Agibson, you are correct .....Schools that were "INN" early get special consideration..and it certainly doesnt hurt to have a former NBA PLAYER and legacy as a Head Coach.
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#2
Valpo Basketball / Re: Recruiting: 2015
May 06, 2013, 07:53:38 PM
Top Three Performers At Bill Hensley Memorial Run 'n Slam From Amongst Illinois-Based PlayersBy Roy & Harv Schmidt
May 6, 2013
9:00 A.M. CST
The Bill Hensley Memorial Run 'n Slam in Fort Wayne, IN is always one of our favorite events to cover during the spring because it is one of the few places where virtually all of the top Illinois-based travel teams play under the same roof. And because of that, there is no question that there was a wealth of individual talent on display.
When everything was over, there were three players from the Land Of Lincoln whose performances overshadowed everybody else. Therefore without any further adieu, let's take a closer look at the top three performers from this past weekend.
1) Josh Cunningham 6'7 2014 WF Chicago (Morgan Park) Mac Irvin Fire 17-U
Cunningham is often the forgotten man when it comes to talking about the top wings in Illinois from the talented 2014 class. But after watching him dominate throughout the weekend at Spiece that should no longer be the case. With the Mac Irvin Fire 17-U squad playing without both Jahlil Okafor and Cliff Alexander and having a total of only eight players, Cunningham put the team on his back in every game. His most outstanding effort came in a 2nd round gold division tournament matchup versus Team NLP. In that game Cunningham was unstoppable, scoring 32 points and shooting a whopping 13-13 from the floor.
Cunningham has been projected by many as a 4 because he has spent the majority of his time playing on the interior for his high school team. However, we have no doubt that Cunningham can be a dynamite 3 at the college level. That is because he has proven that he can play away from the basket as he can face up and knock down shots from 3-point land in addition to consistently going to war inside. Cunningham did exactly that at the Run 'N Slam. At the present time Cunningham holds scholarship offers from DePaul, Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Bradley, Northern Illinois and UMass. Make no mistake about it--Cunningham is a high major recruit all the way and we have a feeling that he could end up being one that has some college coaches ultimately asking, "why did we end up passing on this guy?"
2) Roosevelt Smart 6'3 2015 2G Palatine (H.S.) Illinois Wolves 16-U
We have said it before but it bears repeating--of all the talented guards on the Illinois Wolves 16-Under team, Smart is the one who sports the most upside. This was plainly evident at Run 'n Slam. Smart was nothing short of phenomenal in a pool play contest versus the West Michigan Lakers, winding up with 32 points in a 70-45 pasting. He was instrumental in leading the Wolves to the championship game in the 16U silver division. Smart has an extremely high motor which he utilizes every opportunity he gets. As a result, he finishes on the break and scores at will in transition. But that's not all--Smart has also shown that he can consistently hit pullup jumpers either set or off the dribble as he has a sweet looking shot and a smooth, quick release. Defensively Smart covers considerable ground due to his long wing span. There is undoubtedly a lot to like which is why we believe it is only inevitable that the high majors will ultimately come calling.
3) Aaron Jordan 6'4 2015 2G Plainfield (East) Illinois Celtics 16-U
Jordan picked up right where he left off after turning in an outstanding performance a week ago at the Derby City Classic in Louisville. In fact he was spectacular when we watched him in a first round 16U gold division contest versus Playground Elite. Jordan turned in a double-double in that contest, finishing with 21 points and 10 rebounds. We have already sung Jordan's praises (ilprepbullseye.com/Jordan_Player_Watch) but actually there is even more that needs to be said. That is because Jordan is an even better perimeter shooter than we previously gave him credit for. He actually shoots at an extremely high percentage (over 50 percent 3-pointers this past high school season) and simply does not take bad shots. Combine that with his terrific instincts around the basket and ability to make his teammates better and you have a player who we believe currently ranks among the top five in Illinois from the 2015 class. In addition to the schools that we have previously mentioned being involved with Jordan recruiting-wise, DePaul and Northwestern are also now showing a high level of interest.
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May 6, 2013
9:00 A.M. CST
The Bill Hensley Memorial Run 'n Slam in Fort Wayne, IN is always one of our favorite events to cover during the spring because it is one of the few places where virtually all of the top Illinois-based travel teams play under the same roof. And because of that, there is no question that there was a wealth of individual talent on display.
When everything was over, there were three players from the Land Of Lincoln whose performances overshadowed everybody else. Therefore without any further adieu, let's take a closer look at the top three performers from this past weekend.
1) Josh Cunningham 6'7 2014 WF Chicago (Morgan Park) Mac Irvin Fire 17-U
Cunningham is often the forgotten man when it comes to talking about the top wings in Illinois from the talented 2014 class. But after watching him dominate throughout the weekend at Spiece that should no longer be the case. With the Mac Irvin Fire 17-U squad playing without both Jahlil Okafor and Cliff Alexander and having a total of only eight players, Cunningham put the team on his back in every game. His most outstanding effort came in a 2nd round gold division tournament matchup versus Team NLP. In that game Cunningham was unstoppable, scoring 32 points and shooting a whopping 13-13 from the floor.
Cunningham has been projected by many as a 4 because he has spent the majority of his time playing on the interior for his high school team. However, we have no doubt that Cunningham can be a dynamite 3 at the college level. That is because he has proven that he can play away from the basket as he can face up and knock down shots from 3-point land in addition to consistently going to war inside. Cunningham did exactly that at the Run 'N Slam. At the present time Cunningham holds scholarship offers from DePaul, Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Bradley, Northern Illinois and UMass. Make no mistake about it--Cunningham is a high major recruit all the way and we have a feeling that he could end up being one that has some college coaches ultimately asking, "why did we end up passing on this guy?"
2) Roosevelt Smart 6'3 2015 2G Palatine (H.S.) Illinois Wolves 16-U
We have said it before but it bears repeating--of all the talented guards on the Illinois Wolves 16-Under team, Smart is the one who sports the most upside. This was plainly evident at Run 'n Slam. Smart was nothing short of phenomenal in a pool play contest versus the West Michigan Lakers, winding up with 32 points in a 70-45 pasting. He was instrumental in leading the Wolves to the championship game in the 16U silver division. Smart has an extremely high motor which he utilizes every opportunity he gets. As a result, he finishes on the break and scores at will in transition. But that's not all--Smart has also shown that he can consistently hit pullup jumpers either set or off the dribble as he has a sweet looking shot and a smooth, quick release. Defensively Smart covers considerable ground due to his long wing span. There is undoubtedly a lot to like which is why we believe it is only inevitable that the high majors will ultimately come calling.
3) Aaron Jordan 6'4 2015 2G Plainfield (East) Illinois Celtics 16-U
Jordan picked up right where he left off after turning in an outstanding performance a week ago at the Derby City Classic in Louisville. In fact he was spectacular when we watched him in a first round 16U gold division contest versus Playground Elite. Jordan turned in a double-double in that contest, finishing with 21 points and 10 rebounds. We have already sung Jordan's praises (ilprepbullseye.com/Jordan_Player_Watch) but actually there is even more that needs to be said. That is because Jordan is an even better perimeter shooter than we previously gave him credit for. He actually shoots at an extremely high percentage (over 50 percent 3-pointers this past high school season) and simply does not take bad shots. Combine that with his terrific instincts around the basket and ability to make his teammates better and you have a player who we believe currently ranks among the top five in Illinois from the 2015 class. In addition to the schools that we have previously mentioned being involved with Jordan recruiting-wise, DePaul and Northwestern are also now showing a high level of interest.
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#3
Valpo Basketball / Re: Recruiting: 2015
May 06, 2013, 07:28:06 PM
Since you asked 
The footage in the montage begins with his middle school play in the 7th grade (not high school jump ball) up to the dunk before the ISU shooting clips.
You did a good job of searching. Profiles and Videos are on the team site illinoiscelticsbasketball
The footage in the montage begins with his middle school play in the 7th grade (not high school jump ball) up to the dunk before the ISU shooting clips.You did a good job of searching. Profiles and Videos are on the team site illinoiscelticsbasketball
#4
Valpo Basketball / Re: Recruiting: 2015
May 06, 2013, 11:35:31 AM
Laporte....you didnt mention anything about Aaron's 4.71 GPA (yes 4) That's what I'm most proud of.
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