Cassidy's Takeaways: iBrand Athletics, Elite Amateur Sports Showcase

BELLEVILLE, Ill. -- Some of the top underclassmen in the state of Missouri and beyond descended on the St, Louis suburbs for the iBrand Athletics and Elite Amateur Sports Basketball Showcase on Saturday. Rivals.com’s Rob Cassidy was on hand and shares news and notes from the event below.

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2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2023 Rankings: Rivals150

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Class of 2024 center Jon Bol is nursing a mild ankle injury, which was just uncomfortable enough to hold him out of Saturday’s camp. He was in attendance, however, and at all of 7-foot-3, his identity was difficult to mistake even as he opted to act as the camp photographer, shooting photos of the event with a zoom lens throughout the day.

Bol, who already holds offers from Missouri, Kansas State, Illinois and others, took the time to discuss his recruitment while he stood on the sidelines. He said K-State is the program he knows most about at this juncture and hopes to hit Manhattan for a visit in the year ahead.

“I know [Wildcat assistant] coach [Chris] Lowery and he knows my coach. I like him. Plus, [K-State] isn’t that far away from me, so that’s good.”

Regarded as the top 2024 prospect in Missouri, the South Sudan-born Bol has been in the United States less than a year and draws rave reviews for his coordination and basketball IQ in addition to his size. He’ll need to fill out from a muscle standpoint, obviously, but those that have seen him in action are sky high on his potential. Schools such as Florida State, Oklahoma and Arkansas have signaled interest but are yet to offer.

At 5-foot-10, 2024 point guard Jobe Bryant will need to grow a couple inches if he wants to be recruited at the highest levels, but there’s no doubt that the Park Hills (Mo.) Central High School standout can help any number of Div. I teams down the road. Bryant, who plays both football and basketball at the high school level, did a little bit of everything on Saturday, showcasing impressive ball handling and the ability to break defenders down. He knocked down a few contested 3-pointers and scored through contact at the basket with regularity. He makes the right pass on most occasions as well. How much his recruitment will boom likely hinges on how much he grows.

As things stand, Bryant holds an offer from Texas State. Butler and Missouri have both signaled interest but have not offered.

Jadis Jones is considered one of the top sophomores in the state of Missouri, and the 6-foot-5 wing’s skill set was on display on Saturday. Jones is incredibly strong for his young age and spent the afternoon bullying defenders by using his broad shoulders to get to the bucket. He’ll need to become a more consistent shooter down the road and it would behoove him to grow an inch or two, but his blend of strength, athleticism and basketball IQ makes him an intriguing young prospect.

Jones holds offers from ULM and Southeast Missouri State, but his recruitment will definitely become more crowded in the year ahead. Jones plays for the famed Brad Beal Elite program on the summer grassroots circuit and certainly won’t lack for exposure going forward.

The fact that class of 2025 prospect Ben Winker checks in at 6-foot-9 as a freshman is the reason he grabs attention, but it seems as though he’s more than just length. Winker used Saturday’s event to show off an ability to get up and down the floor incredibly well for his size while also proving able to finish at the rack. Winkler needs to beef up significantly before he’s ready to play at the college level, but he has four full seasons of high school ball to do just that.

There’s plenty of reason to be encouraged by the big’s potential, as he shoots the ball decently well for a young post prospect. It’s hard to believe he hasn’t played a minute of high school basketball as things stand, so St. Louis’ Chaminade Prep could have a good one on their hands down the road should he become stronger and develop a more reliable jumper.