Chicago Elite Classic - 2014 (Day 2)

The third edition of the Chicago Elite Classic took place over a two day span this past weekend at the University of Illinois-Chicago. While the event did not have the star wattage like it did in the past (Jabari Parker, Jahlil Okafor, Stanley Johnson, Cliff Alexander, Tyler Ulis, Stephen Zimmerman, Chase Jeter, etc) there were many high major division one players in attendance. 

Top Player:

Rawle Alkins, 6’5”, G/F, Christ the King (NY), 2016

The next New York superstar? Rawle Alkins certainly played like it on Saturday night. He dominated all parts of the game as he led Christ the King to an 87-56 blowout over the local St. Rita squad. Both Catholic schools battled hard in the first quarter, but Alkins helped turn the game into a blowout with a 28 point, seven assist, six rebound, and five steal performance. The powerful wing scored in a variety of ways. He buried deep three’s (finishing with four on the night), threw down powerful dunks, and finished with contact in the lane. Minus a brief stretch in the second quarter when Alkins got a bit out of control, he was a man amongst boys. He finished 11-16 from the floor and fed teammates on the break and in the half-court set for easy baskets. Built like Lance Stephenson, Alkins had no problem showing off his New York style when matched up with Kentucky bound guard Charles Matthews. Catching the ball on the left wing, Alkins gave Matthews a few moves before ducking his right shoulder and finishing in the lane. Alkins is currently ranked No. 31 in the junior class by Scout.com, but his stock is set to rise.

Top Team:

Simeon (IL)

Simeon, a Chicago public league power lost in sectional play last year after winning four straight Illinois state championships with Jabari Parker. The Wolverines were young last year, but now the team returns in full and looks to reclaim its title as the top team in the state. As one of the two hosts (Whitney Young was the other) of the tournament Simeon played in the Saturday nightcap against big man Elijah Thomas and Lancaster, one of the top teams from Texas. It was a competitive game for three quarters, but the overwhelming depth of Simeon wore Lancaster down and ran away in the fourth quarter with an 87-72 victory. Simeon starts three seniors headed to Big 10 schools in DJ Williams (Illinois), Ed Morrow (Nebraska), and Isaiah Moss (Iowa) in addition to two talented juniors in Zach Norvell and Ben Coupet. Off the bench, Simeon first brought a “platoon” of five younger players in with talented freshman Kezo Brown running the show in a smooth and steady fashion. Simeon will face some tough competition in the future in Morgan Park (IL) and Bishop Gorman (NV), but they passed their first test with ease in the Classic.

Standout Performers:

Ed Morrow, 6’7”, PF, Simeon (IL), 2015, Nebraska

A “no frills” big man, Simeon’s power forward Ed Morrow stole the show despite facing the more highly touted Elijah Thomas. The future Cornhusker finished with 22 points, five rebounds, and five blocks. He showed a solid pair of hands down low and threw down numerous two hand dunks throughout the game. More than just a dunker, Morrow also impressed with his mid-range game. Last year Morrow held future top draft pick Jahlil Okafor in check and this year he did the same with Thomas. Morrow is only rated as a three-star recruit, but he will have an impact at Nebraska as soon as he steps on campus. In a few years, observers will wonder where the respect was for Simeon’s big man.

Zach Norvell, 6’3”, SG, Simeon (IL), 2016

The smooth shooting lefty guard started the game off by hitting a three and stayed hot throughout finishing with 18 points. Norvell did damage last year as a sophomore and is Simeon’s main threat from the perimeter. He never went on his own personal scoring run as Norvell managed to score consistently throughout the game. In addition to his 18 points, he also added six rebounds and four assists. 

Frank Jackson, 6’3”, G, Lone Peak (UT), 2016

The 2014-15 version of Lone Peak looked just a tad different than the last Lone Peak squad that came out to Chicago for the Classic. In 2012, Lone Peak featured three stars in Nick Emery, TJ Haws, and Eric Mika. This year, junior guard Frank Jackson ran the show with some help from sophomore Christian Popoola. In a close overtime loss, Jackson finished with 28 points and seven rebounds. He was able to power his way to the basket with his size and strength and also hit several three’s after a slow start in the first quarter. Jackson de-committed from BYU in November and is a hot prospect due to his size and ball skills. 

Other Notes:

Massachusetts bound, Luwane Pipkins struggled with his outside shot all game against Lone Peak but still had the confidence to drain the game winning three point shot from the right corner. He scored 14 points on 4-17 shooting and never got in a rhythm, but he did hit the most important shot of the game. 

While Pipkins struggled for Bogan, senior 5’9” guard Tom Johnson picked up the slack scoring 15 points. 

Rawle Alkins was the star for Christ the King, but Tyrone Cohen was also impressive scoring 22 points. The 6’3” junior guard scored from inside and outside the arc and also ran the floor with ease on the fast break. 

Kentucky bound Charles Matthews scored 16 points for St. Rita in a loss, but struggled with his shot shooting below 40% for the game. In the second half he connected on two three’s from the right wing, but missed a handful of others and never really impacted the game as expected. When Matthews is able to step into his jump shot and elevate properly his shot looks good, but more often than not the ball either falls short or is all over the rim.

Elijah Thomas was the attraction for Lancaster, but he struggled to impact the game and was saddled with foul trouble throughout. Point guard Deon Barrett used his speed to get to the basket and kick out to teammates on the wing. 5’7” guard Dominique Fobbs came off the bench and hit 7 out 10 three’s on the game. Also, senior guard Antwon Portley showcased a nice skill-set hitting several three’s and using his length to finish down low.

Chicago's Future: Kezo Brown and Chase Adams

The city of Chicago just witnessed a once in a lifetime event with two of the top high school big men in the country playing just miles apart from each other. 6’10” Jahlil Okafor and 6’8” man child Cliff Alexander captivated the Windy City throughout their high school tenures and the talented big men are now set to dominate the college ranks before hearing their name called in next June’s NBA Draft.

It might be awhile before any city sees two top five talents playing in public schools just miles apart, but who’s got next in Chicago? Say hello to two freshmen point guards from the class of 2018 in 6’0” Marquis (Kezo) Brown and 5’3” Chase Adams. Neither player has actually played a high school game but the city is already buzzing about their arrival. 

Adams and Brown after their 1st USA experience

The two Chicago youngsters were previously invited to the prestigious USA Developmental Camp that took place the first weekend in October. There were 37 players in total from the classes of 2017 and 2018 invited to Colorado Springs and both Brown and Adams caught the attention of spectators in attendance.

Kezo Brown drew rave reviews at the Developmental camp and continued his strong play throughout the month at the Pangos Midwest camp in Illinois and the NY2LA Future’s camp in Wisconsin. Brown is set to play varsity for public school powerhouse Simeon that won four straight state championships during the recent Jabari Parker era and is one of the clear cut favorites to cut down the nets in 2015. USA Today has Simeon at No. 12 in their pre-season top 25 and Brown will get to play with a trio of talented seniors in DJ Williams, Ed Morrow, and Isaiah Moss that have already committed to Illinois, Nebraska, and Iowa, respectively.

“We got DJ Williams, Ben Coupet, Isaiah Moss, Zachary Bell and we are ready this year,” said Brown. “I’ve been wanting to go to Simeon since I was five years old. Basically, I was going there right then and there. I was looking at other schools, but not really paying attention. I was going to Simeon.”

The lefty point guard already plays well beyond his years and didn’t back down from anyone at the USA Camp taking it to players such as Jalen Brunson (2014) and Matt Coleman (2016). Brown’s game is smooth and under control, but his best attribute right now comes from his quick feet. Whether it was keeping one of the top guards in the country out of the lane on defense or penetrating into the pain on offense, Brown’s feet were a blur. After beating his man off the dribble, Brown usually dished off a good looking pass to an open teammate or showcased his solid mid-range jump shot.

Brown didn’t rest after his USA performance. Two weeks later he put his talents on display against some of the top freshmen and sophomores in the Midwest at the Pangos All-Midwest camp. Respected west coast scout Frank Burlison noted:

“It’s way too early to proclaim a definitive “No. 1 point guard prospect in the national Class of 2018”. But the left-handed Brown belongs in any serious discussion about candidates for that proclamation. He did pretty much anything he so desired while the ball was in his hands Saturday.”

College coaches have taken notice as well. In early October Brown noted that he had strong interest from a few local schools in DePaul and UIC not to mention Illinois and Kansas. Recently, Tim Miles offered Brown a Nebraska scholarship. The word is out on Brown and the lightning quick freshman will get to make his debut on December 6 in the Chicago Elite Classic.

While Brown made headlines for his play, Chase Adams has gained notoriety from his middle school YouTube clips and slight stature. He initially looked out of place at the USA Camp standing next to a plethora of giants, but the 5’3”, 111 pound Adams is ready to emulate his friend and recent McDonald’s All-American selection Tyler Ulis.

The 5’9” Ulis just finished breaking all types of school records at Marian Catholic in Chicago Heights, IL and now his 5’3” protégé looks to do the same.

“I’m real close to Tyler,” said Adams. “He came into Marian and broke all of Cedrick Middleton’s records, now he wants me to come in and break his records.”

While Kezo Brown laces up his sneakers for one of the top teams in the country, Chase Adams will look to make his mark on a young and inexperienced Marian Catholic team. While Marian Catholic lost one of the top players in the country, they also lost the majority of their starting line-up to graduation.

“We are going to be a real young and inexperienced team, but it will be a fun challenge,” said Adams. “We haven’t really been having open gyms and we won’t be in the Chicago Elite Classic, but we will surprise some people.”

Unfortunately for Adams, he did not get a chance to surprise people in Colorado Springs as he was reduced to a spectator role on the first day of camp. He suffered a slight hamstring pull in the days leading up to the event but managed to participate in drills on the second day.

Even with the limited viewing it was easy to see why Adams received an invitation to the camp. His ball-handling skills were superb as he excelled with either hand and Adams also connected on the majority of his mid-range jump shots and floaters during the drills. He even started shooting with his left hand half-way through without a noticeable difference. Obviously, Adams will need to continue to grow for his development to continue but college coaches have already made contact with the diminutive guard. Bradley was the first to offer a scholarship and at the USA Camp Adams noted interest from Detroit, UIC, Illinois, and a letter from Arizona.

It’s certainly rare for a city to have two talents like Okafor and Alexander, but the future is bright in the Windy City. Kezo Brown and Chase Adams give up a combined 28 inches and 250 pounds to the departed duo but their names and games are already well known. 2014 was the year for big men in Chicago; it looks like 2018 is the year for point guards.

Summer Shootout Recap

The Riverside-Brookfield High School Summer Shootout took place this past weekend providing an initial look at numerous Chicago area high school teams and players for the upcoming 2014-15 season. While the Chicago glory days are gone with the graduations of Jahlil Okafor, Cliff Alexander, and Tyler Ulis there is still plenty of talent in and around the Windy City.

Defending Champs: 

Whitney Young

It’s fair to say that this upcoming season will be a “down year” for Whitney Young. The Dolphins just graduated Jahlil Okafor, the No. 1 player in the class of 2014 along with the Georgetown bound Paul White and SLU bound Myles Reynolds. Those three started a lot of games over the past years and how the Dolphins perform next year is up in the air. While they probably won’t contend for a state title next year, Whitney Young did go 3-0 in their Saturday afternoon pool play winning by almost 13 points a game.

Rodney Herenton, 6’0, PG, 2016

After a sophomore season getting meaningful minutes for the state champs and a spring on the EYBL circuit, the tough 6’0” point guard looks ready to lead the way for Whitney Young next year. In his second game Herenton was cooking from deep hitting multiple deep three’s in each half. In his third game of the afternoon he displayed an ability to get deep in the lane off the dribble and used his strong upper body to finish in the paint. Herenton averaged around 13 minutes a game playing for the Meanstreets AAU program and while he only scored 3.7 points a game he did register two double digit scoring performances in the last EYBL session. Rodney Herenton is definitely primed for a breakout junior season.

Future Champs: 

Simeon 

Simeon failed to win their fifth straight state championship this past year; however they did lay the ground work for a possible run this year. Despite missing several of their key players in forward Ed Morrow and guard Zach Norvell the Wolverines took home the crown with a 6-0 record. 6’5” Isaiah Moss took home the MVP for the Wolverines while showing that the cupboard is fully stocked for Simeon once again.

Stevenson

The back to back 4A runner-up is primed for a state championship this upcoming season. The two superstars of the team return in point guard Jalen Brunson and shooting guard Connor Cashaw and the Patriots should be the favorites to cut down the net this year. Stevenson went 2-1 in pool play, but did so with Brunson on the bench coaching his teammates up. Cashaw struggled in his first game, but came to play in the afternoon. The wiry guard was hitting pull-ups and driving to the basket in a poised manner. After getting used to EYBL play for the Mac Irvin Fire, Cashaw should see his stock rise during the Peach Jam. He finished the spring averaging nine points a game while scoring 15 and 12 in his last two EYBL games.

Favorite Player:

Glynn Watson, 6’1”, PG, 2015, St. Joe’s

Legendary coach Gene Pingatore was not the least bit pleased with the play of St. Joe’s in their second game of pool play. Down double digits early, St. Joe’s finally got rolling before falling in double overtime to Bativia. Despite the lifeless start, Watson certainly showcased his skills. The first word that comes to mind when watching Watson is “smooth.” The senior point guard uses his long arms to control the ball like a yo-yo and can usually beat his man off the dribble with one or two quick moves. Once in the lane, Watson can pull-up or finish with a lay-up. He hit several shots from the outside as well. While Watson is not going to wow anyone with his speed or outside shooting he is above average in both areas. Watson is a Top 100 player and the talented point guard wrapped up a strong spring showing with his play over the weekend. 

Future Star? 

Justin Smith, 6’5”, F, 2017, Stevenson

Don’t jump when you see freshman forward Justin Smith coming at you on the break. A helpless defender for Proviso East learned the hard way when Smith throw down a viscous right handed dunk last Saturday. An athletic forward with long arms you can tell that Smith is just scratching the surface of his potential. Right now he is around 6’5” and sporting an impressive wing span. He is a combo forward that will need to transition to a full time small forward over the years, but right now he can run the floor and finish above the break. He didn’t hit any outside shots in the Proviso East game, but given his form the outside shot should come to him soon.

Smith has plenty of talented teammates around him in Brunson, Cashaw, and senior Matt Johnson and definitely won’t get top billing this year, but he just might be the X-factor that produces a title for Stevenson. 

Other Players That Caught My Eye:

Jarrin Randle, 5’9”, G, 2016, Morgan Park – Wow. Randle has a quick release, a soft touch, and an ability to freeze his defender with an in and out dribble. Despite his size, Randle can play.

Nick Rakocevic, 6’9”, F/C, 2016, St. Joe’s – An agile big man that can run the floor. He worked well with Watson running the pick and roll but could float out to the perimeter a bit much at times. 

Taylor Adway, 6’8”, PF, 2015, Hillcrest – Solid post player, used his size inside to get baskets. Played with the Meanstreets on the Nike EYBL circuit and averaged close to five points a game.

Lamous Brown, 6’10”, 2015, C, Morgan Park - It’s rare that a player his size can run the floor the way Brown does. Very raw, but improving steadily.

Jason Towers, 5’10” G, 2017, St. Joe’s - The young guard didn’t get a lot of early PT for St. Joe’s but was a key kog in their comeback loss. He played bigger than his size and hit some clutch baskets.