By: Kevin Moses
Player: Chris Riddle
Twitter: @ChrisTerrell42
Height: 6’5, 210
Class of 2024
School: Kenwood Academy and DePaul University commit
Riddle was a scoring machine, crafty and creative. His high energy fueled his team. Explosive off-the-bounce with a man on a mission getting to his spots and nice elevation to rise above defenders to get those shots off in traffic. Chris was constantly getting offensive putbacks. Solid defender as well. He didn’t mind absorbing contact while having the strength to power through it. Nothing knocked him off his game. This will be one to keep a close eye on this season and beyond. Chris will make a lot of noise. Stay tuned.
Player: Kaleb Jackson
Twitter: @Kaleb_jackson_
Height: 6’2
Class of 2024
School: Carmel Catholic High School
Jackson put on a three-point clinic. This prolific young sniper shined brightly in the star-studded event. But Kaleb displayed a nice ability to attack the lane and finishing ability in traffic or finishing at the rim. Dropping sweet dimes and playing solid defense. He made an impact in every game. Another high-energy performer who left no doubt he is among the best in the state. When he starts cooking’ there is no denying him. Kaleb can flat out shoot the cover off the ball and carry a team on his back but is versatile enough to do damage on that court across the board. Ni coach can overlook this young star.
Player: Malachi Johnson
Twitter: @2024mali
Height: 6’2
Class of 2024
School: Rockford Guilford High School
Johnson is a beast attacking the lane and a fierce finisher. When he takes off it’s a blur of speed and strong enough to finish among the trees. Malachi can really bring the rain from deep too. I love his defense as he really gets into the passing lanes and anticipates his opponent’s moves well which leads to a ton of steals and easy finishes as Malachi turns defense into offense in a flash. Very high basketball IQ. Electric on both ends of the floor. Because of his speed and athleticism, Malachi is a problem for most defenses. With a confident swagger, he can be a lockdown defender. Keep a close eye on this young star.
Player: Kris Hills
Twitter: @kristo2024
Height: 5’11
Class of 2024
School: Walter Christian Academy
Hills was the perfect point guard in this one. Kris facilitated the offense to perfection fueled his team with thread-the-needle precision passing. But When Kris chooses to attack and get to the rim, no one can stay in front of him and has the strength to finish at the rim. A scrappy defender that is tough and gritty. Kris can knock down the long-range bomb too but his greatest strength is exploding off the bounce and getting into the lane.
Player: Gianni Cobb
Twitter: @giannicobb
Height: 6’0
Class of 2024
School: Homewood Flossmoor High School and Columbia University commit
Cobb was a dynamic scoring machine with a nasty first step and freezes defenders and then uses that blow-by speed to get to the rim. A crafty finisher who finds a way to score. But Gianni can bring the rain from downtown and is capable of carrying a team . He is defensively solid and can deliver a nice dime.