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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