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