SPRINGING FORWARD
AT START OF LOCAL GRASSROOTS SEASON, SEVERAL TALENTS ARE ALREADY standing OUT
With a state championship and an all-state season now under his belt, Homewood-Flossmoor junior Bryce Heard has picked up this spring right where he left off. After averaging 16.9 points and 6.2 rebounds for H-F and finishing with 21 points and 10 rebounds against Normal in the state-title game, Heard, a 6-5 wing, looked as confident as ever with his impressive Mac Irvin Fire team last weekend at a RecruitLook event in south suburban Lynwood, making a difference nearly any time he was on the floor.
He continues to slowly round out his game but still must evolve in understanding how he’s being defended. Given his versatility, height, frame and strength, there’s opportunity to score around the basket even as he’s demonstrating his midrange game and shooting more consistently from the three-point line.
The 17U Mac Irvin Fire team has legitimate firepower, starting with Milwaukee native Davion Hannah, an electric 6-5 guard who’s among the top 50 prospects in the country. Between Hannah, Heard and former Rockford high school stars Tristian Ford and Mike Jones, who now attend Chi Prep, the team has tremendous upside heading into the spring and summer.
YOUNG STAR INCOMING
There’s another potentially big freshman impact on the horizon. Cole Kelly, currently an eighth-grader at Gregory Middle School in Naperville, played three age groups up with Breakaway Basketball’s 16U team in the RecruitLook event to start the grassroots basketball season. In three victories over three quality programs — Young & Reckless, Wisconsin Playground and Haliburton — Kelly led Breakaway in scoring with 19, 21 and 17 points. Competitive and capable of scoring in a variety of ways, he hit a total of 11 three-pointers over the three games — a stunning display for such a young player.
This fall, he’ll attend Neuqua Valley, where current senior Luke Kinkade just broke the career scoring record.
Others who stood out
York senior Kyle Waltz continues to develop. The 6-7 wing was a sleeper this past season in support of star AJ Levine, helping the Dukes to a sectional title-game appearance. Waltz, who will reclassify, is back on the club circuit with Breakaway and will earn scholarships when all is said and done.
◆ Waltz leads the Breakaway 17U team, but Mount Carmel’s Grant Best, who made a name for himself with his all-around play in helping the Caravan to a state runner-up finish in Class 3A, looks as if he’s set to take the next step in his development. He and Hinsdale South’s Jack Weigus showed they are two dangerous weapons around Waltz.
◆ Romeoville point guard EJ Mosley, who’s both a table-setter and scorer, promises to be one of the most watched players this spring and summer in the Class of 2025. He flashed moments of nobrainer mid-major talent last weekend, including hitting five three-pointers in one game for Young & Reckless.
◆ Bolingbrook forward JT Pettigrew, who teams with Mosley on Young & Reckless, continued the progression he showed in his breakout junior year for the Raiders. The efficiency of his faceup jumper will dictate how highly he’s recruited.
◆ Although he wasn’t a varsity performer this past prep season, keep an eye on Loyola sophomore point guard Trey Williams, an emerging prospect in the class. He excelled in helping a talented Breakaway 16U team to a 3-0 record.