Preview of McDonald’s All-American Game.

Before I talk about what I’m here for, I wanted to recap two champions that capped off amazing seasons downstate: 4A champion Simeon and 3A champion Rock Island. For the last several blogs, I have talked about how good Simeon is and will continue to be. After a shaky end to the regular season for Simeon, So SF Jabari Parker (6-7, 220 lbs) and the Wolverines captured their second straight championship. Parker is trying to enter select company in Chicago hoops folklore as a player to win a championship in all four years of high school. Halfway there, the future for Parker and Simeon look extremely bright as I am sure they will be the favorite to go for the three-pete next year (I’m not paying Pat Riley for that term). As for the 3A champs, Sr PG/SG Chasson Randle (6-1, 175 lbs, signed with Stanford) and Rock Island captured their only championship in school history. The star of the 3A tournament, despite modest numbers for him, was Randle. Looking ahead as he takes his game out west next year, Randle has an excellent chance of getting significant minutes next year and should make staying up late at night to watch west coast basketball worthwhile.  And now for the main attraction…

This Wednesday marks a signature point in 30 high school seniors’ careers. The McDonald’s All-American game is the U.S. Army Bowl and Under Armour Game in high school football wrapped up into a mega game that hundreds of scouts, and me, will attend. Like the traveling circus, the All-American Game draws a heap of attention each time it rolls into a city.  Chicago gets the dubious honor to host some of the nation’s best high school ballers at the United Center. The MVP of this game is pretty much guaranteed to go onto the NBA. The likes of Kevin Durant (2006), LeBron James (2003), Zach Randolph (2000), Kevin Garnett (1995), and Alonzo Mourning (1988)  amongst others have all won the prestigious honor and taken their games to higher levels. The game is like looking into the crystal ball to see the future of professional basketball.  So it is without question the most hyped high school game all year as the teams on the court and their skill could rival most college teams now. I could spend pages upon pages on the players in this game and what each player will bring and what the future hold for them, but I am not trying to write a blog the size of the New Testament building up these players. Instead, I will focus on the only two representatives from Chicago to play in front of their home friends and family.

Wayne Blackshear (6-5, 205 lbs, signed with Louisville)- I saw him play once this year at the City-Suburban Showdown at the UIC Pavilion. One thing that stood out was his size over everyone else. As a shooting guard, he has great size and athleticism. There is no question that he should contribute right away for Rick Pitino next year.  However, in my only up close and personal view of him, Blackshear did not stand out as much as I thought he would. He did finish with a game high 17 points, but no one in that crowd was in awe of him that night. Maybe the bar was set too high, but I was expecting a little bit more from a potential Illinois Mr. Basketball and McDonald’s All-American. I could even make an argument that he was not even the most valuable player that night for his Morgan Park team. However, I have seen his gaudy numbers he’s averaged this year (28 ppg, 16 rpg) and assume there has to be more that meets the eye with him. As a player on the West team, Blackshear has a great chance to start the game along with the number 1 overall recruit in the nation in Austin Rivers (6-3, 195 lbs, signed with Duke). The main thing I will be looking for is a jump shot from Blackshear. At this point, he is now going to be playing with people that can match and exceed his great athleticism.  Everyone knows he can get to the rim and everyone knows for a shooting guard, he has great strength. Outside of YouTube videos that only show highlights, I cannot get a good read on his jump shot. If he is a legitimate threat to hit the jump shot anywhere on the court, there is no reason to think Blackshear has a chance to be a one and done player on his way to the NBA. One game will not prove anything, but great athleticism gets you from high school to college but a great shot gets you from college to the pros. Blackshear’s coach, as well as Blackshear, have stated in the past how much this means to him playing in his home town and how much earning the game MVP would mean to him. In a game where coaches want everyone on the bench to be showcased, Blackshear is going to have to do something spectacular like hit 9 of 10 shots or make some dazzling plays for him to be considered for MVP.

Anthony Davis (6-10, 215 lbs, signed with Kentucky)- One of the bigger question marks coming into this game, not because of his game, but because of the competition Davis has faced all year, is that no one really knows how good Davis can be. Davis was putting up videogame-type stats at Chicago Perspective High School averaging 32 points and 20 rebounds a game, for a team hovering around the .500 mark for the season. For anyone who does not know, Davis in his junior year went from a puny 6-3 shooting guard with no national attention to a 6-10 skilled power forward at the end of his junior year. Talk about a growth spurt! His growth was the most remarkable story in high school basketball from a kid no one knew of to a top 5 recruit in the nation (Scout.com has Davis as the number 1 recruit in the nation!). Despite outstanding AAU play that forced his stock to rise to the top of the recruiting charts, Davis was criticized for not transferring to a better high school basketball program where he could better his skill and game and showcase himself more than he could for a mediocre basketball team. Instead, Davis chose to stick it out one more year with his friends to make a surprise run into the state playoffs. Davis’s game was so good, it was like Magic Johnson playing in a 5 on 5 wheelchair basketball game at the YMCA with him running circles around everyone rolling around the court. He was such a mismatch in his league, at times; it looked like it was Davis vs. the other 5 defenders. After all of that, he was able to put up ridiculous numbers game after game.

So, as one of the best high school seniors to be in this All-American Game, the anticipation is extremely high for the Chicago native. His game has been compared to Kevin Durant of the Thunder in that he is close to 7 feet tall and can handle and shoot the ball like a shooting guard. This rare combination made his recruitment an arms race between top programs before he ultimately decided to join the future NBA players’ halfway house in John Calipari’s Kentucky Wildcats. Some say Davis will have a cup of coffee in college basketball before he goes on to shine in the NBA, others who are far more skeptical and critical of Davis say that a year of legitimate competition and weight training will do him good and that two to three years in college will ultimately make him more successful in the NBA. I tend to think he is a lot closer to one and done in college rather than spending multiple years in school. Either way, his skill and talent are bursting like a blackhead on a teenager.

I don’t know what to expect with Davis. I don’t think his lean body will dominate down low against some lesser talented big men on the East team like 6-10 players Rakeem Christmas (signed with Syracuse), Johnny O’Bryant III (signed with LSU), and Marshall Plumlee (signed with Duke). I expect Davis to instead display good ball handling skills and decent jump shot from 15 feet out. With his potential, Davis could be one of the favorites to win game MVP and establish himself as one of, if not the most feared incoming freshman for the 2011-12 season. Because I have never seen him play, I don’t know what direction to go with Davis, so I will leave you with me saying how Davis’s performance is something I am anticipating more than anything else.

Final Ponderings- Blackshear and Davis should make Chicagoans proud Wednesday night at the United Center. I do think Davis will shine a bit more than Blackshear for the west team as it seems big men in recent history seem to have a bigger stamp on the game than guards. I think Davis could win the MVP award of the game, but my bet is Austin Rivers to win if the West Team wins or Brad Beal (6-5, 180 lbs, signed with Florida) to win if the East Team wins. It will definitely be a treat to attend this game as Chicago does not stand to host this game for another several years.

NEXT POST- RECAP MCDONALD’S ALL-AMERICAN GAME

Recap of Simeon vs. Farragut

By far the most exciting high school team that I have seen this year is Simeon, hands down. The supreme talent on their roster is rivaled only by Whitney Young, but I will make the argument that due to their youth, Simeon is much more exciting. The main reason for this is So SF/PF Jabari Parker (6-7, 225 lbs, offers from Duke, Illinois, DePaul, Kansas, Kentucky, Texas, and many more). With third row seats, I got an up close view of both teams; much different from my report the last time I saw Simeon play which were about thirty rows up in the UIC Pavilion. As Simeon came out onto the floor for the pregame warm-ups, one thing stood out, glaring like a fat girl wearing tight leggings, and that was Parker’s size. He is easily the biggest player on the Wolverines, both in height and in weight. Most of all, he’s a sophomore, 16 years old! The future is extremely bright for Parker and it is a treat anytime you can see him live. There were some other pleasant surprises from Simeon and some great play by two Farragut players that made the quarterfinal game somewhat enjoyable.

What I watched for- Simeon- Instead of spending more time talking about how good Jabari Parker is and how excited I am to see his development the next two years (Parker finished with 11 points and 7 rebounds, and was very disruptive on the defensive end), so I will focus on other players that made an impact on the game. The MVP of the game was Jr PF Steve Taylor (6-6, 200 lbs, considering Dayton, DePaul, Xavier). Taylor (left) finished the game with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Out of any player, Taylor was the most consistent with his inside-out game. Taylor was able to take his defender off the dribble but did most of his damage on the glass. A lot of his production came from rebounding and putting the ball back in the hoop or kicking it out for a better shot. Taylor also featured a decent jump shot and does have the ability to hit the high school three pointer, though not consistent enough to be a serious threat. With the ability to keep possessions alive for Simeon and to make Farragut one and done, Taylor and the rest of Simeon was able to control the tempo of the game. The highlight of the night for me, because the game turned into a yawn fest in the fourth quarter, was when Taylor and a Farragut player went for a ball on the Farragut side of the court in the fourth quarter and as the two went for the ball going out of bounds, the Farragut player got to the ball, jumped, and threw the ball off of Taylor hoping it would then go out of bounds to keep the procession in Farragut’s favor. While this was going on right in front of me, like 5 feet away, the ball left the Farragut player’s hand and slammed right into Taylor’s frank n’ beans, the pocket rocket, the strokin’ pole, ole one eyed Willie. Taylor let out a grunt and the crowd around me seemed to enjoy it. Hunched over like he was about to puke, Taylor had a smirk on his face as I’m sure he realized the only thing on Simeon to get beat that night were his genitals.

An Equally electrifying performance came from team captain Sr SG/SF Darrien Walker (6-3, 165 lbs, no official offers).  Walker finished with 14 points, but a majority of those came in the second quarter. The actual highlight of the night (not including Taylor and his privates) came on a steal and a good outlet pass to Walker and as Walker took about five dribbles before he left his feet to dunk the ball, a Farragut defender tried to block his dunk on the way up. Instead, he was posterized and Walker received the and-one as the crowd inside the Hinsdale Central High School Gym erupted. After that, Simeon seemed to ride that energy into halftime before they blew the game open in the third. Sr. PF/C Rashawn McElrath (6-6, 160 lbs, no offers) also had a dunk over a Farragut defender early in the game that got fans on their feet going crazy. The lean McElrath finished with 6 points and 4 rebounds. Due to Farragut spending the whole fourth quarter fowling and sending Simeon to the line; a couple players’ stats were inflated. For example, Sr SG Terrel Green (6-2, 165 lbs, no offers) finished with 14 points, 10 of those coming off of free throws. Overall, it was a complete team effort from Simeon to send them down state to defend their state title.

What I watched for- Farragut- I knew nothing about this team coming into Tuesday night’s game. I heard that the #11 team in the state beat the likes of Whitney Young, twice, on their road to the quarterfinals matchup. The Admirals had a couple other marquee wins on their schedule to lead them to this point. With this in mind, I was expecting quite a game. The only player I heard of was Sr SF Demetrius Tolliver (6-6, 175 lbs, no official offers). Outside of Tolliver’s long, dreaded hair,  nothing about him stood out in the first half. Tolliver (right) showed spurts of athleticism defending wing players and going up for rebounds, but Tolliver showed nothing that would make even a junior college coach become jubilant of his game. Then, with his team down by nearly 20 points, Tolliver stepped up his game scoring 17 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter. At his size, Tolliver showed the ability to hit the three pointer with consistency, and at one point hit three in a row.  What impressed me most about Tolliver was his ball handling. Farragut did not have a true point guard so a couple players took turns taking the ball up the court. Tolliver showed signs of running the offense and making plays for himself off screens at the top of the arc. Tolliver seemed to be a better perimeter player than an interior player, which in the end, was a reason why Simeon outrebounded Farragut and why Farragut took close to 25 three point attempts. I would say Tolliver reminds me of a less athletic and less strong version  of Kelsey Barlow of Purdue. I would be surprised if Tolliver ends up on a division 1 roster next year.

The other player for Farragut that made this game interesting was Sr G Gabriel Williams (5-10, 160 lbs, no offers) By far the best player of the game for Farragut was Williams. He was the most consistent and featured a deadly three point shot. In the third and fourth quarter, Williams was showing that he could hit the three from anywhere around the arc.  15 of Williams’ game high 29 points came from downtown. Williams was not much of a ball handler throwing erratic passes that teammates had to lung for, but he split time with Tolliver bringing the ball up the court as the “point guard”. Williams did show aggressiveness going to the hoop in traffic, which is needed from a senior in his last game. Williams oooooed and ahhhhhed the crowd with this sharp shooting from three point land, but that was pretty much the only thing that got the crowd excited for Farragut. In the end, Tolliver and Williams combined for 55 points in the 74-61 loss.

Final Ponderings- This was not much of a game. It was like showing up to a blind date only to find out you've been stood up. I really wonder how Farragut beat the likes of Whitney Young (twice), Crane (twice), and Marshall. Farragut was predominately a three point shooting team Tuesday night and only played 7 players the whole night. Compared to Simeon that played 11 players, and could have played more, the lack of depth seemed to be a nonfactor in the game. The Admirals were sloppy with the ball and did not seem to have an answer for a couple Simeon runs. In the end, the better team won and moved onto the 4A semifinals against Glenbard East. No performance stood out that was jaw dropping, but Taylor had the best game overall earning this high school basketball guru’s MVP of the game. I’ll give credit to Farragut for the season they had, but I would like to see video evidence of them beating some of these teams they beat over the course of the season. My only conclusion is that they were on fire shooting three pointers during those games lead by Tolliver and Williams. Looking forward, Simeon is the clear favorite to will the class 4A trophy in Peoria this year. Parker has been nothing short of amazing this year but he did not have to be in this game as others picked up the slack. I expect to report a week from now how Simeon is the cream of the 4A crop. (Note: Simeon beat Glenbard East Friday night in the semis to make it to the state finals)

Next post- Class championship wrap ups and Ronald McDonald and his All-Americans make their way to the United Center March 30^th. 

Recap of De La Salle vs. Whitney Young

As I went to throw out my paper towel from washing my hands in the York High School men’s bathroom outside of the gymnasium, I almost knocked over this older man. I looked up to say excuse me as the sight of an all purple jumpsuit caught my eye. “You’re all right,” this guy said. When I quickly looked at him as we both passed each other, I said to myself, “Hey, that was Bill Carmondy!”

That is how big the game between the De La Salle Meteors and Whitney Young Dolphins was; college coaches like Carmondy of Northwestern, Bruce Weber of Illinois, and the Loyola (IL) and Miami (OH) coach came as well to see the star studded match-up.  For the small gymnasium holding no more than 1,700 fans, the atmosphere was as electric as a semifinal game downstate.  The main attraction was Sr SF Sam Thompson (6-6, 180 lbs, signed with Ohio State) of Whitney Young and Sr. PF Mike Shaw (6-8, 220 lbs, signed with Illinois) of De La Salle. What people, like myself, left with was an appreciation of how bright the future is for Illinois high school basketball. Some performances stood out positively, while a couple other performances stood out for all of the wrong reasons.  So let’s get crackin’…

What I watched for- Whitney Young- The headliner was Sam Thompson. This future Buckeye had a lot to prove to me despite being dubbed one of the top Chicago-area talents this year. The three games I watched of Whitney Young this year, Sam Thompson had underwhelming performances after underwhelming performances. Even though the numbers he put up were good in those games, for someone with this talent and potential, I did not think he lived up to his hype. In those games, he did not score more than 13 and in a couple of those games, his impact was not felt on the offense end until the final minutes of the game when the contest was already decided.  So when he took the court Tuesday night, the bar was set extremely high for Thompson. Needless to say, he lived up to his hype. Thompson was the leading scorer for the Dolphins at the end of the night with 15 points; a majority of those in the first half. Where his presence was really felt was on the defensive side of the ball and on the boards. Thompson was hands down, the best defender on the court Tuesday night. I have thought the strongest part of his game all season was his defensive prowess, but seeing it up close and personal was very refreshing. Along with his hounding defense, the one thing that stood out was his athleticism. On a couple drives to hoops and rebounds, I swear his head was at the rim. The ability to jump over people is something that cannot be taught so I expect this to be one of his strengths in college.

The other player I had my eye on was So C Thomas Hamilton, Jr. (6-9, 230 lbs, on a good day, offers from Illinois and Michigan State). When walking to my seat, Whitney Young was walking to their bench. As I passed by, Thomas Hamilton, Jr. his wide frame grazed me as I walked on by. From the waist on up, he looks like a well-built athlete with wide shoulders that could handle the burden of playing down low. But from the waist on down to the floor, Hamilton, Jr. looked like a cartoon character with his wide legs. Looking at him, you can tell that this kid is not done growing and he can definitely put on more weight, not that he would have to. His game reminds me of Fr. C Josh Smith of UCLA. With that wide frame, he was able to dictate his way around the paint. De La Salle had no answer for him as he was backing down defender after defender. What stood out about Hamilton, Jr. was not his inside game, but his outside game. Despite lacking explosiveness, Hamilton, Jr. has the ability to consistently hit the 15-18 foot jump shot. If he can ever make this a valuable part of his arsenal, this likely seven foot center will be almost unguardable. I had high hopes for Hamilton, Jr., who next year should be the best player Whitney Young has on what will be one of the top teams in Chicago next year. But due to foul trouble and terrific play from a freshman, Hamilton, Jr. did not play as much as I have seen him play in the past. The tools are there to be a five star recruit in 2013, but for right now, there are some aspects of his game that he needs to work on extensively in order to be great.

The freshman that I just alluded to that took time away from Hamilton, Jr. was C Jalhil Okafor (6-8, 255 lbs, offers from Illinois, DePaul, Georgetown, Michigan State, and Wisconsin). That last name might sound familiar because his uncle is New Orleans Hornets starting center, Emeka Okafor. Okafor made quite an impression last summer that has many scouts saying he is almost a certain five star prospect in 2014. It is hard to believe that he is only 15 years old. There are some top prospects in this year’s recruiting class that are not as big as Okafor is right now. As I mentioned with Hamilton, Jr., you can tell that this kid is going to put on more weight and a couple more inches.  Okafor made his presence felt in the 3^rd quarter of the game scoring 12 quick points in about a 5 minute span going into the 4^th quarter. His points came off of rebounds and defensive breakdowns, but a couple of his moves had NBA-like similarities. Okafor, on one play, caught the pass on the elbow about 12 feet from the hoop, made a move to the basket and drove over three defenders, including Mike Shaw. There are not enough superlatives for this kid the way he played. Out of all of the players, Okafor had the most surprising performance of the night. Bruce Weber had a couple players with official offers on the court Tuesday night that probably disappointed him, but he had to be most impressed with his performance. In the end, the frontcourt depth of Whitney Young proved to be too much for De La Salle as they killed the glass and won the war of the paint getting a lot of put backs and short range shots.

What I watched for- De La Salle- The marquee senior for the Meteors was Mike Shaw. I was extremely impressed with his college-ready body. I think Shaw will most likely resemble Sr. PF Jarryd Cole from Iowa with a higher ceiling. Outside of Okafor, Shaw was the biggest player, as far as frame, on the court. A lot of criticism has been said about Shaw over the year, such as lack of hustle, disinterested, and doesn't play up to his potential, but I really couldn’t confirm that without seeing him in person. For the first 5 minutes of the game, Shaw was the most dominating player on the court. He scored the first four points for De La Salle, he had a couple rebounds, was a lock-down defender, and made some nifty passes. Then after a couple fouls, Shaw was out of the game physically and what looked like mentally as well. There was a point in the 2^nd quarter when he was subbed out of the game, which I thought to myself, “when was he even in the game?” I said it before and I’ll say it again, he is the Harry Houdini of De La Salle- first he’s there, then he’s gone.  Shaw has a good outside shot but not enough that you can count on. He deferred to the better senior throughout the night which is something you do not want to see from one of your best players. Although I liked his unselfishness and willingness to get others involved, he was very passive in the half-court sets and was taken out of the plays. Shaw ended up with 9 points but they came in spurts and ultimately was not as effective as he should have been for the Meteors.

The real disappointment with Shaw came after the game. I am OK with the way Shaw played, despite being very underwhelming and inactive at times, but the attitude of the player goes a longer way than the skill the player possesses.  Throughout the game, Shaw did not show much emotion and it was tough to tell if he wanted to will his team back for the win or not. He was like the basketball version of Jay Cutler, and it pisses me off how everyone jumps on Cutler how he doesn’t show emotion on the field and lets his play dictate the way he want to be perceived. It would be hypocritical of me to jump on Shaw for a lack of emotion then when that really is the most important thing. As a senior, any game could be his last in that uniform so you would like to see a little more urgency out of him. The thing that really ticked me off and what I believe will be the difference between Shaw being a successful and prominent college player and a disappointment is the way he carries himself. This ties into his effort on every play and his overall hustle. During the game, there were a couple rebounds that he could have got that other players, not as big as Shaw, got because they wanted it more. As the game ended on a last second three point attempt by Andre Henley, Shaw went for a rebound and ended up on his backside. Now what I will say next is based more on opinion than fact, but I believe my eyes more than anything else. Sam Thompson, a teammate of Shaw on the AAU circuit, ran up to Shaw as he was on the ground and extended his hand. I don’t think he was pointing at him or said anything derogatory, but that is always a possibility. Thompson, along with the rest of the Whitney Young squad went over to the De La Salle side to shake hands and talk with the De La Salle coaches.  Shaw started jabbering at someone, and it looked like it was in Thompson’s direction. Because nobody was engaging with Shaw, it was tough to tell who Shaw was yelling at. It seemed like Shaw was just having a conversation with a player on the Dolphins, but as time wore on, Shaw was definitely yelling at someone. Shaw was so agitated that a coach had to restrain Shaw and help him off the court. That’s the type of attitude you see from a three year old not getting the toy he wants at Toys-R-Us. Now I don’t know if Thompson said something he shouldn't have or another player on the Dolphin felt like he had to rub salt in the De La Salle wound in the loss, but Shaw seemed to show more emotion after the game than he did during. With Bruce Weber looking on, he could not have been pleased to see this as Shaw's attitude and consistent intensity mimicked this year's current Illini roster, which was the reason Illinois underachieved this year.

Enough of Shaw bashing and let’s talk about the bright spot of the game. By far the best player for De La Salle and most prolific scorer on the court that night was Sr. SF Andre “Dre” Henley (6-6, 210 lbs, go to previous blogs for more Dre info). Dre finished with a game high 25 points and was the only reason why the 59-56 loss to Whitney Young was as close as it was. Henley did everything- shoot, pass, drive, rebound, and defend. If you were to ask me who was the four star recruit going to Illinois and will probably start his freshman year, I would say without hesitation Andre Henley, NOT Mike Shaw. For the whole season I have heard that he is the best player on De La Salle, and Tuesday night was no exception. Henley has a skill that can’t be taught and something coaches covet and that is a natural scoring ability. Henley was one of, if not the most aggressive player going towards the hoop and all of the scoring went through Henley towards the end of the game. He was the go-to guy that night and the most threatening scorer of any team. I would say his future is definitely bright for Henley, but there is great uncertainty in his recruiting despite Henley getting better day by day. It will be very interesting to see where Dre will be a year from now.

Some other notes from De La Salle come from the two other stars on the team, So PG Jaylon Tate (6-0, 170, offers from Illinois and DePaul) and So SF Alex Foster (6-7, 205 lbs, offers from Purdue, Illinois, and DePaul). Tate was not as effective as I thought he would be for a point guard. Tate finished with 6 points but did not have a major impact on the game on the offensive end. Foster, if not for Shaw, might have had the most disappointing performance based on talent and output for the game. Foster finished with 6 points but did  show many signs of being great slasher. There are signs that he could be great for this 16 year old, but nothing that showed up in his last game of his sophomore season. What did stand out about Foster were his shoes. While everyone on De La Salle wore shoes that matched the Meteors' blue color, Foster wore black shoes with a gold Nike logo. This might not mean much to people, but while schools have been recruiting Foster this whole year, Purdue has been after him the hardest. Coming onto the court with shoes Purdue player wear might be a sign Foster's recruiting will be coming to an end.

The final score of the game was 59-56 in Whitney Young's favor. For most of the game, Whitney Young was in control. De La Salle was playing from behind a lot and Whitney Young had a response for most of what the Meteors threw at them. Whitney Young was the better team that night and we can see now that they are healthy (Sr. SF Luke Hager, 6-6, 200 lbs, committed to UNC-Wilmington, and was one of the more impressive performances for Whitney Young throughout the night), they will are playing better than they did at the beginning of the year. This was a great game that went to the buzzer and great players played well, except for Shaw. With both of these teams out of the playoffs (Whitney Young lost to Brooks their next game), the next time we see these players will be as freshmen for major programs.

NEXT POST- 3/19- RECAP OF SIMEON vs. FARRAGUT 3/15

Previewing Whitney Young Vs. De La Salle game March 8th 2011

It's playoff season!!! (sorry Cubs fans, false alarm). This means match-ups we have been waiting for are finally here. Teams that we knew all along would be in the hunt for a title are well on their way. Also, teams that we thought could win it all down state that have had less than stellar seasons can change everything and make a run to surprise us all. One of those teams, Whitney Young has as big of an uphill battle as any other team.

Coming into the 2010-11 season, Whitney Young High School was projected as the favorite to win the Class 4A state title. Fast forward to today and #14 Whitney Young is one step closer to claiming the state title. However, instead of the easy path of a #1 seed Whitney Young was projected as, the Dolphins had a sizable test in their opening round game against St. Ignatius, who was no slouch. Despite the deep talent most title title teams have, St. Ignatius had a modest season, but was carried by their one and only star, Sr C Nnanna Egwu (6-10, 220 lbs, signed with Illinois). Egwu's play was not enough as Whitney Young worked their way to a 50-46 victory Friday night on the campus of Whitney Young High School. While the win ensures that the state title dream is still alive, this upcoming Tuesday will prove to be even more of a challenge, something this team didn't think they would have to face until a couple more rounds into the state tournament. Up next, the #3 team in the state: De La Salle Institute. Certainly, the second round of the playoffs was not where Whitney Young planned on playing the #3 team in the state. This game will be one of the most exciting second round match-ups in the state. Both teams have aspirations of cutting down the nets and hoisting the championship trophy down in Peoria a couple weeks from now.


What to watch for- Whitney Young- The Dolphins have the Division 1 talent that few elite teams in this country have, like powerhouses Oak Hill Academy or Findley Prep. Almost everyone that suits up for Whitney Young has a realistic chance to go to a D-1 program. As an understatement, the Dolphins have greatly underachieved with the talent on this roster. Leading this group of college prospects is Sr SF Sam Thompson (6-6, 180 lbs, signed with Ohio St.) (pictured left). This highly recruited small forward had offers from Florida, Georgetown, Kansas, and Oregon State. With a great AAU run over the summer, Thompson was one of the premier recruits in the state of Illinois for the class of 2011. I've been told he has had a very nice season and could be the best recruit Thad Matta brings in next year for Ohio St. However, in the few games I've seen of his, Whitney Young vs. Simeon (twice) and Whitney Young vs. Morgan Park, Sam Thompson did not stand out like an elite talent normally would. Now, I understand that this is a small sample size, but you would like to see premier talent step up against elite teams like Whitney Young has faced this year. A couple things stand out about Thompson: for his size, he is extremely lanky, and he has great athleticism. Let's start off with the bad; his size. For a small forward, he's got good height, but terrible strength. Although he can jump out of the gym, I have seen Thompson get pushed around on the perimeter. He can't bump with other players stronger than him so he has to shoot over them. Unfortunately, I haven't seen him put on a shooting display that would make scouts drool. What I look for in elite talent is for the player to jump out right away. What I mean by this is rather than watching on TV or in person, I want to look out onto the floor not knowing the jersey number of the top talent and saying, "that guy is that good". Like others on Whitney Young, I don't say that for Thompson. The upside, anyone could add strength and hopefully with about 10 lbs of muscle, Thompson could be a legitimate NBA talent now. He is a great shot blocker, and in garbage time, was putting on a dunking display to oooo and ahhhhh the crowd. The upside is definitely there, but I haven't seen it in person yet. I have been down on Thompson this year, but if I see him put together a good game against De La Salle, I will easily be persuaded that he is one of the best in the state of Illinois now.
I would say the second best player on this team is So. C Thomas Hamilton, Jr (6-9, 230 lbs and growing, offered by Illinois and Michigan State) (pictured left). This name may look familiar as his dad, Thomas Hamilton, Sr. who signed with Lou Henson and Illinois before transferring due to academic ineligibility, back in 1993. Hamilton had a couple stints in the NBA before retiring, but the 7-2, 335 lb C best accomplishment might be his son. Already, Hamilton, Jr. is the second best prospect in Illinois for the class of 2013, behind SF Jabari Parker of Simeon (go to previous blog posts for more information about Parker). Just looking at Hamilton, Jr. he already has that college-ready body. He has the body that could shut down an Old Country Buffet. Judging from his dad's size, Hamilton, Jr. has more room to grow. When I watch him, his size stands out more than anyone else on the court. Thomas is what we like to call "bottom-heavy" with his wide frame. He can back down defenders in the post like a semi-truck backing into a parking spot. His game is still raw and has little explosiveness, but if he is inside the paint, he's either going to the free throw line for two shots or he's putting in a layup or dunk. Although, I haven't seen too many dunks out of Hamilton, Jr. he does have quickness to the basket. At his height, I'd like to see more dunks out of him, but right now the explosiveness isn't there. He has a developing hook shot and his range is only about 10 feet from the basket, but if he could get into better shape and work more on his inside game, there is no reason to think that Hamilton, Jr. won't be a top 10 recruit in a couple of years. With his size, De La Salle will have a tough time matching up against him so I will be looking for Whitney Young to throw the ball inside to him early and often. In the couple games I saw this year, success started with the inside game which then opened the floor for more explosive players to take over.
One more player that I will be watching is Jr. PF Jermaine Morgan (6-8, 220 lbs, no official offers yet, but UIC is looking at him strongly). Although the size is not too much different from Hamilton, Jr., Morgan has more of an athletic build and is a bit more explosive. He can take players off the dribble but is not the flashiest finisher at the rim. He does not have a good jump shot, but by seeing him take a couple shots during games, I can tell this is something Morgan has been and will continue to work on. If he can improve in this category, more colleges will be at his doorstep with offers. Another reason why I am singling out Morgan is this match-up is that he will most likely be faced against Mike Shaw. I will preview him more, later on, but Mike Shaw of De La Salle is arguably their best player. Morgan will most likely go up against him, so if he can show that he can score over Shaw and hold him down on defense, that will do a lot for his awareness on the recruiting scene.
Other players of note: Jr PG Derrick Randolph (5-7, 145 lbs, no official offers), So. SG Keith Langston (6-4, 175 lbs, no official offers, UIC looking).

What to watch for- De La Salle- As the #3 team in the state, there is not much to dislike about this team. Lead by a couple of seniors, De La Salle has a lot of talent, most of that is in the sophomore class. I have only seen one game this year, and it was against another top 10 team in the state, Hales Franciscan. De La Salle is a team that likes to run up and down the court and doesn't run a lot of half-court sets. However, this is one of the most athletic teams in the state now. This is a team that has an equal balance of inside game to outside game, something that a lot of teams can't say. Leading the way is Sr. PF Mike Shaw (6-8, 220 lbs, signed with Illinois) (pictured left). Shaw arguably has as much talent as anyone in the state right now, but unfortunately, he does not always apply it. Possibly the biggest negative a scout could say about a player is his lack of a consistent effort and "taking some plays off". This label has plagued Shaw over the last couple of years, and when I saw his game against Hales, nothing was more evident. For the first half of the game, Shaw blended in with the crowd. For someone with is college-ready size, this is immensely disappointing. Then, in the third quarter, Shaw took off. He looked like an NBA player playing pick up basketball at the local YMCA or rec center. He was going coast to coast with the ball, dunking, shooting with range, and locking down ball handlers as if they were wearing handcuff. In about 5 minutes, Shaw had 10 points, 4 rebounds, and a couple of assists and steals. Much like William Hung of American Idol, he came as quickly as he left. I don't think Shaw recorded a single stat other than minutes played in the fourth quater. I was disappointed after the game. I thought I saw a player with the potential to win Illinois Mr. Basketball in 2011 and be the University of Illinois' most prolific recruit. But then, as described by other scouts, Shaw's consistent effort and production disappeared. It was like seeing a girl with a hot body only for her to turn around and have a face that would turn sailors away. The hype was overshadowed by the disappointment of not seeing the talent on display through the whole game. If a coach could get consistent play and effort from Shaw, he has the ability to be the best player on his high school or college team. Until then, I will just assume that I will only get about 10-15 minutes of amazing play from Shaw and relish it.
I think the second most talented player on this team is So. PF Alex Foster (6-7, 205 lbs, offered by Purdue, Illinois, DePaul, and looked at by Ohio St. with Purdue being the early favorite to land Foster) (pictured left). Out of anyone on this team, even Shaw, Foster has the most upside and possible NBA talent. Foster can handle the ball well for his size and take people off the dribble. He is very explosive and can finish at the rim. Defensively, there is still room for improvement and he is not a consistent rebounder, but all of the tools are there to be great. De La Salle could stick him at SF or PF and depending on the lineup, he could guard the SG position. Foster and Andre Henley are the two most versatile players on the team. I will be looking for is athletic ability to match up well against a guy like Sam Thompson.
Possibly the most consistent player on the team is Sr. SF Andre "Dre" Henley (go to last weeks blog for more information about Henley). At 6-6, Henley could play both shooting guard and small forward. He has good size and a good shot. He is kind of a flex SF/SG so that should give Whitney Young a huge challenge. Henley gets to the basket very well but is a good facilitator so other players around the hoop should benefit from his maneuverability around defenders. I think Henley, out of any player on De La Salle, has to have a big playoff run to re-get the attention of other colleges. I look for him to really bring it on Tuesday.
One more player of note: So. PG Jaylon Tate (6-0, 170 lbs, offers from Illinois and DePaul). Tate's name has burst onto the recruiting scene over the last couple of months for the class of 2013. He is more of a combo guard with his lack of high basketball IQ at the point guard position and lack of height for the shooting guard position. In the end, Tate will be a a point guard, but it is not unrealistic to think that one day he will play for a D-1 program. Tate will act as the floor general setting up the likes of Shaw, Henley, and Foster. He will be challenged on the defensive end by Derrick Randolph of Whitney Young. If he has a nice showing, it should definitely raise the awareness even more.

Final Ponderings- The most talented team on paper is Whitney Young, but the most talented team I have seen this year is De La Salle. The biggest challenge in this game will be how De La Salle could take Thomas Hamilton, Jr. out of the game. With his size, he has the potential to take over the game. Ultimately, I think that diverse play of Foster and Henley will cause a lot of mismatches for Whitney Young. I expect one, if not both, to have great games. I am excited to see how the raw Jaylon Tate can handle the back-court pressure Whitney Young puts on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. For me, the most to prove is Sam Thompson. I know that he is talented, but the most points I have seen him put up this year is 13 and most of that came in garbage time against Simeon in a victory. For his size, he is one of the best shot blockers in the state. For the Dolphins, he is the go-to guy. When all else fails, Thompson is left with the ball, and for the games I have watched the season, Thompson has done little to impress. As for Shaw, I think much of what has plagued him this season will continue on Tuesday, in that some moments he looks like the best player on the court, and other moments looks less involved than the security guard standing in the corner of the gymnasium. On the season, Whitney Young has not impressed, other than a win in the semifinals of the city championship vs Simeon. The talent is there, but it has not always translated into wins. De La Salle has impressed me a lot this year and unlike Whitney Young, their talent typically translate into wins. In the end, I see De La Salle moving on with a 57-51 victory in Elmhurst this upcoming Tuesday.

Next post: 3/12 or 3/13 with the results of the game

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