Next up in our 17U series from the Grassroots Showcase is part two of the stock boosters. Each of these players below had stellar performances and college coaches should be taking notice.
John Lovelace Jr. – 2022 – G – Phenom University
The athletic and lengthy 6’8” wing guard continues to take great strides in his games. Lovelace scores the ball effectively going to the basket, moving very well with the ball for his size. He continues to prove that he is a high-level defender. With all his tools and physical abilities, Lovelace will only continue to become a popular recruit amongst high major programs.
Nick Martinelli – 2022 – F – Meanstreets
A skilled and lengthy 6’6” wing forward that scores the ball at a high level. He’s at his best going to the basket where he is a very crafty finisher around the paint and scores it well from the mid-range. His game has taken great strides over the last several months and while he holds a couple division one offers; he remains one of the more underrated 2022 recruits in Illinois.
Xzavia Mcarthur – 2022 – PG – Yanders Law
Mcarthur is a quick and shifty point guard that is very tough to stick with. He has tight handle and beats his man off the dribble often with ease to get into the paint and create. He has good vision on the move and a good passing ability in traffic. Plus, he has a good jumper pulling up in the mid-range or spotting up from three.
Harlan Obioha- 2021 – C – Rocky Mountain Select
A very intriguing seven-footer with a strong build. While his game is still developing, he shows plenty of upside. He plays with great energy and makes his biggest impact defending the paint as a quality rim protector. He scored it on a high percentage of his paint touches posting up and can also stretch the floor from three.
Kentrell Pullian – 2021 – G – UTS Elite
Pullian is a skilled scorer but really impressed with his distributing ability over the weekend. With plenty of attention on him, he turned into more of a facilitator with some very nice passes and showed off his court awareness. He is a highly shifty and elusive guard that is tough to defend off the dribble. The unsigned senior picked up an offer from Eastern New Mexico this week.
Nick Robinson – 2022 – F – Illinois Future
Robinson is a lengthy wing forward that played well on both sides of the ball. He is a quality and versatile defender that can matchup with wings and big men effectively. He scored the ball efficiently off the dribble getting all the way to the basket in addition to pulling up well to hit jumpers.
Brady Ruggles – 2022 – G – Mercury Elite
Another tournament this month, another weekend of Ruggles knocking down some jumpers at a good percentage. While the 6’5” wing guard had another good shooting weekend, he also impressed with his playmaking ability doing a good job distributing on the move. He impressed playing off the dribble showing good vision to get some good looks for his teammates.
Matthew Spears – 2022 – F – George Hill All Indy
The junior is a lengthy 6’7” wing forward with great upside. He is a good spot up shooter from deep with a smooth looking jumper. He is also a quality defender that guarded multiple positions well. Spears picked up his first offer this week from Tulane.
Marcus Tomashek – 2022 – G – JH1 Elite
Tomashek is a lengthy 6’5” wing guard that is a skilled scorer. He can score the ball in a number of ways but does much of his damage from beyond the perimeter. The junior is a knock down shooter with great form when spotting up on the perimeter that can also shoot it off the dribble.
Danny Young – 2022 – PG – C2K Elite
Young flashed good point guard skilled throughout the weekend. He has good quickness with the basketball and handles it well. The junior is a smart player with the ball and does a nice job creating for his teammates with strong passing on the attack. He also shot the ball well from the perimeter and defends the ball.