WNBA standouts Candace Parker, Tamika Catchings and Yolanda Griffith once took the hardwood at the high school level in the state. He was selected as a McDonalds All-American and won the states Mr. Basketball award. His leadership helped the Illini win the Big Ten mens basketball tournament, and in 200203, he was awarded the games best player. 1 player in the country. Each voter picked a five-player first team and five-player second team in each class. [3] With a BVM Sports account, submitting content to appear on our website is easier to keep track of and share. As a senior, he averaged 16.6 points per game from his cutting drives while also setting a school record with 89 steals for the year with his freakishly athletic body. Sterling Brown County (5-10, Sr., PG) 31; Grace Bishop, Albion Edwards County (5-8, Fr., F) 20; Gracie Heckert, Cowden Herrick/Beecher City (5-10, Sr., G) 20; Sophia Hoffmann, Carlyle (5-6, Soph., G) 18; Whitney Sullivan, Orangeville (6-3, Jr., G/F) 18; Delaney Panozzo, Grant Park (6-3, Sr., PG) 14; Brook Pieper, Abingdon Avon (6-1, Sr., C) 12; Shelby Veltrop, Morrison (6-3, Sr., F/C) 12; Abby Compton, Goreville (6-0, Jr., F) 11; Alexa Jamison, Catlin Salt Fork (5-6, Soph., G) 11; Ella Boyer, Tuscola (5-5, Sr., G) 9; Ava Heinz, Brimfield (6-1, Soph., F/C) 9; Taryn Wickman, Havana (5-9, Sr., G/F) 9; Addi Fair, Gardner-South Wilmington (5-6, Jr., G) 8; Audrey Sabol, Nokomis (6-0, Sr., F) 8; Alexis Wade, Mt. In addition, another factor to consider is playing just one season in the decade. 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. Vote for the girls high school Player of the Week in southwestern IL from Feb. 20-24. Momcilovic, 6-foot-8, averaged 18.1 points and 7.7 rebounds in 2021-22 and picked the Cyclones over offers from Minnesota, UCLA, Creighton and Virginia, among others. Coach: Spin Salario With 2,129 points scored throughout his career and an average of 18.0 points per game, Thomas completed his playing days as the Fighting Illinis all-time top scorer. Huff continues to show an array of skill and production at his size that is so enticing with how the game is played today. One year after graduating from high school, Davis went No. 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. Chicagos first state champions. During his senior year state title run, the first in Rock Island history, Randle averaged 21.7 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Post-high school career:As a unanimous first-team All-American at Duke as a freshman, Okafor led the Blue Devils to the 2015 national championship. My goodness. (It's worth noting that Bartlesville is coached by former Kansas State guard Clent Stewart.) Demetri McCamey signals a play photo by Joshua Beckman Wikimedia commons. Polling Place: Is Patrick Kane the greatest Blackhawk ever? In 2009, he graduated from Illinois with a bachelors degree in recreation management. San Ysidro (San Diego CA) 4. FB Recruiting Home; News Feed; Team Rankings; Commitments; Decommitments; Scheduled Commits; 34 overall) of the Phoenix Suns. 10 Famous Basketball Players who played for Duke. He graduated from Illinois as the schools seventh-highest scorer ever. He began 30 of the 32 games he played as a freshman, finishing third in the Big Ten Conference in assists with 4.53 per contest. Jordan Fisher Canada. High School: Lincoln High School (Sioux Falls, South Dakota). 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. He was selected by Illinois supporters as one of the top 20 basketball players for the Fighting Illini in the teams 100-year history. Willie Darden Jr Connecticut. While Youngs AJ Casey remains the top long-term prospect in the class, the distance between No. Okafor was the consensus No. Log in Davis was an absolute unknown until the spring of his junior year. Also, with a career field goal percentage of 57.2 per cent (456-797), he is fifth in school history. Williams led the Fighting Illini to the NCAA championship game in 2005 as a junior starting point guard, but they fell to the University of North Carolina. Where Castillo really turned heads for the first time was in international play as he helped lead the Team USA U16 National Team to a gold medal at the FIBA Americas World Championships in 2021. The understated Randle has one heck of a career rsum, including a Class 3A state championship as a senior and sharing the states Mr. Basketball Award that same year with another all-decade performer, Ryan Boatright. He was selected by Illinois supporters as one of the top 20 basketball players for the Fighting Illini in the teams 100-year history. Though Davis was a McDonalds All-American, he didnt win Sun-Times Player of the Year and finished fourth in Mr. Basketball voting. That's the good stuff. He averaged 17.4 points as a senior and finished his career with 1,786 points, 446 rebounds and 491 assists. 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. Garris led the club in scoring and free-throw percentage for the following three seasons. Steve Bardo photo by TonyTheTiger Wikimedia commons. This season the Railsplitters are the. Cliff Alexander scores against North Chicago. Luther Head of the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA) photo byKeith Allison Wikimedia commons. The same season, he was named to the first team of the Big Ten and the All-American teams. From 2007 until 2011, he was a student at Illinois. 2 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. State Series Information & Results; Records & History; Basketball Advisory Committee; 3-Year Season Calendar; IHSA Administrator. Note: All data is from the high school database on Basketball Reference. In addition to being a McDonalds All-American, Parker won the Morgan Wooten National Player of the Year. Playoff results: W 70-64 vs. Rock Falls (state final), W 74-62 vs. West Aurora (state semifinal), W 72-59 vs. Herrin (state quarterfinal), W 63-43 vs. Elgin (supersectional), W 68-59 (OT) vs. Dunbar (city final). 1. Supporting cast: Bobby Jones (64), Steve Thomas (64), M.C. As a junior he was named AP College Basketball Player of the Year, Naismith College Player of the Year and won the Wooden Award. First all-black team to win state. Douglas had a stellar career with Illinois, where he was a statistical leader in numerous categories. Thompson (41), Tyrone Johnson (17). 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. 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. 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. Greg Jackson was a powerhouse during his time in Illinois. The team fell just short of reaching its first final four since 1952, falling to the University of Kentucky in a contentious game. He finished as the 24th ranked prospect in the country in the Class of 2010. The Illini then rolled to the Final 8, when the Arizona Wildcats upset them in a contentious and hard-fought contest. As a senior he led Waukegan to a third-place finish in Class 4A while averaging 20.8 points, 11.4 rebounds and nearly three assists and three blocks. March 2, Steve Parham Dissette will stay in his home state for his college basketball career he committed to play for North Dakota State following his junior year. The latest recruiting news sent to your inbox weekly. He was selected for the University of Illinois All-Century Team in 2004. He ranks sixth in Big Ten history with his career 3-pointers and career steals. Douglas was selected for the Illinois All-Century Team in October 2004. 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. Post-high school career:No player has made a bigger splash out of Illinois. The Fighting Illini were led by junior Gill to 1989 Final Four, where they fell to Michigan on a last-second shot. With 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds, Augustine was the first player in school history and just the 12th player in Big Ten history. A ranking of the 2001 Best NFL Basketball Players in Illinois. He averaged 9.3 points as a rookie last season. Welcome to Stadium Talk's picks for the best boys basketball players in every state headed into the 2022-2023 season. Bill Self sought out Williams to join the University of Illinois basketball team for the NCAA 20022003 season. Over his undergraduate career, he averaged 4.7 assists per game and led Illinois in that category in 19811982. Looking back, the individual high-level talent that highlighted the past 10 years can stack up against any decade in Illinois high school basketball history. Following his stellar career at UConn, Boatright has played overseas and in the NBAs G League. 10 min read. The Illini won the Big Ten championship and advanced to the NCAA tournament in 1983-84. The Dallas Mavericks selected Brunson with the 33rd pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. This came after a junior season in which he put up 24.8 points and 12.6 rebounds. He had the most assists per game in the Big Ten during his junior season. The high school basketball season is set to tip off, and once again, the state of Illinois features some of the top talent in the country. . Best Version Media, LLC. Now's your chance to vote for . He scored 2,335 points for teams that went 94-9, including undefeated regular seasons in 1975 and. 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. March 1, 5 Takeaways: Downers Grove North vs Whitney Young, Scott Burgess We also wanted to know or did we? 11/08/2022 Joliet West Tigers Kenwood Academy Broncos Rolling Meadows Mustangs East St. Louis Flyers Moline Maroons Whitney Young Dolphins Neal F. Simeon Career Academy Wolverines Lake Forest Scouts Basketball DePaul womens basketball star Aneesah Morrow, a second-team All-American as only a freshman last season, was a standout at Simeon in Chicago before making her way to the collegiate level. Forget about the hype, including the Sports Illustrated cover and being the most media-covered athlete maybe in Illinois prep sports history. 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; Contact Us; Advertisers . 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. From 1986 until 1990, he was an Illinois student. Super Bowl Odds 2023 - Best Odds To Win Super Bowl 57; Tickets; Players Born In Peoria (IL), United States. The Fighting Illini team came to be known as the Flyin Illini. The Denver Nuggets then selected him in the second round of the 1990 NBA Draft, 42nd overall. Cook graduated from Illinois as the third-highest scorer in school history with 1,748 total points, averaging 13.2 points per game. Okafor will go down as one of the most dominating big men in state history. Teams; CBS Sports; CBS SPORTS HQ . With sound form and mechanics, range and a pure release, Schutt has elite shooting ability that easily translates to the next level. 1. Montverde Academy (Florida) has won Geico Nationals in back-to-back years and remains No. (Chicago Tribune). Maybe more than anyone on this list, Ulis lifted an entire basketball program to state relevancy. Davis was the consensus college National Player of the Year while leading Kentucky to a national championship as a freshman. 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 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. During his college career, he started 134 of them, which is the second-highest number of games started in school history. He was also a monster when it mattered most, putting up big numbers in Belleville Wests biggest games. Guyton, daughter of former NBA player A.J. 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. Guard Rennie Clemons of Illinois occasionally stood out while playing basketball. 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. As a senior in 19921993, Kaufmann averaged 17.3 points per game. Brunsons production and numbers were off the charts. McDonald's All-American. DePaul's very own Aneesah Morrow played for Carmel and has been incredible so far. 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. Vote for the boys high school Player of the Week in southwestern IL from Feb. 20-24. He was that talented of a player and that dynamic of a high school basketball figure. The Top Ranked Basketball Players of All-Time from Illinois High Schools . 10 Famous Basketball Players who played for UNC. Thompson (41), Tyrone Johnson (17). Heaven Chea Washington. First trip to state since back-to-back . Here are 20 players who have had a national MVP-worthy season thus far. Leyden lists Grunwald as the only player in Illinois to be named an All-Stater four times. 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; Contact Us; Advertisers . Professional basketball player Eddie Johnson photo by United States Forest Service Wikimedia commons. 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. The Manual and Simeon four-peat teams got two each. Ulis decided to forgo his final two years at Kentucky and was a second-round pick (No. By Joe Henricksen Apr 25, 2022, 6:58am PST As the spring and summer plays out for a group of rising seniors in the state, the production of the player becomes a little more imperative. 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. The point guard, who was 6 feet 3 inches tall, averaged 14 points per game. But with his continued improvement and the upside that still remains, Benson has climbed into the top 10 as we head into July. However, the fact Richmond played just one year in the decade hurt his case. There were three players who went on to become college basketballs National Player of the Year: Davis, Jalen Brunson and Frank Kaminsky. Williams received First-Team All-Big Ten honours in 2004 and 2005 when he was a junior. how interested you are in the Fire, whose season begins Saturday against New York City FC at Soldier Field. He started at centre for the 195859 Fighting Illini squad, which concluded with a 1210 record and fifth-place finish in the Big Ten. His career average of 8.3 rebounds per night matched him for eighth place on the schools all-time list. Robert Archibald photo by Elemaki Wikimedia commons. Lincoln High's 7-foot-1 center, JT Rock (another great name) still has two years to develop before he gets to the next level. He also holds the record for the most minutes played (4,698) and the most games started (136) of any player in school history. Months later he was the No. Ranking the Class of 2022: How the seniors stack up heading into July. Illini Starting Five 1946-47 photo by D. Kirk Son of Walton Kirk Jr. Wikimedia commons. A very short NBA career consisted of a total of 10 points in eight games for the Portland Trail Blazers. David Oyona-Ibandzo. All players listed include height, year in school, position and points earned. From 1987 through 1989, Battle competed in collegiate sports at the University of Illinois. While vastly overlooked early in his high school career, the pure-as-they-come point guard shined throughout his four seasons at Marian Catholic. As a professional he played overseas and has had stints with the 76ers, Knicks and Wizards in the NBA. Players received five points for a first-team vote and three points for a second-team vote. By Joe Henricksen Oct 17, 2019, 9:20am PST In Illinois mens basketball history, Thomas is the only player with at least 2,000 career points. 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. Life on a third straight one-year contract with the mega-talented Astros isnt bad at all. 1 ranked Benet in the sectional. Davis played basketball for Illinois in college after graduating from high school. 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. Ken Norman game worn Los Angeles Clippers away uniform from the 1991-92 season photo by Amin Eshaker Wikimedia commons. Current 2023 top girls players in the state include: Jordan Wood (Carmel) - Michigan State Katie Eidle (Hersey) - University of Michigan Lisa Thompson (Example Academy) - DePaul He was gifted on the offensive side of the game which was an important aspect that allowed Illinois to soar to its highest levels. He also plays with a competitive edge and confidence. Bradfords most notable claim to fame was his 88-game streak, which set an NCAA record for the most consecutive games with a three-point field goal, before it was surpassed on February 13, 2001. February 24, Scott Burgess Ulis, who has played in 133 NBA games but has battled some injury issues, recently signed with the Sacramento Kings. Cupps was named Mr. Ohio Basketball and Ohio MaxPreps Player of the Year as a junior and is committed to playing for Indiana. Who do you take? Darius Hawkins Illinois. 2023 Illinois HS Basketball Player Rankings | Prep Girls Hoops Illinois 2023 Rankings WL indicates Watch List Access all of Prep Girls Hoops Subscribe for access to all premium articles and rankings. Throughout his 10-year pro career, Ohl averaged 15.9 points per game, demonstrating how well his scoring ability transferred to the NBA. His intimidating stature allowed McClain to perform explosively on the court, assisting the team in official matches. Top 10 Chicago high school basketball players of all time The Chicagoland area is second to none when it comes to high school basketball. Bottom Line: Don't get it twisted Waukee Senior High power forward Omaha Biliew could be a game-changer for Iowa State if he ever ends up on campus, and he's the highest-rated recruit the Cyclones have landed in the modern era. 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. Before being selected by the Washington Bullets as the 13th overall choice in the 1973 NBA Draft, he was an All-American at the University of Illinois. His best performance while wearing an Illinois uniform was on December 30, 1972, when the Illini faced off against the top-ranked Bruins of UCLA in the Sugar Bowl Classic in New Orleans.