Bloomington-based recruiting analyst Bill "Flash" Flanagan
has been hosting his Flash's Spring Hoops Review at Illinois
Wesleyan in Bloomington for 12 years. It is a showcase for
many of the top high school basketball players in the state.
His most recent camp, by his own
admission, was one of the best. "Based on talent and depth,
it was one of our better camps," he said. "Out of 250 kids
who participated, there were at least 75 Division I
prospects."
Mike Mullins, coach of the
Illinois Wolves' AAU program, boosted the talent level by
bringing three teams of 15, 16 and 17-and-under players.
The No. 1 player in the camp was
6-1 junior guard Dyricus Sims-Edwards of Washington, who had
a breakout season while playing with Indiana-bound Mike Roth
and leading their team to the Final Four in the state
tournament. Illinois State has offered a scholarship and
Kansas and Duke are showing interest.
"Other than (former Peoria
Central star, 2004 Illinois Player of the Year and NBA
lottery pick) Shaun Livingston, he is the best player I've
seen come out of the Peoria area," Flanagan said.
While Sims-Edwards is well
known, Flanagan admitted that he had never seen 6-6 junior
Mikel Brigham of Danville before the camp. It was quite an
eyeful. Brigham clearly was the No. 2 player in the field.
"He has been talked about as
a Big 10 football prospect," Flanagan said. "But he can play
basketball in the Big 10, too. He can run the floor. At 6-6
and 190 pounds, he dominated the boards. He is strong and
athletic. But he might have to attend a junior college or
prep school."
The other top performers in
the camp (in order), according to Flanagan, were 6-3 junior
guard Diamond Taylor of St. Joseph, who is committed to
Wisconsin; 6-4 junior guard Joseph Bertrand of Sterling, who
is committed to Illinois; 6-1 sophomore point guard Dre
McCamey of St. Joseph; 5-11 freshman point guard Donivine
Stewart of Bartonville Limestone; and 6-9 junior Zeke
Schneider of Metamora.
Also 6-7 junior Conrad
Krutwig of Jacobs; 6-5 freshman guard Andrew Taylor of
Peoria Woodruff; 6-8 junior Nick Washburn of
Mahomet-Seymour; 6-2 junior guard James Kinney of Champaign
Centennial; 6-4 junior guard Tim Traversa of St. Patrick;
6-5 sophomore guard Alex Dragicevich of Glenbrook North; 6-4
senior guard Derek Tartt of Fenwick, who will attend a prep
school, Brewster Academy in New Hampshire, next fall; and
6-7 junior Troy Snyder of Bolingbrook.
