LA GRANGE, IL – It didn’t take long for what is likely the best 1-2 punch in the building to reveal itself during Saturday’s first day of the Pangos All-Midwest Frosh/Soph Camp.
Marquese Brown, a 6-foot-2 freshman guard at Simeon High in Chicago, and Xavier Tillman, a 6-8 sophomore post at Forest Hills Central in Grand Rapids, MI, made like a modern-day version of John Stockton and Karl Malone – or, of mildly more recent vintage, Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire – while helping their “Iowa State” squad roll past “Notre Dame” during the first round of games late in the afternoon.
It’s way too early to proclaim a definitive “No. 1 point guard prospect in the national Class of 2018”.
But the left-handed Brown – who was quite impressive during the 48-player USA Basketball “mini-camp” that was held in Colorado Springs Oct. 4&5 – belongs in any serious discussion about candidates for that proclamation.
He did pretty much anything he so desired while the ball was in his hands Saturday.
The same could be said of the 220-pound (give or take) Tillman, who was just too polished and overpowering for anyone to cope with in or around the lane.
Not only that, but he also blocked a lot of shots and got on the perimeter, got into a stance and moved his feet in nifty fashion while pressuring opponents who tried to shoot over the top of him or drive by him.
His goal in traveling the three or so hours by car (the cities are about 185 miles apart) to the Park District Center for the two-day event (which resumes action Sunday morning at 9 o’clock)?
“Honestly?” he responded, smiling with a question of his own.
Sure . . .
“I came here with the goal of being the Player of the Camp,” he said.
He took a solid step in that direction Saturday – as did his left-handed “Iowa State” teammate, of course.
Brown wasn’t the only Chicago-area freshman point guard to impress Saturday, nor was Tillman the only sophomore post with that last name to play with large doses of dominance.
Marquan Williams (Perspectives MSA/Joslin High in Chicago) may be something approaching four or so inches shorter than Brown.
But Williams showed off the same skill and feel for the position Saturday night.
And 6-9 (probably on the high side of that) Jeremiah Tillman – no relation, I think – appeared to rack up cumulative dozen or so dunks over his two games with “Xavier” Saturday.
Tillman – who attends East St. Louis High – arrived at the camp late Saturday afternoon after touring the University of Illinois campus in the morning.
Could we see a “Tillman vs. Tillman” matchup in the Top 30 Cream of the Crop All-Star game Sunday (scheduled to tip off at about 2 o’clock Sunday afternoon).
Absol-freakin-lutely.
Other players who impressed when I watched them Saturday included:
*Dwayne Rose, a 6-2 sophomore point guard at Crete Monee High (Crete, IL).
If you’re wondering . . . yeah, he is related to the Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose (a standout at near-by Simeon High). He’s a first cousin.
*When has the state of North Dakota ever had a freshman player the quality of 6-5 De’Sean Allen (Williston High in the city of the same name)?
Uh . . . . .I’m guessing: “Never?”
Allen dominated from the post and perimeter Saturday. Only Marquese Brown, among the freshmen I watched, was impressive.
And, like Brown, he would have more than held up quite well had he had the opportunity to be one of the 37 freshmen and sophomores at the USA BB function in Colorado Springs earlier this month.
*Malik Binns (a 6-5 sophomore at Hope Academy in Chicago) played with the same kind of inside power and perimeter skill that Allen displayed at about the same size.
There is a strong hunch will end up standing a lot closer to 6-8ish than he does 6-5ish, ultimately: His shoes are size 18.
*Coach Gary DeCesare has produced a whole lot of high-quality basketball during coaching stints at St. Raymond’s in the Bronx and, of late, St. Rita of Chicago – the most recent of which is 6-5 senior Charles Matthews, a strong 2015 McDonald’s All-America candidate who is scheduled to sign a letter of intent with the University of Kentucky next month.
His next player who could climb into that same “star strata” is 6-4 (and change) Te’Mon Green, who was mostly beastly from the wings or along the baselines Saturday night.
*Minnesota was represented quite well, thank you very much, by a couple of sophomores Saturday.
Ishmael El-Amin (Hopkins High in Minnetonka), a 6-2 “combo”, played as if there is a strong possibility he is going to be playing in one of the two all-star tilts set for Sunday – the Top 60 contest will be played at 1 o’clock, after each of the 18 camp squads has wrapped up its two games earlier Sunday morning.
So the name rings a hoop bell in your noggin’, right? He’s the son of Khalid El-Amin who, with Richard Hamilton, helped the Connecticut Huskies win their first-ever national title with a 77-74 decision over Duke in 199.
And 6-3 Isaac Johnson (Minneapolis Academy of Arts) figures to challenge El-Amin for the label of “best Minnesota prospect in the Class of 2017) for the next three seasons.
Other non-Illinois residents who played well on Saturday night included sophomores in 6-6 Max Techau (Cedar Rapids, IA, Kennedy) and 6-4 Dylan Alderson (Davison, MI, High), both rangy athletes with solid jump shots to a step or so from the arc.
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