U-16 Team USA: A.K.A Team Illinois

Every couple of years, team USA assembles some of the best high school players to play for the U-16 men’s national team. This year, some of the top prospects in the class of 2013 and 2014 had a chance to represent their country better than Bode Miller did back in 2006. 12 players were selected, 4 of which were from Illinois and two are high school teammates. Such a feat is worthy of blogging about. Could this be a sign that Illinois, more notably Chicago, is the hotbed of high school basketball? That point is up for debate, but what can’t be disputed is that the future for basketball in Illinois looks awfully bright. If only I could find a good title for my blog that depicts this point.

So. PG Larry Austin, Jr. (6-2, 160 lbs, offered by Illinois, Ohio State, Tennessee)- Let’s start off with the youngsters of the team; players that still can’t drive. Illinois has been looking at Austin for the last year and a couple other schools have jumped aboard the Larry Austin, Jr. recruiting train. It’s rare for a player this young to have a ton of offer, but the fact that he’s being looked at aggressively means bigger offers are sure to come. Coming into the trials for Team USA, Austin had some lingering bumps and bruises from this last year so we were not able to see him at 100%, and that was still good enough to make this high profiled team. During the four days of practicing and evaluating, Austin showed off his ability to be a pure point guard- someone who can score as efficiently as he can distribute the ball to others. Already, coaches are impressed over his athleticism. On his high school team, Austin has played point guard along with shooting guard and small forward. This versatility makes him a useful player for any team. Although his long term position is point guard, his shot is good enough to play the shooting position. Being one of 6 freshmen on this team should solidify Austin as a five star recruit for the next couple of years if not all the way through high school.

So. C Jahlil Okafor (6-8, 255 lbs, offered by DePaul, Syracuse, Illinois, Michigan State)- The other freshman representing Illinois and Team USA might be the biggest body on the team. At his size, Okafor is built like a college player, yet he still has 3 more years of high school left. Instead of being a less comical Fat Albert, Okafor is deceptively athletic for his size and his game is more advanced beyond his years. The freshman was one of, if not the best low post presence on the team.  Okafor’s footwork and inside game is making college coaches all over the country drool over the opportunity to get this kid to play for their program. Okafor showed off a bit of a jump hook and was able to push defenders under the basket with his post moves and quick feet. The scary thing about Okafor is that he is expected to tack on a couple more inches before it is all said and done. There is no doubt that Okafor is one of, if not the premier player in the class of 2014.

Jr. PG/SG Kenndrick Nunn (6-2, 165 lbs, offered by Memphis, Xavier, Illinois, DePaul, Florida State, Texas A&M)- Nunn is a combo guard mostly because he’s a great shooter and he’s too small to be a shooting guard. Because of this, Nunn has put in time to become a better floor general and distributer. The only thing holding Nunn back from being a top 20 player in the class of 2013 is his below average point guard skills. With that said, Nunn could be one of the best shooters out of anyone in this class and definitely one of the top shooters on this team. Beyond the perimeter, Nunn makes his shots with as much regularity as Miguel Cabrera getting DUIs. What may have impressed Team USA coaches most is his lock-down defending. Despite not playing point guard at every point in the game, Nunn frequently guards the point guard or top shooter on the opposing team. At the end of the day, Nunn’s ability to knock down the shot from anywhere and cut into the defense to hit a cutting player or make a quirky shot for himself makes Nunn a very dangerous weapon. If Nunn can continue his progress running the team as point guard and knock down shots, he will be one of the more sought after combo guards in the class of 2013.

Jr. SF Jabari Parker (6-7, 225 lbs, offered by Washington, Duke, Kansas, Illinois, Michigan State)-  We finish with Mr. Basketball in Illinois (official title given in Spring 2012). Maybe the best player on Team USA, Parker has shown that he has improved from his sophomore season at Simeon. Parker has slimmed down and gained quickness as he has become almost unguardable with his slashing ability and his mid-range shot. Parker can bring the ball up the court, distribute, hit threes, slash to the hoop, and can even do a little defending on the side. The wing position for Team USA is loaded so it shows how good Parker really is that he has stood out. The more I watch Parker, the more I think about current Boston Celtic Paul Pierce. In short, there really is not much Parker can’t do. For multiple scouts to say he is one of the top 2 players on this team should give you an idea of how special this kid is. The only thing I can say is his recruiting is about to become very, very intense and interesting.

NEXT WEEK: POWER TEAMS IN ILLINOIS

You Don't Know 'Em But You Better Start To: Part 5

We conclude our 5 part series on a player that will probably have the biggest jump from sleeper to phenom. He is well hidden in the depths of mid-Illinois country where it's a bitch to go see him if your from around Chicago. Because of this, this player is the only one of the 5 I have not seen. So begs the question, if a tree falls and no one hears it, did it really happen? Well, if a player from East St. Louis, IL (is there any other St. Louis) starts blowing up and no one sees him, is he really blowing up? Don't young fella, I see ya (or hear of you at least)...

(white, right) Jr. PG/SG DeShawn Munson (6-3, 180 lbs, offer from Tennessee, looked at by Illinois)- Munson hails from the same parts as past prep greats LaPhonso Ellis and Darius Miles. Munson has a long way to go until he can reach their status as elite preps and eventual pros. Unfortunately, East St. Louis is not exactly a hotbed for scouts to watch prep talent. Lately, scouts and some coaches have made there way to the city with a higher crime rate than Detroit. This is not quite the Derrick Rose from Englewood story we read so much about this past year, but for Munson to make his way through all the negatives around him to become a legitimate college prospect is amazing.

Right now, Munson is in between positions. Munson plays a lot of small forward in high school due to his size in what most likely is a pretty mediocre conference at best but in AAU, Munson will play both guard positions. In the end, Munson will most likely be a point guard. At 6-3, this is the size that scouts love in point guards. Point guards like Derrick Rose, Russel Westbrook, and Derron Williams are leading the revolution of point guards of the future with great size, strength, and speed. While Munson is not the fastest or quickest guy on the floor, he does have the size at the guard position and athleticism to be great. DeShawn is very crafty around defenders and he worms his way through defense to set up other players or create shots for himself. Munson has good hang-time but is not a huge leaper. His ability to create at any position he plays on the floor makes him a huge asset on the offense end. I have heard that Munson can deliever some nifty passes and might even throw in a no look pass here and there. While his point guard skills are raw, his creativity is above the curve for his age.

Creating off the dribble is a skill set that Munson possesses that one day will make him a permanent point guard. His decision making to attack defenses and not settle for jump shots is something I like in a guard because that leads to dump off passes in the post, closer, more efficient shot attempts, and drawing contact- all good things. However, one thing that has been holding Munson back from making that jump to pure point guard is his lack of outside shooting. Munson has a decent mid range game and can make moves in the paint, but stick him on the perimeter and he's about as useful shooting threes as dwarf reaching for candy on the top shelf at the grocery store. As the three point line extends about a foot from high school to college, it will be imperative that Munson improves his outside game. As you can see, a player at 6-3 doesn't play small forward that often, despite the competition. So that really tells you how much teams he plays for trust him on the perimeter. This is also a testament to his attack and drive ability as defenses probably play off him and force him for outside shots but yet he still is able to get into the lane.

Overall, Munson owns skills that many elite point guards have such as ball handling and creating off the dribble. Munson still has 2 years of high school left to develop from a low three star recruit to a solid four star recruit. Holding Munson back is his outside game and if he can't improve that, my prediction from sleeper to phenom for Munson will be about as accurate as that 89 year old minister that thought the rapture a month ago. With his ball skills and size and above average strength for a 16 year old, Munson has the making to be a high major impact player.

NEXT WEEK: U16 TEAM USA MEN'S BASKETBALL, A.K.A. TEAM CHICAGO

You Don't Know 'Em But You Better Start To: Part 4

We jump back into my top 5 sleepers to keep an eye on for the next two years with a player I have previously blogged about. During his sophomore campaign, this player was gaining momentum as one of the top players in the class of 2013. Outside of Jabari Parker and Thomas Hamilton, Jr, this player seemed to legitimately be one of the top players in Illinois for his class. Unfortunately, as the season wore on, this player began to fade to the back drop as the seniors on the team began to take over and his role diminished as a prolific scorer.His name began to fade and now its very seldom seen that this player is even in the top 5 in his class today. This player fell off the recruiting profile faster than one of Lindsy Lohan's drunk driving binges. But all is not lost; he is only going to be a junior which means he has two summers and basically one and a half school years to impress scouts.Isn't he lucky I saw him as a sophomore.....


Jr. PF Alex Foster (6-8, 200 lbs, considering Purdue, DePaul, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana)- Then, as a sophomore, his build stands out more than anything else. Foster looks close to college ready. To think he's got another two years to condition and get in better shape should only make him more dangerous. It would almost be like sticking a rocket up Usian Bolt's ass before the 100 meter dash. However, Foster is still raw and has not quite figured out to maximize his size just yet. Alex is kind of gangly moving up and down the court and does not go straight up around the glass or when he goes up for a shot. It is almost like his body is going faster than he wants to go. But this kid is very athletic. He has quick feet and can get off the ground quick for a rebound or a dunk. Some players look like they are trying to jump out of quick sand when they go up for a rebound. Others, like Foster, seem like they're taking off by a trampoline. Foster also a soft touch around the rim and can maneuver around defenders for a nifty lay up or even a dunk. He runs the floor very well and not just three point line to three point line but from baseline to baseline as he is not afraid to play both down low and around perimeter. Good conditioning and weight training should make him quicker and more effective running the floor which will be a big attribute in the future.

For high school, Foster could take over games because there are not that many athletic 6-8 guys to go up against. With good floor awareness, Foster is an ideal candidate to make something out of nothing when the defense breaks down. Due to his leaping ability, Foster can rebound over most defenders. From the defense rebound, Foster makes crisp and accurate outlet passes for an offense in transition. Where Foster can get lost is leaving his man for a rebound and in some cases, seemed to loose his defender but was able to make up for it with his athleticism either being quicker or just using his length to get back in position. He will not get away with this at the next level.

One area of concern for Foster is his jump shot. In the two games I saw Foster, his jump shot was a weak part of his game. It seemed like he only shot the ball from distance when he was forced to. He definitely needs to spend more time in the gym improving his shot. If he can do this over the next two years, he will be a legitimate power forward in college who can make things happen down low and step out and hit a consistent shot. One thing that does not work in his favor is his funky shooting motion. Some shooting strokes look good but the ball doesn't seem to go in. For other wacky shooting forms, there is not much to coach. Look at Shawn Marion of the Dallas Maverick (also a Chicago native); one of the worst shooting forms in the pros yet has an ability to put the ball in the hoop. It is possible to shoot the basketball like your playing catch with an active bee hive, but if you're not a natural scorer, it is tough to fix your form to be a consistent mid range shooter. The one thing separating Foster from a legitimate 4 star prospect and potential 4 years starter in college to an athletic mid major player is his shot. Foster's shot has improved from his freshman to sophomore year. He is going to need a bigger jump from his sophomore year to his junior.

All in all, Foster can play. Most likely, Alex will be coming to a Big Ten arena near you. The difference in being a sloth at the end of the bench collecting free gear from Nike or Adidas and an impact player will be his ability to force defenses to respect his jump shot. Right now, he's an above average rebounder with above average athleticism. Time in the gym shooting and pumping iron will do nothing but help his status as a prospect. Five years down the road, we will be saying of Foster how he brought a unique style of size and athleticism to become a great college player, or we will say, "Who? Oh that guy; he was really athletic, I thought he was going to be good. I wonder what happened to him?" My money is on Foster making an impact on whatever school he ends up at.

NEXT WEEK: YOU DON'T KNOW 'EM BUT YOU BETTER START TO: PART 5