In the latest edition of ‘P.I. Pulse’, Pro Insight’s Alex Brown, Pat Montague, and Reid Little recap their time on the ground in Chicago for the 13th annual Chicago Elite Classic, which continues to be a can’t-miss event in the Midwest, boasting a plethora of top Chicago-area teams and renowned out-of-state competition.
Jaxson Davis is Poised for Another Massive Season
After leading Warren through a tremendous 31-5 freshman campaign, 2027 guard Jaxson Davis is set for an exciting sophomore year, especially following strong showings over the summer with Meanstreets. While Warren (with the absence of senior guard Javerion Banks) took a close loss here to a solid Kenwood squad, the value proposition Davis offers was on full display, racking up 17 points and 7 assists in 32 minutes. As a true PG, Jaxson stands out for his poise, pace control, ability to create for teammates, rim pressure, crafty finishing, and leadership. His overall BBIQ, feel, and ability to command an offense are well beyond his years (recently turning 16 in November). Naturally, there is plenty of reason for optimism about his long term outlook with such a promising foundation, especially as he continues to hone the jump shot.
Chris Bolte Continues to Pick up Steam
Alongside Northwestern commit Phoenix Gill, who helped pull St. Ignatius to a win over Lane Tech on Friday with 23 points, 2026 wing Chris Bolte shone brightly in a 15-point, 6-rebound outing as one of the more underrated recruits in the state. The 2008-born wing immediately stands out for his intangibles by bringing consistent energy, a team-first approach, communication on every possession, a level of toughness, and overall leadership. As far as his game goes, he showcased his spot-up prowess from deep, his ability to connect an offense, inside touch, and fundamentally sound defensive play, all of which helped him keep his fingerprints on the game throughout. Overall, the junior wing brings a lot of winning characteristics that coaches preach about, and he will be in a strong position to have a major uptick in his recruitment over the next year.
Devin Cleveland’s Bright Future
With 15-year-old Devin Cleveland garnering plenty of national recognition over the last year, expectations were high coming into his sophomore season. At the CEC, Kenwood’s senior guard Amari Edwards led the way with 26 points (6-6 from deep) and senior forward TJ Seals dominated the glass (15 boards) in standout performances, but the game also opened up for Devin, who finished with 17 points and a few impressive assists after a quieter first half. Along with being a big time shooter, Devin’s trademark ambidextrous approach makes him especially unique for defenses to deal with, as he prefers finishing and handling with the left, but can attack in either direction out of a ball screen or in transition. Already exceptionally tight and deceptive with the ball, Devin was able to create paint touches that resulted in crafty touch finishes, free throws, and kick-outs to open shooters, an impressive display of comfort, feel, and his natural talent. As he continues to develop physically and athletically, it is easy to be bullish on the long term potential, and this second half performance was indicative of that.
Davion Thompson Delivers Once Again
Over the course of the last year, Bolingbrook’s star 2027 guard Davion Thompson established himself as a national name garnering significant high major college attention, and he backed up that status with his play in a 54-50 win over Kankakee with a casual 22 points. Davion brings a tantalizing combination of versatile shotmaking, crafty finishing, and cognizant facilitating that make him such a difficult cover for opposing defenses, often making the game look easy at this level. Alongside D1 running mates, such as 2028 Brady Pettigrew and 2025 Valparaiso commit JT Pettigrew, Davion is well-positioned to lead Bolingbrook on a deep run this year.
Phoenix Childs Emerges for Perspectives Leadership
2025 Phoenix Childs made a statement with his play in the opener against Riverside-Brookfield, going off for 31 points and 8 boards. Childs excelled when he kept the game simple, and intrigues as an aggressive, powerful 6’3”” perimeter piece who isn't afraid to play with physicality and add a level of toughness and energy to both ends. Along with the physicality/athleticism to find his way to the rim at will, the three-point shooting has really been the separating point as of late, as he buried multiple convincing spot-up looks from beyond the arc at CEC. His upside defensively is pretty clear as well from a tools standpoint, especially with his body control, willingness to talk, rebounding, and effort. Stacking performances like this, Childs has been building a legitimate claim to land at a D1 program, and will be a name to follow closely in Chicago.
Additional Standouts
2025s
Blake Davidson | Mater Dei (CA)
Derrick Dowdell, Jr. | Perspectives Leadership (IL)
Julien Doyle | Simeon (IL)
Amari Edwards | Kenwood (IL)
Kayden “Bugg” Edwards | Duncanville (TX) | Committed: TCU
Phoenix Gill | St. Ignatius (IL) | Committed: Northwestern
Jonas Johnson | DePaul Prep (IL)
Ty Macariola | Fenwick (IL)
Zach Mazanowski | Lane Tech (IL)
Antonio Munoz | Whitney Young (IL)
JT Pettigrew | Bolingbrook (IL) | Committed: Valparaiso
Dalton Scantlebury | Lane Tech (IL) | Committed: Pennsylvania
TJ Seals | Kenwood (IL)
Cameron Smith | Duncanville (TX)
Brent Taylor | Homewood Flossmoor (IL)
JD Tyler | Homewood Flossmoor (IL) | Committed: Wofford
2026s
Zaire Green | Whitney Young (IL)
Ahmad Lee | Lincoln Park (IL)
Karson Thomas | Marist (IL)
Andre Tyler | Simeon (IL)
Jahadi White, Jr. | Chaminade (MO)
Kaydin Benford-Williams | Lincoln Park (IL)
Lincoln Williams | Kankakee (IL)
Rykan Woo | DePaul Prep (IL)
Rokas Zilys | Marist (IL)
2027s
DeMarcus Henry | Mater Dei (CA)
Christopher Hunt, Jr. | Duncanville (TX)
Reggie Stevens, Jr. | St. Laurence (IL)
2028s
Brady Pettigrew | Bolingbrook (IL)
