As the high school basketball season begins, here is how the Golden Eagles’ targets have performed in the past week:
2017 (Signees)
Theo John (Champlin Park HS, Minnesota) – The 6-foot-8 power forward’s first high school game as a Division I signee was impressive, scoring 19 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three blocks, per Ryan James of Gopher Illustrated. John did not miss a single shot.
Ike Eke (University of Detroit Jesuit HS, Michigan) – Eke’s senior season with University of Detroit Jesuit will begin Dec. 11 against Malcolm Dakota in a battle between two of the best Class A teams in Michigan. Eke is expected to have a larger leadership role on the team following the graduation of current Michigan State freshman Cassius Winston.
Jamal Cain (Melvindale, Michigan) – Cain and Detroit Cornerstone won’t officially begin play until later in December but played a scrimmage against East English Village Prep, another public school in Detroit. Per Endless Motor Sports, Cain notched a double-double, but EEVP emerged victorious.
2017 (Targets)
Jacob Epperson (Fort Wayne, Indiana) – Prep superpower La Lumiere shut down their opponents this week, winning 99-55 and 94-58. Epperson did not hit the scoreboard Tuesday but chipped in nine points Thursday.
Donnie Tillman (Findlay Prep, Nevada) – Tillman led Findlay Prep with 16 points Wednesday as the Pilots cruised past Wasatch Academy. The Pilots also routed Faith Lutheran, 86-51, although individual player statistics were not available.
2018
Joey Hauser (Stevens Point Area Senior HS, Wisconsin) – Hauser has still not had his season debut after tweaking his ankle toward the end of football season. SPASH has cruised to a 3-0 record despite Hauser’s absence. Head coach Scott Anderson told the Wire Saturday that his status is week-to-week. However, there was a silver lining to Hauser’s week. The Iowa Barnstormers, his AAU squad, earned a multi-year deal with Adidas to play on their gold level AAU circuit.
De’Monte Nelson (Kenosha Bradford, Wisconsin) – Nelson led Kenosha Bradford with eight points in their 57-33 loss to Oak Creek Friday. Earlier in the week, Nelson scored a team-high 20 points in the team’s 82-76 victory over Waukesha North.
Race Thompson (Robinsdale Armstrong, Minnesota) – Thompson’s season with Robbinsdale Armstrong will start Thursday as the Falcons visit DeLaSalle, Marquette sophomore Sacar Anim’s alma mater.
Jarvis Thomas (Tartan HS, Minnesota) – Thomas will debut Tuesday when Tartan hosts Richfield. Later in the week, Thomas will face off against AAU teammate Race Thompson when Tartan and Robbinsdale Armstrong participate in the Tip Off Classic.
Courtney Ramey (Webster Groves HS, Missouri) – Ramey will make his 2016 debut Tuesday, ironically against a high school in the area named Marquette.
Torrence Watson (Whitfield HS, Missouri) – Watson will begin his junior season Tuesday when Whitfield hosts Hazelwood Central.
Jalen Smith (Mount St. Joseph HS, Maryland) – Mount St. Joseph continued to look like one of the best teams in Maryland, going 3-0. That included an upset Saturday over St. Benedict’s (N.J.), one of the highest-ranked high schools in the country. Smith led the way for Mount St. Joseph Saturday with 24 points.
KJ Hymes (St. Mary’s HS, Arizona) – Hymes helped St. Mary’s start the season 2-0 and nearly had a triple-double Tuesday, putting up 21 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocks.
David Singleton (Bishop Montgomery HS, California) – Bishop Montgomery thrived last week, going undefeated in the Westchester Trevor Ariza Tip-Off Classic Tournament. Singleton scored 12 points and 7 rebounds in the semifinals and 17 points and 8 boards in the final.
Prentiss Hubb (Gonzaga Prep, Washington, D.C.) – Hubb scored 15 points Saturday in his team’s loss to Simeon, the alma mater of NBA stars Jabari Parker and Derrick Rose, at the Chicago Elite Classic.
Jeenathan Williams (University Preparatory Charter School for Young Men, New York) – The UPrep Griffins lost 62-51 to Buffalo Academy of Science and 65-64 to Niagara Falls. Williams scored a team-high 20 points against Niagara but individual stats were not available for their game earlier in the week.
TJ Moss (Memphis East HS, Tennessee) – Moss helped the Mustangs take two easy victories Monday and Tuesday, but could not pull away with a victory in the GEICO ESPN High School Basketball Showcase.
Quentin Grimes (The Woodlands College Park HS, Texas) – Grimes kicked off the week with a 42-point finish against Spring and remained dominant throughout the six-game week. Over the course of the entire week, he averaged 28.7 points per game. College Park went 4-2 in those games.
Grayson Carter (Bishop Dunne HS, Texas)- Bishop Dunne won Saturday in the final seconds as part of the C-FBISD Classic but individual stats were not available.
Tim Finke (Champaign Central, Illinois) – Finke scored 21 points in Champaign Central’s rout of Urbana earlier in the week but could not do enough to elevate Central in their 50-48 loss to Normal.
Ayo Dosunmu (Morgan Park HS, Illinois)- Dosunmu kicked off the week Nov. 27 with a 51-point performance in Morgan Park’s 116-53 win over Bowen.
2019
Nobal Days (Racine, Wisconsin) – Days started his season with nine points against Kenosha Indian Trail Friday. Racine Park edged Kenosha Indian Trail, 68-63, despite Days shooting 33 percent from the charity stripe. He’ll look to bounce back next Friday against Southeast Conference powerhouse Oak Creek.
Matthew Hurt (Minneapolis) – Hurt’s 24 points were not enough for Rochester John Marshall to compete with Champlin Park Saturday, losing 113-74.
2020
Jalen Johnson (Sun Prairie, Wisconsin) – Johnson scored nine points in Sun Prairie’s winning effort over Chippewa but found out the next day that he tore his meniscus and will miss six weeks.
Jalen Suggs (Minnehaha Academy, Minnesota) – Suggs opened his high school basketball career with a bang Saturday, scoring 42 points to lift Minnehaha over Orono, 94-88, in an overtime battle.
