We held our annual Spring Showcase Camp over the weekend with over 50 kids from around the state. Throughout the week, we will be periodically releasing information and writeups on event attendees.

Yellow

Carson Miller (6-3 SG, Plainfield North)

Miller was rock solid all day, both as a positional defender and shot maker. He is a competitive kid who seemed to take pride in being in the right spots defensively during the scrimmages and half court segments. Miller took bumps well and worked to get in front of the ball while recovering in space. Of the players in the senior group, he had one of the more effortless three-point shots with serious range to the volleyball line. He squared up well off of movement and looked good getting to the rim to his strong hand and scoring through contact. The Plainfield North standout has a very poised and mature demeanor, rarely seeming to be impacted by the outcome of possessions. Miller should have a slew of Division 3 programs who are interested in his shooting and toughness.

Carter Martin (6-0 PG, Lakes)

Manning the point guard duties for much of the scrimmage portion for his team, Martin did a great job of keeping his dribble alive and making the right plays off of the dribble. He is a slick ball handler who understands what he is looking for on possessions. Martin threw timely passes to their team’s shooters and was smart about finding times to look for his own shot. When he was operating in transition, he put good pressure on the rim while having a good showing during portions of the camp as a long-range shooter. It seemed like his defensive intensity never wavered while guarding some of the other lead guards in attendance, which is always a plus. Martin was a breakout player for Lakes as a junior and will have a strong campaign for his senior year.

Cohen Ottaviano (6-3 SG, Stevenson)

There wasn’t a player who helped themselves as much as Ottaviano, who was dominant during the scrimmages for their team. The physical lefty hit several threes in a majority of their games, oftentimes making deep ones with minimal space off of the catch and on the move. Any time defenders had their hands down or lost him in transition, he made the defense pay. It got to the point where camp coaches were considering a face guard to take him away. But shooting was far from the only area where he showed the ability to be a nice player at the next level. He was a pit bull defensively, causing other guards to make several moves to beat him while jumping lanes and forcing turnovers with quick hands. The strength that gave him an edge as a defender was also present while he drove through hits to both hands when defenders tried to run him off the line. Ottaviano also orchestrated well at times as the point guard for his team during scrimmages. He was a force yesterday.

Deji Babawande (6-6 SF, Amundsen)

Babawande is oozing upside as a rangy swing man who can put the ball on the ground, defend all over the floor, and play inside or out. He measured in with a big, 6-foot-10 wingspan that he put to good use to swat shots and take away lanes during the scrimmages. His movement is fluid defensively for a player of his size and he looked more than comfortable switching out to smaller, quicker guards or battling inside with other forwards. Offensively, he balanced straight-line drives with quality passing within their offense to get guys open looks. When he got a running start, he got above the rim on his drives. There was also no off-switch with him on the offensive glass, regularly keeping balls alive for them. Babawande is just in the early stages of his development and will continue to make big strides.

Eli Phillips (6-2 SG, Providence Catholic)

Phillips worked off of the ball for a large portion of the scrimmages, making hard baseline and 45 cuts well when defenders turned their heads. A physical two-guard, Phillips doesn’t shy away from contact and complements that with solid shooting ability on the catch. He was reliable with his feet set, particularly when defenders were scrambling out to him. Phillips should be in a good position to step into a leadership role for Providence this season.

Elie Ghattas (6-5 PF, DePaul Prep)

Ghattas may have been the best rebounder of the day on both ends. There was a tenacity to the way that he was crashing the glass, often shedding box outs and elevating in crowds to grab misses. It looked like he was committed to outworking everyone. When he got touches on the block, his drop steps and shot fakes were useful, showing good patience for a player with the bounce to rely solely on athleticism if he wanted to do so. But instead, he made sound decisions as a post scorer, made skip passes when help came, and was a weapon as a screen outlet. Both in the short and deep roll situations, he showed good hands and explosiveness to finish. Ghattas had an infectious energy defensively that seemed to fit well with a group that was locked in to getting stops for long stretches of the camp. During drills, his shot mechanics and touch were solid as well while taking some threes and 15 footers. Ghattas is a workhorse of a forward who has the physical traits, motor, and upside to blossom with time.

Sean Reese (6-2 G/F, Glenbard South)

Another flat-out competitor from the yellow team, Reese did a little bit of everything, really making a mark with his defensive excellence. He was talking, sprinting to closeouts, jamming cutters, and going up with the bigs for rebounds. And he didn’t let his foot off of the gas. Reese plays more like a player closer to 6-foot-6 with how active and aggressive he is at the point of attack. Offensively, he acted as a connector, finding their shooters, leading the bigs to the rim, and driving it hard himself when gaps opened. Reese has proven to be a win-first type of player over the years and is going to have a nice selection of coaches who appreciate that.