Name

Class

Hgt

Wgt

Pos

Tony Ahlers

2009

6-7

220

PF

Because of his performance at this past season’s Class A state tournament, he may not be a complete unknown, but Ahlers is still very underrated.  The 6’7” forward is a lot like his high school teammate, Carlton Fay, in the fashion that he is a great rebounder and can score from both the inside and the outside.  He’s aggressive and going against Fay everyday in practice has really helped his game as he’s improved tremendously from a year ago.
 

Cornelius Chatt

2008

6-2

175

G

A quick guard that has the ability to fill both backcourt slots.  Chatt has a solid handle and is good at getting to the basket.  He is a lead guard with good skill and athleticism.  On the Class A level, Cornelius has already made a reputation for himself.  He is now looking to do so on the state-wide level.
 

Ryan Connelly

2008

6-8

265

PF

Ryan is a wide body 6’8” 265 lbs post player.  He runs the floor well for his size and eats up a lot of space.  He is aggressive around the basket and is a good rebounder and solid shot blocker.  Additionally, Connelly can finish with either hand underneath.  He has a good arm when throwing the outlet pass and just needs to get more comfortable playing the game.  His range is also more extended than one of someone his size though he will need to work on the mechanics of his shot.
 

Doug Montgomery

2008

6-8

175

WF

At 6’8”, you would think Doug is a strict post player.  However, the unheralded Simeon forward is a very skilled perimeter player.  He handles the ball very well for his size and has a rangy jumpshot.  He is good at penetrating to the basket and causes mismatches for a lot of opponents.
 

Darieus Perry

2008

5-7

165

PG

A smaller guard with great strength, quickness, and size.  Perry is a very solid floor general.  He handles the ball well and is very good at getting to his defender’s hip.  He sees the floor better than a lot of heralded point guards and is one of the most aggressive guards on the circuit.  Despite being undersized, Darieus is very good at defending the perimeter.  The kid is as tough as nails and will excel in the backcourt feeding the likes of players such as D’mitri Riggs this summer.
 

Mike Shaw

2011

6-8

200

F

There is good reason you haven’t heard of Shaw, one reason being he hasn’t step foot into a high school classroom as of yet.  Shaw is very skilled considering he’s still in the eighth grade.  He rebounds well and can run the floor.  Additionally, he finishes well around the basket and has solid perimeter skills.  Unless the next making of Derrick Rose suddenly pops on to the scene this year, Shaw will undoubtedly be the state’s #1 rising freshman this summer.  He’s been an essential key for the Illinois Fire’s 17U team so far this spring.
 

Lenzelle Smith

2010

6-4

180

WG

Smith may just be the best player in the 2010 class.  He’s grown considerably since the beginning of his freshman year and is very skilled.  Lenzelle has good strength and is a solid athlete.  He’s a good scorer and works hard on the floor.  He has shown up in a big way this spring for the Illinois Stars’ 16U team and will likely garner attention more and more major Division I attention if he sustains his level of play.