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. 2023 www.rrstar.com. During his college career, he started 134 of them, which is the second-highest number of games started in school history. Coach Ezra Hendrickson, Fire looking to prove doubters wrong, Baseball quiz: Remember what happened after Jackie, Kahleah Copper: Precious mettle for the new-look Sky. 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. 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. Facts, Famous people, Sports, United States, The 201112 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team photo by MrMcPhoto - Wikimedia commons, 2011 12 Illinois Fighting Illini mens basketball team photo by MrMcPhoto Wikimedia commons. Chicago basketball was an afterthought until coach "Spin" Salarios squad came on the scene. WNBA standouts Candace Parker, Tamika Catchings and Yolanda Griffith once took the hardwood at the high school level in the state. From 1955 through 1958, Don Ohl attended Illinois. As a senior he averaged 20.2 points and 9.3 rebounds while shooting 63 percent from the field. 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. 6'5". The squad advanced to the Final Four before Michigan defeated them. Derek received a scholarship to attend Indiana, but he then changed schools and played three years of varsity basketball at the University of Illinois. Cook played 132 games for the University of Illinois over four years, each season leading the Illini in rebounds. Months later he was the No. As a bonus, Okafor was huge in Youngs biggest games: 35 points and 13 rebounds in a sectional final win over St. Rita; 33 points and 14 rebounds in a state semifinal win over Stevenson; 22 points and 23 rebounds against Providence (Fla.) in the City of Palms Classic; and he averaged 31 points and 12.5 rebounds in the loaded Les Schwab Invitational in Oregon. His 17.3 points per game rank as Illinois eighth-best career average. On his way to making 209 three-pointers for his career, he set a school record in 2005 by making 116 of them (sixth in school history). Hes also a better athlete than hes often given credit for being while also creating more off the dribble that will help him make another offensive leap. Gill was nominated to the first-team All-American (UPI) and led the Big Ten in scoring as a senior. Period. 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. Also won state in 1960 behind George Wilson (back row,. He flashes various scoring abilities. He still maintains the Illini career steals (324) and assists (765) records. Subscribe Already a subscriber? From 1963 to 1966, Freeman was a student at the University of Illinois. Bottom Line: Darik Dissette was named Class A All-State after leading Minot High to a 27-2 record and the Class A state championship as a junior in 2021-22. 1 draft pick in every state in the U.S. when it comes to high school boys and girls basketball. Stevensons Jalen Brunson (15) lays in a reverse shot against Riverside-Brookfield. He also had 139 games played at the end of his career, which he shared with Demetri McCamey as the most games played by any player in the University. These are the best high school boys basketball players in every state headed into the 2022-2023 season for the midwestern states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The Best NFL Betting Odds; . You will now be able to customize your experience on our website. He had a season-high 12 points against Western Illinois in his first year. 2022 highschool Pos Rankings State Rankings. 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. Rank Player Pos Ht / Wt Rating Team. Polling Place: Is Patrick Kane the greatest Blackhawk ever? He averaged 20.7 points per game and finished his career second in school history with a.609 field goal percentage. One of the best performances by an Illinois player was his 35 points against Michigan State in January 1974. As a senior he averaged 31.2 points and had seven games of 40-plus points. The first thing to keep in mind is this: All-Decade is about the overall high school career and the individual prep rsum these players put together. Subscribe Already a subscriber? Parkers biggest attribute is that he won. Following his stellar career at UConn, Boatright has played overseas and in the NBAs G League. Downey received the Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor in 1963 for his achievements in both academics and athletics. Career highlights: 3x NBA all-star, 2x NBA champion Aguirre was voted both the AP and Naismith Player of the Year his final season at DePaul (1979-80) and was the first overall selection in the 1980 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks. He averaged 17.4 points as a senior and finished his career with 1,786 points, 446 rebounds and 491 assists. High School: Lincoln High School (Sioux Falls, South Dakota). HONORABLE MENTION (19): Ensley Tedeschi, Benton (6-1, Sr., PG/SG) 30; Natalie Peterson, Freeburg (6-0, Sr., G/F) 18; Kaitlyn Coombes, Paris (5-4, Sr., PG) 15; Dalia Dejesus, Deer Creek-Mackinaw (5-11, Fr., F) 15; Addison Swadinsky, Deer CreekMackinaw (5-7, Sr. PG) 13; Lauren Miller, Central-Southeastern (5-10, Soph., G/F) 11; Campbell Schrank, Winnebago (5-9, Sr., G/F) 11; Sophie Bormann, Metropolis Massac County (5-9, Sr., SG) 9; Clair Hulke, Rock Island Alleman (6-0, Jr., F) 9; Mady Kibelkis, Peotone (5-8, Sr., SG) 9; Madi Schroeder, Peotone (5-11, Jr., PG/PF) 9; Blair Eftink, Quincy Notre Dame (5-8, Sr., G) 8; Grace Roland, Elmhurst Timothy Christian (6-2, Sr., C) 8; Kyla Elsbury, Sherrard (Sr., F) 6; London Walker George, Chicago DePaul Prep (5-9, Soph., F) 6; Jenna Hunter, Peotone (5-11, Sr., F) 6; Mya Janssen, Stillman Valley (6-1, Jr., F) 6; Whitney Rumbold, Tremont (5-10, Sr., F) 6; Layne Rupert, Hillsboro (5-7, Sr., G) 6. 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. Highlighting High School Basketball Prospects in Illinois News, analysis, and recruiting updates on D1, D2, D3, NAIA, and JUCO prospects throughout Illinois Sortable list to easily organize and identify players Player profiles with stats, college interest, videos, news, and more View the Full Prospect List Recent Posts 2022-2023 Season Awards As a junior he was named AP College Basketball Player of the Year, Naismith College Player of the Year and won the Wooden Award. Before playing for the University of Illinois, George Bon Salle was a star at the Loyola Academy in Chicago, Illinois. Here is a look at the 10 best Illinois High School Athletic Association (IHSA) boys basketball players in the Class of 2023. Smith scored 1,635 points and had 161 steals throughout his college career. Here's our list of the best high school girls basketball players in the 13 Midwest states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Unfortunately, an academic scandal disrupted Curies season as Alexanders Condors lost in the regional after dominating the regular season. 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). With his 2,682 career points, Brunson is among the top 20 all-time scorers in state history. Biliew, a five-star prospect Top 10 recruit for the Class of 2023, has a pro-ready body at 6-foot-8 and 210 pounds and picked Iowa State over Kansas, Oregon and the G-League Ignite. High School: Bartlesville High School (Bartlesville, Oklahoma). The 6-3 guard was ranked among the top 75 prospects in the country and won a gold medal with USA Basketballs U17 team. He wrapped up his career with eye-popping numbers, including 2,508 points and 1,004 rebounds in his four-year career. There were three players who went on to become college basketballs National Player of the Year: Davis, Jalen Brunson and Frank Kaminsky. First all-black team to win state. That was a fairly lofty status for a relative unknown player from the southern part of the state. Weatherspoon was chosen in 2004 for the Illini Mens Basketball All-Century Team.. 1. The 2000-01 team advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA mens basketball tournament, with each team earning a spot in the competition. Deron Williams #8 of the Brooklyn Nets photo by Keith Allison Wikimedia commons. Cupps was named Mr. Ohio Basketball and Ohio MaxPreps Player of the Year as a junior and is committed to playing for Indiana. 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. Stay connected with BVM Sports: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram, {"rules": {"password": "required", "password_confirm": {"equalTo": "#registerPassword"}}}. In his senior season, he led Illinois to the NCAA Tournaments Final Eight. Also, Read 60 Best College Basketball Players of all tTime. Choose your favorite sports and teams to follow to be able to see all of the content you want to enjoy first. His career average of 8.3 rebounds per night matched him for eighth place on the schools all-time list. He was selected by Illinois supporters as one of the top 20 basketball players for the Fighting Illini in the teams 100-year history. Garris concluded his career with 1948 points and a 16.8-point per-game scoring average. The Illini were unbeaten during the season up until their one-point loss to Ohio State in the last regular-season game. 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. 2023 BVM Sports. There is no other way to explain it. 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. Stay connected with BVM Sports: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram, {"rules": {"password": "required", "password_confirm": {"equalTo": "#registerPassword"}}}. Okafor was the consensus No. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Huff can be utilized in a wide range of roles. Brunsons production and numbers were off the charts. Moreover, he was chosen for the first team of the Big-10 twice and the third team of the AP All-Americans. He managed 237 three-pointers which was a school record at the University at the time of his graduation. Vote for the girls high school Player of the Week in southwestern IL from Feb. 20-24. Times changed, the game was integrated, players grew taller and more wildly athletic. A ranking of the 2022 Best NFL Football Players in Illinois. Supporting cast: Bobby Jones (64), Steve Thomas (64), M.C. Behind his former teammate Deon Thomas, Garris concluded his career at Illinois as the schools second-leading scorer all-time. Note: All data is from the high school database on Basketball Reference. Their contributions to the sport of basketball are unmatched, as are their successes, abilities, and on-court manoeuvres. In 2004, Gill was chosen for the Illini Mens Basketball All-Century Team., Brian Cook Clippers photo by Keith Allison Wikimedia commons. While not the most athletic, Avila has solid footwork, can handle the ball, uses both hands and can extend a defense with shooting range out to the three-point line. Jamaal McKnight Jr Maryland. 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 . After a somewhat-quiet offseason, the Fire are widely picked to finish near the bottom of the Eastern Conference and miss the playoffs again. Players: Mugsy Bouges (NBA), Reggie Lewis (NBA), Reggie Williams (NBA), David Wingate (NBA), Gary Grahm (UNLV), Tim Dawson (Miami), Keith James (UNLV), Darryl Woods (Virginia Union), Jerry White Notable Wins: Camden (NJ), DeMatha (MD), John Caroll (MD), Flint Hill (VA), Cardinal Gibbons Head Coach: Bob Wade Since being the No. 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. With five players ranked in the 2023 ESPN 100 and four more ranked in the 2024 . A ranking of the 2001 Best NFL Basketball Players in Illinois. In the fall of 1950, Kerr committed to Illinois, and for the 195051 season, he played on the freshman squad. Post-high school career:No player has made a bigger splash out of Illinois. That's the good stuff. Heaven Chea Washington. In 2004, he was chosen for the Illini Mens Basketball All-Century Team.. Choose your favorite sports and teams to follow to be able to see all of the content you want to enjoy first. Michigan, captained by NBA legend Earvin Magic Johnson, was unbeaten and ranked number one in the country at the time, but Illinois was also unbeaten at 14-0. Douglas had a stellar career with Illinois, where he was a statistical leader in numerous categories. Elijah Fisher. Altenberger was. He averaged 7.6 points and five rebounds in 22 minutes a game in his one season of college basketball. In the early 1960s, Illinois had a physical presence in the middle thanks to Bill Burwell. We may all come from different walks of life but we have one common passion - learning through travel. Ulis decided to forgo his final two years at Kentucky and was a second-round pick (No. Throughout his 10-year pro career, Ohl averaged 15.9 points per game, demonstrating how well his scoring ability transferred to the NBA. Illinois Associated Press all-state girls basketball teams, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy, **-Amiah Hargrove, Christopher (6-2, Jr., F/C) 118, Alayna Kraus, Okawville (5-7, Jr., SG/PG) 113, Gracie Furlong, Galena (5-10, Soph., G) 101, Shelby Bowman, Biggsville West Central (5-6, Jr., PG) 74, Sydney Richards, Neoga (6-0, Sr., G/F) 68, Sheridan Harris, Chicago Morgan Park Academy (5-8, Sr. SF) 50, Lucy Fearday, Effingham St. Anthony (6-0, Sr., F/C) 39, Carly Foster, Gallatin County (5-9, Sr., G) 32, **-Abbey Schreacke, Quincy Notre Dame (6-0, Sr., G) 120, Xamiya Walton, Chicago Butler (5-7, Jr., G) 113, Amayah Doyle, Carterville (5-11, Jr., F) 97, Ashlyn May, Minonk Fieldcrest (5-9, Sr., PG) 63, Megan Sanaj, Chicago Latin (5-7, Sr., G) 47, Kaylee Niebrugge, Teutopolis (5-9, Sr., F) 43, Xyanna Walton, Chicago Butler (5-11, Fr., G) 37, **-Kloe Froebe, Lincoln (5-9, Jr., PG) 115, Janae Kent, Oak Forest (6-1, Sr., G/F) 91, Jordan Wood, Mundelein Carmel Catholic (6-4, Sr., F/G) 85, Grace Carstensen, LaGrange Nazareth (5-10, Sr., G) 79, 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, *-Lexi Kerstein, Deerfield (5-6, Sr., G) 29, *-Sophia Loden, Mascoutah (5-11, Sr., F) 29, Skylar Jones, Chicago Whitney Young (6-0, Sr., SG/SF) 89, Katy Eidle, Arlington Heights Hersey (6-0, Sr., G) 88, Lenee Beaumont, Lisle Benet (6-0, Sr., PG) 87, Sophie Swanson, Barrington (5-10, Sr., G) 81, *-Shannon Dowell, O'Fallon (5-10, Sr., SG) 68, *-Alyssa Latham, Homewood-Flossmoor (6-2, Sr., F) 68, Emily Fisher, Libertyville (6-0, Sr., G) 66, Ella Todd, Palatine Fremd (6-1, Soph., G) 52, Angelina Smith, Bolingbrook (5-9, Jr., G) 45, Brooke Carlson, Batavia (5-6, Jr., PG) 29, Emory Klatt, Lincolnshire Stevenson (6-0, Jr., F) 21. Tisdale concluded with 176 career blocks to place second in school history and 1,243 points to rank No. Boxscore Men's Basketball vs Indiana January 19, 2023 7:30 pm CT. Jan 24. mbball. Interested in high school basketball? Tisdale is an Illinois native who spent 20072011 as a student at the University of Illinois. From 1941 to 1943 and again from 1946 to 1947, Philip attended the University of Illinois. Altenberger played for Illinois from 1982 to 1987. Let us look at 30 of the best high school players of all time. Greg Jackson was a powerhouse during his time in Illinois. In his debut game, he scored 22 points. As a sophomore, Burwell made an immediate impact and served as the middle anchor for Illinois 1963 Big Ten winning squad. 2026; 2025; 2024; 2023; 2022 . He graduated from Illinois as the schools seventh-highest scorer ever. Weatherspoon, who was a member of the NBA All-Rookie Team in 1974, played in the NBA for a total of seven seasons with the San Diego Clippers, the Chicago Bulls, the Seattle SuperSonics, and the Washington Bullets. He was not picked and never played in the league. His intimidating stature allowed McClain to perform explosively on the court, assisting the team in official matches. The Illinois AP all-state girls basketball team was released on Wednesday, with just one Rockford-area player on the first- or second-team list: Byron star senior forward Ava Kultgen. All rights reserved. Vernon was the City/Suburban Hoops Reports No. March 2, 3A Sectional Finals Preview and Storylines, Scott Burgess . He still maintains the Illini career steals (324) and assists (765) records. With the 2022-23 basketball season fast approaching, here are the top 10 seniors for the upcoming season. Ulis, who has played in 133 NBA games but has battled some injury issues, recently signed with the Sacramento Kings. Pocket. 1 in the NBA Draft, Parker went No. 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. Cook graduated from Illinois as the third-highest scorer in school history with 1,748 total points, averaging 13.2 points per game. He was that talented of a player and that dynamic of a high school basketball figure. Pulaski (5-8, Sr., PG) 8; Josie Armstrong, Tri-County (5-8, Jr., G) 6; Ashlynn Arnsman, Mendon Unity (6-0, Sr., F/C) 6; Jase Burkett, Woodlawn (5-6, Jr., PG) 6; Laney Cahoon, Orangeville (5-7, Soph., G) 6; Olivia Meyers, Elmwood (5-11, Sr., F/C) 6; Alondra Reyes, Chicago Hope Academy (5-8, Sr., F/G) 6; Briley Rhodes, Okawville (5-6, Sr., SG/PG) 6; Maddy Swisher, Champaign St. Thomas More (6-0, Sr., G/F) 6; Clara Bella VanOpdorp, Annawan (5-3, Soph., PG/SG) 6. Forget about the hype, including the Sports Illustrated cover and being the most media-covered athlete maybe in Illinois prep sports history. In the 19941995 and 19961997 seasons, Garris also held the team record for assists. 2022 Best NFL Basketball Players in Illinois (0) 2022 . 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. Best High School Boys Basketball Player in Every State 2022: West, Best High School Girls Basketball Player in Every State 2022: West. There certainly wasnt a player who was as electric or more entertaining during the past decade than the dynamic Boatright. Home : Updates : Sports : Upcoming/Recent Events : Polls . Ken Norman, was a powerful rebounder who averaged 9.8 rebounds per game in his final season at Illinois, but his scoring was an even bigger contribution to the team. The best big-man attribute is hes an excellent passer. Polling Place: Is Patrick Kane the greatest Blackhawk ever? 1 player in the country. 1. 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. Peyton Kemp Michigan . February 24, Scott Burgess The Zeller brothers and Plumlee's were all raised in Indiana. Williams played three seasons for the Fighting Illini while a student at the University of Illinois, helping the team to numerous NCAA Tournament berths. Anthony Mauro New Jersey. Between 2002 and 2006, Brown was a student-athlete at the University of Illinois. 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. And forget about the ranking as Parker was the No. Parker, who scored 1,870 points in his career, became the first two-time Illinois Mr. Basketball winner in state history. . There are few players in state history with as decorated of a career as Brunson. 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. Anthony Davis of Perspectives-MSA playing for his club team Meanstreeets. 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. 9. 5-11 / 165. Bottom Line: Matas Buzelis will spend his final year of high school basketball at Sunrise Christian Academy after being named the 2022 New Hampshire Gatorade Player of the Year, leading Brewster Academy to the NEPSAC Class AAA championship as a junior. He served as the team captain for Illinois Flyin Illini squad in 1989. Rank Player Pos Ht / Wt Rating Team; No Results for 2004 Basketball . Leyden lists Grunwald as the only player in Illinois to be named an All-Stater four times. Log in The Fighting Illinis second-highest single-season point total in history was scored by him that season when he scored 660 points. With a BVM Sports account, submitting content to appear on our website is easier to keep track of and share. He gained notoriety for his abilities and the Fighting Illinis triumphs in the two seasons (19411943 and 19461947), which were interrupted by the world war. By Joe Henricksen Oct 17, 2019, 9:20am PST how interested you are in the Fire, whose season begins Saturday against New York City FC at Soldier Field. Scottish basketball player Robert Archibald played power forward and centre for the University of Illinois from 1998 to 2002. Here is a look at the 10 best Illinois High School Athletic Association (IHSA) boys basketball players in the Class of 2023. Bryce Curry Ohio. Teams; CBS Sports; CBS SPORTS HQ . Life on a third straight one-year contract with the mega-talented Astros isnt bad at all.