The State’s Top College Prospect

The State’s Top College Prospect

After all the 2015 class may have more talent in store than any of us over-examiners might have reported this season.  The road leads perhaps towards the back trails of the junior college ranks.  We will attempt to provide a listing of who potentially are the top players.  This has become a banner year for juco’s and small colleges in our area.  These guys have been visible nightly.

Dexter Dale    6-3    PG    MM    Morton
Just a terrific untapped talent; long arms and a steady ball-handler; shoots the deep ball respectably; has array of moves attacking the rim; needs to get stronger & polish-up miscues; “the crystal ball index has him pegged as a mid-major or above in 2 years.”

Dwayne Ward    6-6    SF    MM    Chicago Marine Leadership Academy
Vastly under-rated; this kid has hydraulics; very explosive leaper; has a big strong frame and his skills aren’t bad!  His jump shot he shoots with accuracy from 15-20 feet; ball-handling limited now; “he could be a mid-above in a few years; our state doesn’t have many of him around these days.”

Donovan Sapp    6-6    SF    ----------    Chicago Roosevelt
A project right now; lacks the necessary fundamentals, but he’s big & strong with huge hands and very athletic, but needs time to develop; one day he could be a gem.  I personally like his potential, in addition he has the support system to flourish.

Darius Edwards    6-0    G    MM    Alton
Has his team in the hunt for a state tournament push; capable scorer, probably more of a wing guard than an actual point; juco’s are smitten by his potential to lead a team; Rend Lake College could be in the driver’s seat for his services.

Kamari Jones    6-1    PG    MM    Decatur MacArthur
Lethal in the open floor; he’s continued to refine areas of his game that hampered him early in the season; this big-time athlete has been the catalyst for his team’s success, Wednesday night vs Mahomet-Seymour could be a special night for him.

Deshon Fluckus    6-3    WG    MM    Uplift
“This kid has a bright future, you can see his skills flourishing each outing; he is terrific in transition; he needs repetition with his perimeter shooting, while he could become a lock-down defender with his wiry build; the OVC just might be his suit one day.”

Alex Peacock    6-7    SF    LM+    Normal Community
“Yes, this may be his route; great body but still struggles at times finishing at the rim; the lefty is considered average athlete and limited ball-handler away from the paint; he’s worth taking a chance on, even though he’s labeled as not often aggressive & tends to lack passion.  How much can he improve?”

Jachai Taylor    6-6    F    MM    Waukegan
Just a wealth of potential, he’s still in the stages of learning the game; mega athleticism and has some skill to score around the rim; but lacks a true understanding of how to play; with a good coach/teacher his value could soar after juco.  He may be destined for prep-school.

Adrian Smith    6-3    G    MM    East Aurora
If he can make his way through the challenges of academic work, we may have a talented ball-handling guard who can make decisions and he has a pretty good understanding of the game; Adrian has the ability to score and defend; legit mid-major after juco.

Daniel Soetan    6-3    PG    MM    Uplift
Wiry athlete with a promising future; he’s cut-back on miscues and improved shot selection; still loose with his ball at times but you can see him hitting stride in terms of growth; emphasis on outside shooting should be a priority.

Tony Haley    6-3    G    MM-LM+    Morton
Intriguing prospect, plays with a wealth of energy; exhibits excellent length at both ends; very athletic; ball-handling promising; if cleans-up some loose spots in his game, primarily just doing too much with the ball, I see his value sky-rocketing; he’s a hidden gem.

Michael Calhoun    6-1    WG    MM-LM+    Chicago Clemente
Slithery performer; explosive athlete with a quality upside; ball-handling could use some polish; he plays under control, while finding his mates; jump shot looks good with 3 range; Calhoun needs strength and seasoning.

Anton Ivy    6-7    F/C    ---------    Peoria Manuel
A raw talent, but has a big body; mobile and does have a skill which refers to his motor.  Promising just have to continue his path towards improving fundamentals.  “Could develop into a solid recruit!”

Josh Stamps    6-5    WG    MM+-MM    Chicago Curie
Still awfully raw in terms of fundamentals; just lacks a pure understanding of situations like playing hard all the time, but he can become a marvelous player with some work; his jump shot is potent; ball-handling deft enough to get around defenders; his wiry frame needs some strength and his focus has to be placed on classroom work as well.

Elyjah Henry    6-5    SF    ----------    Evanston
Bouncy player, starting to touch-the-surface with his development; capable mid-range shooter, rebounds the ball at a high-rate and he’s a respectable shot-blocker; he could use a year of seasoning in strength as well as maturity; Elyjah will determine his own fate with the work he puts in.