These are just some of my thoughts on Illinois HS Basketball right now. Here we go:
Too many missed layups:
This has really been all season long, but really almost had my head explode watching so many varsity games and supposed high level players missing layups. I'm not talking contested ones, I'm talking wide open layups. You get around a defender by either Euro step, or straight line drives and are MISSING layups right at the basket. That square on the backboard is up there for a reason. USE IT GEEZ!!!!! This could be too many young man wanting to make a highlight play or get their play on ESPN's Top 10 plays. The fundamental sound play has gone away. Folks wonder why the international players are passing up the US players? To me this is part of the reason why, the fundamentals have went away. Off my soapbox on this one.
Shot clock:
All the holiday tournaments I went to had a shot clock whether it was 35 second or 30 second. Oh it was great to see. The quality of play was a lot better with it being in place. The clock teaches you about more than basketball, it helps you with life situations. Makes your mind work with quick thinking, dealing with deadlines, etc. I could go on with the positives of a shot clock.
Class 3A and 4A are wide open:
No powerhouse teams out there but a lot of teams that are bunched up at the top. Here are some of them:
4A:
Normal Community
Kenwood Academy (Chicago)
Homewood Flossmoor
North (Downers Grove)
Quincy
Collinsville
Benet Academy (Chicago)
Curie (Chicago)
Warren (Gurnee)
Waubonsie Valley (Aurora)
3A:
Thornton Township (Harvey)
Metamora
Richwoods (Peoria)
Kankakee
Mount Carmel (Chicago)
DePaul College Prep (Chicago)
Brother Rice (Chicago)
Some under the radar players I have seen in the last few weeks:
Larenz Walters, 6'2" senior point guard, Kankakee
Tyreek Coleman, 6'1" junior point guard, Waubonsie Valley (Aurora)
Lincoln Williams, 6'6" sophomore combo guard, Kankakee
Moses Wilson, 6'4" junior combo guard, Waubonsie Valley (Aurora)
DJ Bolden, 6'2" combo guard, Westinghouse College Prep (Chicago)
Nathan Serrano, 6'0" sophomore point guard, Taft (Chicago)
Kain Kretschmar, 6'3" sophomore shooting guard, Lake Zurich
Camden Cerese, 6'2" senior combo guard, Lake Park (Roselle) (CAM...OH CAM)
Chase Abraham, 6'0" senior point guard, Thornton Township (Harvey)
Amari Edwards, 5'10" junior point guard, Wendell Phillips (Chicago)
EJ Horton, 6'2" junior combo guard, Wendell Phillips (Chicago)
Marcos Gonzales, 6'3" junior point guard, Brother Rice (Chicago)
Rakim Chaney, 6'2" senior combo guard, Auburn (Rockford)
Amir Danforth, 6'0" sophomore point guard, Auburn (Rockford)
Kaidan Chatman, 6'3" junior combo guard, Niles North (Skokie)
Hunter Gawron, 6'6" junior forward, Niles North (Skokie)
Zack Sharkey, 6'2" combo guard, Marian Catholic (Chicago Heights)
Zyheir Gardner, 6'0" sophomore point guard, Crete Monee
Davarus Spann, 6'5" senior combo guard, North Lawndale College Prep (Chicago)
Tyshun Moore, 6'3" senior combo guard, North Lawndale College Prep (Chicago)
I'm sure there are more these are just some. College coaches there's talent to be had and these are some of the young men you should go check out.
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