best high school basketball players in illinois

An explosive guard with blazing end-to-end speed with the basketball, Boatright scored 63 points in one game and went for 55 in another. Subscribe Already a subscriber? 100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament In the early 1960s, Illinois had a physical presence in the middle thanks to Bill Burwell. Best Version Media, LLC. The squad finished the year with a coachs rank of 16, winning the Kentucky Invitational Tournament during the season. Battles hustle and amazing slam dunks made him a fan favourite. He averaged 17 points per game while playing for Illinois. 1 ranked prospect in the country in the Class of 2014 and the City/Suburban Hoops Reports top-ranked prospect in Illinois, ahead of Curies Cliff Alexander, who was top five nationally. Johnson studied history from 1977 to 1981 at the University of Illinois. The 6-2 guards record-breaking individual performance helped lead Stevenson to Peoria for three straight years, including winning a state championship as a senior. The results of that poll, in a word: Oof. The professional careers of these basketball players have been nothing short of spectacular. With five players ranked in the 2023 ESPN 100 and four more ranked in the 2024 . While the high-level consistency remains a work in progress, Casey still boasts the biggest upside in the class. BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (BVM) The state of Illinois has produced some high-quality girls basketball players over the years. Since then Richmond has played professionally for fractions of a season in the Dominican Republic and Argentina. Crestwood (North York ONT CAN) 5. From 1961 through 1965, Thoren decided to play college basketball at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Post-high school career:In his only season at Duke, Parker was a consensus first-team All-American as a freshman. Hes spent time with the Bucks, Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards and will play this season with the Atlanta Hawks. Conner did more than held his own against one of the greatest players in college basketball history Bill Walton, who was practically invincible, as he was frustrated by his quickness and jumping abilities en route to scoring 17 points on 8 of 14 field goal attempts. All rights reserved. Homegrown talent: Chicago's all-time greatest basketball players Here are the 50 best Illinois basketball players of all time. Jahari Miller Indiana. A ranking of the 2004 Best NFL Basketball Players in Illinois. Vernon was the City/Suburban Hoops Reports No. His 830 career boards were a school record for 15 years, and he owns the two highest single-season rebounding averages in Illinois history (14.5 and 13.8 boards per game). Greg Jackson was a powerhouse during his time in Illinois. HONORABLE MENTION (23): Denver Anderson, Mt. Discover Walks contributors speak from all corners of the world - from Prague to Bangkok, Barcelona to Nairobi. quality girls basketball players over the years. There is no other way to explain it. 2022 Illinois High School Boys Basketball Player Rankings - Prep Hoops However, the fact Richmond played just one year in the decade hurt his case. A ranking of the 2001 Best NFL Basketball Players in Illinois. Simeon Vocational Academy is where Anderson played high school basketball before moving on to play for the Fighting Illini team that won the NCAA Final Four in 1989 for three years while attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (Chicago Tribune). As a senior he averaged 20.2 points and 9.3 rebounds while shooting 63 percent from the field. Nick Anderson, Kendall Gill, Lowell Hamilton, Kenny Battle, and Marcus Liberty were among the other starters on that team in addition to Bardo. Watch IHSA Class 3A tournament: Stream girl's high school basketball But pure and simple, Davis is the most talentedprospectto come out of Illinois in the last decade, which is why he was the No. Alexander averaged 25 points, 16 rebounds and six blocks as a senior and was named the Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year. Austin Parks, St. Mary's Memorial, junior, 6'9" Averaged 15.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game last season as a sophomore and earned second-team all-league honors. 2004 Best NFL Basketball Players in Illinois CENTRALIA Centralia couldn't get any closer than seven points in the second half and fell to East St. Louis, 53-39, in the first semifinal of the IHSA Class 3A Centralia boys basketball . Its a little more challenging for a potential player to be fully recognized and appreciated. Home - Illinois Hoop Prospects Professional basketball player Eddie Johnson photo by United States Forest Service Wikimedia commons. Here are the best boys basketball players in the state of Ohio: 1. He was named to the third team of the 200809 Big Ten Conference by both the coaches and the media as a sophomore after leading the team in scoring average during that season. Top 40 High Schools That Have Produced the Most NBA Players Here are 20 players who have had a national MVP-worthy season thus far. The 19911992 NBA season was his greatest year as a professional; he played in 75 games for the Nuggets and averaged 9.3 points per game. Augustine started as a freshman for a team that placed second in the Big Ten. The highlight of his career was the 196061 campaign when Wessels was honoured as an All-American honourable mention on an Illinois squad that concluded the regular season with a 915 overall record, enough for seventh place in the Big Ten. With two years of high school basketball still left to play, Freitag's stock continues to rise and he could be a Top 50 national recruit soon. WNBA standouts Candace Parker, Tamika Catchings and Yolanda Griffith once took the hardwood at the high school level in the state. Last season he played in 49 games for the Wizards, averaging 15 minutes and 5.5 points. Prep girls basketball action remains in full . Augustine scored 1,383 points and grabbed 1,023 rebounds throughout his college career. Gill attended the University of Illinois after being named to the six-player All-Tournament team while attending Rich Central High School in Olympia Fields. Thompson (41), Tyrone Johnson (17). In three seasons at Illinois, Scholz averaged 20.5 points(second) and 9.7 boards per game, fifth-best in school history. He is likely most known among Fighting Illini supporters for his game-winning shot against Michigan State University. There were some individual magical moments throughout Brunsons career, highlighted by the record-setting 56 points he scored in the state semifinals loss to Young as a junior. Douglas was selected for the Illinois All-Century Team in October 2004. Chicagos first state champions. Illinois High School Association. 2023 BVM Sports. One of the best performances by an Illinois player was his 35 points against Michigan State in January 1974. He became the No. Here's a look at our top Chicago high school basketball stars to ever grace the hardwood. Also worth noting and in the same vein Cadeau's sponsorship deal with Swedish company Vitamin Drink made him the first U.S. high school player to sign an international Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) contract. Williams received First-Team All-Big Ten honours in 2004 and 2005 when he was a junior. Maybe more than anyone on this list, Ulis lifted an entire basketball program to state relevancy. For local insights and insiders travel tips that you wont find anywhere else, search any keywords in the top right-hand toolbar on this page. Off-the-court issues plagued Richmond, including a short period of time in prison. He was gifted on the offensive side of the game which was an important aspect that allowed Illinois to soar to its highest levels. However, as a senior, he had fewer assists but higher shooting percentages. The physically and athletically imposing Alexander became a force over the final two years of his career. Thompson (41), Tyrone Johnson (17). With the 2022-23 basketball season fast approaching, here are the top 10 seniors for the upcoming season. College Basketball (W): Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights - Yardbarker Garris led the club in scoring and free-throw percentage for the following three seasons. March 1, 10 Best: Wednesday Sectional Semi Preview, Scott Burgess The McDonalds All-American was a consensus top 25 player in the country in the Class of 2011. Under the direction of head coach Bruce Weber, Frazier spent four seasons at the University of Illinois (20052009). James Augustine photo by Hodyachih Wikimedia commons. Stevensons Jalen Brunson (15) lays in a reverse shot against Riverside-Brookfield. Whether you want to learn the history of a city, or you simply need a recommendation for your next meal, Discover Walks Team offers an ever-growing travel encyclopaedia. Gatorade State High School Players of the Year Cook assisted in guiding the Illini to a top seed in the 2001 NCAA Tournament. The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) celebrated 100 years of the IHSA State Tournament in the 2006-07 season. If you forgot your password, no worries: enter your email address and we'll send you a link you can use to pick a new password. With the win, Illinois improved to 15-0 and was ranked second nationally, but Michigan went on to win the eventual national championship. After a lackluster first season, the 6-foot-5 center put up 14.6 . Top 10 Chicago high school basketball players of all time The Chicagoland area is second to none when it comes to high school basketball. He averaged 20.7 points per game and finished his career second in school history with a.609 field goal percentage. Smith scored 1,635 points and had 161 steals throughout his college career. Denali Craig Edwards, Peoria High (6-0, Sr., SG/F) 67 Amalia Dray, LaGrange Nazareth (5-8, Jr., F) 37 Claire McDougall, Washington (6-0, Sr., G) 33 Aubrey Galvan, Deerfield (5-6, Soph., PG) 31. Parker, who scored 1,870 points in his career, became the first two-time Illinois Mr. Basketball winner in state history. He still maintains the Illini career steals (324) and assists (765) records. 1. Log in Thank you for submitting a news tip to BVM Sports! Robert Archibald photo by Elemaki Wikimedia commons. Specifically, Illinois Class of 2023 will showcase several future Division I and Power 5 college basketball players who will look to further prove themselves in 2022-23. Wessels averaged 13.4 points per game while playing in 60 games, grabbing 521 total rebounds, and scoring 803 points across his three years of varsity basketball. These qualities have allowed them to dominate their rivals and earn many honours along the way to success. Not all players go on to play professionally, but they still deserve to be recognized for their contributions to basketball.With the state finals approaching, the Chicago Tribune created a 100 greatest players ever list that spans the course of Illinois' 118-year-old high school basketball history. Okafor will go down as one of the most dominating big men in state history. 64 greatest Illinois high school basketball teams ever Mar 07, 2018 at 8:30 am Expand Autoplay 1 of 64 Chicago's first state champions. A ranking of the 2022 Best NFL Football Players in Illinois. Weatherspoon was chosen in 2004 for the Illini Mens Basketball All-Century Team.. He also helped the USA Basketball 18U team to a gold medal. In December 1966, he was named the Illinois mens basketball teams starting point guard. As a sophomore, Burwell made an immediate impact and served as the middle anchor for Illinois 1963 Big Ten winning squad. 1 in our boys' rankings. Top 100 +. He managed 237 three-pointers which was a school record at the University at the time of his graduation. Also won state in 1960 behind George Wilson (back row,. By the time he was a senior, the 6-9, 245-pound Alexander was a consensus top five prospect in the country and a McDonalds All-American. He already has offers from Iowa, Creighton, Iowa State, Kansas and Minnesota, among others, and is arguably the best high school hoops prospect to come out of South Dakota since Mike Miller in the late 1990s. During his senior season Okafor averaged 24.1 points and 11.3 rebounds while compiling a 28-5 record and capturing a Class 4A state championship. A slight-framed point guard and decisive decision-maker who controls offensive tempo naturally, Johnson has finally made a name for himself among college coaches this past month. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2015 U19 World Championship as he led Team USA to a gold medal. He flashes various scoring abilities. He's also the only sophomore from the midwestern states to make our list. Dotzler's stats have made a significant leap each year, and as a junior, he averaged 15.7 points, 4.5 assists and 2.3 steals. 2026; 2025; 2024; 2023; 2022 . 2022 Illinois High School Girls Basketball Player Rankings | Prep Girls Hoops Illinois 2022 Rankings WL indicates Watch List Access all of Prep Girls Hoops Subscribe for access to all premium articles and rankings. After graduating from high school, Winters was accepted to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he played varsity basketball from 1982 to 1986. Still, at the pinnacle of their game, Illinois doesnt show any signs of slowing down anytime soon in producing exceptional athletes and its a matter of time before another star athlete comes out of Illinois. We grouped our selections in four 16-team divisions: the top champions from the city, from the suburbs, from downstate defined as anywhere in Illinois other than the city and suburbs and the 16 best girls state champions. Weatherspoon was chosen in 2004 for the Illini Mens Basketball All-Century Team., Dee Brown at the Washington Wizards v/s Orlando Magic game photo by Keith Allison Wikimedia commons. The final spot in the state championship game for the IHSA 3A Tournament is set between second-ranked Lincoln (35-0) and fourth-seeded Deerfield (29-5) today. The top prospect in the class possesses the versatility and physical profile that opens eyes with his size, length and athleticism. After a somewhat-quiet offseason, the Fire are widely picked to finish near the bottom of the Eastern Conference and miss the playoffs again. 2023 Top Basketball Recruits in Illinois - 247Sports how interested you are in the Fire, whose season begins Saturday against New York City FC at Soldier Field. Let us look at 30 of the best high school players of all time. MP Stats for iPad Stat keeping for basketball teams. Coach: Spin Salario 2022-23 Men's Basketball Roster - University of Illinois Athletics Marian Catholics Tyler Ulis during the class 4A supersectional against Edwardsville. March 01, 2023 5:30 AM. High School: Jefferson Senior High School (Minneapolis). A ranking of the 2001 Best NFL Basketball Players in Illinois. In 2004, Harper received a spot on the Illini Mens Basketball All-Century Team. During the 200910 NCAA Division I mens basketball season, he became the first Fighting Illini to average more than seven assists per game throughout an entire season. Ranking the Class of 2022: How the seniors stack up heading into July. 12. MaxPreps.com; High School Basketball; Illinois; Illinois Rankings; IL High School Basketball Rankings. To support our blog and writers we put affiliate links and advertising on our page. Simmenthal Milano Ignis Varese 1965-1966 championship, Skip Thoren with the ball, Flaborea and Riminucci recognize each other photo sourced from Wikimedia commons. This season the Railsplitters are the. He was named to the Big Ten All-Defensive Team and received an honourable mention for the Big Ten. Recommended Lists: Badminton Players Baseball Players 5 Shaquille O' Neal (Basketball player) 135 32 Birthdate: March 6, 1972 Sun Sign: Pisces Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, United States Shaquille O'Neal is an American former basketball player who currently works as a sports analyst. In 2004, he was chosen for the Illini Mens Basketball All-Century Team.. 2001 Best NFL Basketball Players in Illinois An isolation scorer who can score in multiple ways off the dribble from three, mid-range and in drives to the basket. A top 50 player nationally, Liddell was the top-ranked prospect in Illinois in the Class of 2019. He only started one season at Illinois, but during that season he averaged 10.6 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting.659 from the field, setting an Illini record. Here is a look at the 10 best Illinois High School Athletic Association (IHSA) boys basketball players in the Class of 2023. Conner spent the majority of his collegiate career playing the centre position out of position, but he more than made up for it with his amazing leaping abilities. 1 player in the country and a coveted high-major prospect. Vote: Southwest Illinois boys basketball player of the week Dissette will stay in his home state for his college basketball career he committed to play for North Dakota State following his junior year. March 2, 3A Sectional Finals Preview and Storylines, Scott Burgess Thorens teams at Illinois won 51 of 74 games and the 1963 championship when he was a player there. As a senior, Jacksons scoring fell to 11.9 points per game, despite his toughness on the court. Dotzler will follow older brother Josh's footsteps on the college level he's committed to play for Creighton, where Josh played from 2005 to 2009. The Illini won the Big Ten championship and advanced to the NCAA tournament in 1983-84. Davis was an absolute unknown until the spring of his junior year. In five seasons hes averaged 15.1 points. Craft committed to Xavier last week. So here they are: The best of the best from each part of the state. A list of "100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament" was assembled on December 14, 2005. 1. High School Basketball; Current Affairs; Off-Topic Board; . As a senior he averaged 31.2 points and had seven games of 40-plus points. His career average of 8.3 rebounds per night matched him for eighth place on the schools all-time list. 1 and No. McDonald's All-American. In his debut game, he scored 22 points. There were three different players Anthony Davis, Jabari Parker and Jahlil Okafor who at one time were considered the top-ranked prospect in the country during their high school career. HS basketball: Here are all 128 players named all-state by the Illinois The best big-man attribute is hes an excellent passer. He scored 2,335 points for teams that went 94-9, including undefeated regular seasons in 1975 and. Before playing for the University of Illinois, George Bon Salle was a star at the Loyola Academy in Chicago, Illinois. Richmonds career, albeit a bit mercurial, was outstanding. High School: Pewaukee High School (Pewaukee, Wisconsin). 1 in the NBA Draft, Parker went No. Every year he played, Gills Illini received NCAA bids. Bryce Curry Ohio. Post-high school career:As a junior at Connecticut, Boatright was a key defensive player and averaged 12.1 points in helping the Huskies to a NCAA national championship. Thoren was voted team MVP, first-team All-Big Ten, and first-team All-American following the season. He was selected by Illinois supporters as one of the top 20 basketball players for the Fighting Illini in the teams 100-year history. While Youngs AJ Casey remains the top long-term prospect in the class, the distance between No. Phone: (309) 663-6377 Fax: (309) 663-7479 : 2715 McGraw Drive Bloomington, IL 61704-6011 Map & directions : Office Hours Period. The battle with inconsistency seems to be one hes starting to win more. Chicagos first state champions. [1] [2] Throughout the state, 281 individuals were nominated and were chosen by geographic region and tournament era. a staff of more than 50 full time recruiting reporters and evaluators that rank and compile data on the nation's elite high school recruits.More Info About . Brunson also made an impact internationally. He was selected by Illinois supporters as one of the top 20 basketball players for the Fighting Illini in the teams 100-year history. The best Illinois high school basketball players of the decade Ranking the top 10 players in Illinois from the 2009-2010 season through the 2018-2019 season and a few others that just missed. In his final two years at Simeon he averaged a combined 19.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.7 blocks while going 63-4. 2023 www.rrstar.com. The Philadelphia Warriors selected him in the fifth round, 36th overall, of the 1958 NBA Draft. Star: George Wilson (86 points in last four state games). Hes playing with more aggressiveness, confidence and showcasing some pop and quick second leap off the floor. A spark-plug scorer and safe bet to be a productive offensive player at the next level due to his shot-making ability from all areas of the court. Central Wisconsin Christian VS Oakfield LIVE MATCH WIAA High School During his college career, he started 134 of them, which is the second-highest number of games started in school history. Top 10 Chicago high school basketball players of all time He had a treasure chest of accolades, including being a McDonalds All-American, Illinois Mr. Basketball winner and a two-time Sun-Times Player of the Year. On Feb. 26, ESPN's basketball version of "College Gameday" will be in Iowa City for No. Garris concluded his career with 1948 points and a 16.8-point per-game scoring average. Luther Head of the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA) photo byKeith Allison Wikimedia commons. Ranking the top prospects in the Class of 2022 - Chicago Sun-Times Boys Basketball . From 1966 to 1969, he was a student at the University of Illinois. By Joe Henricksen Oct 17, 2019, 9:20am PST (It's worth noting that Bartlesville is coached by former Kansas State guard Clent Stewart.) Rank Player Pos Ht / Wt Rating Team. Cooper Zachary Indiana. Adan Diggs Arizona. With 853 rebounds at Illinois (since surpassed and now in third place), Winters concluded his collegiate career as the schools all-time rebounding leader and third-best scorer. The match will be broadcast here Link Live on https://bit.ly/3YdbZeMWarriorsRailsplittersThe Lincoln (IL) varsity basketball team has a neutral playoff ga. He also plays with a competitive edge and confidence. As a junior in the city title game, Okafor went for 19 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks, including the game-saving block of Billy Garretts shot in Youngs 60-56 overtime win over Morgan Park. Dissette averaged 22.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and shot 56 percent from the floor in his junior season and was at his best in the Class A state title game with 22 points and 13 rebounds in a 73-62 win over West Fargo on his way to being named Class A Tournament MVP. (The first girls state tournament was in 1977; the boys tournament started in 1908 at the Oak Park YMCA.) Chasson Randle of Rock Island moves quickly down the court, defended by Terrance Walker of Brooks. He was also a monster when it mattered most, putting up big numbers in Belleville Wests biggest games.