Henricksen: State’s top young prospects highlight second “live” period

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In what was likely the best event of the summer in the Midwest, so many Illinois club programs descended on the Milwaukee area for the NY2LA Summer Jam this past weekend. The City/Suburban Hoops Report took in action at the Summer Jam and made a brief stop at the Nike Global Challenge in Chicago.

Here is a rewind of a busy weekend, the second of the July evaluation period for college coaches.

The city’s best in 2017?: After the opening July evaluation week, Simeon’s Evan Gilyard was listed as one of the City/Suburban Hoops Report’s big winners.

He certainly lived up to the Hoops Report hype this past weekend in an encore performance at the NY2LA Summer Jam in Mequon, Wis.

Gilyard, a mighty-mite at 5-9, was terrific while playing with Meanstreets, opening the eyes of college coaches with his competitiveness and defensive intensity, along with his explosiveness and speed with the ball in his hands. He’s a no-brainer mid-major plus prospect as a scoring and disruptive point guard, who high-major programs will begin tracking.

The thought heading into the summer was that for all the talked-about talent in the Class of 2017 in Illinois, the Chicago Public League wouldn’t have a single player ranked in the top 10 in the class. That would be a first.

But Gilyard could very well change that. With his disruptiveness at both ends of the floor –– he’s a jet with the ball, getting anywhere he needs to get, while being an in-your-face, on-the-ball defender at the other end –– the junior point guard is right there on the verge of crashing the top 10.

Yes, he’s small. He can play a little too fast at times. He could also use a little more work with his off-hand. But Gilyard’s strengths are bountiful as a tempo-pushing point guard who can get by anyone with his speed and burst. He has vision with his passing and his shooting ability is undervalued.

More Simeon guard talent: The perennial state power has the Hoops Report’s best junior in the Chicago Public League in Gilyard. And the Wolverines have the city’s best player in the Class of 2018: Kezo Brown.

As you hope all young players do, the sophomore guard certainly has improved as a player since playing a small role off the bench for coach Robert Smith as a freshman.

Brown has grown –– he’s a legit 6-1 and is pushing 6-2 –– and remains extremely polished and in control for such a young player. The mid-range jumper is going to be a major weapon for Brown as he progresses through his high school years. As a result of maturing and an added comfort level, Brown is now creating for himself offensively in more ways.

Pushing for top spot in 2018: It’s early and it really doesn’t mean a whole lot, but the race for top prospect in the sophomore class is a good one. That’s because 6-4 Tim Finke has lived up to the early buzz.

Finke, who will play with his brother, Nick, and for his father this season at Champaign Central, is making a strong push to be the top-ranked prospect in the Class of 2018. Finke and Kezo Brown are the two that have separated themselves from everyone else.

The physical and mental toughness Finke possesses leads to displays of high-level competitiveness. Those are all great characteristics, particularly for a player his age and with his amount of experience. Then there is the basketball talent and smarts.

His brother, current Illinois redshirt freshman Michael Finke, is 6-10, so who knows how big Tim Finke will get between now and the time he steps foot on a college campus –– in three years. But he’s a high-major prospect, whether he’s 6-4, 6-6 or 6-8. Tim Finke brings so much versatility, but it’s fun to think about what that versatility could become if he adds even a couple more inches.

While it’s no surprise Illinois was the first high-major program to offer Tim Finke, there will be plenty more to come. Thus far Illinois, DePaul, UIC and Creighton have offered Finke.

Another southern Illinois stud in 2017: He’s been a fixture in the Hoops Report’s top 10 ranking of top prospects in the Class of 2017. But when you play in the southern part of the state, sometimes the recognition comes a little more slowly.

The state got a glimpse of Belleville Althoff’s Jordan Goodwin in March. The 6-3 do-it-all junior had a chance to shine on the big stage in Peoria –– and he didn’t disappoint, leading his team to a state runner-up finish in Class 3A.

But Belleville East’s Javon Pickett has been waiting his turn. The long, smooth 6-4 wing looks as though he will grow some more and leaves you excited about his future and potential after watching him play. He plays hard, knows and understands how to play and is just scratching the surface.

While the Hoops Report called Pickett the state’s best player without a single scholarship offer early in the weekend, he had three offers by the end of the weekend from Illinois State, SIUE and Tennessee State. Pickett will be a coveted prospect by many sooner than later.

State’s No. 1 junior: In every class you hope to have a bell cow at the top, a highly-ranked national prospect who leads the way. The Class of 2017 has that in Jeremiah Tilmon of East St. Louis. The Hoops Report got another sneak peak at the 6-10 junior in Chicago at the Nike Global Challenge.

While Tilmon is still in the process of figuring out how to impact games on each possession, he is also more skilled than he’s given credit for with his footwork and passing ability. He’s not a jump-out-at-you athlete, but at his size, with nimble feet and agility, he passes the look test of a top 20 prospect in the country.

Odds, ends and thoughts from NY2LA

➤ Yes, Kezo Brown of Simeon is the best sophomore guard in the city and continues to improve. But two exciting talents who have been talked about before and continue to impress are Ayo Dosunmu of Westinghouse and Marquan Williams of Perspectives-MSA.

The Hoops Report loves Dosunmu’s point guard abilities and the easy nature he plays with at the position. He brings some flare to the floor as his handle and passing are already at a high level. Williams is small, but he’s a monster scoring lead guard who can put points on the board in bunches with his scoring acumen and shooting ability. Brown, Dosunmu and Williams are three talented guards to watch in the Public League over the next three years.

➤ The Southwest Illinois Jets, a well run and respected club program in the AAU world, continue to be the team with underrated and undervalued prospects. Sadly, if the aforementioned Javon Pickett played in the Chicago area he would already have double-digit offers. That’s how good he is. But college programs focus so intently on other higher-profile club teams early on and are slow to work their way around to the Jets. For whatever reason it just takes these players a little longer to be appreciated, based on where they play rather than how they play.

➤ Speaking of underrated Jets players, multi-dimensional Tarkus Ferguson of Belleville Althoff is a real talent. He will turn some heads with his ability to play different positions with his size, length and athleticism. And he’s coming off a solid year where he helped Althoff to a state runner-up finish in Class 3A, averaging 14 points, 4.3 rebounds and a team-leading 3.6 assists a game. He also made 49 of 124 from the three-point line (39 percent). That’s quite impressive for a player who just recently picked up his first scholarship offer. The senior class is a weak one in Illinois, but from a pure talent perspective, Ferguson ranks among the top 10.

➤ Another Southwest Illinois Jets player to sing the praises of: Collin Stallworth, a 6-5 junior wing. The Rochester native, a town located just outside Springfield, is one of the most improved players in the Class of 2017. He’s bumped his way off the Division II/Division I bubble and is a no-brainer Division I prospect going forward.

➤ Yes, that was Morgan Park’s Charlie Moore once again showing he’s a high-major prospect with his play at the Nike Global Challenge in Chicago. He’s gaining more and more appreciation. It takes little guards longer to do so in this recruiting business.

➤ While Glenbard West senior Justin Pierce has earned and grabbed all the attention in July for the Mercury Elite 17U team, the Hoops Report continues to be so impressed with the budding talent and upside of junior point guard Tai Bibbs of West Chicago. The thin but ultra-smooth Bibbs played with both the Mercury Elite 16U and 17U teams this past weekend and is one to watch in the junior class.

➤ Of all the ranked Division I players Kenwood has stockpiled, the most productive and best performance from the weekend was turned in by Manny Patterson. The 6-7 junior was consistent and an anchor for Meanstreets this past weekend at the NY2LA Summer Jam. He plays within himself and is a blue-collar worker in the lane.

➤ This is going to be a big and important year in regard to the development and progression as a player for 6-4 Lucas Williamson of Whitney Young. The always-promising junior guard quietly put in some solid work this past weekend with Meanstreets.

Downers Grove South’s Denis Alibegovic, who plays with the Mac Irvin Fire, is –– and continues to be –– one of the best shooters in the junior class in Illinois.

Bogan senior point guard Bryce Barnes is underrated. He’s put together a solid summer without a lot of fanfare.

➤ Once again, you won’t find an event that is more organized and better run than a NY2LA event. The events Antonio Curro and NY2LA puts together are almost taken for granted because they’ve been running like clockwork for years. When you factor in an ideal facility along with the efficient way the event is run, it’s impossible to top NY2LA when it comes to AAU events.

Follow Joe Henricksen and the Hoops Report on Twitter @joehoopsreport

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