Recruiting has turned into a social media juggernaut, and I'm as guilty as anyone for fueling that fire. We know a player, their stars, their school, their summer team, their pros and cons and everything in between. It's so hard to shake that first impression which, most of the time, comes from a recruiting page or highlight video. It's refreshing seeing a young player and creating a first-hand first impression before the swarm of 'recruiting experts' get a hold of him. With that in mind, here is my long-overdue list of intriguing prospects from the 2013 NY2LA Invitational.
2014
Marcus Bartley, 6'4 PG, Peoria Irish (Decatur (MacArthur), IL): Gets better every time I see him. His ability to make decisions on the break, with his head up, avoiding tunnel vision, was the thing that really caught my eye this go around. His stock is soaring, and the trickle of high-major offers coming in will turn into a flood during the July evaluation period.
Denzel Smith, 6'7 SF, Peoria Irish (Danville, IL): This bouncy 3-man will be a hot commodity among juco coaches this coming year. He is developing a solid mid-range game to go along with his ability to finish and rebound around the rim.
Lamonte Bearden, 6'3 PG, Wisconsin Swing (Germantown, WI): Smooth and speedy lead guard that can score in a multitude of ways, the most valuable being his ability to draw contact, finish, and knock down the extra free throw. Also very skilled at finding an open teammate when drawing heavy attention.
2015
Obediah Church, 6'7 F, Peoria Irish (Springfield, IL): Played up with 17U and didn't disappoint. Bartley threw a lob toward the basket which, to everyone in the gym but Church, looked overthrown. Instead Obi pulled a Stacey King and went 'HIGHER' for a one handed slam! Still very raw (nothing but air on a few jumpers) but oozes with athleticism. Dan and/or Dana, if you're reading this, get on this kid!
Levi Bradley, 6'6 F, T.P. Elite (Milwaukee, IL): Was shocked to find out he was a 2015 recruit. He was easily the best player on the floor in a game played in the 17U division. Long, active, strong and plenty of room to grow. Rivals shows interest from the Redbirds. Expect this kid to blow up in July.
2016
Devon Sams, 6'0 G, Illinois Celtics (Bolingbrook, IL): Physically developed and can score at will against slower/weaker opponents. Deadly from mid-range when left open as well. If he's grows another 2 or 3 inches, the high-majors will start calling. If not, look for him to be a hot mid-major prospect.
Joseph Sieger, 5'11 G, Illinois Celtics (Neuqua Valley, IL): Not much to look at yet as far as physical ability, but this young fella can LIGHT IT UP from long range. This sharp-shooting zone killer is definitely one to keep an eye on going forward.
Ty Ederesinghe, 5'10 PG, Playground Elite (Milwaukee, WI): Nearly unstoppable true point guard against some good talent his age. He uses his lack of size and gift of speed to dissect defenses to score and dish at his mercy.
Dakota Bennington, 6'1 G, Peoria Heat (Peoria Christian, IL): One of those kids way ahead of the curve as far as skill and athleticism are concerned. Needs to grows physically and mentally to play all facets of the game like he does when he's looking to score.
Daniel Hoekstra, 6'3 W, Peoria Irish (Kankakee (Bishop McNamara), IL): Long, bouncy player that could be a D-I prospect if he grows to 6'6 like his brother who now plays at Augustana. Smooth stroke from the perimeter with a knack for hitting big shots.
D'Angelo Hughes, 5'10 G, Peoria Irish (Springfield (Southeast), IL): Made his mark at the varsity level as a freshman in the Central State 8. This wiry guard has all the tools to be very successful these next 3 years; good from deep and quick with the rock. Also a kid that just hates losing.
Lou Griffith, 5'7 PG, Peoria Irish (Washington, IL): I saved my favorite for last. Yes, he's small, but his court savvy combined with his "I know what he looks like, but did you see what he just did!?" skill set makes him a must-see if you're a high school hoops fan in Central Illinois.
Approximately 37 miles separate Bradley’s Peoria Civic
Center and Illinois State’s Redbird Arena. If you find yourself looking for a bite to eat on The
Valley’s most contentious stretch of road, I know of a great diner with all
your home cooked favorites and more pie options than you’ll know what to do
with!
Busy Corner is located about 20 miles west of Normal and 20 miles
east of Peoria in Goodfield, Illinois (I-74 Exit 112 & hometown of Jordan Prosser). Once you pull off the exit
ramp, you can't miss the sign. It can get busy (pun intended), but I've never had to wait longer than 15 minutes for a table.
If you're stopping in from out of town, make sure to press a pin in the giant map mounted on the wall to your left as you enter the restaurant. From the moment you walk in the door, you'll feel at home with attentive staff and friendly locals enjoying their daily cup of coffee.
The Western Omelet is one of their breakfast favorites which they serve all day. Everything that comes out of the kitchen is delicious; nothing too gaudy or over the top. For dinner, try the daily special. You can't go wrong... Just good home cooking!
Make sure to save room for pie! They offer all the traditional flavors (a la mode if you really want to indulge!), and plenty of unique options as well. I got the Peanut Butter cream with Oreo crust. Two thumbs up!
Prices are pretty standard for a diner. It's the type of place you'll leave happy, full, and with some cash left in your wallet. If you're looking for a home cooked meal with that hometown feel, you can't go wrong at the Busy Corner!
Recon Reggie prefers the cherry pie a-la-mode at the Busy Corner.
Recon Reggie's first time at the mecca for AAU basketball: The Spiece Fieldhouse in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.
Recon Reggie and I made our way to Ft.
Wayne this weekend for the Spiece Run-N-Slam event. We checked out a few
Redbird prospects and plenty of great basketball.
Before I get
started I want to note that I'm not an expert talent evaluator; just a guy with
a passion for Illinois State athletics and an interest in recruiting. Not every
kid I cover is an ISU recruit, but this blog will definitely have an ISU/MVC
slant. So without further ado, Redbird Recon is ready to roll!
Friday 9:30 PM -
17U: Peoria Irish vs. Team Thad (TN)
On the top of my
list of guys to watch was Marcus Bartley (Decatur MacArthur PG). The Irish were placed in a stacked
pool, and Bartley had a chance to showcase his talent against some of the best
PG prospects in the nation. Team Thad is led by Chris Chiozza, a
pint-sized spark-plug with a game that reminds me of Nic Moore (could
be brothers!) in fast-forward. He holds offers from a number of SEC
schools. Also suiting up for Team Thad was 5* PF Leron Black. He was used sparingly
(coming off an injury), but he dominated while he was in. The Irish were able
to stay with Team Thad for about three fourths of the game before eventually
losing 95-77. Bartley was very unselfish with the ball, registered a number of
assists, and also poured in 12 points on just 6 shots! (5-6 from the field, 1-2
from deep, 1-2 from the stripe)
Friday 11 PM -
17U: Mac Irvin Fire vs. Ohio Varsity White
The last time I
saw Jalen Brunson ('15 PG) he was single-handedly carrying Stevenson to a
4A semifinal victory in Peoria. He did all he could to carry the 6-man MIF on
Friday night, but they eventually fell to OVW 48-47. Brunson finished
with 10 points, but the eye-opener of the game (and the weekend) was Josh
Cunningham (Morgan Park SF). He scored 14 points in highlight reel fashion. A
Brunson lob that fell a bit short turned into an opportunity for Cunningham to
wow the crowd as he adjusted midair for one of best slams of the weekend.
Saturday 8 AM -
15U: Peoria Irish vs. Louisville Magic
Always on the
pursuit of central Illinois talent, I decided to enjoy my breakfast watching
the sophomore-to-be Irish. They played a hard fought game against a longer and
stronger Magic team. The game featured a ton of lead changes with the Irish
losing the lead around the 4 minute mark. They cut it to 4 with 26 seconds left
but ended up losing 61-54. The gritty back-court play of Lou
Griffith-17 (Washington PG) and D'Angelo Hughes-15 (Springfield Southeast PG)
showed up again later that night in a triple OT victory for the Irish.
Saturday 9:15 AM -
17U: Peoria Irish vs. Spiece Indy Heat
Remember earlier
when I said the 17U Irish were in a stacked pool? I decided to put down
the stat book and pick up the camera for this one, a 91-62 Indy Heat win.
I was able to come away with one nice highlight of Marcus Bartley. Keep in mind
that almost all (if not all) of the Indy players in the shot have high-major
offers.
Bartley more than
held his own against Jaquan Lyle, one of the most sought after PGs in the 2014
class. MB didn't score the ball as well as he did on Friday night (6), but he was the
main assist guy for a few of Shea Feehan's (Peoria Notre Dame SG) 5 threes in the game.
Bartley's strength and shooting still need some work, but he is well
on his way to being one of the best south of I-80 has to offer in this year's
class.
Saturday 10:30 AM
- 17U: Illinois Wolves vs. Wisconsin Starz Elite
I only caught
glimpses of this game, but one thing I took away is the tremendous handle
of Malek Harris (Sandburg SF). You always see his gaudy point and rebound
numbers from the high school season being touted, but it is his ability to
break down defenders off the dribble and get to the rim with his solid 6'7
frame that makes him such a valuable prospect. Once he
adds strength to finish against stronger defenders and a consistent jumper,
the sky is the limit for this Redbird prospect.
Saturday 11:45 AM
- 16U: Peoria Irish vs. Mac Irvin Fire
MIF lost 56-48.
Now that that's out of the way... Edward Morrow (Simeon PF) was a BEAST for the
Fire in this one. He had 22 points mostly around and above the rim. Multiple
times he wowed the crowd as he exploded for a rebound, and then, only a half
second later, outdid himself by skying even further for a dunk. His
greatest asset at this point is also his greatest curse. He loves to
play in the lane, but he's only 6'6. ISU should be all over this kid on the off
chance he doesn't develop the rest of his game in the next 14 months. But let's
not sell the Irish short either. They did win the game after all! Obediah
Church (Springfield WF) played a great game scoring 13 points and getting to
the line a few times. I also saw flashes from Christian Williams (Decatur St.
Teresa WG). He's another '15 to keep an eye on. He has no idea just how good he
could be. More times than not, he's just another pass around the perimeter, and
hopefully that changes. I also want to note that ISU has plenty of talent to
recruit in their backyard. The Springfield and Decatur areas have a lot of good
young players coming out this year and next.
Saturday 1 PM -
17U: Illinois Wolves vs. All Ohio Red
The Wolves took
their lumps in this one losing to the eventual champion 71-54. AOR is
absolutely stacked. That is the same program Dana Ford pulled Deontae 'Teddy'
Hawkins from a few years ago. Hopefully he continues his close ties with
the premier AAU team in Ohio. Malek Harris struggled in this match-up.
I mentioned earlier about needing to refine his ability to
finish against stronger defenders. That definitely showed in this
game.
In this match-up,
the younger Wolves flipped the script and controlled for the final 28 minutes
of the 32 minute game. Tommy Lucca (Genoa-Kingston PG) came off the bench and
added 16 points, a game high.
Saturday 4:45 PM -
17U: Illinois Wolves vs. WI Playground Warriors (Gold Division Round 1)
The WPG had a few
guys that looked like they were more in line for a football scholarship than a
basketball one. Nonetheless, they took it to a Wolves team that looked a
little shell-shocked from their earlier defeat. WPG won the game
59-54. Malek Harris put in a gritty 8 point effort. I kept waiting for the
highly touted backcourt of the IW to step up, but it wasn't to be. The Wolves
were headed home early.
I was none too
pleased to see the Celtics playing all their pool play games at other venues,
so I was ecstatic to see them make their way to Spiece for their
first round match-up. Aaron Jordan (Plainfield East SG) recently added a
Redbird offer to his collection, and it was easy to see why Muller & Co.
want this kid. He had 19 points at half on 7-13 shooting with 4 threes. He
finished the game with 21 points, 8 boards and the victory, 66-54. This smooth
shooting guard has plenty of room to add strength which will help him finish
around the basket.
Saturday 8:30 PM -
17U: Mac Irvin Fire vs. Team NLP (Gold Division Round 2)
It was the game
Chicago-area evaluators wanted, and it definitely lived up to the hype. The
game was a back-and-forth affair throughout. MIF pulled out an
85-75 victory after the NLP coach was ejected only down one with
roughly 3 minutes left on the clock. Again, Josh Cunningham stole the
show with a 30 point effort and 5 threes. Jalen Brunson also had 22 with 11
free throws makes.
I came back for
another round of the Aaron Jordan show, and he didn't disappoint. He scored 17
points on 7-16 shooting and 3-7 from behind the arc. The Celtics cut a 20 point
deficit down to 10 but ended up losing 64-50.
Sunday 8 AM - 16U:
Illinois Wolves vs. NW Ohio Basketball Club (Silver Division Round 2)
The Wolves won
this early morning match-up 63-57. They were led by Glynn Watson-22 (St.
Joseph's PG) and Roosevelt Smart-21 (Palatine G). Smart is big-bodied guard who
should see the offers start flooding in this July.
Sunday 9:15 AM -
17U: Mac Irvin Fire vs. Team Thad (Gold Division Quarterfinals)
I'll be honest. In
this battle of heavyweights, I didn't think the shorthanded Fire had much of a
chance. They hung with TT until the 8 minute mark in the 2nd half, but the
Memphis based Team Thad won 73-58. And speaking of heavyweights, Patrick McCaw
isn't one as far as his frame is concerned. The slender wing from St. Louis doesn't stand out on the MIF roster,
but he definitely belongs. When you talk about the MIF that means a lot! He's
like a young deer still getting his legs under him, and once he does, he will be a major
steal for any mid-major who picks him up. Right now he holds 2 offers: Illinois
State & Bradley. This might get interesting!
