Meyers Leonard, Chasson Randle, Rayvonte Rice and Alex Dragicevich All Outstanding At Deron Williams Shootout At The Hall

December 13, 2009

2:00 P.M. CST

We were able to take in an absolutely spectacular day of basketball yesterday at the Deron Williams Shootout At The Hall at the University Of Illinois' Assembly Hall in Champaign.  A huge kudos goes out to Lucas Thurman and everyone at the Champaign County Sports Commission, as once again they did a superb job of putting together an event which attracted many of the top high school basketball teams and prospects throughout the state of Illinois.  There is no question that the Shootout At The Hall has become perhaps the premier high school basketball extravaganza in Illinois prior to the start of holiday tournaments at the end of December.

Needless to say, there were plenty of outstanding performances that were turned in, both team-wise and individually.  Therefore, without any further adieu we break down the top performers and also include plenty of other notable thoughts and observations from our time spent at the Shootout At The Hall, as we were pretty much there from start to finish.

Top Performances At Shootout At The Hall

1) Meyers Leonard     7'0     2010   C     Robinson (H.S.) IL

All we could keep saying throughout Leonard's game vs. Rock Island was "oh my goodness!" and anyone else who was on hand could certainly understand why.  Forget about the fact that Rock Island ended up defeating Leonard's Robinson team by a score of 58-53.  The bottom line is that Leonard was the biggest presence on the floor and impacted the game from start to finish.  While Leonard's final stat line was most impressive, it doesn't begin to tell the full story as to how good he looked.  Leonard finished with 16 points, 5 blocked shots (and probably twice as many altered shots), and 4 assists.  We have not seen a high school big man in the state of Illinois with Leonard's overall skill set in ages.  Simply put, it is off the charts.  Leonard has great shooting touch from virtually anywhere inside the 3-point arc, has great hands and world-class athleticism.  He protects the ball extremely well and is an exceptional passer from the wings.  And he possesses a "mean streak" that is unlike many other recent Illini post players.  While some will say that Leonard needs to rebound better, part of that is due to the fact that he often plays out on the perimeter defensively, where he challenges everything and is just as effective there as he is when it comes to intimidating around the basket.

We will go as far as to say that we believe that Leonard is the best #2 ranked prospect in any recruiting class in Illinois (ranking only behind Waukegan's Jereme Richmond) since either Corey Maggette, Quentin Richardson, or Frankie Williams, depending on which of those three players anyone would have ranked second best in 1998.  Not only that, but while it may be considered a long shot, it is also not out of the question to say that Leonard is worthy of being called a McDonald's All-American.  It is therefore no wonder that Bruce Weber and the rest of the Illini coaching staff are on cloud nine as the result of knowing that they will have the big man in the fold beginning in the fall of 2010.  

2) Chasson Randle     6'2     2011   2G/PG     Rock Island (H.S.) IL

If Leonard's performance at the Assembly Hall was #1, then Randle's was undoubtedly #1A.  Randle was terrific in leading Rock Island to victory over Robinson and simply took over the game in the second half.  He finished with 28 points including a trio of three-point field goals to go along with 8 rebounds.  Simply put, Randle may have the best scoring ability of any prospect in Illinois from the class of 2011.  Not only does he sport outstanding shooting range, but he is capable of getting his own shot from virtually anywhere on the floor.  Randle also showed that he is quite good in transition and that he can lead the break and consistently finish.  But perhaps what we like about Randle above everything else is his competitive nature.  He does not back down from a challenge and he took it right to the entire Robinson defense throughout the course of the game.  We still believe that Randle is a combo guard who falls more on the side of being a "2" as opposed to a point, but that hardly matters when it comes to assessing his game.  Therefore, anyone who gets hung up on position with Randle is making a huge mistake, as he simply makes plays and more often than not ends up having a positive impact on the outcome of the game.   

3) Rayvonte Rice   6'3   2010   WF   Champaign (Centennial) IL

We have said it in no uncertain terms before, but it is worth repeating--Rice may be the recruiting steal of the century for Drake University and head coach Mark Phelps.  Rice absolutely dominated the game in Centennial's 71-54 win over Waukegan en route to 32 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals.  Rice simply owns the interior and controls the paint like few players at 6'3 can.  He has a spectacular combination of strength and athleticism and is virtually automatic whenever he gets the ball anywhere within 15' of the basket.  In addition, he pounds the glass and goes to war every moment that he is on the floor.  While he would probably struggle as a 3-man in a high major conference, with everything that he brings to the table there is no question that he will flourish in the Missouri Valley.  Rice is truly the catalyst for a Centennial team that is stacked with talent and has become one of our favorite players to watch from the 2010 class in Illinois.

4) Alex Dragicevich     6'6   2010   2G   Northbrook (Glenbrook North)IL

Dragicevich's effort at the Shootout At The Hall gives further indication as to why he was one of the biggest stock-raisers of any prospect in Illinois this past summer during the July evaluation period.  In a game that quite honestly was painful to watch, Dragicevich was clearly the bright spot in Glenbrook North's victory over Peoria Notre Dame, finishing with 21 points and 8 rebounds.  Dragicevich continues to show considerable toughness and leadership with each and every game and that was certainly the case in Champaign.  His forte is his perimeter shooting, where he is deadly from 3-point range when left unattended.  But what has really enabled Dragicevich to excel even further is the vast improvement he has shown with respect to being able to mix up his offensive game.  He has proven that he can bring the ball up the floor and consistently attack the basket and has become just as much of a mid-range weapon as he has from beyond the arc.  What it adds up to is a player who we see as being a perfect fit for the University of Notre Dame and head coach Mike Brey.

5) Macari Brooks     6'2     2011     2G     Richton Park (Rich South) IL

Brooks is a sparkplug who was almost single-handedly responsible for Rich South's 53-47 victory over Champaign Central, as he came away with 22 points on 10-17 shooting.  He has a level of athleticism that is matched by few other high school basketball players in Illinois.  That is because Brooks is explosive to the basket, as he has an incredibly quick first step and an utter jumping jack with great instincts on the boards.  As a result, he cleans up around the basket and gets a good share of offensive putbacks.  Brooks still doesn't lock into either guard position because his overall shooting range is still suspect and while he can handle and go coast-to-coast, he lacks the mindset and playmaking capabilities of a point guard.  Nevertheless, he is a player that we see as being on the high end of the mid-major level and could end up climbing even higher with continued work.

The Next Tier

• Jereme Richmond   6'7   2010   WF   Waukegan (Township) IL

Richmond certainly wasn't bad against Champaign Centennial, finishing with 21 points and 12 rebounds and doing everything that he could to keep Waukegan in the contest.  However, it is difficult to list the class of 2010 University Of Illinois signee among the top five players at this event when looking at some of the other elite-level performances and especially seeing as though Waukegan ended up losing the game by 17 points.  Not to make any excuses, but it appeared as though the entire Waukegan team was tired after suffering an overtime defeat the previous night at the hands of Columbia High School in Decatur, GA in the Great Midwest Shootout in Marion, IL.  We will write this game off as a subpar game by Richmond standards and are willing to bet that we won't see too many more like them.

• Tracy Abrams   6'1   2011   PG   Chicago (Mt. Carmel) IL

At the present time, we would say that Abrams is only 75 percent since recently returning from an ankle injury, but the class of 2011 University Of Illinois recruit is still better under those conditions than most players are when 100 percent.  The bottom line is that Abrams was good enough to lead Mt. Carmel to a 68-62 overtime victory over Peoria Central in what may have been the best game of the day.  Abrams shot the ball extremely well, as he drilled three jumpers from beyond the 3-point arc in the early going and wound up with 17 points along with 8 rebounds.  Right now Abrams is actually spending more time at the 2-guard spot and looks more comfortable there as opposed to the point given the conditions of his previous injury.  It is also a testament to the total team effort that Mt. Carmel head coach Mike Flaherty is receiving night in and night out, as there are several other talented players who are more than capable of stepping in and assuming the point guard duties.  Abrams continues to do whatever is necessary for his team to win, and that is what matters first and foremost.

• Antonio "Bobo" Drummond   5'10   2012   PG   Peoria (Central) IL

There are still some things that Drummond needs to work on, but at the end of the day he still ranks as one of the elite point guards in Illinois from the class of 2012.  We absolutely love Drummond's toughness, which is especially evident at the defensive end, where he has shown that he can body up opponents and frustrate them.  Drummond has also started to improve his shooting range, as he hit a pair of trifectas against Mt. Carmel and is a pure point guard who sees the floor extremely well.  We would still like to see him cut down on his turnovers, although we don't think that the majority of them come as the result of him playing out of control.  If anything, it is because he is often too unselfish and tries to make the spectacular play rather than looking for his shot.  With continued coaching and development he is going to be just fine.

• Bruce Barron   6'3   2011   PG   Carbondale (Brehm Prep) IL

Once again we are afraid that we will have to render an incomplete evaluation of Barron as the result of having to leave at halftime of Brehm Prep's contest vs. Quality Education Academy (the final game of the evening).  However, we find it interesting that Barron ended up with 24 points to lead Brehm Prep because we thought that he was average at best during the first half, scoring 8 points and not doing anything overly spectacular.  Obviously, he must have done most of his damage in the second half.  As we have stated before, we like the fact that Barron is a big and physical guard who can consistently get to the basket, trigger the break and is an outstanding on-the-ball defender.  He is still erratic from beyond the arc and has a tendency to overpenetrate at times.  While he is talked about by several others as being a high major recruit and ultimately he could wind up at that level, right now we see him as an ideal mid-major prospect.

Captain Of The All-Potential Team

... That would be 6'8 class of 2012 power forward Jay Simpson from Central High School in Champaign, IL.  Simpson showed some flashes against Rich South, but unfortunately all too often was a non-factor.  He wound up with 6 points on 3-5 shooting and totalled 4 rebounds and 2 blocks.  Simpson is a good passer from the high post, has a good set of hands and can run the floor and finish.  He needs to be able to stay on the floor, as he got into early foul trouble and ended up sitting during key stretches of every quarter.  Although there is still a ways to go, we do like Simpson's up side and can plainly see why Matt Painter and his coaching staff at Purdue put the amount of work in that they did to secure an early commitment from him.

Bad Break 

... That would be Brehm Prep's 6'6 class of 2011 forward James Siakam, who sustained bone fractures in his face Friday night that will cause him to miss the rest of the season.  Forget about the fact that we (as well as everyone else in attendance) were unable to watch Siakam in action in Champaign.  What is most important now is that Siakam can heel from the injury and be able to make a full recovery.  Our thoughts are certainly with him in that regard and we wish him all the best.

Best Team 

... That is clearly Champaign Centennial, who in their relatively easy 71-54 win over Waukegan showed why they are not only the premier team in the Class 3A ranks, but are also right there with both Whitney Young and Simeon as the best in the state overall.  Simply put, Centennial had it clicking on all cylinders versus Waukegan.  We have already talked extensively about Rayvonte Rice, but there are several other key components to this team.  6'8 class of 2010 forward Jeff Johnson is a great get for Eastern Kentucky University, while 6'7 class of 2011 forward Chris Piper also has D1 potential.  A player who has proven to be an additional weapon with his strong perimeter shooting is 6'0 class of 2010 guard Tiger O'Neil, who finished with 13 points in the Waukegan contest, including going 3-5 from 3-point range.  While state championships are not decided in December, all of the pieces appear to be in place to enable Centennial to capture back-to-back Class 3A titles.

Recruiting Notes

... While it is important not to jump the gun, it certainly looks as though the University Of Illinois is sitting pretty with Chasson Randle and could be in great shape based on what Randle himself is saying.  Randle said after his game against Robinson that he "feels quite comfortable with Illinois" and dropped other hints to indicate that the Illini could be the leader for his services.  Not only that, but there are other factors which lead us to believe that things are looking good for the Illini with Randle, most notably the fact that Illinois Wolves head coach Mike Mullins, who is one of the most influential people in Randle's recruitment, was in attendance for Shootout At The Hall and will be back in Champaign today along with Randle and class of 2011 Illini commit Nnanna Egwu from St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago for the purpose of taking in the Illini's game vs. Western Michigan.  And then add in another interesting development that we became aware of yesterday--Tracy Abrams, who of course is also an Illini commit in the 2011 class has decided to play on the traveling team circuit for the Wolves alongside Randle come next spring.  One school that has made a strong late push for Randle is Stanford and Randle has openly expressed his admiration for Cardinals head coach Johnny Dawkins.  Purdue, Iowa State, Iowa and Wisconsin remain in the picture as well.  It certainly seems, however, as though there are plenty of circumstances that are making things quite favorable for the Illini with respect to their recruitment of Randle.

... University Of Evansville assistant coach Chris Hollender was in the house for the purpose of watching 6'7 class of 2011 forward Max Bielfeldt from Peoria Notre Dame as well as several other under the radar front court prospects in the class of 2010.

... Harvard is very much a player in the recruiting sweepstakes of both James Siakam and Bruce Barron.

 And Finally...

We think that it is great to see Deron Williams sponsor the Shootout At The Hall and how he openly went out of his way to help promote the event.  It is always a win-win for everyone involved when a successful professional athlete is able to give back to his university in a manner such as Williams has, and we can guarantee that the love that he continues to show to the University Of Illinois is reciprocated by the love that the entire Illini community has for him.

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.