End of Season Showdown Notes, pt. 2

Mac Irvin Fire 16’s upended by CAPS All Stars

Northwest Indiana’s CAPS All Stars, coached by Nate Richie, surprised many onlookers by taking it to the Fire from start to finish.  The Fire were without their best prospect, Whitney Young’s 6′6” Sam Thompson, but added Mt. Carmel’s Tracy Abrams who played with the 17’s the night before.  Abrams, who committed to the Illini last fall, had his hands full all game with Lowell’s 6′0” combo guard, Austin Richie.  Richie led the charge with well over 30 points in the game, scoring in a variety of ways.  He also had help in the back court from Westview’s Justin Jantzi.  Munster’s 6′6” forward Ricky Carbajal, and Crown Point’s 6′10” Jared Smoot did a lot of damage on the glass, and provided a great presence inside on offense.

While most of the college coaches, and neutral spectators, around the court were there for the high-profile Fire 16’s, they all got to see a handful of division-one prospects for the class of 2011 from northwest Indiana.

Illinois Wolves 16’s continue to dominate

Coach Mullins and coach Maniscalco have seen great success throughout the spring and summer with their Wolves 16 and under club.  Many of the tournaments their team has won, have been in the 17’s division.  At the End of Season Showdown, the Wolves played their way to a title in the 17’s division against some great competition.  Rock Island’s Chasson Randle, and St. Ignatius’ Nnanna Egwu were named co-MVP’s of the tournament.  They received help, as usual, from St. Patrick’s Jacob Williams, Benet’s Dave Sobolewski, York’s Will Sullivan, and Peoria Central’s Bobo Drummond.

After all their success this summer against kids a year older than them, there is no telling what they’re going to do to the competition next summer.

End Of Season Showdown Notes

Brian Stinnette and ChicagoHoops.com’s End of Season Showdown at The Fieldhouse in Merrillville, Indiana showcased some of the best travel teams in the Midwest.  It also served as a last chance during this July’s live recruiting period for college coaches to see the players showcase their ability.  Head coaches and assistant coaches from high division-one programs, all the way through division-three, were in attendance.  On Wednesday and Thursday of the event, so was End to End.

Class of 2012 Point Guards emerge

Landis Farmer, 5′8”, Peoria Manual (Illinois Wolves); Farmer runs the show for the tough Illinois Wolves 15’s.  He is extremely fast with the ball in his hands, and has a slick handle.  Even though he is a true point guard, he has displayed the ability to score in many different ways all spring and summer.  Look for Farmer to make some noise with Manual over the course of the next few seasons.

Fred Van Vleet, 5′11”, Rockford Auburn (Prymetyme); Van Vleet’s point guard skills are as developed as you will find for a 15 year old.  He leads the charge for Prymetyme as they continually make deep runs in tournaments.  It’s been a while since a high-major division-one prospect has come out of Rockford, but if Van Vleet keeps working hard, that trend will end.

Jelani Neely, 5′10”, Simeon (Meanstreets); Simeon head coach Robert Smith may be relying on a sophomore to run the show for his varsity team.  If this summer is any indication, Jelani Neely looks like he will be up to the challenge.  Neely possesses a great skill set that includes a nasty cross, and a great drive-and-dish ability.  Should he continue to work on his perimeter game, as well as getting stronger, he will easily be one of the elite point guards in the CPS.

Look out for Rich South

Over the past few days it has been reported by the Chicago Sun-Times that class of 2010 guard, and Illini commit, Crandall Head will be transferring back to Rich South.  Head will join Macari Brooks to form arguably the most athletic backcourt in the state of Illinois.  Brooks, 6′2”, displayed his amazing athletic ability playing with the Mac Irvin Fire 16’s the past couple days.  The Fieldhouse was buzzing for minutes after Brooks threw down a 360 while getting fouled by an opponent.

Keep your eyes out for more stories, photos, and interviews from the End of Season Showdown…

What’s New

Please take the chance to check out the different sections of our website.  While our magazine will be loaded with feature stories, action-packed photos, and exclusive interviews, we will also offer plenty for you to read on our website as well.  Whether you are sitting in the computer lab at school, surfing the web at work, or hanging out at home, don’t forget to check-in and see what’s new in IHSA hoops.

End to End Magazine

End to End is a brand new magazine dedicated to covering the great state of Illinois’ boys high school basketball teams, coaches, and players. This magazine is essential for all high school basketball fans that want to keep up with Illinois’ outstanding student athletes all over the state, or catch up with former players and coaches.

For only $25, you will receive four issues that will keep you up to date on everything you need to know before, during, and after the season. Don’t pass up the chance to read about Illinois’ hometown heroes!