With several big out-of-state events occurring, I took a trip out to Rockford yesterday to see a few local teams in person, with only two weeks before the first live event.

Ignite 17U

Adrian Riep (6’4 SF, Lake Zurich)

Riep showed a real motor on both ends. He constantly crashed the glass hard to generate second chances and found a way to always be around the action for tips and loose balls. Riep projects well as a wing defender with his athleticism, tenacity, and length at 6-foot-4. He was able to make an impact playing down low with nifty footwork and the power to go up in traffic to score. I would expect a number of D3 programs to show interest in the Lake Zurich product.

Darrin Dick (6’1 PG, Palatine)

The Palatine guard is a heady decision-maker who gets the team going with his activity and pace. He did a nice job of facilitating within the offense, both as a play initiator and off of his dribble penetration, where he always seems to be under control. Dick snapped the ball up the floor well in transition to get some quality early looks, sometimes keeping it himself to get all the way into the lane. Capable of scoring on or off the ball as well, Dick is a reliable spot-up shooter who moves off of the ball well. Also a standout golfer, Dick should have options to play either sport at the next level.

Midwest Renegades 16U

Jayden McDonald (5’10 PG)

McDonald scored the ball well in a variety of ways throughout the game. He got going in the second half with a couple of and-ones off of explosive moves to the basket. McDonald has a good first step and is creative with his handle out in space. He’s also got a solid build that allows him to drive through bumps and complete plays in crowds. When he wasn’t going downhill, McDonald added value with some pull-ups and threes for the Renegades.

Nick Brzezniak (6’4 SF, Lincoln-Way West)

Brzezniak was a catalyst for the Renegades, making plays on the defensive end and scoring in bunches while never coming off the floor. The 6-foot-4 wing was excellent defensively, moving well, closing space on closeouts, and challenging shots around the rim. He has a big wingspan and stays active at multiple levels as a defender. On the other end, he worked well driving closeouts and scoring with reverses, scoop shots, and layups above the rim. When they had scoring droughts, he delivered with hard takes and second chances. Brzezniak is a promising three-point shooter off the catch with the athletic pop to complement it. After a productive sophomore season, he should be in for a big summer.

Ignite 16U

Brady May (6’6 SF, Palatine)

May came out aggressively for Ignite, looking to go to work inside off of drives, where he used his frame well to create some finishing angles. He took contact and used his length to score over defenders off multiple efforts in the paint. The promising Palatine sophomore showed his outside shot off of various split and pop actions, where he got his feet set and stayed on balance on the move. Within their offense, he made a few good touch passes to cutters and was a resource for guards when they needed help. May was also critical on the defensive glass against a team that sent multiple guys to crash. It seems like May has continued to get stronger, more aggressive, and more confident throughout the spring.

Cam James (6’2 SF, Hoffman Estates)

James has impressed during the spring with how well he uses his body, finishes inside, and makes use of a good feel for the game. It was more of the same yesterday, delivering with multiple tough scores inside against length. James is very good when he gets over his right shoulder and can be a bruiser against smaller defenders when needed. He was opportunistic with his attacks, often waiting for help to clear out before going at his primary defender. The Hoffman wing handled it fairly well in space and also knocked down a three when given space. He was active and physical on the defensive end, where he challenged some quick guards in one-on-one situations and communicated well. The arrow is pointing up for James.

Jayden Evans (5’10 PG/SG, Palatine)

Throughout the game, Evans provided Ignite with quality minutes. His quickness defensively was noteworthy while speeding up other guards into forced shots. At 5-foot-10, Evans has decent length at the guard spot to play bigger than his size when contesting shots and going up for rebounds. Offensively, he spaced the floor, hit a timely three, and made two-foot decisions on his dribble penetration. It was a nice showing from the Palatine combo guard.