NIKE Peach Jam Stock Raisers

July 16, 2008

11:00 P.M. CST

The NIKE Peach Jam has annually been an event in which players often come out of the woodwork and raise their level of performance, thus enhancing their recruiting stock.  This year was no exception, as there were several players from Illinois who stepped up and either carved out reputations for themselves or helped themselves even further.  The following is a look at the players who we considered to be among the biggest stock raisers at this year's Peach Jam.  This list excludes both D.J. Richardson and Marcus Jordan, who we have already talked about in a previous story related to the Peach Jam and who were clearly above the rest of the pack based on performace.  The players mentioned all competed in the 17-under age division.

Darius Smith     6'2     Sr.     PG/2G     Chicago (Marshall)     Illinois Warriors

Make no mistake about it--Smith might be the first player in the state that we would want on our team if we needed to win a big game.  Anyone who doubts us only needs to look at Smith's performance in the Illinois Warriors' opening round 17-under tournament contest vs. California Supreme.  With the Warriors being without D.J. Richardson on account of him having to leave to attend summer school, Smith did everything he could do to keep the Warriors in the game, scoring 28 points and dishing out 6 assists.  Simply put, he does whatever he has to do to put his team in a position to win and has leadership traits that few other players have.  We were the first to say it and now everyone else has followed suit because it is a no-brainer--Smith is the best defensive player in Illinois and he did a terrific job guarding some of the best guards at the event, including Tommy Mason-Griffin of Houston Hoops, John Wall of the South Carolina Ravens, Marcus Jordan of Rising Stars Gold and Gary Franklin of California Supreme.  Smith has a great motor and is tremendous at pushing the ball up the floor and getting from baseline to baseline.  There are still some questions as to whether he is a true point guard, but we think that he can be an ideal point in an up-tempo system which utilizes full-court pressure.  Overall, Smith had a very solid Peach Jam and we currently see him as a mid-major plus player at the next level.

D.J. Cooper     5'9     Sr.     PG     South Holland (Seton Academy)     Mean Streets

While Mean Streets struggled as the result of playing in what we thought was undoubtedly the toughest pool at Peach Jam, it certainly didn't hamper Cooper's play, as he looked like the same player he has always been when we watched him.  There is not another guard in Illinois Cooper's size that plays as consistently under control as he does.  He has great court vision, is a waterbug defensively and will burn opponents from beyond the 3-point arc if they back off of him. To top it off, Cooper always gives it everything he has and is capable of making those players around him better.  We thought that Cooper had a strong showing especially given the fact that there weren't a lot of other scoring options around him.  His recruitment has begun to pick up, and right now he is another player who we see as being on the higher end of the mid-major level. 

Drew Crawford     6'4     2G     Naperville (Central)     Illinois Warriors

No other player at Peach Jam from Illinois took advantage of the opportunity to emerge from the shadows more than Crawford and as a result he may have helped himself more than any other player.  Crawford is extremely competitive and seemed to be at his best in clutch situations, as he hit several big shots throughout the course of the event in addition to coming up with some key defensive plays.  He is highly athletic and is capable of converting shots from beyond 3-point range as well as putting the ball on the floor.  Crawford now simply needs to work on continuing to fine-tune all elements of his game and adding strength, all of which we think he will do, as he has an outstanding work ethic.  Not only that, but Crawford is also an elite-level student, as his 4.2 g.p.a. attests to.  There is no question that he is a D1 talent, and when you combine that with all of the intangibles that he brings to the table, we believe that Crawford has a world of opportunity ahead of him.

Jeremy Jones     6'2     Sr.     2G     Chicago (Simeon)     Illinois Warriors

Jones also made the most of his opportunity at Peach Jam before having to go home in order to attend summer school.  In his two best games, he scored 15 points vs. both Team Final and the South Carolina Ravens.  While we were uncertain at first, we now believe that Jones projects as a low major D1 player based solely on his shooting ability, as he can consistently nail shots from beyond the arc.  However, Jones also gets out on the break well and he showed at Peach Jam that he can be an effective scorer in transition.  Whether or not Jones can project any higher will depend on how well he succeeds at diversifying his game, as there are still other parts that need work.   

Coming Tommorow: Recruiting News as well as analysis on players from the Illinois Warriors 16-under squad.

Continue to check in with Illinois Prep Bulls-eye for all of the latest as it pertains to high school basketball and recruiting in Illinois.