, he made several quality reads to draw opposing bigs for dump offs or make the extra pass to shooters. When help was late or too low during live portions, he made some close–range pull-ups or used his physicality to finish through bumps. Jaegerskog is another high-energy kid who gave the same intensity during drills as he did with live defense.

His three-point shooting continues to move in the right direction, particularly as a catch-and–shoot threat in the deep corners and wings. When he got his feet set and remained on balance, he showed consistent outside production with minimal movement on his shot. I continue to be most impressed with Jaegerskog’s defensive tenacity as a physical wing stopper who closes gaps, rotates well, and stays in front of the ball. He checks a lot of boxes as a two-way wing who still has a nice developmental and physical runway.

Lamari Carpenter (6’4 SG, Glenbard North)

Carpenter has some good scoring traits as a lanky, athletic guard. From a mechanics standpoint, he has a solid foundation on his shot and looks to have some range on it as well. He put it on the ground well with some creativity in quick attack situations where he has counters at the rim to get around help defenders.

Playing as a floor spacer at times, he mixed in standstill threes with some timely cuts to get open looks. There is a natural ball-handling ability and shift that he possesses that should play well as a secondary playmaker when needed. The tools are there for Carpenter to be an impactful piece if he continues to put it all together.

Ryan Dinnon (6’6 SF/PF, Andrew)

Just an all-around solid combo forward, Dinnon looked good running the wing while balancing his perimeter game with occasional post-ups. At 6-foot-6, Dinnon has a nice stroke from the perimeter that showed during their shooting drills. Even in one-to-two dribble pull-up situations, he maintained his form and kept his high release. As a 3/4 type, Dinnon has good mobility and comfort moving in space.

I like him a lot as a pick-and-pop forward who can stretch the floor, but it was also great to see him walk defenders down to the post and punish guys when he had mismatches. Dinnon goes over his left shoulder well inside and is a capable turnaround shooter against smaller defenders too. His ability to defend on the wing and in the post will play a decent role in his long-term outlook, showing a willingness to compete on that end at this point.

Alex Sirbu (6’8 PF, Buffalo Grove)

Sirbu had a big year at Buffalo Grove and looks primed to be one of the more dominant bigs at the 16U level in the area. Very physical and athletic inside, he was able to make sound low-post decisions to score on a variety of hooks and spins inside the lane. The 6-foot-8 forward does a great job of using his shoulders to create space off of bumps before rising up. Sirbu worked well in the P&R game where he regularly got off of screens well, ran to the rim hard, and made tough catches in traffic.

As he continues to develop, his short-roll game shows promise when making quick decisions in the soft spot versus drop coverage. Defensively, Sirbu has the size and athleticism to be a plus on the end. His timing as a shot blocker is there and he holds his ground in the post. The one thing that separates Sirbu at this point is just how hard he plays. He has a genuine motor and seems to play with a joy that is great to see from a young big.

Chris Chittaro (6’2 PG/SG, St. Ignatius)

Chittaro is an energy-giver for this Breakaway team with his extra effort plays. The lefty combo guard looked good going to his strong hand on direct-line drives and in transition. During live segments, he applied ball pressure and generated deflections and steals with his activity.

When you add in his athleticism, he should be a spark on that end. Chittaro is also a capable three-point shooter with time and space. I’d imagine that he’ll provide some value both as a ball-handler and off-ball guy at times.

Logan Wessel (6’3 SG, Mount Carmel)

Another promising Chicago Catholic League underclassman, Wessel is a do-it-all wing who looks like he’s still growing. During drills, he moved well and showed good footwork gathering into threes. He’s an interchangeable perimeter player who can hit open threes, drive closeouts, or facilitate in the flow of the offense.

Once live portions started, he made several hard cuts off of the ball for easy looks and never let the ball stick once he got a touch. Wessel projects as a solid positional defender with his long arms and willingness to fight on that end of the floor. He should be a nice addition for Breakaway after playing up on varsity for a very good Mount Carmel team.

Dozydas Zuperka (6’7 SF/PF, Stagg)

Zuperka’s length stands out right away at 6-foot-7 with a plus wingspan and a frame that suggests that he may end up closer to 6-foot-9 plus. There is evident upside there as a face-up forward, possessing a repeatable three-point stroke that he showed throughout practice.

Zuperka is built more like a wing and moves similarly when running lanes with his long strides. He gave up some weight in the post, but used his long arms well to disrupt vision and challenge shots. In space, he is also a comfortable ball-handler who gets up above the rim effortlessly. The arrow is pointing up for Zuperka, who could be a problem if he’s able to improve his strength and physicality.