MEQUON, Wis. -- The third day of the Under Armour Summer Jam at Homestead High featured the start of playoff action. Not surprisingly, the early playoff rounds included several lopsided games, but it was a good day to check in on some more under-the-radar but very good players. Detroit products
Justin Tillman and
Paris Bass fit the bill.
On Friday, Rivals.com went searching for sleeper prospects and just happened to find a pair of them from the Motor City. Technically, rising senior Tillman of Detroit (Mich.) Pershing and the REACH Legends isn't a total unknown, given that he's in the
2014 Rivals150. But class of 2013 wing Bess is definitely somebody who broke out on Friday.
At 6-foot-7, Tillman is a long-armed and high-motor combo forward who runs the floor and hunts rebounds on both ends. He made his way into the back end of the Rivals150 after a strong spring, and he has always been a guy who can play above the rim. On Friday, he showed he's more than just an active dunker.
Tillman handled the ball in transition, making plays for teammates off the bounce. He hit a nice-looking 3-pointer, he didn't rush things, and he looked like a much more versatile player than he's shown in previous viewings.
Tillman isn't a stranger to college coaches, either. He mentioned that he has offers from
Iowa,
Iowa State,
Xavier, Kent State, Bowling Green, Rhode Island, Oakland and Detroit. Keeping tabs are
Marquette and
Georgetown. Tillman said he would cut his list to five or so after the summer and that Iowa was standing out as a program that he'd like to visit.
Totally unknown to most watching him play for the Michigan Warriors against Texas Select, Bass, a 6-foot-7 wing, made a strong impression on the assembled college coaches. A class of 2013 prospect who graduated from Seaholm High this summer, Bass is waiting to hear from the NCAA Clearinghouse on his qualification status and will then decide whether to enroll as a 2013 player or attend prep school for a year.
If what he showed on Friday is any kind of indicator, he could be a high-quality late addition up to the high-major level. First, he has terrific size for the wing and is a quality ball handler. He can attack right or left, and he has some game. He got to the rim, hit jumpers and then dropped jaws with a silky off-handed floater from 12 feet.
"I'm waiting to hear back from the Clearinghouse," Bass told Rivals.com. "I've got Toledo, Oakland, Detroit and Louisiana Tech offers.
"If I don't make it, I'll go to prep school. I could go to one of those schools or still go prep if I make it."
Bass said Iowa State has been keeping track, and he is going to have many other high majors looking into him.
Arkansas,
Memphis and
Connecticut were among those said to be looking for more info.