“Smooth & Skillful”

Kaiden Space 2023- Here is a prospect that people will be talking  an awful lot about over the next few years, young fella has a mature game and everything he does translates to the next level. Kaiden is a combo guard who can do just about everything well on the court. He can break his man down  off the bounce and score at the rim on opponents with ease, he can break the defense down and create for his  teammates, he can knock it down from deep with accuracy and he has the ability to defend either guard position at a high level as his length and lateral foot speed speak “prospect”, here is  a kid whose skill-set says   “all conference, all state potential in high school” While many kids are good right now, they do not have the down the line translation too their game. What also impresses us is young fella Poise on the court. I personally watched this past weekend in a heated game where the opposing team did everything they could( holding, grabbing, trapping) to take and get young fella out of his game or get into his head during the game do all that for not, as Kaiden was totally under control and never forced a shot or rushed into anything he didn’t want to do out there and young fella seemed to knock down every clutch shot including the game winning 3 with 5 seconds left. Mark it down  Kaiden Space is a player who is good right now and will be good in the future, no doubt in our mind. Jr Hoops Elite has young fella in our Top 20 2023 prospects and no doubt about it his Stock Is Rising And Rising Fast.

Ricky Moore 773 383-0972

9/21

” Winner Supreme”

Jeremy Fears 2023- When talking about a point guard that  a coach wants is a leader, well look no further as “lil Jeremy” takes a back seat to no one in that category he is what we call a “Leader Supreme” on the court. He is the player who plays the game to win  “and only a trained eye knows the subtle things he does that have a huge impact” Young Fella has always had physical gifts to score using crafty moves to get to the bucket finishing extremely well in traffic at the rim or a fancy move in transition. But what sets young fella apart is that he ” He gives the players on his team confidence, he plays for them and is always inspiring or even protective of them” I mean young fella plays the game like an old school player he has the passion to win and will do anything necessary to do that. If you are looking for a lead guard to win a game Jeremy is definitely in my Top 3 candidates I would want leading me with the game on the line. Add to that young fella has had a nice growth spurt and you have a ” Prospect!! that’s out here making noise. I watched young fella this past weekend direct his team like a pro. In a game that went back and forth and had a lot of edge to it, Jeremy was never out of character, as the game was tied up he came down forced the other teams attention towards himself then through and on the money pass too his teammate for the game winning assist. Young Fella is a coaches dream because he is a throwback as  all he does is want to win ” Numbers Mean Nothing To Him!!!” We look forward to monitoring the progress of Young Fella as his Stock is rising and he has emerged in our 2023 class rankings as a Top 20 Prospect.

Ricky Moore 773 383-0972

9/21 

Top 5 Back-courts In The State

# 1

Mikqwon, Leonte & Daronte 2022- This trio is hard to beat on the grammar school level as far as back courts go, they have have the multi-dimensional big power guard Mikqwon who can see over the smaller guards at the top and has the ability finish at the rim after a variety of moves of the dribble unlike many guards in middle school, Leonte is the ultra elusive guard who has the best stop and start and change of direction at incredible speed better than any guard in the class by far!!! add to the fact that he is also one of the best finishers at the rim regardless of position and you have a special talent at this level, Daronte is the big power guard that can lock up on one end and has become one of the deadliest outside shooters in the city having had several games where he has knocked down 5 or better in a game. Right now this group is tied as the best back-court in the state and will match up with the other #1 back court this Saturday at the City/ Suburban 5pm @ Collins High School.

# 1 

Vernon, Mikey, & Lamont 2022- When talking about a back court, these 3 are dynamite and may understand how to win better than any other group in the class, this group has individual talent but whats makes them special is their will to win. Vernon Henry is the combo guard who is best known for attacking the basket and getting buckets, Mikey Brown is the ultra tough pg who who excels at coming through in the clutch, young fella is at his best when the games is close, he has an old school game  he gets where he wants to go with the ball and has a knack for scoring in the clutch, Lamont is the long range bomb shooting combo guard who is capable of knocking down 3 at an efficient rate, he is another who has had several games of 5 3pt shots in a game several times. The Big 3 are the leaders on the number one team and will be on hand this Saturday Dec 16th in a match up of Top Back-Courts. Will they be number 1 by themselves? stay tuned.

# 2 Jaylen, Bryant & Jalen

Bryant, Jaylen & Jalen- This 3 guard line-up can be as good as anyone, they are lead by the ultra-talented do everything pg Jaylen Drane who has took over several games and has that ” special” in his game where he can score 20 in a row or he can spoon feed is teammates, Bryant Handley is the off guard who can defend a couple of positions and is capable of scoring quickly as he one of those kids who definitely isn’t scared of the big stage and you have the consummate 2023 pg Jalen Griffith who understands probably as good as anyone how to run a team, this trio will be at the City/ Suburban and are one of the favorites to lead their team to the Championship at the Battle Of The Titans Jan 13/14 where many of the Top Teams will be in attendance.

#3 Kewon Harris & Phillip Cunningham

Kewon Harris & Phillip Cunningham 2022- The unknown to most tandem, can be as lethal as any back-court in the state. Kewon is a tough relentless big power guard who excels at finishing in traffic and locking up on defense, young fella is low key under the radar guard ready to emerge, Phillip is a combo guard who is nifty off the dribble and is virtually unstoppable at getting to the rim, I have yet to see a guard keep him from getting where he wants to go, he is one of the Top 5 finishers in the class no doubt. This tandem is like peanut butter and jelly and come in as our # 3 back-court in the state.

#4 Terry Elias & Ahmad Henderson

Ahmad Henderson & Terry Elias 2022- Are both guards capable of going on runs and putting a team on their backs individually, I have witnessed both go on scoring binges where they put up 25-30 in a game. but what makes them one of the better back-courts is either can bring it up and either can play on the wing. Terry is an attack first guard who gets to the rim at will and finishes in traffic, his perimeter game is getting better and better as he is attempting the 3pt shot without hesitation and Ahmad who is one of the best shooters in the state with range that extends out to N.B.A. range and is one of the few smaller guards in the state who knows how to play without the ball in his hands, he moves without the ball and has that quick release. These two fit well together and come in right now as our number #4 back-court in  the state.

#5 Donavan Dyrd & Toby Onyeknowu

Toby Onyeknowu 2022 & Donavan Byrd 2022- Are a dynamic duo who gets the job done. Donavan is a heady pg who controls the pace of the game, he can play uptempo pushing the ball or he can slow it down and dissect a defense, young fella never seems to let the situation of the game rush him into anything he doesn’t want to do, he’s a coach on the floor and Toby is a scoring guard known for his ability to knock it down from deep and score in bunches I have watched put 20 on the board in less than a half a few times, add the fact that young fella is stretching out, his ability to play the passing lanes and his defense has picked up. Both of these players have been known for hitting clutch shots during the travel and AAU seasons. These two form one of the best back-courts in the state and come in this segment as J.H.E. the #5 back-court in the State.

Ricky Moore 773 383-0972

12/12

Hot Prospects

Donavan Jones 2022- Here is a kid who is ready to make his claim as one of the leaders of the pack and definitely one of the best players in Chicago, the time is now, after watching a talented group of players last year at Vanderpoel and contributing on one of the best teams in the state, the team loses all 5 starters, but make no mistake about it Donavan is ready to to show they are just as good and he is ready to lead, having recently come back from injury Donavan has been giving teams fits in the fall league and his has his team JHE in position playing Sunday in the final 4. A player who is developing in all facets of the game and a player who is definitely a Hot Prospect!!!!

Xavier Amos 2022- Has been magnificent this entire fall in the Best Of The Midwest fall league he has established himself as a player who has wealth of talent, he has went head to head with the best players in state and surely has to be in the conversation when mentioning talented players in the 2022 class. Young Fella has shown the ability to knock down the long range shot consistently and has been a nightmare for opposing players in transition and off the dribble. Xavier stock is rising, he will definitely be in our updated rankings coming out Thanksgiving Night and one of our Hot Prospects.

Andre Casey Jr. 2022- After a strong showing in the fall league in which young fella has shown his worth, AJ this past weekend was named top prospect at the Pangos Camp where he was one of only 2 8th graders playing among sophmores. Young Fella will try to make-up for a lost to Mac Irvin Fire and try to capture a championship in the Best Of Midwest Fall League this Sunday at Cicero Stadium. 9am

Nick Harrell 2022- The rose is blossoming, Yes sirrrrrrrr!!! Young Fella has showed every imaginable skill this fall in the league and has his team right where he wants the Final 4 of The Best Fall League in the Midwest. Young Fella plays both ends of the floor and at times makes it look too easy with his smooth game, showing the ability to makes plays for others is an attribute not many with his frame shows. Will young Fella be able to lead his team in the Best Of Midwest Nov. 4th and 5th. we shall see.

Leonte Lilly- 2022 There may not be a more electrifying player in the class, when you say getting in the lane and causing problems he is a handful, when on his game he can be unstoppable getting to the rim and finishing, young fella has been a stand-out at the fall league and has his team in position playing in the Final 4, it was last year this time (Final 4) when young fella had his coming out party scoring 20 and leading his team( JHE) to a victory over Mac Irvin Fire making acrobatic shot after shot having the crowd going wild I guarantee my phone will be ringing after event asking me how can I get him at my high school. Look for young fella to be a stand-out and put on a show at the Best Of The Midwest Tourney Next weekend for Biedler  schedule below.

Lerone Allen 2022- Here is a power point guard who has been quietly putting in the work that people will get to know very soon, Lerone is adept at attacking and finishing at the rim and has shown the ability to knock the long range shot down. Last weekend young fella had ice-water in his veins as he knocked down a clutch time expiring 3 point shot to force over-time in which his team came back a snatched the win in route to winning the Championship. Young Fella is tough and needs to be acknowledged as a rising and Hot Prospect!!! look for young fella to make a jump up in the rankings coming out Thanksgiving Night and a prospect who we look forward to monitoring!!!!

Ricky Moore 773 383-0972

10/27

The action has been hot and heavy at the Jr Hoops Elite Fall League the first two weeks with some very nice talent being shown and several kids who definitely has shown to be players and teams that have shown to be quite impressive. Meanstreets 14U is off to a 4-0 start and is stacked with talent Jaylen Drane has shown the ability to to be a dynamic play maker getting where he wants on the floor making it look to easy at times like this past weekend when he took over the game in a stretch against JHE that put the game away. If there ever was a doubt about his ability too knock it down from deep he put that to rest he knocked down 3 N.B.A. range 3 pointers in that same stretch and showed he is in the gym working, another kid that shows ” That Special” He can beat you a variety of ways he is second to none with his court savvy, handle and ability to break his opponents down and make plays. And One 14U- Is playing good team ball and off too a solid start as Toby Onyeknowu is definitely a kids who stock is rising and will be moving up in the updated rankings as he was a force to reckoned with scoring 28  leading his team to victory in a 46-44, game between And One and Mademen in which he showed he is a knock down shooter and score deluxe. Young Fella had two chances to score 30 and missed a wide open lay-up with 16 secs and 6 seconds that gave Mademen a chance to shoot a game winning attempt that hit the back iron, Mademen 14U Xavier Amos had 22 in that game and has been another prospect who has been impressive showing he is definitely a prospect whom Jr Hoops Elite will have in the updated rankings rather high. Young fella has a great frame as he is long and agile, he has shown the ability to handle, get to the rim and his shot mechanics on his 3 point shot makes it look like its going in every-time he shoots. Illinois Huskies Select- Lamont Williams was impressive over this , we had seen young fella this past summer and wrote about him being a talent as he stood out at the Top Prospect Showcase coming out of no where  playing well and showing talent, his uncle has told me for a while I need to check him out, currently 94 young fella is a stock risers who will definitely be making a big big jump in the updated rankings. This past weekend in a dis -continued game against JHE- Black young fella showed the ability too knock down long range bombs at timely fashions he hit 3 deep 3 pointers in a heated competitive contest that was stopped with 7:52 to go as teams got a little too emotional, we all must remember this is a game and is meant to be fun and entertaining. Young Fella was very effective and is a prospect to keep a close eye on. JHE Red 14U- Is off too a surprisingly 4-0 behind solid play from wing Brandon Jones who blends a combination of length, handle a wicked stop and pop pull-up game that has me saying Uwwweeee and a player who reads the passing lanes as well as I’ve seen in quite some-time and Tony Webb the rim protecting ultra energetic, chase you down and mid range game that makes you think baby Serge Ibaka the group in it’s first 4 games have looked ok and these two prospects are definitely stock risers and players who will making their debuts on the updated rankings Thanksgiving Day!! Mac Irvin Fire 14u is off too a 3-1 and if there is a better long range shooter than Kameran Kraft please let me know where he is at, size at his position makes him another kid whose stock is back on the rise. 13U Meanstreets and Public Enemy 13U are too of the heavy hitters in the age group and collide this coming Sunday. Jalen Griffith our number 1 prospect in the class has been nothing short of spectacular thus far and now has big Davious Loury and Mehki Lowery to run with him against the star studded group that includes  Amire Robinson, Mike Davis, Khoi Thurman and Collin Wainscott, wow talent will be on hand as 7 of our Top 25 of 2023 will be in that game!!!  2023 Emmet Oshaugnessy has been putting on a show and once again showing that he definitely is a talent and one of the better players in the class and has Hoopademix 13U being very competitive. Several Big- Time match-ups this weekend that should be fun to watch.

Young Player Showcase Recap 1

This is the age where kids are just starting to show signs of things to come in the future and if this is any indication, then things are in good hands. I saw kids knocking down long-range bombs at with incredible accuracy at such a young age, I saw nice decision making, athleticism, ball handling and incredible effort. These young players competed hard yet their sportsmanship was incredible. I would like to Thank all the parents who were patient and understandable dealing with the Time & Location Change you guys were great. I’ve had numerous calls and text from people saying nothing but great things, again I want you all to know I truly appreciate it. I will be providing a synopsis over the next few days and will definitely be seeing many of these players in the upcoming months.

This team here is loaded and had all the ingredients, Bigs who could handle, wings who were knock down shooters, fiesty defenders who locked up, guards who could get past defender at will, pgs who loved to get the assist and players who played to win and didn’t care who got the points. I’ve had plenty of showcases from 3-12 grade levels and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a group who just wanted to win and worked so well together congrats NNAMBI UBAWKI, JEREMIAH PICKENS, MARCUS JACKSON II, BRYAN DIAZ, JAKE HORNOK, ANTWON AGEE, JALEN CROWDER, ISAIAH PICKENS, SEAN BROWN, MILES HODO and MAKAI KVAMME job well done and I’ll be seeing you all soon.

Noah Mister- 2026 – Somebody give me this kid schedule, do not let the babyface fool ya, ” Young Fella Is A Beast” I’m paying to see lil fella anytime I’m available, there aren’t many 3rd graders with the skill set of Noah, he can get anywhere he wants on the floor, all while being poised and in control. Playing against elite players a class older young fella showed no separation in game.  Here is a prospect jrhoopselite will be speaking about for years to come. While it’s early and we do not do rankings for kids so young, there definitely aren’t many in the class of young Noah.

EJ Breland- 2025 Here is a kid who can knock it down from outside, finish at the rim after beating a defender with a crafty dribble or set a teammate up for a basket. Young Fella is a combo guard that can do whatever is needed for his team. Yes he is a West-side guard who can show the flare and be a crowd pleaser yet he has the discipline and poise to use everything he has in his arsenal with a purpose. He showed at the Young Player Showcase he is a competitor with a drive to be good. JrhoopsElite will definitely be keeping tabs on young EJ as he is a prospect we figure to be making much noise in the future.

Marcus Jackson II-2025 Central Illinois has some nice young talent and if there are anymore like Marcus then they are in great shape, young fella seemed a little tentative due too so many new faces and the showcase environment at first, but as soon as he got comfortable the other teams were in trouble, Marcus was showing step backs, reverse -layups, euro’s and around the back passes like he knew what this was about. He showed at The Young Player Showcase his showcase game all while showing he understands the game hitting his perimeter shooters in the right spots for 3″s. Here is another prospect JrhoopsElite will be keeping tabs on.

Leshawn Stowers- 2025 Young Fella showed nice game at the showcase handling the ball and getting to the rack with little trouble, He was chosen as an all-star despite playing up in the wrong age bracket, that’s crazy because we thought young fella was in 2024 class. Young Fella missed the opportunity to play the 4 on 4 and individuals with his class. Leshawn is clearly a talent and one of the better players in his class, Jrhoopselite will be at plenty of young fella’s summer tournaments and look forward to him coming back in Aug at the Next Young Player Showcase. Peoria is a hot-bed of talent and you can add this young fella name down as future prospect who you will be hearing about.

Taven Brunson -2025 Young Fella is a player, he is crafty with the ball, uses the change of pace very well with the dribble as he keeps defenders off balance, I can also tell Taven has a high basketball I.Q as he was always in the right spots, moving with-out the ball weather he got the pass or not. There were also instances where he set up his defender rather well in efforts of getting his teammate a better shot but his teammates were not up to speed with what was happening, here is another kid you will be hearing a lot about in the future as he has a pretty mature game for his age.

Mike Pierre 2026-  The youngest player at the showcase, this kid he was fearless going at the older kid and more than holding his own, He showed no fear and impressed me big time with his I belong attitude and no excuses mentality. The future is very bright for Mike, he also showed he can handle pressure and isn’t afriag of the moment winning the 3 point contest over 45 participants and hitting every clutch 3 when the pressure was on. Yep!!!! young fella shocked the gym and walked out the 3 pt Champion quite impressive. Jrhoopselite knows it will be talking about young fella for years to come.

Ricky Moore 773 383-0972

3/15

More Prospect Synopsis 3/16

News and Notes

Things are about to get hot and heavy as School Season comes to and end and AAU season is about to start, JrhoopsElite will be out every weekend looking at teams and players as we are always looking to share information on our future stars, many All-Star games will be underway as a few have been already taken place, to those kids and congratulations and good luck, there are many kids looking forward to AAU season I say to those kids good luck and have as much fun as possible remember this is a game. To the parents who will be  spending weekend after weekend in the gym watching countless amount of basketball you’re appreciated and deserve an applause. To the younger players and young ladies who play you will start to be featured more, thanks for all the calls, email and text I respond too all as soon as possible. Starting 3/13 I will have a Topic Of The Day Special each Monday.

Ricky Moore 773 383-0972

3/14

                                                                    News And Notes

This past weekend the action was hot and heavy, talent was in the gym from St. Louis, Indianapolis, Decatur, Peoria, Springfield, Jacksonville, Pleasant Prairie, Mt Sterling and of course Chicago made the 3 hr drive to represent. As the gym and town was packed with anticipation we saw some performances that people will be talking about for a long time. Kevin ” Boopie” Miller made the trip and showed why he is one of the elite players in his class, with the crowd surrounding his every move and basically waiting for him to enter the gym he came in a put on a performance against one of the elite pgs in his class that had everyone in the gym screaming ” Shortie is the truth” Young fella was slicing and dicing his way through opponents as if he were a Ginsu knife. He left no doubt that he should be classified a Top 5 prospect. Bennie Slater 2021. Showed he is definitely a prospect to keep close tabs on, he is a 6/2 plus wing who oozes with potential and will make his debut in the rankings next week a top 20 prospect easy. Dionysious Sims 2021 was an absolute beast and in a class where there are not many bigs young fella with his 6/4 frame an athleticism looks to make his way in the top 25 on that list as well. Te Jackson 2023 proved that not all the 2023 class talent comes from up north, this young fella is clearly a player and when the 2023 class rankings come out next month look for young fella name in that top 5, he is a long wiry wing that can do it all. Jimmy Mcfadden came in late and showed he maybe a baseball stud, but he is also a basketball player on the rise, the long athletic young fella faired very well and definitely will be in the updated rankings next week.  Brylan Philips 2022 was a standout, he showed no fear and was coming at the class of 2021 top players including a nice back and forth 3 minute stretch against Boopie in which Brylan was attacking the basket and getting buckets, young fella stock is definitely rising as he will make a big leap in the rankings next week. Terrence Ford Jr, Ahmad Bynum will definitely be moving up in rankings these young men here were also players that everyone kept asking me about T. Baby skills were on display big time as he showed the ability to get in the lane cuase havoc, his passing was superb and his jump shot was on and popping knocking down 4 in a row during the all- star game. Ahmad Bynum showed he is about to erupt on the scene as he showed he has a lot of game, he can handle, shoot and the explosiveness is on its way, this young fella definitely will be making a tremendous leap in the rankings. Coach let him play. Maki Rose, Lesean Glover, Treavor Taylor, Keyshaun Smith, RJ Walker, TJ Price, Andrew Schluter, Jshaun Richards, Jack Hayer, E.J Alexander. Marlell Coleman, Jaylen Drane, Ishmael Habib, Kevione Brown, Marshawn Tolliver Tate Fullerton, Marcus Peppers were all standouts look for them to all make movement or be included on the updated list also several will be in stock risers articles coming out. What Jrhoopselite found out was that Coach Tim Allen has some talent down there at Grant Middle School, they are loaded, I mean both levels with Bennie Slater, Maki Rose, Dalen Banks, Lezell Smith, Gabe Burnes, Michael Rodriguez, Collin Skinner,Andrew Schluter, Shawn Newman Jr. Timothy Price, Keshaun Smith, Cam’ron Kincaid, Jshaun Richards, Devione Brady, Payton Webster, Ashaud Johnson, Austin Tomcko and Tye Banks. Now the pressure is on, Grant will enter our school rankings as a Top 5 school in the state and be one of the favorites at the Prestigious  Best of The Midwest tournament Nov. 4-6th. They finished 6th place last year losing to a powerful Ariel(this year that same team is led Jaylen Drane& Terrence Ford) I think Springfield is primed to make a run at a state title.

Kevin Miller 2021- Was an absolute beast out there, a player who never runs from a challenge showed he hasn’t lost his competitive edge. If you are looking for a player that wants to take your heart from your body look no further. If you are not on your A game you are in for a long day with young fella because he shows no mercy. Walked away with the Most Outstanding Player.

Te’ Jackson 2023- Here is a kid who can do everything with the ball, he can play all 5 positions on the floor. He is a natural wing who will give just about any player in his class fits. A top 5 Prospect when his class rankings come out.

Dionysious Sims 2021- A long athletic shot blocking big who can run the court like a deer and emerging prospect who is just scratching the surface of his potential, this is the kind of player every coach wants on his team.

Ricky Moore 773 383-0972

                                                  Best Of Midwest Fall League Final 4 Recap

The gym was packed the action intense, 28 high school coaches in attendance at last count, to get a look at some of the best talent in the classes of 2021 and 2022.

 13U The day started with game involving Mac Irvin Fire 13U and JHE. A game involving quite possibly the states best shooter regardless of class Kameron Craft and JrhoopsElite # 1 rated player Jaylen Drane whom both play for the fire and JHE a bunch of carefree under the radar prospects who play hard. The game was back and forth with clutch shot after clutch shot. JHE seemed to have the game under control and appeared ready to advance having the ball with a 1:53 seconds and up 4. Fire Turned up there defensive intensity forced a turnover, knocked down a 3 pointer. with approximately 1:08 left a push between players on both sides ended with a tech being called on JHE. As the momentum switched with less than a minute to go, it now appeared Fire was in position to advance to the championship leading by 1 with the ball and 16 seconds. JHE committed a foul, and down by 2 with a second left Donavan Jones hit 2 free throws to send it to over-time. In over time JHE Squeaked out a close one to advance.  In the second Semi- Final it was the team(Solo)that looked on paper to have all the elements AJ Casey, Terry Elias looked to have the size advantage over the feisty scrappy undersized Lil Village. But the constant pressure and aggressive Lil Village never let Solo get comfortable and Lil Village won.

This set up a good old fashion in your face pressure vs pressure game against two up and coming teams looking for respect JHE and Lil Village.( Not to mention these two had just played in a championship game against each other a few hours ago in the Ronnie Fields Invitational. With the stands filled with excitement, screams coming from everywhere. DaMahrion Murrell and Lavonte Lilly came out like they had a point to prove. DaMahrion scored a quick 7 hitting a floater, knocking down a 3 and driving around his man and finishing at the basket, JHE was up 12/4 early. After a forcing a few turnovers and settling down Lazerick a drive and a bucket, 2 buckets down low by Daronte and a long range bomb by Ayvion. Lil Village closed it to 1 at halftime. The second half big Donavan(JHE) had to sit with foul trouble most of the second half before fouling out. As things seemed to unravel for JHE  Lavonte Lilly put on a show with finish after finish, young fella was unstoppable, a couple of free throws by Brian Diaz and a basket by Denim Juette it looked like JHE would now put it away up 4 with 2 minutes. Having the ball JHE took a few ill advised shots, Lil Village capitalized making several key baskets. After going back and forth both teams tired, coaches hollering at the refs, fans yelling ” yall cheating” there were 2 seconds on the clock down 2 with 2 shots for JHE. Lavonte Lilly at the line to tie the game. He missed the free-throws. I say to young fella ” Great Game!!!” learning experience, two teams who will see plenty of each other. Lavonte Lilly was clearly player of the game, DaMahrion Murrell definitely made a statement that he is one of those up and coming elite guards. Ayvion Morris and Daronte Patterson showed everyone in attendance they are elite players in the class and were named C0- MVPs of the League.

14U- In the first semi- final Ball Like Me Flames and Meanstreets the game started off with Willie Bradley launching 3 28ft bombs that had everyone on their feet. After a quick time-out, Meanstreets rallied behind some great ball movement and took a 1 point lead at half. In the second half there were several missed easy opportunities missed by Ball Like Me on some incredible passes by Christian Henry. Meanstreets waited to the playoffs to play their best ball,the ball was swinging side to side finding the open man and there shots were falling. They ended up running away in the second half. Semi Final TTB vs Huskies.. In this game emotions ran high. Kendall Martin and Drequan Williams came out knocking shots down and scoring easily combining for the first 15pts of the game for Huskies taking charge of the game. Kendall having 14 points at half and at one time having out scored TTB  14/13 by himself in the first half. The second half T.T.B mounted a comeback they went on a run after a pull up jumpshot by Kevin Miller a pull up jumpshot by KD and a 3 by Ahmad Bynum the game was tied. Now under 2 minutes and game tied crowd going crazy a missed shot by Huskies and Missed Shot by T.T.B. allowed Huskies to get the go ahead layup that eventually turned out to be the game winner.

In the Championship game a match up of Huskies vs Meanstreets. The teams came out playing a straight Western Conference game where the defense was lacking in the first half, Teams were scoring at will. DJ was a force scoring at will and posting 15 points quickly, Drequan knocked shots down and Lil Tuca burried a couple of deep long range bombs for Meanstreets they appeared to be a little tentative to start but quickly found its way back going into half down 1 36/35. In the second half it appeared that Meanstreets game plan was “WE ARE BIGGER” they continually attacked the basket and shot 10 foot and in shots. There length was just too much to handle on the boards and at the rim. They had 3 players who finished better than 17pts Isaiah Barnes, Grant Newell, Luka Balac. The intangible 2 Desmond Dunn and Brandon Hall were a force all playoffs and are 2 kids whom I call the perfect pieces. They are great kids who do whatever needed to get the win, without those two they don’t get to where they are now.  Isaiah Barnes and Luka Balac were named League Co- MVPs Great Job!!!!. Jrhoopselite would like to thank everyone who participated in the event.

Thanks,

Ricky Moore 773 383-0972

11/1

     

News and Notes

What a weekend from Milwaukee, Pleasant Prairie, Libertyville and Lisle I saw some good action this past weekend and the talent was everywhere, some of the known players came up big and several of the lesser known players made statements. JrhoopsElite number one rated prospect in the 2020 class Adam Miller was again on display showing he is a big time player making crucial play after crucial play in leading his team to the championship at Toi Baylor, including a game winning 3 pointer over a the tough Mercury Elite 2020 in which he finished with 24pts, and cemented his status as the number one rated prospect in the 2020 class when the updated rankings come out. We got a chance to see several of the big time players step up in a hostile environment with the gym pack with anticipation. Nimari Burnett hit a crucial basket down the stretch, Marcus Watson and Quinton Rock made big time plays during several runs, but it was the combination of Luke Scheffers and Jayden Johnson that had everyone shocked and amazed. JrHoopsElite has always been very high on both of these players (as witnessed by them being in our top 20)and they both showed many what we have been saying all along. Luke Scheffers was in absolute control of his team finishing with 20 and 6 making a statement that he needs to be in contention for that top pg spot in the class and right by his side was the versatile steady climbing the rankings 6ft 2 plus sg Jayden Johnson who had the whole gym buzzing as he hit 4  3pt baskets in the last 4 minutes from N.B.A. range that had the fans doing circles and asking” who is that kid?” young fella finished with 22. While it was and exciting day where many kids stood out people who didn’t know now know what I’ve said from Day 1 put some Respect!!!! in front of the Mercury Elite 2020 

This young group here is nice they have a lot of pieces they are definitely a team to be keping a close eye on in the their respective division when everyone is there and healthy they can compete with anyone and a re worthy of being mentioned with anyone. I witnessed them this past weekend take home the championship against a fiesty Illinois Legends. The talent is everywhere on this young team look for JrhoopsElite to keep close tabs on their players Keon Alexander, Joe Spaccapanicca, Zac Crowner, Marcus Williams, Jeremy Bennett, Luke Pettaway, Quinton Hunter, Kobey Tai, Jeremey Fears and the super young and way before his years “special special Jeremiah Fears 2025.

DaMahrion Murrell 2022-  Every so often I see a kid and say “I wish I was coaching him” Talk about calm and poised, talk about under control, talk about efficient. Well lets just say there is a pg who is under the radar and definitely on the verge of making some noise. Young DaMahrion is a floor general and in a class that is filled with talent at the position you can add young fella to the eqaution. A lot of kids are good at this level based on speed and strength, what makes young fella stand out is his skill and understanding. DaMahrion is definitely a prospect Jrhoopselite will be monitoring,  he earned an invitation to the Top Prospect Showcase August 13th where many of the best players in the Midwest will be in attendance. Here is a kid who has flown under the radar and who people will know about real soon.

Bryce Shoto 2022- Here is a kid who is a blur on the court with the ball in his hands, he  virtually gets where ever he wants on the floor, While small in stature young Bryce is as tough as nails, I watched him take a beating by double and triple teams getting pounded and hacked and he never backed down. Young fella puts a tremendous amount of pressure on defenses with his ability to break his defender down off the dribble. I’ve witnessed young fella several times and what impresses me is that he does whatever is needed by the coach. I’ve witnessed him be a consummate point guard and just distribute the ball and be a leader on the floor, I’ve witnessed games where he played off the ball and knocked down jump-shots from deep and be incredibly efficient shooting maybe 4-6 shots a game and now I’ve witness young fella be the leader and have the onus oh him being the primary scorer and facilitator for his team and virtually everything being on his shoulders in order for his team to be successful and what I now understand is that Bryce is a player he will do whatever needed in the attempt to put his team in position to win. Bryce earned an invitation to the Top Prospect Showcase August 13th. Where many of the top players in the Midwest will be in attendance

Ricky Moore 773 383-0972

7/18

Here is a list of several players who will be entering or rising in the updated rankings.

Moving up!!!!

DJ Showers 2020

Xavier Austin 2020

DaMahrion Murrell 2022

Marquise Barnes 2021

Bryce Shoto 2022 

Finn Walsh 2020

Jayden Johnson 2020

Luke Scheffers 2020

DaMarius Splunge 2020

Derek Dingens 2020

Kobe Reed 2021

Anthony Baptiste 2021

Dentrell Jackson 2022

Sebastian Mack 2022

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 News and Notes

The basketball world has been hot and heavy with teams, players, and parents having the times of their lives right now with all the action that’s been going on around the country with our Illinois teams. Players and teams are turning heads everywhere. Here are several observations over the past few weeks.

12U- Riverdale Realist Champions of the Mini- Nationals. This young group grew on me very quickly, they are feisty and bring that us against the world mentality. Yep they are fighting for that respect. Well let me say to all. They have earned it!!!! This group plays the way a young team is suppose too they share the ball well, play for each other and aren’t consumed with who gets what. They  have a plethora of talent and several kids will be in the updated rankings off their team and are also invited to the Top Prospect Showcase August 13^th.  Young fella Joshua Edwards is a long left handed wing that is surely to be known shortly through-out the state as an elite player. Tyler Smith is a heady, savvy point guard who shows poise beyond his age and is steady as a rock, Jahki Johnson slick handling point guard who also has poise beyond his years and shows the ability to score or be a leader on the floor, Jakeem Cole is the speedy, feisty, flashy guard who is a terror on ball defender and showed a very nice stroke from deep and Jeremiah the do everything and anything you need player that coaches love he can score, distribute and defend he as well as his teammates are definitely on JrhoopsElite radar and we look forward to covering in the future.

Darius Clemmons 2021- This long athletic 6ft plus wing is just scratching the surface of what he will be down the line. He has a nice outside touch from 3 and handles the ball well for his size. Look for Darius name to appear in the updated rankings being released later this month. With his play and potential young fella looks quite the part as he earned an invite to the invitation event Top Prospect Showcase August 13^th.

 

13U – Illinois Glory Champions of the Mini- Nationals This group is feisty and fearless they play a up-tempo game where they are all over the floor. With talented players DJ, Ismael, Kendall, and Marlell. This is group is emerging and eager for their team and names to be mentioned with the elite. This past weekend they looked impressive as they were playing as a unit. The parts seemed to click and no one had an answer. Look for several of their players to participate in the invitation event Top Prospect Showcase August 13^th.

Nick Owens 2021- Young fella had been out of sight for a while and he returned leaving no doubt he belongs in the conversation with the elite in his class,  Lil Nick impresses me over and over again “he has that special” This past weekend he and his close friend Davion Rogers(one of the elite guards  in the 2020 class) lead their team to the 14U championship beating several teams with elite guards in the 2020 class. Young fella seems to never be fazed by the high level competition or the physicality of the older kids. He finished the championship game with 17pts and 5 assist. He once again proved he is a top player in the class and is definitely a player who will rise in the updated rankings. Look for Nick Owens at the Top Prospect Showcase August 13^th.  Currently holding down the 21^st  spot in rankings due mostly to inactivity young fella is back and in the groove and on the rise.

Atarion Moore(Redd) 2021- Here is a do it all combo guard who has the tools. Young fella known to most out south as (Redd) is another one of “those dudes” He is a guard who can out play or hold his own against anyone. Playing right now for Old Gold many are sleep on his talents, well let me assure you Jrhoopselite will be saying the name very often. Young fella has top 25 talent and earned an invite to the Top Prospect Showcase with his showing the past few weeks. Make no mistake about it young fella will be in the updated rankings being released and jrhoopselite  will definitely be looking forward to monioting young fella progress.

13U- All In  This group has been very good all year and concluded with winning the Classic Bracket at AAU Nationals this past week. They boost a roster with several highly rated prospects on the Jrhoopselite 2021 class rankings. We would like to congratulate them on a job well done in representing Illinois.

2021- Darius Duff- This long active combo guard is a very intriguing prospect, he has a solid handle where he can get into the lane at will and he has the length that many of the smaller guards will have trouble with. Young for his class Darius seems to have a very nice upside, I saw young fella several weeks ago and he looked the part of a nice prospect, he stayed in the lane causing havoc on offense with his attacking style. Darius earned an invite to the Top Prospect Showcase August 13^th where he will come out and compete against the elite in his class. We look forward to seeing you fella compete as he definitely will be in our rankings being released after showcase.

Marquette Park 10U- This young group here has some names to be looking for in the future, they are a bunch who put constant pressure on you from beginning of the game to the last play of the game, they are tireless and keep throwing lil guy after lil guy who are as tough as nails. Just having recently won the 10U Mini Nationals they are a bunch who will surely be carrying home several trophies in the future.

 Terrence Thomas 2020-This young fella here has that special in him, he is a kid who oozes with potential yet teases you all the time. Terrence is second to none with the ability to handle the ball in traffic and and slice and dice his way to the basket. Every game he will do a move that makes you say WoW!! Once young fella picks up his motor to play hard all game and compete every play watch out!!! Young fella is definitely a kid who in a few years people will be asking where did he come from? Terrence with his play over the past several weeks has elevated his stock tremendously, he is currently rated a top 25 prospect by jrhoopselite and has earned an invite to the Fabulous Freshmen Showcase August 13th.

 Vernon Henry 2022- Watch out there is another name to add to the list of talented players in the class of 2022. Vernon is a stout attacking guard who has a handle that gets him anywhere he wants to go. Right now he is under the radar, but make no mistake about it Vernon will cause some people to slide as he definitely will be the upodated rankings. Young fella earned and invite to the Top Prospect Showcase August 13th. Im eager to see how young Vernon fairs against other elite guards in the class. From the looks of this weekend many of the kids on the list will be in trouble. Look for Jrhoopselite to keep a close eye on young Vernon.

Coming tomorrow @ 10pm more News and Notes an Top Prospect and Fabulous Freshmen registration forms

Ricky Moore 773 383-0972

7/12

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Emmanuel Rivera 2021- Talk about GYM RAT- Well young fella is everywhere a ball is  bouncing, Young fella is eager to show that the north side has plenty of players that can play and he is one of them. Look for Emmanuel top display his talents at the Top Prospect Showcase June 4th. He is on a mission to show he belongs and will be there representing Team Flight.

Ari Brown 2020- If there is one player who has been creating quite a buzz over the last few weeks it’s been Mr. Brown. This kid  has been playing super and nothing changed this past weekend. Ari put his team on his back in every game. He played the hardest I’ve seen a kid play in a game in quite sometime. This young fella picked up his man full- court-the whole game and then came back down and hit every clutch shot. One coach came up to me and said ” I love this kid, I want him I’ve seen all the so called best and this is the kid I want please introduce me”  Yep Ari Brown is making quite a name. Once a player just learning how to play, young fella has put in countless hours getting better in the gym, and not only is Ari a good basketball player, he is an even better young man. Talk about a respectable kid they get no better than Ari Brown. Keep up the good work young man, your future is very bright.

Meanstreets 12U- This group is starting to click, they seem to have found there rhythm. They come off a strong performance this past weekend capturing the Championship. This group is talented and stacked with a lot of parts and anyone can beat you on any given night. Coach Randle has the group playing as a team and looked very unselfish in sharing the ball. Look for many of their players to be on the initial 2022 class rankings being released June 8th.  Also several of their players have been invited to the Top Prospect Showcase June 4th.

Deandre Berry- Put on a show this past weekend at the Chicago Jam-Fest, he was unguardable at times, Numerous teams used trick defenses such as box and one or running 2 people at young fella. Deandre  is a name many will get to know. Young fella easy earned an invite to the Top Prospect Showcase where he is eagerly awaiting his chance to play against the elite players in the class. look for young fella in the updated ranking and new released rankings coming out June 8th.

Kevin Drumgoole- 2020 Can you say underrated!!!!!! I can, sometimes kids just need the opportunity. Kevin is an intriguing prospect that has a tremendous upside and it makes me say ” What Have These Coaches Been Thinking?”  This is one of those kids that make me want to get back into coaching.  Young fella displayed a variety of skills this past weekend and he has a frame and athleticism that speaks volumes. As young fella gets reps on the floor against high level competition his game will grow even more. This is one prospect who has Top 25 gifts he just has never been allowed to play, make mistakes and grow from them. Only time will tell what the future holds but young fella has the tools to work with and showed that in glimpses this past weekend. Young fella Stock is definitely rising and he will make a huge jump in our updated rankings released next month if nothing else but potential alone. Stay in the gym young fella and get them reps up.

Gabriel Rivera- James 2022- Young fella has established himself as one of those elite guards in the 2022 class. Gabriel is a slick ball handling point guard who gets wherever he wants on the floor. I watched him in several games and saw no point guard be able to contain him off the dribble with-out help. He was consistently splitting the double teams and had the ball on a string. Young Gabriel earned an invitation as did his back-court mate Kevin Dela-Praz to the Top Prospect Showcase being held June 4th. where many of the top kids in the Midwest will be in attendance. Look for Gabriel on the initial 2022 class rankings being released June 8th.

Early May Stock Risers

Marshawn Sayles- 2022 Young fella came down this past weekend and showed he is a force to reckoned with. He is a big kid who can hold down the middle, while being able to step outside and knock down the jump-shot consistently. This is a player that every coach in state would want on their team. Young Marshawn was a stud at the last Top Prospect Showcase and showed he is definitely one of the elite players in his calss with his play this past weekend. Look for young Marshawn in the  intial 2022 rankings to be released next month.

Jayce Hyland 2021- Young fella definitely is on the rise, playing this past weekend at the Chicago Jam-Fest he displayed what a true warrior and pressure player he is. Playing in a rivalry game in front of a standing room only crowd young fella played with tremendous poise. His team seemed  down and out with less than 10 seconds to go. The opposing team up 1 with a chance to to go ahead by 3 missed a layup and young fella calmly hit the game winning 3 as time expired. Young Jayce clearly showed the ability to lead. His stock is on the rise and young fella definitely earned an invite to the Top Prospect Showcase June 4th. We look forward to catching young fella play this spring and summer to monitor his progress.

Kaleb Drumgoole 2020- Here is an emerging point guard who came down this past weekend and clearly displayed he is one player who can hold his own against anyone. Young Kaleb is learning to lead and lead his team to a final 4 appearanceand had the tournament Champs on the ropes trailing by 2 at the half. Young fella along with his twin brother Kevin (who will be up later this week) are better suited for the next level. Kaleb is just starting to grasp the position. This young fella has the talent to be all conference at the next level sooner than later. It will be very interesting to watch him surpass many of his classmates. He plays both sides of the floor and his competitive spirit is starting to emerge.

A

Andre Casey 2022- This young player is getting better and better and the upside is tremendous, during stretches this past weekend I watched him dominate the much smaller opponents and I watched him in a one possession game and under 2 minutes go 7 for 8 at the free-throw line. Young fella impressed me with his no fear attitude. He closed the game out at the line and  seemed to welcome the moment. Look for young fella to be pretty high up on the list when the initial 2022 list comes out next month. Young Andre is invited to the Top Prospect Showcase June 4th.

Cole Steinbaugh 2021- This young fella came in a virtual unknown to many, he left a player on the rise. Cole is a hard nose feisty point guard who leaves it all on the floor. He is part of a young nucleus that seems to be getting better tournament by tournament.  JrhoopsElite will continue to monitor young Cole in the future. Young fella earned an invite to the Top Prospect Showcase June 4th.

                                  Chicago Jam Fest Recap 1

I would like to say Thank You !!! to all the players, parents, coaches and staff that made this event such a huge success. When I say the atmosphere was the best I’ve ever been apart of, you would have had to be there. I also met so many great people from different areas that were just good people. Shout out to my man Ernest Parker from Memphis Tennessee. Not only is he an excellent coach he is an excellent person. Me and others of the staff had just as much fun talking with him as we did watching some of the games he left us and made one hell of an impression, Hey Earnest we will be in Memphis. Shout out to the Ohio Bulldogs entire program and fan base, they came here and represented themselves quite well and played with pride and supported one another they clearly are an up and coming young program and there 2020 team is definitely one of the premier teams in the Midwest. Want to say that coaches Jeter Gibson, Sean Burress, Frank Coates, Antonio Jones, Reggie Bates, Patrick Cooper, Dwayne James and Ashely Redmond are some really good people I watched and spoke with these individuals and love their spirit and affection they have for the kids. I definitely would let my son play for one of these individuals Great Job and Continue the good work. More to come later this week. players will be spotlighted.

Ricky Moore 773 383-0972

http://www.tourneymachine.com/Public/Results/Tournament.aspx?IDTournament=h20160425194029500e5ae3352ccd84b

                                                                www.tourneymachine.com

                                    Team Of The Week

Illinois Wolves 14U Is one of the hottest teams around, they are currently 15-0 after winning this past weekend. the are coached by first year and former prep star De’Andre McCamey. This group is anchored in the middle by one of the elite big men in his class Colin Crothers and one of the elite guards in the class Elliot Sieger. Look for this group to get tested this weekend in Indiana. But as of now they look quite impressive an would be this weeks pick as team of the week.

The gym will be packed with action from many of the best teams in the Midwest. JrhoopsElite will be writing articles and giving out invitations to the Top Prospect Showcase in June. Here is a list of teams below who will definitely be in attendance

Illinois Truth
Manimals
Wisconsin Wizzards
Detroit Motor City
T.T.B
Illinois Marksman
Illini Legacy
Caron Butler Elite
Team Prodigy
All in
Kevon Looney Rebels
Meanstreets
Ohio Bulldogs
Mercury Elite
Junior Varsity
Illinois Ballhawks
Michigan Elite
Indiana Elite
HoopsAve
Illinois Blaze
Back to Basics
Team Flight
Illinois Huskies Select
Illinois I.C.E.
Future Elite
Illinois Intruders
Road Runners Elite
Wisconsin Playground Elite
G.I. Panthers Elite
Moon Elite
B&B Elite
Steger Wildcats
HCH Shooters
H.O.O.D
Jaguars

among others

                                         HERE WE COME !!!!!!!

2021- Look out there is a team that is ready to emerge as one of the elite in their class. This team has guard play that is ready to take on all challenges and “fears none” the oh so steady pg Sean, the tenacious combo Marlelle, and the ultra crafty Nashawn are tired of hearing about all the guards in the class. HERE THEY COME!!!!!! Add to that the Dynamic Duo on the wings DJ and Matt who are as gritty and as tough as they come, mix in the power forward who I’ve been getting call after call about Mikal and the oh so smooth up and coming 6th grader Ken and you have a squad to be reckoned with. This young team will be in action this up and coming weekend at the Chicago Jam Fest where the talent and action will be will be hot and heavy.

Ricky Moore 773 383-0972

4/25

JRHOOPSELITE TOP 100 CLASS OF 2021 

1. Patrick Baldwin
2. Tevin Smith
3. Cameron Christie
4. Ahmad Bynum
5. Chris Hodges
6. Scottie Edube
7. Jaylin Gibson
8. Bryce Hopkins
9. Kamarhi Wilson
10. Anthony Sales
11. Kevin Miller
12. Norvell Meadows
13. Isaiah Donnell Weatherspoon
14. Grant Newell
15. Isaiah Barnes
16. Luka Balac
17. Ishmael Habib
18. Marquise Irving
19. Kyonte Thomas
20. Dominic Bass
21. Elijah Bull
22. Chad Ready
23. Blake Peters
24. Darrion “DJ”Jones
25. Avery Davis
26. Kenton Wright
27. Nick Owens
28. Mason Blakemore
29. Jermale Young Jr.
30. Julio Montes Jr.
31. Nathanael Hoskins
32. Willie Bradley Jr.
33.  Isaiah Holden
34. Keon Joiner/ Mikal Clarke
35. Christian Henry
36. Sean Burress
37. Kai Evans
38.  Drequan Williams/ Landon Moore
39. Deshun Sanders
40. Resean McMiller/ Dylund Ingram
41. Malik Williams
42. /Sam Jackson
43. Davione Gunn
44. Tyler Johnson/ Desmond Dunn
45. Noah Smith
46. Nashawn Townsend
47. Maki Rose
48. John Poulakidis
49. Ezra Stargell
50. Chaz Harvey
51. Elijah Jordan
52. Trey Baker
53. Kylund Smothers
54. Jordan Young-White
55. Keshon Mclain
56. Devin Miles
57. Carvel Kelly
58. RJ Walker
59. Rashad Trice
60. Kimari Mcgee
61. Chauncey Lee
62. Jeahson Thomas
63. Latrell Graham
64. Ethan Hunt
65. Jaylen Houston
66. Marquise Barnes
67. Delone Austin
68. DeMarion Cobb
69. Amarion Savage
70. Joaquin Hughes
71. Caleb Horton
72. Deashawn Hemphill
73. Jayce Hyland
74. KJ Williams
75. Brian Tyler
76. Kenyon Coates
77. Jameer Barker
78. Isaiah Young
79. Darius Ezell
80. Keon Thompson
81. Trent Devries
82. Jalen Axibal
83. Jacob Dimovski
84. DeMarion Gardner
85. Eddie Niles
86. Amarion Johnson
87. Brandon Hall
88. Blake Ellingson
89. Connor Enright
90. Elgin Bowen
91. Marcus Nix
92. Caleb Corro
93. Jaylen Mcbride
94. Tyler Mclauren
95. Clearance Jackson
96. Lucious Jones
97. Anthony Coleman
98. Kenneth Smith
99. Jayden Mcgill
100. Tyler Jarvis
101. Christian Terry
102. Michael Scott

I will be up dating frequently as I see prospects in action, I do not put kids on the list that I have not seen. So there maybe kids who are deserving that will be on, I’m just waiting to actually see them live. Remember the list is ever changing and used as a tool to motivate and inspire. If there are any questions please feel free. Next Update will be June 9th

Thanks,

Ricky Moore 773 383-0972

4/22

 

                      UPDATED 2021 Rankings up 10pm 4/20

                                           NEWS AND NOTES

This weekend past weekend there were plenty of people who displayed talent and were worthy of recognition. Here are some observations that were noticed immediately.  2023 class has some guards in the class that have special written all over them. Illinois Speed 2022 continues to be a well-oiled machine, The HoopsAve program is definitely one to keep an eye on in the future, and there is talent in that program. Mercury Elite 2020 is a team that features talent good enough to play with all of the shoe company affiliated programs and has a plethora of talent to keep an eye on. Meanstreets is now making a push to sew up talent at every grade- school level. Mac Irvin fire 2020 appears to have a hold as the best team in state at the 2020 level. Programs and players are popping up each week and the talent appears to be spread out. Several Programs such as Illinois Ballhawks, MoonsElite, Illinois Marksman, Prodigy, Blaze Jaguars, Speed and others are making strong pushes to put themselves on the radar and definitely have talent. Here are a few players that really stood out with their performances this past weekend.

Mike Davis-2023 – This shifty, ball handling wizard was an absolute stud while I watched him playing up a grade for the Mighty Men 2022 class. Young fella has a presence and quiet confidence about himself that makes you notice him right away. I thought he was pretty good when I thought he was in 6^th grade” Wow!!!” Is what I said after finding he was in 5^th. He has excellence size, foot speed and length where he can do damage on both sides of the floor. In a class that is special at the guard position mark it down right now Mike Davis is one you will definitely be seeing at the top of the list. Special is written all over this young fella. The Top Prospect Showcase will be June 4^th and young fella definitely has earned and invite, we look forward to closely monitoring young fella and his progress as we expect to writing articles about this young kid for a longtime to come. We also look forward to seeing young fella playing against the elite players in his class.

Jaylen Drane- 2022- Every time I watch young fella play it’s a treat to watch. Young Jaylen has that “it” for sure. He is the kid who makes me run to the schedule and see what court he is playing on. Young fella displayed his ability to get wherever he wanted on the court and was virtually unguardable this weekend. This is definitely one of my favorite players to watch in middle school because he has such a variety of skills. This past weekend young fella did nothing but prove he is one of the elite players in the Country his grade level and one of those kids I would want on my team if I were coaching.

Jeremy Fears- 2023-This young guard was last scene putting in work at NY2La putting in work against Meanstreets he has now changed uniforms and continues to play well. Young Jeremy Fears Jr. has a bloodline that speaks basketball. Young fella has a nice handle and solid shot and can sometimes be electrifying, JrhoopsElite will be monitoring the progress of young fella and look forward to seeing Jeremy at the Top Propsect Showcase this June as he earned his invitation a couple of weeks ago with his stellar play.

Ryan Kilburg 2020- Young Ryan is back on the scene after being out with injury during the school basketball season it now appears that young Ryan is rounding back into form. A couple of months ago he played well at the Top Prospect Showcase and he is starting top show his ability to do a variety of things on the floor. His shot was streaky this weekend, but what impressed me was his ability to breakdown his defender and get to the rack. Some shots at the rim were near misses but he showed the ability to maneuver through traffic with little ease playing against what may have been the most talented collective back-court in the class. Ryan is definitely and intriguing prospect who has the plenty of potential.

Davon Horne 2020- Young fella has been on a tear lately and his stock is definitely on the rise, Davon in  pictures with the ever so supportive mom Latorya has been putting in the work and game has taken off to new heights. He recently walked away with MVP at the Sterl to Pearl All- Star game and is currently running the point for Meanstreets Adams. Known as a shooter early on, Davon has shown the ability to run the point, handling the ball under pressure and breaking his man down off the dribble to either create for his teammates or himself. Young Davon has been quite impressive lately and it’s being noticed. look for young fella to take a nice leap in the updated rankings.

Quinton Rock 2020- This young fella right here is player, get to know the name, “Q” Quinton has exploded on the scene, having moved here this year from Denver. In the championship game against Prodigy, he and his partner Nimari Burnett played the roles of the splash brothers. Q came up clutch knocking down 3 long distance threes in the last 10 minutes of the game, including game tying shots and the shot that proved to be the game winner. I have been watching young fella for a couple of months now and have come to the conclusion that he maybe the best shooter in the state. Also don’t get it confused  Quinton is a talent that has a variety of skills that many have not seen due to all the talent on his team and the sacrifices each of them make. Remember you heard it here Quinton Rock is definitely someone you will see getting plenty of ink in high school.

Bryce Hall 2020- Talk about an upside, here is a kid who has the frame and the tools. Young Bryce Hall is a quite a talent whom  can really attack the basket and impose his will on the smaller guards in the class. When he learns to trust his jump-shot people will be in trouble. There were instances this weekend where young fella carried his team until others got going. This is another kid whom I look at and say ” people will be reading about him really soon”. Bryce Hall is the face of Team Prodigy  and he is emerging into a leader, this process is definitely one that I feel will help him in the long run.

Chaz  Harvey 2021- Here is a young player who showed he will do whatever needed to keep his team in the game, I witnessed young Chaz in one game be a total leader, distributing the ball, running his team and showing leadership in leading his team to victory. I then witnessed young fella in another game score 15 points in the first half to keep his team in the game against one of the Elite teams in the State. Young Chaz is a true pg and plays with tremendous poise, he is like a coach on the floor. Young fella is an up and coming prospect. Young Chaz earned an invitation to the Top Prospect Showcase  June 4 th. where many of the top players in his class will be in attendance.JrhoopsElite looks forward to watching and monitoring his progress. Chaz will make his way in the updated rankings being released later this week.

Antione Bloxton 2020- If there was anyone who created a buzz after a performance more this weekend I can’t tell. More people asked me who is this kid and where did he come from than anyone. Yep he is Mr. Antione Bloxton and if you would have saw him against the Mercury Elite in one of the most entertaining games of the weekend you would have thought he was Stephen Curry he was unstoppable scoring 2o of his 27 in the second half to bring his team from behind to win. Coach after the game ” Rick who is that # 3 sh******* if he aint the best player in here somebody lying” well young fella has a knack for special performances and is definitely one of the premier scorers in the state. He is one of 3 guys in his class that I feel can score against any defense equally effective and one of the elite scores.

Nimari Burnett 2020- What can you say that hasn’t already been said. Young fella is one of those big-time players that never shy’s away from the moment and has ice water in his veins. In a game against a heated rivalry former team (Team Prodigy) it looked like his current team may go down in flames. With Marcus Watson Jr his back-court mate not being at full strength and his father pacing the floor and a little nervous Nimari his usual self had his hands on basically every key play in some form or fashion. Every-time it seemed like Team Prodigy was going to put the game away young fella made a big play. Whether it was knocking down a 25 footer to keep his team within striking distance while everyone is saying ” OH NO!!! , or setting his teammates up for wide-open shots. Nimari has proven time and time again he is a winner. If I were to say there is a kid who is light years away from his pears at understanding the moment and knowing how to finish off a game it would definitely be Nimari Burnett he is a winner supreme.

Ricky Moore 773 383-0972

4/18

Promising Prospect # 21

“A STAR IS RISING”

There is a young player who is making quite a statement with his game over the past year and many need to get used to hearing how promising of a prospect young fella is. Adam Miller is showing that he clearly has established himself an elite prospect and seems to constantly be getting better and better A STAR IS RISING!!!!. This silky smooth guard has that “IT FACTOR” about him. He is the kid who takes the challenge of wanting to get better each and every time he steps on the court. A few months ago Adam came to the Top Prospect Showcase and put on a show, showing every imaginable skill and intangible. He was completely unstoppable and left JrhoopsElite # 1 prospect the class of 2020. Since then young fella has done nothing to dispel that, in fact he is creating more of a separation. A couple of weekends ago I witnessed young fella playing 15U with the Mac Irvin Fire at NY2LA and he played well, then this past weekend I watched young fella playing at the Toi Baylor tournament in Romeoville and not only did I watch young fella playing up in age play well, I saw him actually taking over for stretches in close games. His team down 1 in second half he nails a long three, then makes a steal and feeds the ultra- athletic combo guard Markeese Jacobs for a layup, on defense he grabs a long rebound, dribbles up court in which he splits defenders and riffles a no look cross court pass to big Spence Boeheim for a lay-in, then follows that up with a basket in traffic. Yep!!  just like that an 8 point lead and the game never got any closer. I’ve been around a lot of young players and there is just something about young Adam that says special!! He lives in Peoria, Illinois and many in the State were not aware of just how good he is. That’s probably a good thing, he didn’t get all the attention early and it seems to have kept him hungry and even more determined. Being from the Central part of the State there are many players who do not get as much attention as some of the Chicagoland Area. Having said that young fella is making a case for JrhoopsElite to get down that way more often. Adam has represented himself quite well in all fashions. Having sat down and talked with young fella a couple of times he one class young man, who is humble and appreciative of everything he seems to take  nothing for granted A STAR IS RISING!!!. I look forward to watching young Adam for years to come and would like to acknowledge him as a Promising Prospect.

Thanks,

Ricky Moore 773 383-0972

4/14

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                                           HERE WE COME!!!!!

 We would like to congratulate all the small fry teams that competed in Nationals this past week. On the Varsity level Marquette Best finished in the final 4, While Robert Taylor finished runner up in a hard fought championship game, again great job and keep your heads held high as you all represented Illinois very well. On the Rookie level Illinois Huskies Select did the unthinkable, in it’s first year of existence they went down to Florida and came back with the National Championship a special congratulations is due to Paris Martin and his organization. Look for the Huskies this Spring and Summer as they prepare to make a splash on the AAU circuit.

Caleb Horton 2021- Young fella is  unknown to many right now but that is surely to change, Young fella has a sweet release on his outside shot and is very deceptive with his handle. Caleb plays on the Meanstreets and is sure to have many heads turning with his play this Spring. Over the past weekend Caleb earned an invitation to the Top Prospect Showcase  coming June 4th. Young fella is definitely a prospect we will be monitoring this Spring and Summer. He is definitely a prospect who will be in the updated rankings being released April 18th. Young Caleb is a combo guard who’s stock is definitely on the rise.

Trey Baker 2021- Here is a combo guard that has to ability to be the best player on the floor every-time he steps on the court. Young Trey is a scoring guard who can score in a variety of ways. He has a sweet shot that extends to N.B.A range, a mid-range game that is high level and  all kinds of nifty floaters and spin moves that he finishes in traffic. Trey plays for Kessel Heat and is definitely one of the main reasons his team competes at a high level. Playing alongside Kamari Wilson the two form one of the best back-courts in the Midwest.  Trey is definitely a player whose stock is on the rise, he also earned an invitation to the Top Prospect Showcase where many of the best players in the Midwest will be in attendance June 4th. Many people around the state aren’t aware of Trey Baker, well let me say it now and say it loud. Young Fella Is A Player!!!!!! Look for Trey Baker and Kessel Heat whenever you have some free-time they are definitely a treat to watch.

Ricky Moore 773 383-0972

4/8

                                       NEWS AND NOTES

The basketball is hot and heavy right now and these past couple of weeks many teams and players have cemented themselves as hot items to keep tabs on. This past weekend @ NY2la the talent was everywhere.

Observation 1-2022 Illinois Speed has clearly established themselves as the best team in the class by far right now. They are a well oiled machine that can play a variety of styles. They are team made up of nice parts that mesh well . They are led by the do everything combo guard Trey Pettigrew who shoots lights out, has an outstanding floor game and plays with poise where he sees plays two steps ahead of most, Tyson Amoo-Amensah the ultra competitive point guard who has a wicked handle, can shoot with range and is tenacious on ball defender, Kaden Cobb the versatile wing who can play inside or out and has the  skill set of guard, Reggie Flurima the athletic two sport big who usually has the task of guarding the best low post threat and Bobby Durkin who right now might be one of the 5 best shooters in the state pound for pound, you leave this young fella open you can just about count it. Look for this team to be making waves for the rest of the spring and summer.

Observation 2- The All IN Group deserves a little more respect, after watching this team over the weekend and seeing them come from behind in a hostile environment in which the crowd and emotions were oh so high I definitely have another appreciation for the team. being down 10 points with 3 minutes to go against Gametime the young squad pulled out the victory and finished runner up at NY2LA I would say they are the Number 1 team In the state 2021 till someone proves them wrong. They are led by the trio of Elijah Bull the scoring point guard who racked up bucket after bucket this weekend including a 33 point performance against Meanstreets, he average way over 20 this past weekend, Anthony Sayles the dominant wing who gets to the rack at will and finishes with either hand through contact, averaged 20 or better also this past weekend and Isaiah Holden who is a lock-down defender who came up big in the comeback knocking down several big time shots. I look forward to watching this unit over the spring and summer to see is they will be able to sustain the success.

Observation 3- Meanstreets Bates 2020 Has a pair of scoring guard/wings that are second to none at scoring the ball Willie Bradley and Luka Balac score the basketball with some of the most unorthodox and old school moves that I’ve seen in a very long time. They are virtually unarguable at times and capable of stringing together 15- 20 points in a 5 to 10 minute stretch. These young fellas are very intriguing and fun to watch.

Observation 4- 2020 players playing up in age level Adam Miller (Fire) and Joel Watts ( All in/ Future Elite) played very well and did not miss a beat Adam showed his all around game playing with the all- state type caliber talent and showed glimpses of why JrhoopsElite has him the number 1 player in the class. Joel played with the poise and confidence that he usually displays and showed why we consider him among the cream of the crop at his position leading his team to a 52- 46 Victory over 2019 Get Buckets and finishing with 22 points that were quite impressive.

Observation – There was a wealth of talent on display and many many players and teams played well. This was the first event for many and a lot of adjustments will be made JrhoopElite will be out looking a various tournaments throughout the Spring and Summer.

Ricky Moore 773 383-0972

4/5

             Updated Rankings Class of 2021 4/20 10pm

 

1. Tevin Smith
2. Patrick Baldwin
3. Jaylin Gibson
4. Jaylen Butler
5. Avery Davis
6. Kamari Wilson
7. Kevin Miller
8. Isaiah Donnell Weatherspoon
9. Kyonte Thomas
10. Dominic Bass
11. Luka Balac
12. Kenton Wright
13. Anthony Sales
14. Norvell Meadows
15. Blake Peters
16. Darrion “DJ”Jones
17. Bryce Hopkins
18. Nick Owens
19. Jermale Young Jr.
20. Ismael Habib
21. Nathanael Hoskins
22. Chad Ready
23. Elijah Bull/ Isaiah Holden
24. Christian Henry
25. Kai Evans
26. Willie Bradley Jr.
27. Kendall Martin/ Drequan Williams
28. Deshun Sanders
29. Resean McMiller/ Dylund Ingram
30. Terrence Ford/Marquise Irving
31. Davione Gunn
32. Mason Blakemore
33. Tyler Johnson
34. Mikal Clarke
35. Nathaniel Hoskins
36. Julio Montes Jr.
37. Devin Miles
38. Grant Newell
39. Noah Smith
40. Landon Moore
41. Maki Rose
42. John Poulakidis
43. Ezra Stargell
44. Ahmad Bynum
45. Trey Baker
46. Kylund Smothers
47. Malik Williams/
48. Jordan Young-White
49. Desmond Dunn
50. Carvel Kelly
51. Sam Jackson
52. RJ Walker
53. Rashad Trice
54. Kimari Mcgee
55. Chauncey Lee
56. Latrell Graham
57. Ethan Hunt
58. Nashawn Townsend
59. Brian Tyler
60. Jaylen Houston
61. Charles Smith
62. Delone Austin
63. Amarion Savage
64. Joaquin Hughes
65. Sean Burress
66. Deashawn Hemphill
67. KJ Williams
68. Kenyon Coates
69. Jameer Barker
70. Isaiah Young
71. Darius Ezell
72. Eddie Niles
73. Trent Devries
74. Jalen Axibal
75. Jaehshon Thomas
76. Jacob Dimovski
77. Marquise Barnes
78. Amarion Johnson
79. Jayce Hyland
80. Brandon Hall
81. Keon Thompson
82. Donavan Brown
83. Blake Ellingson
84. Connor Enright
85. Elgin Bowen
86. Marcus Nix
87. Caleb Corro
88. Jaylen Mcbride
89. Tyler Mclauren
90. Demarion Cobb
91. Clearance Jackson
92. Lucious Jones
93. Anthony Coleman
94. Kenneth Smith
95. Jayden Mcgill
96. Tyler Jarvis
97. Christian Terry
98. Michael Scott
99. Malik Wilson
100. Kijanna Brown

I will be up dating frequently as I see prospects in action, I do not put kids on the list that I have not seen. So there maybe kids who are deserving that will be on, I’m just waiting to actually see them live. Remember the list is ever changing and used as a tool to motivate and inspire. If there are any questions please feel free. Next Update will be April 15th

Thanks,

Ricky Moore 773 383-0972

3/17

                       

 JrhoopsElite would like to congratulate all the 2019 players and like for them to know to keep working, there are many kids who will be seen in high school that no one knew about in middle school, there are players who are playing sophomore or freshmen who will be getting college scholarships.To them I say” don’t always get caught up if you are not getting the attention early” It’s not where you are at as a freshmen it’s where you are as a senior. I coached a young man who as a freshmen played freshmen as a sophomore played sophomore. No one knew who he was as a junior, he didn’t play for a big name AAU program  as other players in his class, he  never saw the EYBL, Gauntlet or Under Armour ALL-Star Games.. Guess what he made it as a Pro, His name is Robert Covington and he plays for the Philadelphia 76ers. I’m only saying this to say keep working hard and don’t get discouraged if you are not noticed early.

Ricky Moore

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Tournament

April 26-28th Midwest ManiaIn House League 4/22 - June 3rd4/13 -6/9 Spring LeagueMay 25-26 Memorial day ClassicJune 28-30th Mini NationalsAug 2-4th Jr Hoops Elite Nationals

Other Amount:

Player or Team Name & Grade:

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NEWS AND NOTES

Basketball is being played everywhere and for the ones that can’t get enough here are a few o notes over the past few weeks.

Marquette Park- Varsity- The team led by Coach Ty and Coach Brittany recently won the first small fry tournament of the season, beating a stacked Robert Taylor team. Lil Nick Owens was superb in the event scoring 31, and leading his team to victory. In a standing room only, hostile environment on the road,” Lil Nick Owens” put on a show scoring 31 and leading his team against a star studded team that features Terrence “T Baby” Ford, Kendall Martin and 2022 standout Markwon. Leaving the gym all people were saying is “Shawty the Truth!!!” Yep, I’ve been saying that for a minute. Marquette Park is traditionally a powerhouse in small fry. Robert Taylor, Solo and others are quite talented and ready. It will be an interesting season to follow, JrhoopsElite will be on hand to follow as other players and teams emerge on the scene.

Ideary Mooney- 2020- Here is a young kid that has a major upside; he stands at nearly 6/6. Ideary is the kid you look at and say” I remember” yep that’s what people will be saying 3 years from now. Ideary has come such a long way and is continuing to improve. Like I tell everyone guards are always better early because they have the ball in their hands, Ideary has the potential to be the best player in his class and maybe possibly the most coveted player in the city by high school coaches. Young fella is currently a top 15 prospect by JrHoopsElite (rankings will be updated soon and again on March 3^rd. Look for young fella to be on hand at the Top Prospect Showcase Feb. 27th

Mercury Elite 14U- This team is loaded with talent, they won tournament this past weekend in Willow Springs, Mercury Elite has been consistent this travel season, winning 5 tournaments, they will be on hand at the MLK winter Classic next weekend in Waukegan, and the majority of their players will be in attendance at the Top Prospect Showcase Feb. 27^th. Look for Mercury Elite to be one of the top teams on the 14U circuit this up and coming spring, Coach John Rush has assembled some of the best talent in the class and many of his players are eager to showcase their game. JrhoopsElite will closely be following this talented group.

Jalen Griffith- 2023- Add another name to the list of the quality guards in this class, Young Jalen plays with a confidence and never seems too fazed by the opponent even though he may be playing up a level or two. Jalen has a high basketball I.Q. ,he changes speeds very well, has an in between game, his jump shot is solid from distance and he has game experience playing against not only the best players in his class, but the best players in classes 2021 and 2022. Young Jalen is on his way to being a household name in the Midwest. JrhoopsElite looks forward to watching the growth of young fella for years to come. Jalen earned his invitation to the Top Prospect Showcase Feb. 27^th were many of the top players in the Midwest will be in attendance.

 

Ricky Moore 773 383-0972

 

12U – Chicago Swish is a feisty, scrappy, run and gun unit. They recently captured the 12U Championship in Willow Springs beating a tough Illinois Blaze team. They have several young players who have a lot of upside.

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   NEWS AND NOTES

This time of year basketball is hot and heavy and games are being played everywhere. This is the season a basketball fan has been waiting for over the past few weeks I’ve checked out numerous tournaments and players and I will be out every weekend looking at players and teams and giving out invitation to the Top Prospect Showcase Feb 27^th. Here are a few players and teams that really caught my eye.

Train to Ball- 13U- This team plays as hard as any in the State of Illinois, they are ferocious on defense and have a variety of players that can take you off the dribble or knock down the long range shot, they are led by the dynamic duo back court of Kevin “Boopie” Miller and Kenton “KD” Wright and have a talented team with the versatile Resean McMiller, the do everything wing DJ Williams and the tenacious very underrated lock down defender and bomb shooting 3 point specialist Marquise Irving. This team put on a show at the Best of the Midwest Fall League and won the Platinum Division in which several of the best teams in the state played in including defending State Champs All In, Perennial national powerhouse Game-time, Gritty and Grimmy Westside Illinois Icemen and previous national champs Solo to name a few. TTB as they are known to some comes to play with a no excuse attitude every game and walked away with winning the most prestigious division in the most prestigious fall league. TTB has proved once again they are up to the challenge of playing against the best. TTB is the only team in the State where everyone on their roster has earned an invite to the Top Prospect Showcase.

Mekhi Cooper 2023- HOLD UP- HOLD UP!!!!! Everyone pay attention there is a young player that is sure to be known to everyone in the area and have everyone lining up to see him in the future. He is the ever so smooth, vision having, under control, long- range shooting point guard out of Bolingbrook. Mekhi s a treat to watch, I witnessed him playing on two levels this past weekend and this young player understands and plays the game years ahead of his time. He is always making the correct play and he shoots the 3 with incredible accuracy from incredible distance, I watched him shoot from 25 feet away like it was free-throw hitting 6 in a row and give pin point passes in traffic that were off the chain. While it’s early, I have not witnessed a player in class that plays the position as proficient as he does. Jrhoopselite will be paying close attention to the player and hope to see him at the Top Prospect Showcase, where many of the top Players in the Midwest will be in attendance.

Latrell Graham 2021- Not known to many yet, but the state will come to know this long, wiry, smooth point guard out of Rockford real soon. Latrell is a special talent that many are sleep on due to him living in Rockford, but JrhoopsElite definitely knows about the sweet shooting, the slick ball handling and winning attributes that young fella possess. Latrell is currently one of our top 20 players in his class and has the potential to easily be in the top 10. Rockford keeps talent last year there was Chris Brunell giving everyone fits on the circuit, a few years ago is was Fred Van Fleet, and now Latrell is a player who we predict to start making a name on the circuit. We look forward to Latrell playing at the Top Prospect Showcase Feb. 27^th when many of the best players in his class will be on hand.

Vanderpoel – While we often here of Ariel and Beasley as the powerhouses in the city, Vanderpoel is quietly re-establishing themselves a major player in the city. Several weeks ago 2 key starters left too  join other teams and a new coach was brought in, at the time the word around the city was Vanderpoel is done. Well Wait Wait Wait!!! This team has started to take things personal and all they have done is rally with that “us against the world” mentality. They have been riding high and have not lost a game in over a month. Including going 4-0 two weeks ago at the ORR shoot-out and recently winning the Mount Carmel tournament. Feeling a little bit disrespected Vanderpoel is showing they can play with anyone and have to still be considered among teams to have a shot at winning City. The team is filled with talent up and down the roster. They have one of the better players in the state Richard Simmons, the-talented combo guard KJ Ross who gives you solid play on both ends of the floor, Amereye Davis who on any given day can score in bunches, Timothy Howard, Khalil Santa- Cruz and Che Coleman are all factors in the midrange game and on the boards, Anthony Dunn one of the best on ball defenders in the city, Christian Henry a game savvy point guard and Dylan Ingram a player that can hurt you playing 3 or 4 positions on the floor. I would say that Vanderpoel will definitely have opposing coaches weary of seeing them come play-off time.

Collin Wainscott 2023- Young Collin is a Fiesty, hard-nosed player that backs down from no one. If you look at him and think anything other than he is one of the better players at his age you are in trouble, before you know it young fella done put 20 on the board. Collin can shot it with range, finish with either hand in traffic and has one sweet floater that he shoots that’s money in the bank. Collin plays for the Illinois Legends and will be in attendance at the Top Prospect Showcase in Feb to compete against some of the best players in his age level.

Buckeyes 14U- This past weekend they won the 14U Championship at the RED HAWK Holiday Classic in Naperville, Coach Adam and Coach Terrence made some key adjustments Sunday to propel the Buckeyes to the championship. The Buckeyes were led by the talented guard duo of Alec Millender and Johnathan Robinson.

Mark Smith- 2022- Keep an eye out for this multi-talented player whom many will not understand his true potential. Young Fella I see ya!!!! LIL Mark has an offensive game where he can face you up, take you off the dribble or bang you down low. He primarily plays in the post for his teams right now, but has more perimeter skills than most 2 guards. Mark is a prospect who has a very high ceiling; he displayed a lot of talent over the past several weeks, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. People really have not witnessed how offensively gifted young fella will become. Mark definitely earned an invite to the Top Prospect Showcase in Feb. I predict that in the near future or when given the opportunity young fella will be giving people problems on the wing, he is still very young and he and others may not realize his potential but Young Fella I see ya!!!! and JrHoopsElite will definitely be monitoring you.

Luke Balac 2021- This young player is a knock shooter who has N.B.A range. Luka is a competitor who wants to compete against the better players in the Midwest. He is a 7th grader playing up on the 14U Buckeyes you would never know he was playing up as he is one of the better players on the team. Luka is definitely a prospect JrhoopsElite will be monitoring in the near future. Luka earned an invite to the Top Prospect Showcase Feb. 27^th. and will definitely be in one of our updated rankings.

Ricky Moore 773 383-0972

12/30

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     “Don’t Get it Twisted”

There is a young player who has been tearing up the court any and everywhere, while others are being seen each week playing with their school team in some of the more celebrated school tournaments there is a young fella sitting back and shaking his head. Joshua Joiner is the kid of which I speak and he has been putting in work with and against all the kids you have heard about these past few weeks for several years now on different Club and AAU teams, his game takes a back seat to none. Joshua attends the newly formed Augustus Tolton Catholic Academy, which is a merged grammar school of St. Dorothy and St. Columbanus. Before the season started there were several rumors that Joshua would be transferring to one of the perennial powerhouse schools Ariel, Vanderpoel or Beasley but as it turned out Josh and his family decided it meant more to them to graduate with the kids he had been with since kindergarten than to play for a city championship, ” I commend them for that”. Josh is a player that puts points on the board; he has an offensive arsenal that is second to none in grammar school. I’ve witnessed young fella give teams 25+ without a sweat. He is tenacious at getting to the rack, virtually unstoppable one on one, he has a sweat midrange game and his stroke is ever improving from the arc. The one thing in my mind that separates Joshua from many of his classmates is he thrives under pressure and never seems to overwhelmed by the moment, I’ve witness young fella hit some very clutch shots and a game winner. He is the one kid who I can see scoring 40 in a highly competitive grammar school game. If I have one possession and need a bucket to win a game he is 1 of 3 kids in the class in which I would want with the ball. Joshua has been to many of the major camp events throughout the country for the past several years. He walked away this past summer being named the #1 prospect at the Phenom Camp in San Diego, California. You sometimes don’t appreciate players if they are not seen every weekend. Jr. Hoops Elite wants to let everyone know “OUT OF SIGHT NOT OUT OF MIND” More importantly Joshua is an even better student than basketball player, I personally seen his grades and young fella is a straight A student with several A+ grades on his report. Joshua is currently ranked in the top 15 players’ class of 2020. We look forward to seeing Josh at the Top Prospect Showcase in Feb. For all your hard work and dedication we would like to acknowledge you as our Promising Prospect. For those who haven’t seen him in a while the kid has game “Don’t Get It Twisted”

Ricky Moore 773 383-0972

11/25

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News and Notes

This past weekend the Ariel Storm beat the Beasley Bees in the Championship at Whitney Young tournament. The Storm left no doubt controlling the game throughout and winning by double figures. The Drumgoole brothers were solid, the combination of Jaden Williams and Jemario Minniefield was awesome as they were co- MVPs. The two kids on the team in which I think make the team go were absolutely on their game Terrence Boykin and the do everything player who will shoot up the rankings along with a few of his teammates Azavier Williams. The Storm have went from let’s see how they gel together, to the favorites to win the City Championship. The Storm lost a close won to the Bees in the Championship a couple of weeks ago after being up 13 pts, this time they sealed the deal and at this point the number 1 team in the city. The Beasley Bees will definitely be anxiously waiting as the rivalry is once heated again.

Ariel Storm – Champions

Co- MVPs- Jemario Minniefield, Jaden Williams

Ricky Moore

11/23

 

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News and Notes

Introducing Isaiah Burrell the combo guard/ forward at Vanderpoel Elementary, here is a kid who definitely passes the eye test. He is a 6/2 plus long armed ball player that has a variety of skills. This is a kid who in the next few months we see taking giant leaps and bounds. Sometimes a coach in grammar school may have a hard time coaching a kid with this many skills because the kid just wants to show his all-around game and usually the coach wants him banging down low. I say to young fella “the basketball eye of the ones who know the game see your versatility, perimeter skills and understand all the tools you possess, they understand you are a wing at the next level, just continue to play hard and keep a good spirit your team has a chance to do some great things”. This weekend will be very exciting as many of the big name teams will be in competition to win the Best of the Midwest, Vanderpoel is on a mission seeking the respect they feel they don’t get. Isaiah Burrell is on a mission to show he is one of the city’s best players. Isaiah is definitely a prospect on the rise and Jrhoopselite will definitely be keeping a tab on him as he has so much natural talent and so so so much potential.

Thanks,

Ricky Moore 773 383-0972

11/4

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BEEN THERE DONE THAT!!!

Nimari Burnett is the smooth shooting guard at Beasley grammar school. He has been known to many of the basketball junkies around the city for quite some-time having played on the City Championship, State Championship, National Final 4 teams and has been one of the more celebrated players in the Midwest since 4^th grade. Nimari is a special kid, he always has a smile on his face and he is always very respectable. For a kid to has accomplished as much as he has or seen as much as he has seen he is always very humble. He is the lone returning starter on a team that went undefeated last year, winning over 50 games and championship after championship. Sometimes people get caught up in individual performances on a given night, young fella has had so many special performances that he doesn’t even think they are special they have become the norm. While others will be making or trying to make a name for themselves this up and coming season, Nimari can relax with comfort of knowing he has been in the headlines, he’s been on recruiting sites, he’s been a city champ, he’s worn the target on his back, he’s heard all the haters in the stands, he’s played in front of standing room only gyms, he’s knocked down clutch 3’s in close games, he’s put his team on his back and carried them to victory, he’s been the teammate on a stacked squad, His experiences to date on the middle school level are far superior than perhaps any player in the state. Of course there will always be someone who will be rooting against he and his Beasley Bees, but when the game, title or pressure is on Nimari can look and say to his teammates don’t worry “BEEN THERE DONE THAT” Look for the talented young wing this weekend in the Best of the Midwest Classic where talent will be on hand everywhere.

 

Ricky Moore 773 383-0972

11/3

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 NEWS AND NOTES 

Next week a lot of opening season questions will be answered a lot of other questions will just be starting. This is the event where 2019 Kejuan Clements came and dominated and showed the city exactly who he was after being unknown to most. Is Beasley as talented as everyone says?  Will players from Western Springs, Elmhurst, Little Village and South Elgin make names for themselves and be put on the radar with their performaces? Are Michael Osborne and Tyler Beard the Best Guard Tandem In the State? Is this the year Vanderpoole Breaks Through? Is Ideary Mooney going to impose his will on Opponents? Can  show his all around game? Will Jack Baldrigeget hot from deep and show his game in the bright lights? How much of an impact is the transfer of Bryce Hall? Will the pesky young fellas from Tanner become a fan favorite. Is this the stage Isaiah Holden and Elijah Bull been waiting for? Will the downstate Spingfield Grant go home with another Championship. Last appearance in the city Larry Austin took the trophy back home, PJ Edwards looking to do the same-thing.Kevin “Boopie” Miller put on a show last year a 6 grader will he be able to do it again a year later?Is Bellwood Roosevelt back to its dominating usual self? How good is Aspire? These are just a few questions that will be posed or answered next weekend. Schedule is below and articles will be up each day until event. 

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NEWS AND NOTES

 

This past weekend I was at several gyms where fall league games were being played, here are a few observations.

 

Antione Bloxtan- 2020- When I say put on a show, young fella put on a show in the final game at Marist High School fall league. Down 1 point with 4 seconds to go and the length of the floor to go, Antione sliced his way through a double team and wrapped a 3^rd defender before pulling up at the volleyball line and swishing a game winning 3 at the buzzer for the win and completing the game with 38 points. Antione has a wicked handle, and played like one of the premiere players in his class. He is the first player to earn an invitation to the invitation only Top Prospect Showcase that will be held February 27th . Look for Young fella to make a name here in this city as he will be in the starting backcourt at Beasley Academic Center. Yes Coach Giles I’m saying it now somebody moving over, young fella is the best scorer in the class and it took me all of 10 minutes to know this, while others have been talked about or played on highly acclaimed teams “NO ONE CAN DO WHAT YOUNG FELLA DOES WITH THE BALL IN HIS HANDS!!! and will be on display at the Best of the Midwest tournament Nov. 6^th – 8^th. Coach Jackson  has molded a good one over there, the Chicago Trojans has one of the best guard prospects in the class of 2020 “BAR NONE HE ONE OF THOSE DUDES.

10/5/15

 

Double- Trouble

Jaden Williams and Jemario Minniefield -2020 These two young players are quite a tandem and will have many grammar school coaches shaking their head. Jaden is a strong to the basket energetic combo forward, who plays with a passion, Jemario is a combo forward who is relentless on the boards and has a variety of moves in the post. Both players questioned me on not getting the invite to the last showcase, They too both earned an invitation and will also be looking too prove a point the season. Is this the best Duo in the paint, well only time will tell as the season rolls on. Look for these two players at the Best of the Midwest as they look to lead Ariel on a deep run in the talented tournament.

 

Markus Becton 2020- This slender 2 guard who plays at Roosevelt Middle School Bellwood has an awful lot of talent. When looking at kids this is one who I can see in a few years doing things many thought would not be possible. Markus is a gifted player whom has a chance to rapidly climb the rankings this year. He has so much ability in him, when and if that light clicks on Watch out!! because he has gifts that will allow him to do so many things on the floor. Look for this to be a breakout year for young fella.

 

 

Teams committed to Best of The Midwest Grammar School Tournament.

 

Jefferson (Woodridge)

Aspire(Indiana)

Roosevelt( Bellwood)

Ariel-

Grant(Springfield)

Riverside- Brookfield

Freedom(Berwyn)

Vanderpoole

Beasley

Hughes

Longwood,

Lindbloom

St. Johns(Indiana)

Providence- Englewood

Melody

Kipling

Lovett

Little Village

Grant(Springfield)

Learn

Sumner

Mason

Irving

Champaign-Urbana

 

Among others, come out and see some of the best talent in the Midwest.

 

 

Ricky Moore   773 383-0972

 

10/5

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News and Notes

Now that everyone is in school I am back from a two week hiatus. I will now get back to covering events and having Articles up. I will be updating the 2019 rankings with high school names assigned to prospect. I will also be out at high school open gyms starting this week. I would like to thank everyone for a successful AAU season and hope that everyone in the classes of 2020 & 2021 are refreshed and getting ready for winter travel ball or middle school games starting a couple of months. I will be out monitoring events, For the class of 2022 Get ready because I’m starting to really go hard in your class and before you know it your class will be getting invited to invitation only events. I will have a few events coming up, camp 5- 8^th October 10^th, Best of the Midwest Grammar and Feeder Tournament where many of the best teams in the Area will be playing November 6-8 and I will be co-hosting the annual Best of the Midwest Winter League on Sundays @ Crane High School running November- December for levels 5^th -8^th Last year it was full to capacity with a majority of the heavy hitters playing. I also have a few out of state teams that will be in the League this year call me 773 383-0972 ASAP to reserve a spot. The event will be covered weekly on this site with top performers and stats from the games.

Thanks,

Ricky Moore 773 383-0972

8/24

 

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News and Notes

This past weekend JrhoopsElite conducted one of our series of positional camps. We All Are Guards Camp. We It was a great success as we got a chance to teach some kids guard skills, and gave them take- aways that will hopefully make them better down the road. There were several kids who showcased multiple skill sets and were very impressive.

Rashad Trice- Meanstreet 12U – Young fella was outstanding the entire camp, picking up on drills and learning. I watched a kid show improvement right before my eyes. I then witnessed him use the exact drill in a game situation twice. The kid made me feel good because it showed me I was actually teaching. Rashad then went on to win several contest and awards. Young fella was definitely a pleasant surprise and showcased that potential is there.

Anthony Thompson- Illinois Wolves-14U– Anthony was consistent through-out camp and ended up going home with the 1 on 1 championship in the NBA level portion of Camp. He was absolutely dominant in the championship game blowing his opponent out and holding him scoreless and winning 7-0

Kalyl Paylor- Illinois Swish 13U- Talk about silky smooth, young fella showed a lot of ability, he is another who picked up things quite fast. He showed me things that I had not witnessed before his skill level is high. He can shoot it with range (he was absolutely on fire in scrimmages) he can handle and play both guard positions quite effectively. Kalyl is a kid I think will get better the more he plays against top flight competition and is pushed. We look forward to seeing young fella at the Top Prospect Showcase August 15^th.

Pierre Calhoun- Memorial Park Wildcats 13U- Showed he is a kid who definitely can be mentioned with the elite in his class. Pierre will look to enhance his stock and rankings at Top Prospect showcase next weekend. He is eagerly awaiting his chance to play against elite in class.

Dre Quan Williams- Outlaws 12U- Talk about a kid with a fiery and competitive spirit look no further.  Dre Quan has a baby face, but let me tell ya he is quite the competitor and has a slick handle. Young fella definitely opened some eyes at camp as co- director of camp Terry Head loved Dre Quan.

Kevin Jackson- 14U NBU- Here is a kid who was incredibly active and showed improvement as the day went on. He is a kid whom I will be monitoring. He is incredibly athletic and listens to instructions as well as pays attention to detail. Great Job at Camp Young Fella.

Keavon Anderson- 13U Athlete With in- Young fella was quite a surprise, he show the ability to pick up on drills that he had never seen before, had a nice showing of understanding and ball movement in the 3 on 3 drills and reached the final 4 of the 3 point contest, he was on fire. I mean his shot and form was pure.

Resean McMiller- 12U- Roc Solid- Young fella showed he will be a force in his class. He showcased his ball handling skills going coast to coast several times. Resean was stand-out and showed he is player who can play on the wing. He is a young fella who seemed to pick up a few nuances of the guard position and we hope the drills he learned stays with him.

Thanks,

Ricky Moore 773 383-0972

8/4/15

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  News and Notes

 

There has been some great basketball going on over the past few weeks as the AAU season winds down, Illinois has been representing all over the country playing well and representing our great state. We would just like to say congratulations to a number of programs and players.

13U – Hoops Squad team  coached by Ed Harris and John Tribble played very well the past few days and advanced all the way to the championship game in the North American Youth Sports Nationals here in Bolingbrook, Illinois. Before falling to a very tough D.C. United team from Washington D.C. Hoopsquad boosted a wealth of talent with many of the kids being 2 or 3 years younger. Desmond Dunn, Eddie Niles, Edward Harris, Elijah Harris, Sean Brown, Isiah Hall, Keshaun Matthews, Kalil lacking, Juvon Jones, Joe Brown, Avery James, Tariq Anderson all contributed through-out the week. Amir Matthews was very impressive so much that he earned an invite to the Top Prospect Showcase  August 15^th. Where many of the top  in the Midwest will be in attendance. Coach Tribble and Hoopsquad have been on the AAU seen for quite some time and it’s nice to see hisvery young promising young fella’s.

14U- Illinois Wolves- Took home the GRBA Nationals Championship in Fort Wayne this past weekend. The team concluded its season on a high winning and will look to be one of the premiere 15U groups heading into next season. Several of their players will be invited to the Fabulous Freshmen Showcase.

14U- HoopsAve- Reached the Elite 8 at the Prestigious Big Foot Invitational in Las Vegas, this team is loaded with talent. Coach Nibbs has put together a nice nucleus that not many teams match in talent. It will be interesting to see how things shake out in the North Shore area.

13U- Fire- Finished runner –up at the Prestigous Big Foot Invitaional in Las Vegas, this team has been looking pretty good as of late and has made its case for being the state’s best 13U team as the season finishes. The team is load with talent across the board and coach Teri Sampson has the team playing very discipline basketball.

14U- Park Forrest Pride– Came out of nowhere to win the North American Youth Sports Championship. They did the unthinkable, they had to play in the play-in game at 9 am, then face every higher seeded team in the tournament to win the championship. WAY TO GO!!!! The team showed a never quit attitude in forcing over-times, hitting clutch 3 ‘s in the final minutes, and key defensive stops along the way to winning the National Title.  Chris White our number 51 rated prospect class of 2019 was an absolute beast. He is sure to climb the rankings after he carried his team this past weekend. We look forward to seeing Chris at the Faboulus Freshmen Showcase.

These kids stock is rising and look for many to move into or up in the updated rankings, these guys have all showed improvement and been playing some really good basketball.

2020- Davion Rogers

2021- Kevin Miller

2019- Jamal Fomby Jr.

2019- Malik Tidwell

2021- Julio Montes Jr.

2019- Joseph Yesufu

2020- Avontae Pigram

2021- Blake Peters

2020- Arhon Ullis

2021- Chauncey Lee

2020-Donavan Newly

 

        Look for many of the best players in the area to participate in the Showcase on August 15^th.

 

Thanks,

 

Ricky Moore,   773 383-0972

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                                                          News and Notes

                     It is busy season and Illinois has been putting on a show

 Illinois Intruders  14U –Won Division 3 AAU nationals in Kentucky last weekend with contributions from everyone Lorin Taylor, Jamone McCarter, Maurion Scott, Julian Barr, Kenshay Brown, Jalen Wells, Deion Harry, Jalen McElroy, Deshawn Morris and top 10 class of 2020 prospect Joel Watts who was playing up a grade. Look for Joel at the Top Prospects Showcase Aug. 15^th. The Illinois Intruders have several under heralded kids whom we think may have a bright future.

Illinois Adidas Rebels 14U- Won the prestigious Adidas All in Classic in Ohio. The Rebels showed there grit and toughness in the championship game, trailing by 18 at the half it looked like things were over. Jordan Myrick, Jeremiah Hernandez and John Cison Jr. all had very strong showings in leading the team back to win a 55- 52.  Coaches Terry Head and Leavon Head are starting to figure out what they have and the team has jelled together nicely. The Rebels are in Las Vegas as well as many other Illinois teams this week.

Illinois Truth 12U- was runner-up at Nationals. The central Illinois based team, showed how they are among Nations Elite.Coaches David Gouard, Kevin Smith and Marcus Johnson had the team prepared very well, these coaches have done a remarkable job all year in preparing for this. The team used a balanced attack to reach the final 4. In that game it was Devin Smith who showed he is a name who people will be talking about for years to come as he hit a game winner as time expired. Truth came up a little short in the championship game, but they had one great experience. Illinois Truth we are Proud of You. Thanks for Representing. Also BIG SHOUTS OUT TO TORI EXUM.  JrhoopsElite wants to say she is as fine of a  Director of a Program that you would want.  Illinois Truth- GREAT JOB!!!

Train To Ball 12U- Won the 12U division at the prestigious Big Foot Innovational in Las Vegas. This team is starting to hit it’s grove, they have won 3 tournaments in a row. The west coast had never seen nothing like that, talk about full court pressure. These young boys represented Illinois well and showed our talent stacks up with the best in the nation. Congrats to the Whole Train To Ball crew, the family and kids both represented us well.

Stay Tuned More to Come-

Ricky Moore

7/23

                                                                 NEWS AND NOTES

This was an action packed weekend with plenty of good basketball. Games were everywhere and talent was on display at every level.

The 12U Roc Solid team won the 12 U bracket after after a thrilling win in the semi-finals against FSA a team from Minnesota in which Roc Solid was trailing by  14 with less than 5 minutes to go. This team showed the refuse to loose attitude. Trailing by 7 at the half, Roc Solid came out and hit a few baskets but JSA countered with a few baskets of their own and used there imposing size to take a double figure lead.  At the 5:05 mark coach called a time- out, It looked like the game might be over, but the young team put on pressure like you would not believe they were all over the court forcing turn-over after turnover. A key 3 and lay-up by Kevin Miller, followed by a steal and basket apiece from Kenton Wright and Marquise Irving the lead was cut to 6. With a minute and a half, JSA converted a basket and it looked like the heroic effort by Roc Solid would fall short. But with under a minute Resean McMiller and Kenton Wright came up with big steals and Kevin Miller converted some nifty penetration moves to hole.  JSA just could not withstand the constant pressure of the ultra-feisty small team from Chicago. This young team and there strong contingent of fans left the gym with everybody asking “Did You See Those Lil Kids” Job well done and congratulations.

13U-Division—My oh My were there some good games here. All I can say is that no one or team hould leave walking away with their head down. EXCELLENT JOB to all the players and teams. Way to play and compete hard and anybody could have won this divison. I saw the Rock Solid Team lose in sudden death to IMVP, and IMVP had the tournament champions down 8 early in the second half and was winning by 5 with less than a minute, while Meantreets and Peoria Elite both lost by 2 points in the semi final and championship games. This level was  ultra-competitive with many close, fun and entertaining games. Mac Irvin Fire in the semifinal game it matched the 2 top rated players in the class of 2020 as rated by jrhoopselite  Carlos Brown and Tarik Booker and boy oh boy did the two live up to the billing. Tarik was spectacular finishing with 25 points and hitting from everywhere on the floor long 3’s, getting to the basket and showed excellent touch with the floater in the lane over the big guys quite regularly, Carlos Johnson showed every skill imaginable the ball handling, inside-outside scoring and had me jumping out of my seat with passing. I mean he threw a rap- around pass at the most crucial time of the game, under a minute team down two points, in traffic the kid throws a MAGIC JOHNSON type pass, I mean he can play. With the crowd standing on its feet and most of the parents on edge for both teams it was Mac Irvin in bounding the ball with 7 seconds to go down 1 point and the length of the floor to go. The pass was inbounded to Mario Brown he dribbled the ball up the floor, a double team came he through it ahead to Zhavier Williams who took a few dribbles split defenders and hit Jemario Minniefield at the basket for the game winning layup the crowd went off jumping and shouting like the scene in a movie Great Game both teams . Mac Irvin went on to win the championship game against a tuff Peoria Elite in  the championship. Congratulations job well done.

14U– While there were many good games it came down to Meanstreets Tim and Howard Pulley. The game was nip and tuck trough-out. Meanstreet used their depth and contributions from everyone on the team to come away with the championship. Kameron Leonard, Tim Ervin Jr. , Maliq Anderson, Andrew Stewart, Elijah Stewart, Deion Jackson, Chris White, Miles Baker all played well and made some key plays at pivotal moments during the tournament and showed their value. Joseph Yesufu was quite impressive through-out the tournament, maybe playing the best I’ve seen him play all year. He really showed the trust in taking the open jump when it was available, make or miss his confidence was there instead of forcing his way to basket, I was really impressed. Great job to coach Tim and staff over there. Congratulations and good luck at Nationals.

Congratulations to the young group advance all the way to the sweet 16 and being 4-0 before taking their first lost.

Ricky Moore- 773 383-0972

7/13

 

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                        Observations & Prediction or Suggestion

Antonio Reeves- 2019- Observation- Here is a kid who can shoot it with the best of them, Antonio  is a basketball player that has a skill that transcends to every level, while others will stall going into high school or they have played their best basketball. Young fella has a ceiling that many do not have. He appears to being still growing and with the gene pool he has don’t be surprised in a couple years, that he will have  surpassed many of his 2019 classmates. Young fella has coasted the past few seasons because he was so good at an early age or because he played on teams where he didn’t need to do as much because of the talent around him. You heard it here first a big jump is his game is on the verge. I want to say to young fella, enjoy and embrace the process. Its not where you start its where you finish Prediction- I look for Antonio to thrive in High School and get better year by year. He will need to somehow gain that competitive edge and play with high energy, but that can be said about a lot of young players. As he gets more comfortable handling the ball in traffic and creating off the dribble his game will take great leaps. Antonio  is definitely a prospect in which Jrhoopselite will be monitoring, he is also a prospect we see  having an upside that many of his classmates do not have. So look for young fella to climb his way up our ranking rather fast if he progresses the way we think.

Micah Schnyders-2020-Observation- Here is a kid who loves the game he is a gym rat, he has a passion for it that others at his age may not understand, Micah has a basketball I.Q that many just do not have at this time. When everybody watches Micah the first thing they say is WOW!! Can he shoot, and “yes he can!!!” possibly the best shooter in the state. But he is so much more he understands how to move without the ball, he understands how to give an entry pass where the big needs to get it, he understands when to cut to the basket. See Micah is not the most physically gifted kid in the class but he knows how to play the game. In time he will gain strength, but right now he is doing all the things he can to show he is worthy of being mentioned as one of the top players in our state. Suggestion- Keep working hard young fella, have fun and understand all the challenges in front of you and face them head on. The more you play against the top flight competition the more your game will flourish. You are good now but I truly believe your game is going to grow tremendously.

Kasean Pryor – 2019- Some people will look at young fella and say he not ready, he needs to be more aggressive, he needs to finish at the rim and bang better, they see a kid  who is taller than many of his classmates and want him in the post and to grab every rebound, I see a kid who is progressing at his own pace and kid who will figure it out. While many kids are reaching their peak and will cap off in Middle School with size, and Keasean is a kid who is oozing with Upside. Prediction-  I look for Keasean to be a late bloomer with his talents a kid who I belive will at the next level will adjust to the speed and size of the game, A kid who because of his continued growth, will be a better College Prospect than early High School Prospect. Mark it down right now, young fella will get the last laugh. D-1 is in his future remember I told ya this.

Joel Watts-2020-Observation- Here is a kid who shows me a lot in his game. Joel knows how to run a team and clearly is a leader. He shows the ability to show up big when it matters most. Joel does whatever is needed at the time, if you need a bucket he will get you one, if you need a key assist he’ll get you one, if you need the best guard on the other team to be shut down, send Joel. Young fella impresses me because he does it on the floor with a quiet confidence; he has all qualities you would want in your point guard. He also has shown the drive to put forward a great effort even when he is not feeling his best. Prediction- Joel will become one of the household names people will be talking about in high school at his position. Jrhoopselite look forward to continuing to watch Joel as he progresses.

Keon Thompson-2021-Observation- Young fella is a heady point guard, who demonstrates and understanding of the game. Keon is from Hobart, Indiana and was in attendance at the top prospect showcase. Keon played on a team where there were several other guards who dominated the ball a little. Keon appeared frustrated at times due to the showcase type of environment where kids played a little more individually or may have passed to kids they knew, All I know is young fella has game, a trained eye can see and it doesn’t take long, so dispite not putting up the numbers I still think young fella is one of the better guards in his class. Suggestion- You have several more years of middle school ball, continue to play the right way, those that know the game will understand you are good. I see bright things in your future, Mark it down right now this kid will be All – Area High School at very least, remember you heard it here first.

Everyone these are just Observations I hope all take them in a positive and motivating way.

Thanks,

Ricky Moore  773 383-0972

 

 

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                                                                   NEWS AND NOTES

Perry Cowan– 2019 – Has started the summer off great, he will be attending Depaul Prep. this coming fall. Perry is Jrhoopselite number 1 rated player in the class and has looked all the part, playing and starting on a veteran team that returns many of the pieces that beat the state champions St. Joes. last year. Perry recently participated at Loyola Ramblers Camp where only a few kids from his class of 2019 were invited and he turned quite a few heads, Perry is the catalyst on the Illinois Wolves and we look forward to watching him next month during the live period and this coming fall with the Depaul Prep.

Ismael Habib-2021- This young general is quite the point guard, he is another in the long line of quality point guards in the Midwest. The kid straight knows how to get others involved and is a wizard with the ball in his hands. Between Ishmael, Kevin Miller, Kyonte Thomas and Nick Owens among others the pg spot in the class of 2021 is I very good hands. Ismael is eager to show everyone he is a top 10 talent in the class and will be at Top Prospect Showcase in Aug.

Kejuan Clements– 2019- No one has done more over the last year at showing just how good he is and can be. Last year when I mentioned this to people they said I was crazy. Kejuan was another kid who was invited to Loyola Camp, Kejuan will be attending the traditional power house Simeon Career Academy. From a humble young kid just playing for the love of the game to one of the most promising prospects in the state. Congratulations on your accomplishments so far young fella you definitely deserve it and its all been earned. I LOVE IT !!!!! If you are new to site or have not read the article look at Promising Prospects.

Marcus Watson 2020- Marcus is a warrior, he does everything a coach ask for and competes as hard as any player in the class. Despite his small frame he comes away with more clutch rebounds than anyone on the team. He is fearless, he scores amongst the bigs, he locks up on defense, he attacks the basket, he scraps for everything. This is one kid who reminds me of players from the old era. He doesn’t worry about looking pretty, he worries about getting the win. As Marcus outside shot comes along he will continue to elevate his game. Young fella is the Heart and Soul of Team Prodigy. We want to wish them Good Luck at representing Illinois at Nationals next month.

 

Thanks,

Ricky Moore

6/28

 

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                                              KEEP AN EYE ON!!!!!!!!!

ILLINOIS TRUTH 12U

This team is making some noise after a final 4 finish in Chicago Classic this past weekend, runner up at the H.I.T. in Indianapolis and State final 4, they are showing they are one of the premier 12U teams in the State. They are led by the do everything on the court Tevin Smith who is sure to be in the 2021 rankings released June 15^th., the savvy pg. Jermale Young Jr., the combo guard Devin Miles and wing Deshun Sanders. I look forward to seeing these young men and a few others at the Top Prospect Showcase June 13^th. Junior Hoops will also be keeping a close eye on The Illinois Truth team at Nationals as expect them to represent our state well. Illinois Truth, Gametime, Hoops Ave and All in Athletics all have great shots at coming home with Medals. GOOD LUCK!!!!

 

 

Sandolay Njie- 13U –This young fella has a tremendous upside, He right now possesses some skills at 6/4 that you would not believe. I look forward to seeing young fella match up at showcase with other elite players in his class.

 

Ryan Kielson 14U—Ryan is starting to get his groove, as his confidence grows he continues to get better. His best basketball is ahead of him.

 

Lemontray Daugherty 13U—At 6/4 his wing span makes it awful difficult to score on. He runs the floor like a deer. Springfield, Illinois has some talent and Lemontray is definitely one of the better players.

 

 

Bryce Hall 13U- This young man is exploding on the seen this year, proving to be one of the better players in his class so far. A versatile player who is showing every part of his game right now.

 

 

Patrick Baldwin 12U- Makes it look so easy, Showing the abilities of kids much older definitely one of the best players in his class.

 

 

IMVP 13U.

This team is one of the better teams in the Area, Coach Coker and his team ducks no one. He is a regular at all the top tournaments in the area. He plays whether he has a full roster or not. His team just got home last night, winning the John Lucas Houston Memorial Day Bash. IMVP is definitely a team everyone should keep an eye on.

Ricky Moore   773 383-0972

5/26

 

     NEWS AND NOTES

 

This past weekend there was plenty of action on the circuit. Illinois had teams participating in events everywhere. There were several players and teams that had great weekends. Some people put themselves and programs on the map.

STATE TOURNAMENT

Team Manimals 13U- Showed that there is plenty of talent on their team as they won the 13U state tournament over Team Prodigy. Prodigy played great behind Bryce Hall (who twisted his ankle in game and had to leave early) Nimari Burnett, Marcus Watson Jr. Mighty Mouse and Sandolay, but Team Manimals would not be denied behind the leadership and strong play of Phillip “PJ” Edwards, the inside presence of Lemontray Daugherty , the outside shooting of Cameron Rowe, Kai Steinman, and timely shooting of Elijah Pickens. The Manimals appeared to be in control most of the second hald and had a 10 point lead. When out of nowhere Prodigy got some timely back to back 3 point shots from Mighty Mouse, but PJ would not let the Manimals lose, every key play needed down the stretch young fella had his hand in, whether it being scoring, assisting or knocking down the clutch free- throws. PJ showed he is another 2020 class prospect that should be mentioned with the elites in his class. I look forward to seeing him as well as others on his team at the top prospect showcase June 13^th.

In the 14U- Future Elite Captured the Title with a win over Illinois Warhawks. There were several players who enhanced their resumes and played well. Chris Burnell (Rockford Elite) showed he is definitely a player as noted in Stock Risers Mid- April section. Chris can do many things on the floor. In match-up this weekend against Meanstreet and Hybrid Elite he more than held his own, He will be moved into the top 25 in 2019 class next updated rankings.

 

In another highly contested game between Meanstreets-Tim and Hybrid Elite it was the usual big game performer Deion Jackson who led his team to victory and was steady throughout the game, but it was the Stewart Brothers (Elijah and Andrew ) and Malik Anderson who hit some timely 3 point shots that got Meanstreets going. With the team down 7 and Hybrid playing a match-up zone, it appeared Hybrid was comfortable and about to take control of the game. Andrew entered the game and things instantly changed, he knocked down two long range 3 point shots to calm the team down, Elijah entered the game and had a few assist before hitting a pull up jump shot to give Meanstreets its first lead. Andrew, Elijah and Malik proved to be the difference as the Hybrid Elite team wore down and had no answers for the trio off the bench.

Illinois in playing in Indianapolis

At the H.I.P. tournament in Indianapolis where teams from throughout the country competed it was Illinois own GAMETIME 12U that walked away with the title after final 4 battle with a strong Worldwide All-stars and Atlanta biased team. Jalen Axibal, Patrick Baldwin, Ian Burns Jalen Butler, Dylan Ingram, Julio Montes, Khlund Smothers and Kymonte Thomas all were contributor’s throughout.

Illinois playing in Ohio

14U At the All Ohio Red sweet 16 this past weekend, Illinois was well represented and our teams ended up having a good ole’ Illinois Championship as Mac Irvin Fire defeated Illinois Rebels in the championship. Several kids from both teams had nice weekends including Jaheim Holden who was MVP, and all tournament selections Lamont Johnson, J.R. Cison and Cameron Battle.

 

The Illinois wolves 14U- won its first championship this weekend playing in the Super Star Challenge Championship beating All In Athletics in the championship behind the strong play of Anthony Thompson, Perry Cowan and Ryan Kielson.

 

 

Ricky Moore

773.383.0972

5/18

 

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NEWS AND NOTES

13 and 14U State tournament will be this weekend  Good Luck Everyone and Remember is Just a Game!!

 

While the tournament will be down in participation this year 18 teams class of 2019 and 16 teams 2020 (I believe due to the late date of tournament this year) there still appears to be plenty of talent to get a good look at. I will be in attendance to get a look at many players. Hers a list of players to keep an eye on and I’m sure there will be plenty of others.

Mike Salter: 14U Hybrid Elite -Can do everything on the floor. Multi-skilled point guard, sky is the limit. Young fella proving he capable of carrying a team

Lance Jones: 14U Meanstreet Curtis – Showing he is combo guard, who can win with scoring or with his leadership. Recently led his team to back to back championships

Nimari Burnett: 13UProdigy -Silky Smooth scoring machine. One of states best shooters regardless of class.

Bryant Brown: 14UFuture Elite – Can young fella put the team on his back? I will be eager to see some of his versatility.

Josh Thompson: 14U Manimals – Scoring pg who can shoot it lights out, been giving guards fit for the past 3 years at this tourney.

Kaleb Drumgoole: 13U Bowen – Young fella is tenacious and this could very well be a breakthrough weekend.

Kejaun Clements: 14U Meanstreet Curtis – Most Electrifying offensive player in class.

Jalen Thorpe: Full Package 14U- This is his chance to show if he belongs to be mentioned with top guards in the class.

Bryce Hall: Prodigy 13U-Will his stock continue to increase? Has the talent will we see him bust out with a signature performance.

Arteese Stapleton: 14U Hybrid Elite – Young fella is a crowd pleaser, could be very key player if Hybrid is to make a run.

Mikhail Taylor: 13U- Bowen- Playing close to home look for Mikhail to have extra incentive to bringing a championship home.

Deon Jackson: 14U- Meanstreets Tim- When the lights are on the kid usually shines.

Lamontay Daugherty: 13U Manimals- Young Fella has size and skills. Can he dominate and lead his Central Illinois team to the title?

 

 

Any of these kids listed below are capable of exploding and being on the front page of jrhoopselite.com after this weekend as I will be on hand Sunday to catch action. I will have notes and recaps of playoffs and pictures up next week.

De’Ante Vortes 14U

Joseph Yesufu 14U

Kahlil Whitney 14U

Taeyon Neal 14U

Miles Baker 14U

Tim Ervin Jr. 14U

Kameron Leonard 14U

Maliq Anderson 14U

Elisha Basnight 14U

Marcus Watson Jr. 13U

Antione Palmer Jr. 14U

Malik Tidwell 14U

Destin Whitaker 13U

Kevin Drumgoole 13U

Jadon Williams 13U

Arhon Ellis 13U

Elliot Sieger13U

Tyler Beard 13U

Cameron Rowe 13U

Breion Hill 14U

Bryson Cowper 14U

Payton Sheen 14U

Erik White 14U

Chris White 14U

PJ Edwards 13U

Kei Steinman 13U

 

Ricky Moore   773 383-0972

5/15