Racine: A High School Hoops Hotspot

Racine is a city known in Wisconsin for having a plethora of basketball talent. The hometown of former NBA players Caron Butler, Jim McIlvaine, Jamil Wilson, and a handful of others, Racine is no stranger to basketball. From the legendary Bob Letsch era St. Catherine's teams, to the electric Horlick Rebels of the 2000's, which teams are loaded with talent this year? With six high school teams competing in the city, I take a look at the talent broken up into three categories; the big names, the youth, and the sleepers.

The Big Names

Nobal Days (Racine Park 2019)- The top ranked player in the state for his class throughout his first three years of high school, Nobal can do a little bit of everything on the court. The 6'9 forward will not dazzle you with scoring ability, although he has shown glimpses of being a scoring threat, but Nobal does provide rebounding, rim protection, and an uncanny ability to find an open teammate. Nobal is extremely dangerous when he catches in the high post, where he uses his height and length to see over the defense and whip passes to cutting players. On defense Nobal is long enough to block multiple shots per game, while altering many more due to his presence alone. Against Milwaukee Hamilton, Nobal had a quadruple double with 10 points, 21 rebounds, 11 assists, and 12 blocks. Nobal's ability to stuff the box score has earned him a variety high major offers.

Larry Canady (Racine Park 2019)- Nobal Day's classmate Larry Canady is as tough as they come, and has the skillset to match. He wears number 24, and just like Kobe, Larry is someone who wants the ball during crunch time. He is a cold blooded scorer who can take over a game, but also play great team basketball. Playing alongside two division one players for Racine Park, Larry still stands out every game. He has a great pull up jumper from the midrange and is a solid three point shooter. Larry is also one of the top on-ball defenders in the state, and constantly guards the opposing team's best player.

Jalawn Farrell (Quality Education Academy (NC) 2020)- Jalawn transferred to Park after his freshman year at Racine Case, and was one of the main contributors on an extremely talented and well balanced Park team. Jalawn is one of the toughest guards in the state, and it shows in his physicality around the rim, where it is extremely difficult to stop him from finishing. He put up 3 games of over 20 points, and shot over 50% on the season, showing his efficiency in scoring the basketball. Jalawn is considered the top junior in Racine, and has earned himself three Division One scholarship offers during the AAU season playing with Phenom U. Jalawn will be transferring to Quality Education Academy in North Carolina for his junior season.

Quinn Cafferty (Racine St. Catherine's 2019)- Quinn Cafferty is the best post scorer in the city, and it shows in his ability to score with a variety of post moves. He has excellent footwork which he uses to get shots up around larger opponents, and he is a great finisher around the rim. Quinn is a two time first team all conference player, in the toughest private school conference in the state. At 6'6, Quinn is a powerful forward who rebounds the ball well, and was a focal point for an otherwise young St. Catherine's squad last season.

Marquis Milton (Racine Horlick 2019)- Marquis Milton is the most electrifying scorer in the city, averaging 23 ppg in back to back seasons for the Rebels. He put up 39 points in a game against Destiny, and enters his senior season with over 1,300 career points. He is capable of getting to the rim and finishing inside, or knocking down deep jumpshots. The talented senior will keep Horlick a major contender in the SEC next season.

The Youth

JaKobe Thompson (Racine Case 2021)- JaKobe is one of the top ranked sophomores in the state, and for good reason. The kid can flat out score the basketball and he does so in a variety of ways. Having averaged 19.7 ppg as just a freshman, JaKobe is a good three point shooter and a great finisher off the drive. The silky smooth lefty has a quick release on his pull up mid-range, which he utilizes off a one dribble penetration following a pump fake. If he continues to grow as a player, JaKobe could take the title as the all time scoring leader in Racine history.

Tyrese Hunter (Racine St. Catherine's 2021)- Like JaKobe, Tyrese is another one of the state's top sophomore prospects. Dubbed "Mr. Euro Step" by a tournament PA announcer, Tyrese has one of the most smoothly executed Euro steps that I have ever seen. He is an athletic guard who races up the floor on fast breaks resulting in a lot of transition buckets for his team. Tyrese can knock down shots from three, the midrange, and has a crafty layup package around the rim. He used this offensive skillset to average 11.2 ppg as a freshman. Tyrese has all of the early signs of a legit division one prospect.

Isaiah Hoyt (The Prairie School 2021)- Yet another talented point guard in Racine's 2021 class, Isaiah Hoyt had a more "under-the-radar" freshman season. Playing behind a talented core of seniors at Prairie, Isaiah contributed solid minutes off the bench, while learning from some of the top guards in Racine (JC Butler, Logan Krekling, and Troy Mikaelian). When given the opportunity, Isaiah made solid contributions on the court, contributing crucial minutes down the line in some big games. He averaged 3 ppg, and could potentially take over as the leading scorer next season after Prairie graduated most of their team. Isaiah has seen his stock rise greatly after a strong AAU season with the Wisconsin Sharks, and will look to keep this growth going into the high school season.

Kamari McGee (Racine St. Catherine's 2021)- Running alongside Tyrese Hunter at St. Catherine's, Kamari completes one of the most talented young duos in the area. A talented scorer in his own right, Kamari averaged 5.4 ppg as a freshman, including games of 15 and 14 points. Kamari had a big AAU season with the Wisconsin Sharks, including a strong showing in Las Vegas during the July live period. Kamari will bring an improved game to St. Catherine's as a sophomore, completing a loaded lineup for the Angels.

Brady Wilks (Racine Lutheran 2021)- Though small in stature, Brady Wilks brings heart and intensity to the floor for the Lutheran Crusaders. Brady is an elite on ball defender, whose scrappy play disrupts opposing ball handlers. His agility allows him to push the ball in transition where he can dish off to open teammates. He has a solid three point shot, and when he drives to the hoop it utilizes a one handed floater to get the ball over taller defenders. He used this offensive skillset to average 8 ppg as a freshman, including a 21 point performance against Kenosha St. Joseph's.

Jackson Woodward (Racine Lutheran 2021)- Another talented young guard at Racine Lutheran, Jackson Woodward has a bright future for the Crusaders. Watching him at the WBY Summer Tournament, Jackson has a confidence in his game that will translate well in his future development. He brought toughness and some flair to the floor, proving he can score the ball, as well as distribute in a variety of ways. As an incoming sophomore, Jackson is already a good communicator and showed leadership abilities well beyond his years. After averaging 4.6 ppg as a freshman, including three games in double figures, Jackson will play a large role for Racine Lutheran as a sophomore.

The Sleepers

Azarien Stephens (Racine St. Catherine's 2019)- One of the areas top shooters, Azarien is a big time offensive threat. He stands at 6'2 and has a solid build for a guard. His range extends well beyond the arc, and he plays with poise and patience. Though he does most of his damage shooting the ball, Azarien is a solid finisher around the rim, and has also shown the vision to be a good passing guard. Azarien proved he can play against elite competition, having a solid outing against an EYBL team that featured some of the top players in the country. After averaging 11.8 ppg as a junior, Azarien will be one of the most dangerous scorers in Racine as a senior.

Ricky Canady (Racine Park 2020)- Ricky is one of the toughest players you'll find, and is one of the top defenders in Racine. Due to his size and athleticism (6'3 215), Ricky can guard almost any position on the floor. He averaged 4 ppg as a sophomore, but his ability to impact all aspects of the game make him one of the top 2020's in Racine. He will have an important role on a Racine Park team that figures to be one of the most talented Division 1 teams in the state.

Isaiah Dodd (Racine St. Catherine's 2020)- Isaiah is the top 2020 point guard prospect in Racine, and is a "throwback" point guard. He is a high level defender due to his athleticism, and makes limited mistakes on the offensive end. He shares the ball well and used his vision to average 3.8 apg as a sophomore. Part of an Angels team filled with talent, Isaiah is one of the leaders on the court, and makes sure his teammates are playing to the best of their abilities. Also a talented scorer, Isaiah managed to average 9.3 ppg while producing on a nightly basis.

Richie Warren (Racine Park 2019)- A long and wiry forward prospect, the 6'6 Warren is an unsung hero on a talented Park squad. Warren does a lot of the dirty work for the Panthers, grabbing rebounds, winning lose balls, and getting put back buckets. He is a good finisher around the rim, and has also shown a decent jump shot from outside. He averaged 7.1 ppg and 4.5 rpg as a junior, numbers that were on the rise towards the end of the season. With an increased role as a senior, Richie could be a big time threat for Park.

Sleeper Watch: Dion Ford (MN 2019)

Dion Ford- 6'4 2019 W, St. Paul Central, 44 Elite

In a once again loaded class in Minnesota, Dion Ford is one of the many talented players that often goes under-looked with all of the (well deserved) publicity surrounding the likes of Matthew Hurt, Zeke Nnaji, and others. In my first season observing Minnesota basketball last year, Dion impressed me in his season opener against eventual state champs Cretin-Derham Hall. He put up 23 points against four division one caliber players to keep St. Paul Central within striking distance for most of the game. That first impression of Dion has stuck with me to this day, as he remains one of my highest regarded wing prospects in the state.

Dion is a player who has an uncanny ability to find an opening in the defense, and will expose it to get to the rim. He is one of the best in the state at driving to the hoop, and finishes with ease with his left hand. A lot of Dion's points come off of pure hustle, as he always sprints up and down the floor, creating a lot of fast break opportunities. Dion was one of the top scoring threats in St. Paul, and is one of the favorites to win the City Conference's player of the year award as a senior. 

Dion put up 8 games with 20 or more points while averaging 19 ppg as a junior, which was a true testament to his offensive ability. However, Dion is more than just a scoring threat. His long arms and quickness for his height combine to make a good defensive player as well. Multiple times I have seen Dion meet opposing players at the rim and swat their shots. His length also makes him a solid rebounding guard, often grabbing a defensive rebound and immediately turning to run the fast break.

Every year, Minnesota seems to have a handful of prospects that blow up as seniors and get division one offers. With continued work in the offseason, Dion could very well be one of this year's stock risers. He looks the part of a scholarship level player, and could open up a lot of eyes in the winter.

Dion currently has interest from Northern Iowa, Winona State, St. Cloud State, and Concordia St. Paul.

Highlights:

Sleeper Watch: Kobe Johnson (WI 2021)

Kobe Johnson- 6' 2021 PG, Sun Prairie (WI), Phenom U

Part of a loaded 2021 class in Wisconsin, Kobe Johnson is seemingly overshadowed by the nationally ranked Patrick Baldwin and Michael Foster, as well as a plethora of other likely division one prospects. But don't sleep on Kobe for long. The 6' point guard has the talent, work ethic, and potential to make a name for himself. He comes from a basketball family with a lot of height, and with Kobe's wingspan it appears that a growth spurt could be in his future. Although I have only watched Kobe play once, he put in an impressive performance with Phenom University's 15u squad.

Kobe was running the point for a 15u squad considered to be one of the top 25 teams in the country in Phenom U, and he handled the position with poise. He proved that he could score in multiple ways, but never seemed to be forcing anything. He knew what shots he could make, and he knew how to get them off cleanly and efficiently. One of Kobe's most impressive moves was his step back jumper. He utilized this both from mid-range and from beyond the arc, creating a lot of separation to get up an open shot. He waits until he notices his defender is over-pursuing too far in one direction, and quickly crosses over into a step back. He was good at reading his defender's body position to know when to effectively use this move.

While Kobe did a lot of his scoring from the perimeter, he also showed great patience on the occasions that he drove to the hoop. He never rushed or forced anything, and had great decision making on whether to dish the ball to a teammate or take it to the hoop himself. Kobe also showed great court vision, throwing full court dimes multiple times to create easy layups for his teammates. On the defensive end, Kobe uses his long arms to disrupt passing lanes and block shots. He still has room to grow athletically, which could increase his defensive effectiveness even more.

Kobe saw limited minutes on varsity for Sun Prairie as a freshman, but should see increased playing time as a sophomore, forming a solid backcourt alongside his brother Jalen. He is a high potential player with his solid skillset and possible growth spurt looming in his future. If Kobe grows to even 6'3-6'4, he'll be causing a lot of trouble in the state of Wisconsin, as he already has the tools to be a dangerous point guard in the future.