There were several notable players at the PrepHoops Chi-Town Tipoff in Romeoville over the weekend. Here are some of the standouts from games that I saw.

Chicago Lockdown 17U

Isaiah Whitehead (5’8 PG, Hammond Central [IN])

The point guard out of Indiana impressed with his on-ball defense and pace-setting. He got the ball up the floor in a hurry, made some nice deliveries in transition for layups, and found ways to finish inside against length. Whitehead was a spark plug for Lockdown, also hitting a three and making opposing guards struggle to get to their spots.

Joe Niego (6’7 SF, Brother Rice)

Niego has continued to progress and add strength to his frame, which showed up on the glass where he was an effective offensive rebounder and went up to pull in missed shots in traffic. The skilled, face-up forward hit multiple threes in the games I saw, either as a trailer or in designed sets. Even off the dribble, he has the ability to rise up over defenders. The 6-foot-7 forward has really improved on the interior, using his length to make hooks inside the lane and drawing a ton of fouls on the block. Niego also challenged shots defensively. He’s an intriguing prospect as a taller stretch forward.

Mason Moore (6’6 PF, Andrew)

Moore’s upside is pretty clear. With an over 7-foot wingspan, the quick-twitch forward was causing havoc defensively as a shot-blocker and disruptor in the passing lanes. His ability to spring back up on second jumps to contest shots was notable to get tips and rejections inside. His size and athleticism were overwhelming at times for the opposing team in the paint, often playing volleyball on the offensive glass before finishing possessions. Moore has decent mechanics as a shooter, which I’d expect will continue improving as he develops.

Sean Day (6’4 SG, Downers Grove South)

Day can really shoot it from the outside. A lefty with good positional size, he was drilling jumpers off the catch and providing a lot of value with his activity. Over the last few years, Day has grown into his frame and tapped into his athleticism, getting off the ground well now off two feet. Day handles the ball fairly well and was competitive in the gaps on defense.

PAC Elite 16U

Charles Schlicht (6’2 SG, Grant)

A powerful athlete coming off a big year on varsity for Grant, Schlicht was having his way early on as a straight-line driver and finisher. He has innate body control around the rim to contort himself in mid-air to create angles and use his hangtime to his advantage. Schlicht drove hard baseline and was met with little resistance as he got up near the rim. Also a physical and active defender, Schlicht looks like he could emerge throughout the spring and summer.

Cohen Ottaviano (6’3 SG, Stevenson)

It’s always fun to watch the steadiness and all-around impact from Ottaviano, who has added a good amount of muscle since the fall. That extra strength showed up on the defensive end where he was jamming cutters, applying extended ball pressure, and using his long arms to alter passes and shots. Ottaviano created well from the wing with some forceful drives to his strong hand for several layups and extra passes when help came over. He continues to look like an excellent off-ball cutter who understands timing and angles off of the ball. The lefty from Stevenson has the frame, IQ, and skill to be an impact two-way guy.

Phoenix Fisher (6’4 SG, Niles West)

Fisher battled some injuries during the season, but it didn’t look like he had much rust to knock off. The explosive scoring guard showed a clean outside stroke from three, drove closeouts hard and often, and converted amongst the trees in the lane. Fisher seemingly gets taller by the month and is now around 6-foot-4 with some spring in his step as both a driver and vertical leaper. When he had space from the perimeter, he mixed in threes and a few pull-ups, also looking effective in transition where he seemed most comfortable. Fisher is one of many players on this PAC team who are worth tracking long-term.

Mac Irvin 17U

Al Brooks (6’7 SF, Rich [2025])

Brooks showed a lot of the high-upside traits that have caught the attention of college coaches. The unsigned senior guarded all over the floor, finished above the rim a few times, and had some on-point passes off of dribble penetration. His long-stride dribble penetration style was hard to counteract, as he regularly got paint touches off of two or three bounces. He also knocked down a mid-range jumper, which is an area that could transform his long-term outlook if consistent.

Justin Oliver (6’2 PG/SG, Curie)

The smooth Curie guard got going as the game progressed. He does such a good job at playing angles and using touch to score inside. Oliver is a fluid ball-handler with a nice change of pace and understanding of when to attack. That wore on defenses as he found gaps to penetrate and make scoop shots inside. Defensively, Oliver has deceptively long arms and was able to get tips and steals that led to easy transition looks. He continues to build off of a breakout junior year.

Lincoln Williams (6’6 SG, Kankakee)

Williams was a big factor on the glass with a bunch of putbacks and second chances generated with his athleticism and ability to high point misses. While the initial defense on him was solid, Williams was aggressive off the ball and on his second touch within the offense to knife inside for open looks. The do-it-all wing was all over the floor defensively with a couple of chase-down blocks and switching across guards and bigs at times. He remains one of the most promising prospects in the state. 

M14 Gold 17U

Gabe Jensen (5’10 PG, Geneva)

Jensen looked like the same player who emerged as one of the best point guards in the Fox Valley area this year. He was on a heater from three, making multiple looks from well beyond the high school line. Many of them came off the bounce, as Jensen generates good power from long-range to shoot behind ball screens. As a playmaker, he made several pinpoint outlet passes in transition and controlled the ball against an active and athletic defense. Jensen seems like a potential big-time D3 lead guard.

Gavin Mueller (6’6 PF, South Elgin)

One of the premier tight ends in the country, Mueller still looks like a player who could be a scholarship-level basketball player if he wanted to choose that path. He was physical all game, particularly as a rebounder and defensively where he took on the challenge to slow down the other team’s top options. Mueller moves well laterally and can change ends quickly to rim run or recover defensively. He dominated at times as a rebounder, getting a few putbacks and moving bodies to clear out space. Mueller also hit a three and showed good decision-making out of the post. He will be a Power Four football recruit, but it’s still good to see him competing in basketball.

Full Package 17U

Colin Stack (7’0 C, Benet)

For anyone still unsure, Stack continues to show to be the best center prospect in the 2026 class. His defense at the rim was a problem, either erasing shots or forcing tough twos in his area. The timing and IQ as a help side defender are really advanced for a young post player. His offensive game has grown exponentially, particularly from an assertiveness standpoint. He had multiple dunks, worked the punch spot well, had a few turnaround jumpers, and hit threes off the catch with relatively little space. I was also impressed with his reads in the middle third of the floor as a passer and connector. It’s clear that Stack receives and welcomes great coaching both at Benet and with Full Package as he seems to just keep improving by the month. No-question Division 1 big with upside as he fills out physically.

Logan Luxem (6’3 PG, Hersey)

Luxem made things happen all game, which he is accustomed to doing for long stretches. He made jumpers on the move and controlled the tempo for Full Package. At 6-foot-3, he surveys the floor well and does a nice job of keeping his dribble alive. That probing prowess led to some opening for his floaters and push shots and drew extra eyes on him before he found teammates. There is a lot to like about Luxem’s craftiness and feel.

Levi Tallos (6’3 PG/SG, Lake Forest Academy)

Tallos is a lot of fun to watch with how hard he plays and the blend of skill and power that he brings. He battled for rebounds out of the backcourt, used his upper body strength to combat dribble penetration on defense, and scored through bumps offensively. Tallos gets downhill with force and can evade help side defenders with Euro steps and step-throughs. Even at high speeds, he made sound decisions in the flow of the offense and played off their other guards well. Tallos is also a reliable shooter capable of hitting open jumpers with space and has ideal elevation on his pull-up. Really good prospect.

Tommy Moffett (6’5 SG, Fremd)

Moffett does so many things for Full Package. The high-energy wing makes good use of his length when going up in traffic to finish or while challenging in passing lanes or on shot attempts. He was confident stepping into open threes and has a repeatable release that should serve him well as a floor spacer. Another piece of his game that stood out was how much he moved and remained active when the ball wasn’t in his hands. He delivered when he got touches and gave big value as a defender. At 6-foot-5, there are a lot of boxes checked for a versatile college 2/3.

Young Bucks 17U

Camren Marlow (6’6 SF, Julian)

A rising wing from Julian, Marlow fits the mold of a rangy small forward. The ease which he showed winning in one-on-one situations to drive closeouts and outrunning guys on the wing was impressive. Marlow has quick springs around the rim to finish off those aggressive takes and seemed to be playing around the rim as a rebounder and finisher all game. Defensively, Marlow was a quasi-big in certain lineups as a clean-up guy at the rim to challenge shots. But he showed versatility on that end stopping wings, which is where he’s likely to defend at the next level, and when matched up with guards. The tools continue to refine for Marlow.

Marc Harvey (6’4 SG, Oak Lawn)

Coming off of an all-conference year with Oak Lawn, Harvey had it going when getting to the rim. He’s a natural scorer with positional length that he put to good use. Harvey can rise up over defenders around the rim for short-range jumpers or finishes in crowds. There’s a lot to like about his defensive profile with how he can stunt in the gap, speed up wings, and get tips. He took on one of the lead roles for an active Young Bucks squad.

Illinois Bears 17U

Colton Hawkins (6’4 SG, Carterville)

Hawkins has some appeal as a 3-and-D off guard. He’s got a good frame and is a tenacious rebounder and on-ball defender who can switch across all three perimeter spots. When he had space, he knocked down open threes with a compact release. Hawkins just flat out plays hard and was the first to loose balls throughout the game. I’d expect an uptick in college interest heading into the summer.

Kemmeon Hale (6’7 C, Murphysboro)

A big-bodied center who is a plus athlete, Hale was one of the better shot blockers I saw over the weekend. His timing to go up and high point shots was notable, particularly for a player of his size. Hale was excellent for stretches in the dunker’s spot where he caught dump-off passes and finished well. As a post scorer, he kept it simple with hooks off the catch to maximize his height advantage. The ability to defend the rim, rebound, and run the floor like he can will generate plenty of attention.

Maddox Ritzel (6’4 SG, Nashville)

Ritzel is a tank at the guard spot with the type of versatile skill set that makes him a constant mismatch. The 6-foot-4 guard handled it well on the perimeter, keeping it tight while operating in crowds before bullying defenders at the rim. Ritzel has a uniquely quick jump that allows him to spring up to the backboard before shot blockers can help over. Even when the help was early, he was too big and strong, either finishing through contact or getting to the line. Ritzel is a stout wing defender with great hands and similar quickness covering ground. Guards had a hard time getting a step on him and were unable to maintain their driving path the few times they did. The Nashville product also shoots it well from three with a reliable dribble pull-up game. At this point, Ritzel is a two-way difference maker with scholarship-level upside.

Ignite 16U

Brady May (6’6 SF, Palatine)

May took over stretches of the game and showed some of the multipurpose ability that makes him a promising long-term forward prospect. An adept passer at 6-foot-6, May helped negate the full-court pressure by flashing, facing, and making the right reads. He thrives as a long-range shooter with a quick, one-motion shot that he got off multiple times from the corner. But he did a majority of his damage inside and on the defensive end. With a plus wingpan, May was textbook at walling up and going vertical as a rim protector before pulling in rebounds in traffic. Offensively, he drove closeouts on those corner catches and has multiple tough, double-clutch finishes. Using a solid, projectable frame, May sought out contact and was living at the foul line in the second half. There’s a lot to like about May’s potential.

Cam James (6’2 SG/SF, Hoffman Estates)

A well-built, athletic lefty from Hoffman, James scored on aggressive drives through contact on several occasions. He showed good footwork once he got inside to play off of two feet and go up under control. When he got transition opportunities, he was decisive getting into the teeth of the defense and using his shoulder to create space off of bumps. James rebounded the ball well with a nose for the ball and quick reactions. He’s got a solid pull-up as well with some lift on his jump shot from 15-to-18 feet. James looks like he might still be growing, which should only aid his impact.

Ramon Rosario (5’10 PG/SG, Hoffman Estates)

Rosario has good positional length and provided a scoring spark for Ignite. He knocked down a three and was probing well to get inside to finish. The Hoffman guard has a toughness to him and was getting up and pressuring the ball for most of the game to disrupt the opposing offense. As he continues to get stronger, Rosario will be a solid piece for the future for Hoffman Estates.

Will Baik (6’0 SG, Hersey)

Baik remained active throughout the entirety of the game, staying in attack mode. A hard driver, Baik put his head down and put pressure on the rim where he was drawing fouls and keeping his eyes on the rim to finish plays. When he wasn’t getting to the rim, he had his hands and feet ready on the perimeter, hitting a spot-up three. Another plus, energetic defender for Ignite, Baik was competing to stay in front of the ball and rotate on time.

Zel Walton (5’5 PG, Hersey)

Walton does what every coach says they want out of their point guard. He snapped the ball up the court via the pass, was a pest on the ball defensively, limited turnovers, and knocked down open shots. Despite lacking some size, he was fearless when challenging bigger guys at the rim, converting layups by getting the ball up to the backboard quickly. Walton showed great open-floor speed and quickness to both blow by defenders, but also to recover and frustrate other ball-handlers. He made open threes throughout the game when left open as well. Walton made a good impression as a playmaking, defensive-minded PG.