From Illinois’ 2028 class, one player who has really emerged throughout this year has been Noah VanTholen. With this, the point guard of Riverside Brookfield High School and Breakaway Basketball has started to get himself on the radar of several division one programs. 

The most recent headline as his recruitment grows, VanTholen took a visit earlier this fall making the trip to Miami (OH). “I had a really good time there, the hospitality was great, everyone was super friendly,” the junior said about the visit to the MAC school. When asked about his thoughts on Miami (OH), he said “One thing I really liked about them was the staff. They all seemed great and super competitive and all about making their guys better.”

In addition to the visit and interest from Miami (OH), VanTholen also has several other division one programs showing interest in him. Included in this group talking to the junior include Brown, Dartmouth, Furman, and Northern Illinois. 

The growth in VanTholen’s game started in his sophomore season while earning honorable mention all-conference honors in the Upstate Eight. It only continued into the spring grassroots season with Breakaway and then into June as one of the top guards at both the Riverside Brookfield and Hoop Mountain Shootouts in June. As he enters his junior season, VanTholen already has an intriguing blend of tools for the college level. This is highlighted by his great positional size as a 6’4” point guard, length, athleticism, and skill set. The high IQ point guard combines a good scoring ability with his ability to get to the rim and finish as well as create in the mid-range along with being a skilled passer. 

While the game of VanTholen took a major jump in his sophomore season, he has his eyes set on some big team goals in his upcoming junior season. “My goal for my junior season is to be a twenty win team while winning conference and a regional title.” VanTholen and Riverside Brookfield will get their season started up later this month on the 24th versus Uplift.