Illinois HS Basketball News: Issue 18
Week of October 17
A month from now, the official high school season and practices are set to tip off.
Will it go to plan?
That’s the biggest question yet again this week. I’m not sure there’s more clarity around the situation, but there’s much more information than we had a week ago. Coaches released a survey, and health officials said they’re close to a decision.
I don’t envy coaches or athletic directors hanging in limbo.
We also had a pair of commitments, a major transfer, dozens of offers, some coaching news and plenty more this week.
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!
Illinois Coaches Want to Play
As the season creeps up and the state hasn’t made any public decisions about winter sports, the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) has taken it upon itself to keep momentum up for a mid-November start. It released survey results from questions posed to nearly 800 coaches, of both boys and girls teams, about how contact days went and what they want to happen this winter.
Ninety-five percent of coaches want the season to start on time, and 81 percent believe their school districts would allow the season to start. Seven percent of teams reported at least one positive COVID-19 test.
The Sun-Times’ Michael O’Brien spoke to IBCA board member and St. Ignatius boys head coach Matt Monroe about the results. Dave Eminian at the Journal Star spoke to coaches at Roanoke-Benson, Richwoods and Morton about their reactions.
Other COVID-19 Updates and News
The state’s health department says IHSA winter sports directives will be released soon, reports Troy Taylor with the Journal Star. The IHSA board of directors meets Monday and executive director Craig Anderson has been lobbying for sports to be played. Governor JB Pritzker said he is “deeply concerned” about expanding activities. Anderson is hopeful that a winter season will happen, reports Alex Kantecki at the Daily Chronicle.
Commitments
Hillcrest 2021 SF Julius Rollins announced his commitment today to Kent State. He’s the No. 13 prospect in Illinois for 2021, according to PrepHoops. He had his choice of 11 offers, according to Verbal Commits.
Lyons Township 2021 PF Annabel Dougherty verbally committed to D3 Grinnell College in Iowa.
Naperville Central’s Gabi Melby committed to UT-Martin last week. Matt Le Cren spoke to her for the Naperville Sun.
There were four girls commitments last week from current and former players at Riverside-Brookfield, Maine South, Chicago Vocational and Geneva. Kaleb Carter wrote about the decisions for Illinois-Basketball.com.
Transfer News
2021 forward Sincere Malone transferred from Corliss to Lincoln Park, confirmed by Steve Parham and tweeted by Scott Burgess. Steve and I were watching High IQ games on Sunday as Malone played with a Lincoln Park squad against St. Rita. He’s got offers from Southern and Chicago State and is ranked No. 40 in Illinois for 2021.
Boys Recruiting News
Hinsdale Central 2023 SF Matas Buzelis received an offer from Illinois, reports PrepHoops’ Scott Burgess. He spoke to Rivals’ Doug Bucshon about the offer. I saw him play for the first time on Sunday; he’s a thin 6-6 wing with athleticism who can really shoot.
Plainfield East 2022 PG Toby Onyekonwu received an offer from Eastern Michigan, his first D1 offer.
Cobden 2021 SF Noah Franklin received an offer from D2 McKendree.
Bolingbrook 2021 SG Isaiah Stafford received offers from D2 McKendree and Ferris State.
St. Patrick 2021 guard Caleb Corro received an offer from NAIA Olivet Nazarene.
Joliet West 2021 PG Jamari Ward received offers from D3 Central College and University of Dubuque.
Joliet West 2021 PF Luke Morrow received an offer from D3 Benedictine.
Glenbard West 2021 wing Aidan Murphy received an offer from D3 New York University.
Glenbard West 2021 forward Danny Mulcare received an offer from D3 University of Dubuque.
Fenwick 2021 guard Dane Brazil received an offer from D3 Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.
Curie 2021 guard Kendall Brasfield received an offer from D3 Central College.
J. Caleb Slawinski, a 2021 forward who played last season at St. Joseph, received an offer from Waubonsee CC.
Illinois had a Zoom call with Fenwick 2021 forward Bryce Hopkins on Thursday, 247 reports. After decommitting from Louisville, Hopkins is expected to make his final decision soon, possibly this weekend.
Joe Henricksen wrote about the boys 2021 class for the Sun-Times. Hopkins is the biggest prize available, but there are 11 other players he mentioned who could go D1 or D2.
Glenbard West 2022 forward Braden Huff spoke to 247 about the latest in his recruitment.
St. Rita 2024 big man James Brown won the NY2LA Futures Camp MVP. Here’s a highlight video. I saw him in person this weekend. He’s got a rare combination of size, coordination, strength and skill for his age.
Girls Recruiting News
Stevenson 2022 PG Simone Sawyer received an offer from Florida International.
Edwardsville 2022 wing Elle Evans received an offer from SIU-Edwardsville.
Edwardsville 2022 forward Sydney Harris received an offer from SIU-Edwardsville.
Carterville 2022 guard Alecia Doyle received an offer from UIC.
Bartlett 2022 SG Kenzie Hare received an offer from UW-Green Bay.
Bradley-Bourbonnais 2021 SF Faith Davis received an offer from NAIA Governors State.
Plainfield South 2021 wing Leia James received an offer from NAIA Governors State, and jucos Morton College and McHenry County College.
Lincoln-Way East 2021 PG Samara Swire received an offer from D3 Benedictine.
In the latest ESPN 2022 Super 60 rankings, Kenwood guard Brianna McDaniel ranked No. 30 and Butler College Prep guard Camille Jackson ranked No. 53.
Coaching Stories and News
Mike Curta, who resigned as the Eisenhower boys head coach in 2015, takes over as the school’s girls head coach, according to the boys program’s Twitter account. He left coaching to be able to watch his sons play college basketball.
Deryl Cunningham — an All-American player at St. Joe who currently is the boys head coach at Highland (with coaching stops at SIU-Edwardsville and Gateway Legacy Christian Academy) — was in the hospital with kidney failure following a COVID-19 infection. He is now back at home but undergoing dialysis until he can have a transplant. There is a GoFundMe to help with his medical bills.
Nothing But Nylon spoke to Express Hoops program director Jerald Davis about how the program navigated the pandemic. A good look at why the program stayed out of the gym through August and the creative ways they kept momentum going for player recruiting.
Illinois Players in the Pros
The Sun-Times’ Michael O’Brien reported on Twitter that Simeon grad Talen Horton-Tucker is likely the first Chicago Northsider to win an NBA championship. Horton-Tucker is also the youngest player to ever win an NBA title. He, Anthony Davis (Perspectives) and JaVale McGee (Hales Franciscan) were the three Illinois high school alums on the Lakers’ roster.
Dion Martorano at the Journal & Topics wrote about Niles West alum Jewell Loyd playing in her second WNBA Finals.
Illinois Players in College
Whitney Young graduate DJ Steward had a press conference this week as official practices got underway. He spoke about advice from upperclassmen, how Coach K is using him in the offense, his high school football experience, his NBA comparisons and more.
Other Stories and News
Evanston 2020 graduate Kayla Henning, who is now at American, was spurred to an activism leadership role after the shooting of former Evanston resident Jacob Blake, writes Sam Brief for the Pioneer Press.
Nazareth 2022 forward Caroline Workman missed her entire sophomore season with a torn labrum. She had a long rehab process, but she’s back and now a captain, writes Mike Wojtychiw for the Pioneer Press.
Shepard 1991 graduate Steve Payne spoke to the Daily Southtown’s Pat Disabato about his post-high school career: his overseas pro career and now coaching in the NBA G League.
The Rockford Register Star and Matt Trowbridge continue their list of Rockford’s greatest girls basketball players. This series, and the boys series before it, have all been worth the read. At No. 5 is Aminata Yanni, a former star at Harlem and Illinois. At 38 years old, she’s attempting a comeback to make the WNBA.
At No. 6 on the list is Hononegah grad Jordan King, who went on to play at Marquette. She scored more points than any boy or girl in NIC-10 basketball history.
At No. 7 is Brea Edwards, who played for both Boylan and Hononegah. She was a JUCO All-American before playing at Middle Tennessee State.
At No. 8 is Stephanie Raymond, a Rockford Lutheran graduate who went on to become an all-conference performer at Northern Illinois. At age 35 she was going to play quarterback in the Extreme Football League before the season was cancelled due to the pandemic.
