2018 class has big men towatch
One of the most endearing qualities of high school basketball is player development. The players are young and improving, and new ones emerge every year.
The junior class has a big name at the top inMorgan Park’s Ayo Dosunmu, and others in the class have growing reputations — from Kezo Brown and Talen Horton- Tucker at Simeon to Javon Freeman and Xavier Castaneda at Young.
But each of those is a perimeter player. The guards and wings typically come fast, with big men developing at a different pace and difficult for college coaches to find.
The Class of 2018 features an enticing group of big men. There will be eyes on all of them to see which ones progress in the next two years. Here are a few who are ready to emerge this winter and elevate their stock as college prospects:
Treavon Martin, Curie: Although he broke out a bit last season — remember his doubledouble ( 10 points, 14 rebounds) in the Class 4A title game? — look forMartin to be an even bigger factor this season. He’s long, active, runs the floor, plays with a motor and protects the rim.
Ryan Davis, Conant: A bigbodied player with skill and terrific hands, Davis has shooting range out to the three- point arc and makes others around him better with his passing. The under- the- radar Davis just got his first Division I offer last week fromWright State.
Tamell Pearson, Morgan Park: While still very raw, Pearson is blessed with exciting physical talent and measurements. He is chock- full of potential and possesses as much true upside as any player on this list after showing flashes of dominance this past summer.
Orlando Allen, Thornton: He isn’t an otherworldly athlete and he’s not a pure stretch power forward, but Allen can make plays and step out and knock down a face- up jumper. Expect a breakout season from him this winter.
Isa Maguire, Lindblom: Throughout the spring and summer, Maguire showed signs of what he might become for littleknown Lindblom. When his slim body catches up with his skill level and potential, Maguire’s status will skyrocket among college coaches.
Ben Wolf, Naperville Central: After coming off the bench last season as a sophomore, Wolf put together an impressive summer and is poised to make an impact this winter. He can dunk in traffic, shows a soft touch around the basket and is a shotblocking presence on defense.