Illinois HS Basketball News: Issue 17

Week of October 10, 2020

Just over the month until the high school basketball is planned to start, and basically nobody knows if there will be a season, or exactly what one will look like if it does happen.

For a state known for its hoops, it felt like nearly every newspaper had a story on the uncertainty. Beyond that, recruiting was the slow, though D3 programs picked up the activity. The WNBA and NBA Finals featured players from the state, and there was some coaching news.

But the biggest news is, and will continue to be, what a season during COVID-19 will look like

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!

No Certainty with Five Weeks to Go

The Sun-Times’ Michael O’Brien broke down what a season could look like for teams around the state. That means no Pontiac Holiday Tournament, teams playing within regions and conferences only, limited fans and possibly no CPS games whatsoever.

The state needs to move to Level 3 of its sports plan, but how do we get there?

Coaches and athletic directors are in limbo waiting for these answers, reports Joshua Welge for Kendall County Now. We shared many stories of athletic directors scrambling to make fall schedules in the final days before the school year began. Fully expect that again this winter. I’ve already seen coaches take to Twitter looking for opponents within their regions.

An IHSA doctor said high school basketball can happen if players wear masks, which they already do for contact days, reports John Keilman for the Chicago Tribune. IHSA executive director Craig Anderson said the preference is to make masks optional. As many have pointed out on Twitter, masks were rarely worn during AAU, open gyms or in scrimmages across the border in Indiana.

The Illinois Department of Public Health and the IHSA are not on the same page, as Jon Kerr broke down in his newsletter. He spoke to a medical director of youth sports medicine that explained how “masks worn during sports play must be frequently changed out or could lead to more exposure.”

For more winter sports talk, Anderson joined the Rockford Register-Star’s podcast.

Commitments

• Maine South 2021 center Ellie Ronan verbally committed to D3 Oglethorpe in Georgia. The Stormy Petrels are one of the top D3 programs, finishing 29-1 last season, and have a fantastic mascot.

• Riverside-Brookfield 2021 small forward Brenna Loftus verbally committed to D3 Washington University in Missouri. Loftus was the team’s MVP last season and is already over 2,000 career points.

• Geneva 2021 forward Niyah Udoiwod verbally committed to McHenry County College.

• Former Chicago Vocational and Olive-Harvey guard Alicia Hines has committed to NAIA Thomas University in Georgia after a break from basketball, Swopes Recruiting reported on Twitter.

• There were five commitments last week around the state. Kaleb Carter wrote about them for Illinois-Basketball.com.

• Last week, Naperville Central’s Gabi Melby announced her commitment to Tennessee-Martin. John Lemon has the story for the Daily Herald.

• Rock Island’s Jordan Rice committed to Illinois-Springfield last week. NY2LA spoke to him about his commitment.

Transfer News

• 2021 guard Jayiona Cobbs transferred from Evanston to Bloom, she announced on Twitter.

• 2022 point guard Devonte Hall transferred from TF North to Hyde Park, South Suburban Hoops reported on Twitter.

• 2023 wing Daniel Johnson transferred from Fenwick to Whitney Young, PrepHoops’ Scott Burgess reported on Twitter. Not the first time a Friar has left for the Dolphins.

Boys Recruiting News

• Notre Dame College Prep 2021 guard Anthony Sayles received an offer from Toledo.

• Zion-Benton 2021 forward Amar Augillard received an offer from Western Illinois.

• Belleville West 2021 SG Tommie Williams received an offer from D2 Quincy, his first offer.

• U-High 2021 PG Brandon Merritt received an offer from D3 Augustana College.

• Rock Island 2021 SG Colton Sigel received an offer from D3 Carthage College (Wisconsin).

• Elk Grove Village 2021 SG Brandon Burns received an offer from D3 Carthage College.

• Curie 2021 guard Kendall Brasfield received an offer from D3 Monmouth College.

• Springfield 2021 PG Shane Miller received an offer from D3 Illinois Wesleyan.

• St. Joseph 2021 big man J Caleb Slawinski received an offer from D3 Illinois College.

• Joe Henricksen broke down the top players from around the state in the 2023 class. He listed 35 players in all that hoops fans need to know for the Sun-Times.

Girls Recruiting News

• Homewood-Flossmoor 2023 forward Alyssa Latham received an offer from Northwestern.

• Fremd 2022 forward Brianna Wooldridge received an offer from Western Michigan.

• Winnebago 2022 wing Miyah Brown received an offer from Bellarmine.

• Tuscola 2021 PG Brynn Tabeling received offers from Iowa NAIA programs William Penn and Briar Cliff.

• Saint Viator 2021 PG Emma Morrisey received an offer from D3 St. Norbert (Wisconsin).

• Glenbard East 2021 guard Lauren Huber received an offer from D3 Carthage (Wisconsin).

• York 2021 PG Amaya Rufus received offers from NAIA William Penn and D3 Carthage.

• Downers Grove South 2021 PF Ashley Lange received an offer from D3 Carthage.

• Proviso West 2021 guard Josylin Doxie received an offer from D3 Dominican.

• Conant 2021 SG Isabella Tierney received an offer from D3 Illinois College.

• Richwoods 2021 wing Liv Allen received an offer from D3 Eureka.

• Loyola Academy 2021 guard Isabella Ogliore received an offer from D3 Edgewood (Wisconsin).

• Simeon 2021 forward Aneesah Morrow has narrowed her list to three: Rutgers, St. John’s and DePaul.

Coaching Stories and News

• “High school notes: Jimsie Simmons succeeds Tanya Johnson as Zion-Benton’s girls basketball coach, knows he has ‘huge footsteps to follow’” reports Bob Narang for the Pioneer Press.

• Taylor Edwards starred in four sports at Arcola, then played softball and basketball at Illinois. At 23 years old, she’s now Arcola’s new girls head coach. Kaleb Carter wrote about Edwards for Illinois-Basketball.com.

Illinois Players in the Pros

• Niles West graduate Jewell Loyd and Bolingbrook graduate Morgan Tuck won a WNBA championship for the Seattle Storm. Loyd spoke about Kobe Bryant, Gigi and Breonna Taylor after winning the WNBA championship.

• “Jewell Loyd’s moment, what’s next for the Aces and other WNBA Finals notes” via The Athletic.

• Cappie Pondexter, who played for John Marshall, was reported as missing this week before news broke from TMZ that she was arrested and booked for a misdemeanor battery charge.

Illinois Players in College

• “Elgin native Castro, now a senior at NIU, has come a long way” via John Radtke at the Daily Herald.

Other Stories and News

• “Joliet Catholic sophomore Jasmine Brown goes ‘through the roof’ to earn MVP award at Blue Star All-America Camp” via Tony Baranek at the Daily Southtown.

• Matt Trowbridge is now writing about the top girls basketball players in Rockford history. At No. 9 is Leslie Pottinger, who played for Belvidere and then NIU. She was a multisport star who overcame injuries and still holds a record for the Huskies.

• At No. 10 is Stacey Neal, who played for South Beloit right when girls basketball was added by the IHSA, and then went on to Northwestern.