Illinois HS Basketball News: Issue 9
Week of August 15, 2020
As schools and fall sports start up around the state, and college programs get back to campus, basketball news slowed down a bit this week after a pretty hectic month.
Still, we had major news from one of the biggest prospects in the state, a handful of commitments, a stream of recruiting news, and lots of random basketball stories from around the state. And I’m trying out the logo:
Reminder: To send me stories or recruiting news, find me on Twitter or email rudnik.jakub@gmail.com. And if you like the newsletter, please share with others who would like it!
Let’s get to basketball!
Bryce Hopkins, Available
There’s a new top available recruit in Illinois.
Fenwick 2021 forward Bryce Hopkins announced on Twitter this week that he has opened his recruitment back up after verbally committing to Louisville in November 2019. In May the program was accused by the NCAA of multiple violations, and there was speculation at the time that it could affect Hopkins’ commitment. Hopkins told 247 said that uncertainty over the penalties played a large role in his decision.
Since the announcement, Hopkins has already received offers from Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon and Providence. Before his commitment he held offers from Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas and others.
Even at this stage in the recruiting cycle, Hopkins will have no shortage of options. He’s an unquestioned top-50 prospect nationally — ranked 32 by ESPN, 34 by Rivals and 41 by 247 — and a top-two player in Illinois for 2021 (Rolling Meadows’ Max Christie is ranked higher by all three).
Hopkins is one of the most physically dominant players I’ve seen at the high school level. Listed at 6-6 210-to-220, he moves like a modern wing but can bang like a traditional power forward. In their matchup at the January 2020 When Sides Collide, Hopkins finished with 37 points and 14 rebounds, while Christie had 31 points and 6 boards. Christie, a 6-6 shooting guard, gave up tons of strength to Hopkins.
Hopkins still has the handle to take wings off the dribble, three-point range and elite hands on the glass. I also watched him at the sectional semis against Westinghouse; he scored 37 and added 12 boards, with Westinghouse players hammering him every time he went inside. Every game he plays he’s a threat to posterize someone.
At the college level, Hopkins’ strength won’t be as overwhelming as it is in high school, but I still think he’ll be stronger than nearly everyone he matches up against, especially as the game has gotten smaller. He’s going to be a real pickup for whatever program he goes to.
More stories on Hopkins:
Stock Risers: “Top-40 junior Bryce Hopkins hearing from many programs”
PrepHoops: “Bryce Hopkins Talks Decommitment & New Schools Involved”
A Sea of Blue: “Bryce Hopkins’ father updates recruitment, decision timeline: Kentucky is hot on the former Louisville commit’s trail.”
Commitments
Metamora 2019 power forward Thomas Hall commits to play at Bradley. He spent the last year with Air Force Academy Prep School. Dave Eminian wrote for the Journal Star about Hall “coming home.”
Hersey 2021 point guard Mary Kate Fahey committed to D3 NYU this week. She averaged 12.7 points and 4.3 assists as a junior. Prospect graduate and NYU player Haley Will played a key role in Fahey’s recruiting, writes Bob Narang for the Pioneer Press.
Lake Forest 2021 guard Molly Fisher committed to D3 Denison University. Denison went 19-9 last season and has had winnings seasons in five-of-the-last-seven years.
Rich Central 2020 wing Keanu Gordon committed to JuCo Ventura College in California. Ventura had four Chicago-born players last season (Dayveon Bates, Innovations; Tone Patton, Thornwood; Jermaine Jordan, Wells; Timothy Turner, Harlan).
Transfer News
Hyde Park 2021 point guard Jalen Houston will transfer to Bogan, reports Scott Burgess of PrepHoops.
COVID-19 News and Stories
Southtown athletic directors continue to deal with upheaval that began with the cancellation of the boys basketball tournament and has not slowed down in the fall, writes Jeff Vorva for the Daily Southtown.
Athletic directors have had to frantically create fall schedules in response to the new sports schedules, writes John Lemon for the Daily Herald. With constant uncertainty from COVID-19, expect the same leading up to the proposed November basketball start date.
James Kay with the Wednesday Journal got player and coach reactions to the shortened seasons, including Fenwick basketball and football player Max Reese.
Boys Recruiting News
Dayton offered Yorkville Christian’s Jaden Schutt this week. Schutt can already count the biggest programs in the Big Ten among his suitors. Rick Armstrong wrote for the Aurora Beacon-News about the 2022 shooting guard’s recruiting thus far, including Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo learning that the Schutt family dog is named “Husker.”
Former Fenwick 2022 point guard Trey Pettigrew (Hillcrest Prep in Arizona) received offers from Georgia and Missouri. He has offers from Illinois, Penn State, Nebraska and others.
Casey-Westfield 2021 point guard Noah Livingston received an offer from NAIA Judson.
Girls Recruiting News
Carmel Catholic 2023 forward Jordan Wood receieved an offer from Wisconsin. The ESPN No. 16 prospect in 2023 already held offers from Arizona, Minnesota, Michigan State, North Carolina, and others.
St. Charles North 2021 guard Talia Pellegrini received an offer from NAIA Viterbo University.
Loyola Academy 2021 guard Arielle Dabu received an offer from D3 UW-Whitewater.
Grayslake Central 2021 guard MK Drevline received an offer from D3 Rockford University.
Downers Grove South 2021 power forward Ashley Lang received an offer from D3 North Park.
D3 Franklin University in Tennessee offered a pair of Paris 2022 teammates: 2022 shooting guards Katelyn Littleton and Madyson Rigdon.
Nequa Valley 2021 shooting guard Ellie Wisner received an offer from JuCo McHenry County.
Nequa Valley 2021 power forward Jada Devine received an offer from Kirkwood Community College.
Homewood-Flossmoor 2021 forward Grace Hall was averaging 16 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks a game when she suffered an ACL injury. She’s back and looking “better than ever,” writes Tony Baranek for the Daily Southtown. Hall has offers from Illinois, Kentucky, LSU, Indiana and others.
Coaching News and Stories
Granite City girls varsity assistant Christine Bailey was fired for “unprofessional and racially-charged” statements in which she characterized “Black Lives Matter protesters as criminals and terrorists,” reports Megan Valley for the Belleville News-Democrat.
Homewood-Flossmoor graduate Charnelle Reed (class of 2012) has been named the head women’s basketball coach at Roosevelt University. She played college ball at Western Illinois, Bradley and St. Francis. Prior to this role she served as an assistant for Purdue Northwest and Lewis University.
Prospect has named former Wheeling girls head coach Matt Weber its new girls head coach, Dion Martorano reports on Twitter.
Shay Boyle, former Gordon Tech head coach and an assistant for Notre Dame College Prep the past eight years, has had the challenge of stepping into the role of NDCP president during a pandemic, from the Pioneer Press.
Illinois Players in the Pros
“When the NBA G League season shut down, Waubonsie Valley’s Jared Brownridge branched out. The result? A video podcast on YouTube.” Paul Johnson has the story for the Aurora Beacon-News.
Former St. Rita and Northwestern wing Vic Law scored his first points with the Orlando Magic.
Illinois Players in College
Tim O’Brien spoke to Ayo Dosunmu for the Beverly Review about Dosunmu’s return to Illinois for his junior season. The Morgan Park grad will be reunited with former teammate Adam Miller this season.
Team and Player Rankings
The Sun-Times’ Joe Henricksen published a “Too Early Top 10” for the (crosses fingers) upcoming season. It’s not an ordered list, but he writes that three programs are in consideration for No. 1. He only mentions Simeon and Notre Dame for those top spots, but I imagine Evanston is the third.
Other Stories
From the Chicago Tribune: “Boy, 12, shot after playing basketball with cousins on South Side, police say” This immediately brings to mind a 2014 story in ESPN that said playground basketball is dying around the country, with violence being a major factor.
“Auburn’s leading scorer missed his final high school games because of the shooting, but now he’s signed with Eureka College,” writes Matt Trowbridge for the Rockford Register Star.
Former St. Joseph star and NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas claims his NBA All-Star MVP trophy was stolen the night legendary coach Gene Pingatore died. It was put up for auction before being pulled down after Thomas tweeted the claims. Read the full story from Dave Eminian at the Journal Star.
Here are Part 2 and Part 3 of the Daily Chronicle’s series on the use of Native American mascots in Illinois schools. We featured Part 1 last week.
Chicago Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot is donating $10 for every assist she has during this season to Chicago Public School classrooms.
“Teutopolis High School will join the Apollo Conference for the upcoming school year following the league’s approval,” writes Bill Welt for The State Journal-Register.
Rock Island 2021 forward Cole Rusk committed to Eastern Michigan to play football (tight end), Terry Duckett writes for the Dispatch-Argus. He played for Rockridge as a junior before transferring.