JUNE IS THE TIME TO BLOOM
Area’s top talent WILL GET TO showcase skills in front of recruiters DURING MULTIPLE EVENTS THIS MONTH
This will be the second year where high school players are able to play and perform with their teams in front of college coaches over two weekends in June. The goal is to provide a platform for many of the top players in the state to be seen and evaluated in order to generate interest.
Here is a June primer:
When and where will the top players be seen this June?
The NCAA live recruiting period tipped off Friday. Both Riverside-Brookfield and Normal West are hosting this weekend as around 150 teams, many featuring Division I or scholarship-level talent, will be on display between the two events.
Next weekend there will be events at Ridgewood and Edwardsville.
The most highly anticipated team to watch this month will be?
St. Rita, for many reasons.
All eyes will be on a group that includes
three of the top players in the state: 6-9 James Brown, 6-8 Morez Johnson and 6-5 Lemont transfer Nojus Indrusaitis. All three are high-major prospects, with Johnson already committed to Illinois.
How the “Big Three” coexists will be fascinating to watch and may take some time, though the trio plays together on the club basketball circuit with Meanstreets. And seeing how this team comes together in coming weeks, leading up to a season where it likely will be in the preseason top five, will be telling.
Unfortunately, star sophomore Melvin Bell, arguably the top prospect in the Class of 2025, is on the mend. An injury will keep him out of action all summer.
Who is the No. 1 ranked prospect in the state in the Class of 2023?
There is some debate. But right now, realistically, it’s a two-player race for the top spot.
Nationally, Kenwood’s Darrin Ames, a dynamic scoring guard, is the highest ranked prospect from Illinois. Rivals and 247Sports have Ames ranked No. 44 and No. 70, respectively. The City/Suburban Hoops Report has Cameron Christie of Rolling Meadows as the top-ranked prospect in the senior class and Ames at No. 2.
Overlooked nationally at this point — he’s ranked as high as No. 110 by 247Sports — there is no denying Christie offers the highest ceiling of any player in the class.
Who is the No. 1 ranked prospect in the state in the Class of 2024?
There are four prospects all vying to be the top-ranked prospect in the junior class. And three of them play at St. Rita: Johnson, Brown and Indrusaitis.
Who is one player lacking fanfare but is set to open eyes this June?
Oswego East’s Mekhi Lowery, a highly versatile 6-6 senior who is still trying to establish himself as a consistent shooting threat, is a jack-of-all-trades player. He can play all over the floor with his size, length and ability to handle and pass the basketball. Plus, he’s a difference-making defensive player.
Who are a few other overlooked senior prospects?
Keep an eye on Burlington Central’s Drew Scharnowski, a late-blooming big man. At 6-8, he’s a fluid 4-man who can run the floor and shoot the three. Sharnowski boasts enormous potential.
Lyons’ 6-6 Nik Polonowski is a combo forward with shooting range. He has a strong physical frame and some sneaky athleticism off the floor. He averaged 11 points while shooting 44 percent from three-point range as a junior this past season.
Benet’s Niko Abusara is one of the fastestrising prospects in the class. He showed promise this past season as a junior and has taken off this spring. The wiry, athletic 6-4 wing is a scholarship-type player, and he’s a consistent perimeter jumper away from seeing his stock really soar.
After Young’s Dalen Davis and Moline’s Brock Harding, who heads up the next wave of Division I point guard prospects?
There are two other point guards ready to strut their stuff with their teams this June. Both hail from the Catholic League: Brother Rice’s Ahmad Henderson and Mount Carmel’s DeAndre Craig.
Henderson’s size may scare off a few suitors. But he will generate more interest, beyond the offers he has received, which includes recent ones from Wright State and Long Island. UW-Milwaukee, Kent State and Northern Illinois offered Henderson last year.
Craig, who was ultra-productive for Mount Carmel this past season, battled some inconsistency this past spring on the club circuit. But after summer ends, Craig will have more interest and offers (including Illinois State and Radford). than he currently has today.