Thomas "Tommy" Hamilton Jr - 6'9" 2013 - Ultimate Basketball Highlight Mixtape

There is no comparison for Tommy Hamilton- for a freshman in high school his upside is unprecedented. Standing six foot nine and weighing in at 240 pounds- with a polished post game, the court vision of a point guard, and a silky three point stroke- young Thomas possesses a unique blend of size and skills that only comes around once in a generation... or maybe less often than that. He was recently named one of ESPN.com's 15 freshman to watch; and even without having seen the others play, a lot of people in Chicago are convinced that the top spot is his to lose. He is a part of a Mac Irvin Fire AAU family that includes five-star 2011 prospects Wayne Blackshear, Mike Shaw, and Sam Thompson, and any one of them would gladly tell you that Tommy is better than they were at that age... much better... and he is only beginning to scratch the surface of what he may one day become. His upside is so tremendous that it's almost hard to believe, just like it's sometimes hard to believe when you're around him that the Giant standing in front of you has a brain in his head that's only fifteen years old- he has a presence about him that makes it seem like he's been through it all before. Maybe it's because, in a way, he has. His father, Thomas Sr, was the last chosen one- seven foot three with that oh-so-familiar stroke from the three point arc, but they say he just didn't have the mental strength and focus necessary to fulfill his vast potential. Maybe that's why Tommy's here- and why he seems so sure of it all. Because maybe, just maybe, he knew long before the rest of us could see it so crystal clearly- that it was his destiny to show us all what could've been, and maybe- just maybe- he's well on his way to achieving much, much more... DPbball.blogspot.com... DanielPoneman@gmail.com

Unsigned 2010 Juco SG Kahlil Mcdonald

2010 Blinn (Tx) Shooting Guard Kahlil Mcdonald is drawing recruiting attention from all over the country. Mcdonald, who is shooting 46% from three this year on over 150 attempts, is a quintesential shooting guard. He is strong, athletic, physical, and deadly from downtown. Mcdonald is averaging over 23 points a game for Blinn.

Last year, Kahlil had committed to Oklahoma State after his first year at Blinn, but that plan fell through due to extenuating circumstances. Now, Mcdonald is drawing recruiting attention from all over the country. Right now, Mcdonald claims interest and some offers from Western Kentucky, West Virginia, Charlotte, Rutgers, and " a lot more, too many to name even." Mcdonald plans to make his decision sometime in April, after taking visits to the schools. Kahlil says he is looking "to just be able to play my game. I want to be able to play as the all around player I am developing into."

Duje Dukan and Ryan Davis - Deerfield Warriors - Highlights and Interview with Daniel Poneman

Can you remember the last time Deerfield had a top 25 ranked basketball team?... I can't either. At a school not known for athletic excellence, Duje Dukan, Ryan Davis, and their fellow seniors have had the season of a lifetime, and in doing so they have changed the culture of their community and inspired young Warriors to believe that they might have a chance to one day do the same. With Dukan (a Wisconsin recruit) and Davis leading the way, Deerfield senior filled squad entered the season optimistic but not over confident; they knew they had a good team, but it's hard to truly believe you're going to accomplish something so truly unprecedented as what they went on to do this season. The season isn't over yet- the state playoffs are just around the corner- but even if the season ended today this season would surely be one that the Deerfield community will be talking about for generations to come. A lot of young men win games, but there aren't many kids who can inspire an entire town to believe... This video features highlights vs GBN and Mundelein, as well as an interview with Dukan and Davis by Daniel Poneman... DPbball.blogspot.com... DanielPoneman@gmail.com

More with Jereme Richmond- #1 Player in Illinois- Highlights From His Senior Night vs Evanston

The north suburban communities of Evanston and Waukegan are similar in many ways, and one of those is that our state's top basketball player, Jereme Richmond, calls both towns home. Jereme has family and friends on the court and in the stands on both sides whenever Waukegan and Evanston match up, which- needless to say- makes the already heated rivalry even more competitive. Jereme's high school career is now coming to an end, and he will soon head off to the University of Illinois, so it was only fitting that his senior night game was to be played against the team he knew oh-so-well. This video features highlights of Jereme's dominant senior night performance against Evanston, as well as a few sound bytes of Jereme talking about why he appreciates his teammates... DPBball.blogspot.com... DanielPoneman@gmail.com...

Jereme Richmond Dunk- Throws Down an Alley-Oop on Evanston From Teammate Quan Conner

McDonald's All-American Jereme Richmond made it to the state finals with Waukegan last year, and at this point in his career it seems his chemistry with his teammates is so good that they always know where he is on the court. Every time I watch Waukegan play he gets at least one dunk, and this video from their recent game against Evanston features a really nice give and go with Jereme and teammate Quan Conner.

Jereme Richmond Talks Being a McDonald's All-American, with Sick Highlights

Throughout his career, Jereme Richmond (Waukegan 2010) has been one of the most talked about players in the history of Illinois prep basketball. From his commitment to Illinois as a freshman, to his transfer from North Shore Country Day to Waukegan, to the half court buzzer beater he sunk last year to make it downstate, to being the first junior ever to be honored as the Sun-Times State Player of the Year as a junior; and it all culminated in his recent inclusion to the prestigious basketball fraternity that is the McDonalds All-American team. This video features an interview with Daniel Poneman, where he talks all about what it was like being chosen to the All-American team, as well as highlights in a recent win over Whitney Young.... DPBball.Blogspot.com... DanielPoneman@gmail.com..

Kenny Stevenson (Seton) Highlights and Interview with Daniel Poneman: UIC Recruit

Kenny Stevenson is one of the top guards in Illinois, and won a state championship last year playing for the Seton Sting. Kenny committed before the season to stay in the windy city and play in college for the UIC Flames, and in this video he displays the skills that make him a division one recruit.

Max Biefeldt, Unsigned Junior from Peoria Notre Dame

Max Biefeldt has been one of the breakout Juniors in the state. The 6'8 bruiser has developed the reputation as one of the most consistant big men in his class. He is a product of Peoria Notre Dame and has been popping up on the radar of many DI programs. Check out "The Big Puppy" at work.

Peoria Manual High School Basketball

Since the class change almost three years ago the Peoria Manual Rams has sat atop the class 2A rankings. Currently ranked #2 in 2A the Rams have spent more times in the #1 spot than any other team in their class. Many people know Manual for there state championships and #1 national ranking in the mid-90's but these Rams have decided to write their own story have refer to themselves as "The Redeem Team". I've followed them this season on their route to what could be the second trip to state in the last three years.

Lawrence Alexander, Unsigned Senior From Peoria Manual

Lawrence Alexander is a senior at Peoria Manual High School. He is a sharp shooting guard who will never give up on a play. He is currently unsigned but has garned offers from DII and Juco teams from around the Mid-West. He could possibly be the diamond in the rough for this years unsigned senior class in Illinois.

Marvin Jordan, Ball State Commit

Marvin Jordan is one of the top point guards in the state. The Ball State Recruit is a senior at Peoria Manual High School and is hoping to close out his senior year with another trip to state. Check him out

Tobias Harris, Tennessee Commit and Number 5 Overall (2010) Tops 2,000 Point Mark

Tobias Harris of Half Hollow Hills West High School (20-0) on Long Island scored 27 points in a county quarterfinal victory on Tuesday night. This brought the number 5 overall recruit in the 2010 class, who is committed to play for Bruce Pearl at the University of Tennessee, to 2,008 career points. To put this in perspective, New York State's all-time leading scorer, Lance Stephenson, finished his career with 2,946 points. However, that number is quite skewed with the difference in number of games played between the New York City high schools and schools elsewhere throughout the state.

During Stephenson's high school career, Lincoln High School played an average of 30.4 games per season. And while Harris's senior season is not yet over, beginning with his 8th grade year, his teams have averaged playing only 22, not to mention he missed some action his junior year due to injury. Hills West could realistically play another 7 or 8 games this year. Yet even with the disparity in games played, after eclipsing the 2,000 point mark, Harris joins the likes of Stephenson, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sebastian Telfair (2,785), and former NBA All-Star Kenny Anderson (2,621) in New York State's 2,000 point club.

In an interview with New York Newsday's Stephen Haynes, Harris showed that surpassing this plateau is not taking any focus away from his team's goals. "It's a great step in my career and it'll be nice to look back on, but for now I'm just worried about us winning states." Harris and the Colts will be back in action this Sunday night at 7PM in the Suffolk County Class AA semifinal.

Check out our videos with Tobias:
HIGHLIGHTS
INTERVIEW