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THE BEST IN ILLINOIS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL RECRUITING!

Class of 2009 Pre-Summer Player Assessments: South Suburbs
by Pat Benninger
June 22, 2007

Seth Evans 6'0” 165 lbs G - A coach's son who plays like it! Evans has a very high basketball IQ.  He demontrates great poise when on the floor and is a very solid leader and floor general.  He has shown that he can distribute and fill the slot of a role player  or score and fill the 'star' role  Seth is very fundamentally sound and is a very tough competitor with a good amount of skill.  He already has a scholarship offer from UW-Green Bay and you should expect many more to come for him.

Xavier Humphrey 6’4” 175 lbs SG – Humphrey is one of the most versatile players in his class.  He can play three perimeter spots and on the high school level, can even play some 4-man.  He is strong and gets to the basket well.  He is a capable shooter and has the ability to go on scoring runs.  Xavier also rebounds the ball well and is very sound on the defensive end.  He is one of the most complete players in his class and he has already surpassed his brother Vince when he was his age.  New Mexico and Northwestern seem to be at the top of his list.

Cully Payne 6'0” 175 lbs PG - As a rising freshman, Cully announced his decision to attend DePaul University after his high school career.  This brought a great deal of expectations to him as a player that many don't think he lived up to.  However, he was just a freshman.  Last season, he had a solid showing though he didn't receive a lot of media coverage.  Payne is very strong and passes the ball very well.  He has good quickness and a high IQ as well.  Cully has gained a lot of bulk through lifting and it seems to have thrown his shot off a bit.  It seems as if he and/or Coach Wainwright will stay solid with their commitments to each other but it will be interesting to see what happens.

Steve Walker 6'6” 275 lbs PF - Steve has really upped his game since he entered high school but the biggest factor with him is whether he is able to keep his grades straightened.  He is a wide bodied post with very deceptive athleticism.  He has good footwork inside and has a soft touch, allowing him to finish around the rim.  Additionally, Walker is a solid rebounder, knows it is important to stay strong with the ball, and outlets it to the right person.  If Steve continues to slim up some more, it would make him that much better.  Because he is undersized, he will most likely end up on the mid major level.

*Steve Walker recently transferred to Chicago Simeon.

Class of 2009 Pre-Summer Player Assessments: Quad Cities
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Class of 2009 Pre-Summer Player Assessments: Chicago