Highlights and observations from RecruitLook, the first major high school basketball event of the spring

With a state championship and all-state season under his belt, Homewood-Flossmoor junior Bryce Heard has picked up this spring right where he left off.

Following a season where he put up 16.9 points and 6.2 rebounds a game — and went for 21 points and 10 rebounds in the state championship game win over Normal — Heard looked the part of a player who boasts a world of confidence this past weekend.

At the RecruitLook event in south suburban Lynwood, Heard played within himself while still producing as his Mac Irvin Fire team impressed. Heard was a difference-maker virtually every time he stepped on the floor.

A big-bodied 6-5 wing, Heard continues to slowly expand and round out his game. He must still evolve in understanding how he’s being defended, because with his versatility and size there is opportunity on the offensive end. With his height, frame and strength, he’s capable of scoring around the basket but also shows a mid-range game and is building consistency shooting from the three-point line.

The 17U Mac Irvin Fire team has some legitimate firepower, led by Milwaukee native Davion Hannah, an electric 6-5 guard who is among the top 50 prospects in the country. With Hannah and Heard, along with former Rockford high school stars Tristian Ford and Mike Jones, who both attend Chi Prep, this is a Mac Irvin Fire team full of upside heading into the spring and summer.

Another young star is on the way

This past season we watched a pair of freshmen, Bolingbrook’s Davion Thompson and Warren’s Jaxson Davis, take the state by storm.

We saw two other freshmen stars in the city, Kenwood’s Devin Cleveland and Young’s Howard Williams, make a big impression and open eyes.

After watching Cole Kelly, currently an eighth-grader at Gregory Middle School in Naperville, this past weekend, there is another potential big freshman impact on the horizon.

The 6-5 Kelly played with Breakaway Basketball’s 16U team in the RecruitLook event in the south suburbs. He shined in the three games while playing three age groups up.

In three wins over three quality grassroots programs in Young & Reckless, Wisconsin Playground and Haliburton, Kelly led Breakaway in scoring in all three games with 19, 21 and 17 points. With the competitiveness he plays with, along with the variety of ways in which he scored the ball — Kelly hit a total of 11 three-pointers in the three games over the weekend — it was an uncanny display for such a young player.

Kelly will be attending Neuqua Valley this fall where current senior Luke Kinkade just broke the career scoring record.

More standouts

▪ If you didn’t get enough of the prized freshmen this past season, Warren’s Jaxson Davis and Bolingbrook’s Davion Thompson are teaming up together for Meanstreets this spring and summer. The talented tandem are playing up an age group and pairing up on the 16U team.

▪ The development of York’s Kyle Waltz continues. The 6-7 senior was a sleeper this past year in support of star AJ Levine and helping the Dukes to a sectional title game appearance. Waltz will reclassify and is back on the club basketball circuit with Breakaway. The arrow continues to point up for a prospect who will earn scholarships when it’s all said and done.

The Breakaway 17U team is led by Waltz. But Mount Carmel’s Grant Best, who made a name for himself with his all-around play in helping the Caravan to a state runner-up finish in Class 3A this past season, looks as if he’s set to take the next step in his development. Best and Hinsdale South’s Jack Weigus showed they are two dangerous weapons around Waltz.

▪ EJ Mosley of Romeoville promises to be one of the most-watched players this spring and summer in the Class of 2025. The point guard had moments where he flashed his no-brainer mid-major talent, including hitting five three-pointers in one game, while playing for Young & Reckless this past weekend. Mosley is a table-setting lead guard with scoring ability.

▪ Bolingbrook’s JT Pettigrew, who teams with Mosley on Young & Reckless, continued the progression he showed in what was a breakout junior year for the Raiders. The face-up jumper and the efficiency he shows while shooting will dictate how high of a level he will be recruited over the next

▪ While he wasn’t a varsity performer this past season, keep an eye on Loyola sophomore point guard Trey Williams. This is an emerging prospect in the class. Williams excelled in helping a talented Breakaway 16U team to a 3-0 record.