2013 Spiece Run-N-Slam

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.

Saturday 3:30 PM - 15U: Illinois Wolves vs. Spiece Indy Heat

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.

Saturday 6 PM - 16U: Illinois Celtics vs. Wisconsin Playground Elite (Gold Division Round 1)

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.

Saturday 9:45 PM - 16U: Illinois Celtics vs. Spiece Indy Heat (Gold Division Round 2)

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!