LA GRANGE, IL – J.J. Taylor converted a lob pass from Kenwood Academy teammate Darrin Ames Jr. into a game-ending dunk to cap the Pangos All-Midwest Frosh/Soph Basketball Camp with a bang Sunday afternoon in the Park District sports facility in this Chicago suburb.
Taylor, a 6-foot-8 sophomore who attended Chicago Morgan Park as a freshman with the 6-1 Ames, scored his 28th and 29 points of the Top 30 Cream of the Crop All-Star game in a “sudden-victory overtime” to give his team wearing white jerseys a 78-76 victory over its black jerseys-sporting counterparts.
Another Chicago-area sophomore, point guard Dalen Davis (Whitney Young), hit one of two free throw attempts to put the black jerseys up, 76-64, with 11.8 seconds remaining.
Taylor was fouled by Baye Fall while missing a 3-point with 4.5 seconds to go, missed his first throw and then knocked in the next two to tie the score.
Another Chicago point guard, speedy Jalen Griffith (Simeon), had a decent look at a 15-footer just before the buzzer before it rolled off the rim for the black jerseys.
Forward Jalen Hooks missed a jumper after the dark jerseys controlled the tip to start the “sudden-victory” (“sudden-death” is a tad too harsh these days) OT, with the white jerseys securing the rebound to set up Ames’ decisive pass to Taylor.
Taylor (pictured), a consensus Top 10 choice in the National Class of 2023, was the no-brainer choice as the Top 30 contest’s Most Outstanding Player.
The 6-11 Fall (Parker, CO, Lutheran) every bit as obvious choice as the overall Most Outstanding Player for the two-day event, even before the member of Gregory Willis’ Colorado Hawks club program went for 15 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots in the Top 30 game.
Four sophomores from Michigan (Kaden Brown, Malik Olafioye, Jakhary Towns and Curtis Williams) earned bids to the Top 30 Game but left for home without participating since their state’s high school governing body doesn’t allow its athlete to play in “all-star games” during the school’s academic year.
Along with the Michigan foursome, 13 players from states other than Illinois also landed on the Top 30 roster.
Another member of the Colorado Hawks’ program, 6-10 sophomore Assane Diop, joined Fall in the Top 30 game.
Among other notable Top 30 selections were 6-3 Jeremiah Johnson (the resident of Oklahoma City was selected to the Top 30 at this event a year ago), 6-7 JaQualon Roberts (the Bloomington, IN, North sophomore will see the bulk of the Big 10 programs in his pursuit shortly) and Olafioye – along with Taylor, one of the two-best scorers in the camp.
Only three freshmen, Airious Bailey, James Brown and Chiang Ring, landed on the Top 30 roster.
In the “Next 40” game the preceded the Top 30 game, yet another superb Chicago sophomore point guard, Yarell Greer (Bogan), scored nine points and was the MOP while leading the black jerseys to a 79-73 victory.
Top 30 All-Star Game roster
2023
Darrin Ames Jr. 6-1 Chicago (Kenwood Academy)
Kaden Brown 6-0 Grand Rapids, MI (Catholic Central)
Matas Buzelis 6-7 Hinsdale, IL (Central)
Bryce Coleman 6-6 Westchester, IL (St. Joseph)
Dalen Davis 6-0 Chicago (Whitney Young)
Assane Diop 6-10 Westminster, CO (Belleview Christian)
Baye Fall 6-11 Parker, CO (Lutheran)
Owen Freeman 6-9 Bradley, IL (Bourbonnais)
Kaleb Glenn 6-6 Louisville (Male)
Jalen Griffith 5-9 Chicago (Simeon)
Tevonta Jackson 6-2 Springfield, IL (Lanphier)
Jalen Hooks 6-7 Indianapolis (Crispus Attucks)
Jeremiah Johnson 6-3 Oklahoma City (Putnam City North)
Maki Johnson 6-4 Huntington, WV (Huntington Prep)
Samuel Lewis 6-5 Oak Park, IL (River Forest)
Davius Loury 6-7 Chicago (Kenwood Academy)
Alexander Mattes 6-3 Woodbury, MN (East Ridge)
Malik Olafioye 6-0 Ecorse, MI (Community)
Chiang Ring 6-8 Minneapolis (South)
JaQualon Roberts 6-7 Bloomington, IN (North)
JJ Taylor 6-8 Chicago (Kenwood Academy)
Maurice Thomas 5-11 Chicago (DePaul College Prep)
Jakhary Towns 6-0 Wyoming, MI (Godwin Heights)
Isaiah West 6-3 Madison, TN (Goodpasture Christian)
Curtis Williams 6-6 Bloomfield Hills, MI (Brother Rice)
Maximus Wilson 6-4 Minneapolis (Hopkins)
Donaven Younger 6-8 Bolingbrook (IL)
2024
Airious Bailey 6-6 Chattanooga, TN (Boyd Buchanan)
James Brown 6-8 Chicago (St. Rita)
Chiang Ring 6-8 Minneapolis (South)
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