Illinois HS Basketball News: Issue 39

Week of March 21

A wild season ends with a late newsletter. Loads of awards, commitments and college transfer portal news. Short and sweet as I’m out of space in Substack.

Reminder: You can receive this newsletter in your inbox every week for free by subscribing below.

Season Wrap-Up

• “Discussing the weird end to a strange season | No Shot Clock, Episode 122.” (Michael O’Brien & Joe Henricksen/Chicago Sun-Times)

• “Chipotle Clash of Champions rewind.” (Joe Henricksen/Chicago Sun-Times)

• “What a memorable Big 6 hoops season it was.” (Tom Johnston/Dispatch-Argus)

End-of-Season Awards

We are up to 22 boys all-conference teams and 22 girls all-conference teams on the site.

• Max Christie won the Prep Hoops Illinois’ Player of the Year (Scott Burgess)

• Daily Southtown girls Player of the Year Sydney Affolter (Marist) and all-area team.

• Naperville Sun boys Player of the year Ben Schwieger (Waubonsie Valley) and all-area team.

• Naperville Sun girls Player of the year Greta Kampschroeder (Naperville North) and all-area team.

• Aurora Beacon-News boys all-area team.

• The Daily Herald Lake County All-Area Boys Basketball Team.

• The Daily Herald Lake County All-Area Girls Basketball Team and Player of the Year Lauren Huber (Patricia Babcock McGraw).

• The Daily Herald 2021 DuPage County All-Area Boys Basketball Team. (Bob Narang)

• The Daily Herald 2021 DuPage County All-Area Girls Basketball Team. (John Lemon)

• The Daily Herald 2021 Fox Valley All-Area Boys Basketball Team. (Craig Brueske)

• The Daily Herald 2021 Fox Valley All-Area Girls Basketball Team. (John Lemon)

• Daily Herald All-Area Boys Basketball Team, Northwest suburbs. (Dick Quagliano)

Conference Championships

We have lists of boys conference championships and girls conference championships. Please help fill in any missing winners (girls in particular).

End-of-Season Rankings

• AP via Journal Star, Boys and Girls (March 23)

• Illinois Preps Insider, Girls (March 22)

• Sun-Times Boys (March 14)

• Big Tim’s Chicago-Area Top 25

Milestones

• Ogden senior Keyonta Ellis scored his 1,000th career point.

• Butler Prep junior Camille Jackson scored her 1,000th career point.

Commitments

• Kankakee 2020 graduate Ambranette Storr, currently at Moberly CC, committed to D-I Grand Canyon.

• Lincoln 2021 guard Dylan Singleton committed to D-II Missouri S&T.

• Iroquis West 2021 trio of Ty Pankey, Jack McMillan and Ryan Tilstra signed with D-III North Central.

• Metea Valley 2021 big Henry Krzyzewski committed to D-III Rose-Hulman.

• Effingham 2021 point guard Parker Wolfe committed to D-III Illinois Wesleyan.

• St. Viator 2021 wing Connor Benson committed to D-III Loras.

• Geneseo 2021 wing Kyle Traphagan committed to D-III Loras.

• Dakota 2021 forward Caden Moyer committed to D-III North Central.

• Maine South 2021 forward Milan Adamovic committed to D-III St. Mary’s Minnesota.

• Plainfield Central 2021 forward Melissa Schmidt committed to D-III Carthage College.

• Peoria Notre Dame 2021 post Liz Tenley committed to NAIA Lincoln Christian.

• Morton 2021 forward Raquel Frakes committed to juco Illinois Central for basketball and volleyball.

• Peoria Notre Dame 2021 forward Matt Williams committed to juco Carl Sandburg.

• Evanston 2021 guard Daeshawn Hemphill committed to Oakton Community College.

• East St. Louis 2021 forward Jalen Watson committed to Labette Community College.

• Tuscola 2021 forward Marissa Russo committed to juco Lakeland College.

• List of 2021 girls college commitments and 2021 boys college commitments.

Boys Recruiting News

More than a dozen seniors answered a Twitter thread looking for colleges (boys and girls). If players are still looking, add film here. An article will be out soon.

• Peoria Notre Dame 2024 wing Cooper Koch received an offer from Bradley.

• Peoria Notre Dame 2024 forward Latham Sommerville received an offer from Bradley.

• Metamora 2023 wing Ethan Kizer received an offer from Bradley.

• Oak Forest 2022 forward Robbie Avila received an offer from Lehigh.

• New Trier 2022 forward Jackson Munro received an offer from Loyola Maryland, his first D-I offer.

Girls Recruiting News

• Kenwood 2022 guard Brianna McDaniel received an offer from Oregon. She also announced she tore her ACL and partially tore her meniscus.

• Geneseo 2022 guard Kammie Ludwig received an offer from Providence.

• Hoffman Estates 2022 guard Ashley Oliver received an offer from NAIA Viterbo.

Boys Features

• Glenbrook South: “Nick Martinelli’s Inner Fighter Has Shaped Who He Has Become as a Basketball Player.” (Nicholas Moreano/Illinois Basketball Network)

• "For East Aurora’s Amarion Savage, the last dance might not have been the best dance. But it was well worth getting out on the floor.” (Rick Armstrong/Aurora Beacon-News)

• “Mundelein’s turnaround with class of 2021 culminates not in state finals but in Chipotle Clash of Champions.” (Nick Frazier/Lake County News-Sun)

• “Glenbard West's Huff plays with poise, confidence.” (Bob Narang/Daily Herald)

• Geneva: “Wait worth it for Geneva's Valentine.” (Craig Brueske/Daily Herald)

• Rolling Meadows: “With cool, calm demeanor, Christie took Rolling Meadows to new heights.” (Dick Quagliano/Daily Herald)

• "Champaign High state champs recall life during, after title run.” (Colin Likas/News-Gazette)

Girls Features

• Kenwood: “Fearless Whitney Dunn has Kenwood feeling mighty at end of season.” (Kaleb Carter/Illinois Basketball Network)

• Mother McAuley: “State champs? We’ll never know. But Marist coach Mary Pat Connolly is certain ‘we had all of the pieces that fit together.’” (Tony Baranek/Daily Southtown)

• “Hersey's Fahey 'great player, but an even better leader.’” (Mike Miazga/Daily Herald)

• Libertyville: “It wasn’t a state final. But Holy Cross recruit Lauren Huber and Libertyville’s other seniors end their careers with a championship game victory.” (Bob Narang/Lake County News-Sun)

• Naperville North: “Kampschroeder completes stellar 4-year run at Naperville North.” (John Lemon/Daily Herald)

• “Best season in 30 years for Rockford Public Schools girls basketball teams.” (Matt Trowbridge/Rockford Register-Star)

Coaching Stories and News

• Rock Island boys coach Thom Sigel announces retirement on Twitter.

• “OPRF girls basketball coach [J.P. Coughlin] announces resignation.” (Melvin Tate/Wednesday Journal)

COVID-19 Updates and News

• “Playing Through Covid: "What A Blast We Had.” A basketball season unlike any other concludes with a champion and a touch of grace.” (Jon Kerr)

Illinois Players in the Pros

• “‘Is this for real?’ David Sachs was picked in The Basketball League draft. The Highland Park graduate just needs a roster spot to become a pro.” (Sam Brief/Lake County News-Sun)

Illinois Players in College

• “Multiple injuries. COVID-19. Loss after loss. Not what Lake Forest’s Halle Douglass expected in her first season at Wisconsin. Then her coach got fired.” (Bob Narang/Lake County News-Sun)

• “Loyola’s Cameron Krutwig (Jacobs graduate) earns AP All-America third-team honor.” (Joe Stevenson/Northwest Herald)

• Curie graduate DaJuan Gordon entered the transfer portal from Kansas State.

• Simeon graduate Xavier Pinson entered the transfer portal from Missouri.

• East St. Louis graduate Joe Reece entered the transfer portal from Old Dominion.

• Curie graduate Elijah Joiner entered the transfer portal from Tulsa.

• Bloom graduate Christian Shumate entered the transfer portal from Tulsa.

• Whitney Young graduate Xavier Castaneda entered the transfer portal from South Florida.

• Orr graduate Chase Adams entered the transfer portal from Portland.

• Morgan Park graduate Marcus Watson entered the transfer portal from Western Illinois.

• Simeon graduate Jada Thorpe entered the transfer portal from Kansas State.

• A list of all D1 men’s basketball players from Illinois.

• A list of all D1 women’s basketball players from Illinois.

Other Stories and News

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