Illinois HS Basketball News: Issue 13
Week of September 12, 2020
School is officially back for all schools around the state, and all remaining fall sports are underway. That left a relatively slow news week for basketball, still two months away as the IHSA calendar currently stands. Still, we had more COVID-19-related uncertainty as the IHSA zigs while CPS zags. There was a ton of girls recruiting action and a handful of major CPS transfers that made headlines.
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Let’s get to basketball!
It’s Official: A.J. Casey Is a Dolphin
The rumors have been confirmed: forward A.J. Casey has transferred to Whitney Young, reports Joe Hendricksen with the Chicago Sun-Times. The state’s top-ranked 2022 prospect has now been at three high schools in three years: freshman year at Simeon; sophomore year at Tinley Park; junior year at Whitney Young.
This is the second time in a handful of years that one of the best players in the state has made his way to Whitney Young, with D.J. Steward making the move from Fenwick to Young after his own sophomore campaign in 2018.
Casey is a bona fide star. He’s the No. 20 2022 player in the country, per 247, and has a number of high-major offers, including Illinois, Ohio State and Indiana. He averaged 22 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists as a sophomore.
Whitney Young was going to be rebuilding a bit after the graduation of Steward and Tyler Beard, who is playing a prep year before enrolling at Georgetown. But now with Casey, 2021 power forward Grant Newell (DePaul, WIU, UW-Milwaukee offers), 6-7 2022 forward Xavier Amos and 2023 SG Dalen Davis (Illinois, DePaul, WIU offers), Whitney Young is loaded once again.
Kenwood Transfers
2023 guard Darrin “Dai Dai” Ames has transferred to Kenwood, Joe Hendricksen reported on Twitter. He had previously decided to transfer from Morgan Park to Bloom after his freshman season. His move comes just days after Mike Irvin was named the new Kenwood head coach. Ames played for Mike Irvin’s brother Nick Irvin at Morgan Park. Ames has offers from Illinois and WIU.
2023 forward Davius Loury has transferred from Simeon to Kenwood, Hendricksen reported on Twitter. Loury has offers from Illinois, DePaul and WIU. Kenwood is suddenly loaded with D1 talent.
On the girls side, Peoria High 2021 guard Jada Smith transferred to Kenwood. She was a Big 12 honorable mention player and joins a program with multiple D1 offers.
Other Transfers
Leo 2021 guard Terrance Ford announced he will transfer to Victory Rock Prep in Florida due to uncertainty from COVID-19. Nearly a dozen players (by my count) have transferred out of state since Illinois announced shortened seasons due to COVID-19.
Boys Recruiting News
Hillcrest 2021 wing Jakobi Heady received an offer from Detroit Mercy.
Dunlop 2021 SG Mac Parmalee received an offer from D2 Wisconsin-Platteville.
Pleasant Plains 2021 wing Justin Guernsey received an offer from NAIA University of Saint Mary (Kansas).
Norris City-Omaha-Enfield 2021 PF Joe Melton received an offer from D3 Illinois Wesleyan.
Bloomington Central Catholic 2021 PG Jadyn Ellison received an offer from NJCAA D2 Carl Sandburg.
Girls Recruiting News
Carmel Catholic 2023 forward Jordan Wood received offers from Florida and Michigan.
Joliet Catholic 2023 guard Jasmine Brown received an offer from Bradley and Belmont.
Hersey 2023 guard Katy Eidle received an offer from Iowa.
Saint Viator 2022 PG Joy Bergstrom received an offer from Tulsa.
Fremd 2022 PF Brianna Wooldridge received an offer from Toledo. Last week I wrote about Wooldridge transferring back to Fremd from Lincoln-Way West.
Thornwood 2022 PG Nayo Lear received an offer from Bradley.
Bartlett 2022 PG Kenzie Hare received an offer from Lehigh.
Evanston 2022 wing Lola Lesmond received an offer from UW-Milwaukee.
York 2021 PG Amaya Rufus received an offer from NAIA Cardinal Stritch (Wisconsin).
St. Joseph-Ogden 2022 forward Payton Jacob received an offer from D3 Franklin (Tennessee).
Maine West 2021 guard Brianna Hernandez received offers from Illinois D3s Benedictine and Dominican.
Marian Catholic 2021 SF Morgan Laudick received an offer from D3 Emory (Georgia).
Loyola Academy 2021 PG Silvana Scarsella received an offer from D3 Denison (Ohio).
Trinity 2021 PG Savanna Childress received an offer from D3 Concordia University Chicago.
I did a Q&A with Homewood-Flossmoor 2021 and LSU recruit Grace Hall. She talked about how recruiting changed after her ACL tear, switching positions in college, fellow LSU commit and Whitney Young 2021 point guard Timia Ware, and the upcoming high school season.
“Injuries and lack of AAU action don’t limit interest in Loyola girls basketball standout Isabella Ogliore” Bob Narang writes for the Pioneer Press.
Coaching Stories and News
MacArthur boys head basketball coach Ron Ingram resigned to focus on his health, Joey Wagner reports for the Herald & Review. Stomach ulcers forced the six-year head coach to step down with a 113-72 record and two regional championships.
St. Joseph 2015 graduate Joffery Brown is now an assistant at Lewis University, St. Joseph tweeted. He played collegiately at Kaskaskia College, Morton College and Lewis. Brown was a less-heralded starter on a loaded St. Joe team that featured Glynn Watson, Jordan Ash and Nick Rakocevic, but Brown was their “glue guy.”
Former Trinity and DePaul player, and Montini and Morton assistant coach, Caprice Smith is joining DePaul as a video coordinator. "Caprice has more than paid her dues in the trenches," DePaul head coach Doug Bruno said. "She is a proven winner and has a great future in college coaching."
Former Oak Forest boys basketball coach and athletic director Mike Brown has been teaching his history classes from the road, visiting some of the most important historical locations in the country, WGN reports. A fun story about remote teaching when I suspect many teachers in the state could use some lighter news.
COVID-19 Updates and News
The IHSA has sent a letter to governor Pritzker seeking to take back control of the sports schedule, reports the Chicago Tribune, the Daily Chronicle and the State Journal-Register. While many on social media took this as the IHSA pushing to restart sports, IHSA executive director stressed that the letter did not serve that purpose: “There have been no discussions, let alone proposed timelines, for resuming any sports at this time,” Anderson said. “Should our office receive a positive response from government officials, it could result in the IHSA reexamining its previously released season schedules as well as postseason schedules for the 2020-21 school year.”
In Wheaton on Tuesday a rally to restart sports and in-person learning gathered more than 1,000 people, Jeff Vorva reported for the Chicago Tribune. More rallies are expected as all surrounding states are allowing fall sports currently. Between the IHSA’s recent letter, protests and the moves of other states, it seems quite possible that the current plan for the basketball season will not be what we end up with when the season arrives.
While the rest of the state is allowed its contact days for non-season sports, Chicago Public Schools ruled its member schools cannot practice those days. The Sun-Times’ Michael O’Brien talked to two CPS boys basketball coaches about the decision.
Illinois Players in the Pros
Peoria Notre Dame 2003 graduate Brian Randle has been hired an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns, The Athletic reported. Wes Huett for the Journal Star has Randle’s credentials and deep state ties: four seasons at Illinois, a 10-year professional career overseas and a really impressive high school career at Notre Dame.
Illinois Players in College
Fenwick alum Mike Smith talked to Connor Brennan at Michigan Daily about his experience at Columbia, his decision to transfer to Michigan and his fit with the Wolverines. I’ve mentioned several times how Michigan head coach Juwan Howard has picked up the program’s Chicago-area recruiting, and this quote stood out: “I was at (Howard’s) camp when I was younger,” Smith said. “That was so long ago. I think Chicago people look out for Chicago people, and I hold that dearly. If I see someone from Chicago, I would say what’s up and ask them where they’re from.”
Homewood-Flossmoor graduate and Arizona State transfer Eva Rubin has found a better fit and treatment for her Type 1 diabetes in her new home: Illinois. Gavin Good has the story for 247 on the center and aspiring nurse.
Other Stories and News
Former Mount Carmel and Illinois star Tracy Abrams launched a mentorship program called Chicago Positive Impact, reports Hendricksen for the Sun-Times. A really good story of a basketball community member trying to positively impact the next generation.
The Athletic wrote about Schaumburg 2021 big man and Wisconsin commit Chris Hodges. Hodges spoke about why he fell in love with Wisconsin, and Schaumburg coach Wade Heisler talked to Hodges game and how it will fit with the Badgers.
The Rockford Register Star and Matt Trowbridge continues its list of Rockford’s greatest basketball players. At No. 5 is Dakota’s Allen Rayhorn. He had a record-setting career at NIU before turning down an offer to play with the Pistons so he could farm in his hometown. He finished second in voting in NIU’s player of the century voting.
Boylan Catholic’s Chad Gallagher ranks No. 6 in the all-time list. Gallagher was “the lost great player” in high school, playing in the same era as other great bigs. But he had an excellent career at Creighton and was drafted by the Suns before playing another decade professionally outside of the NBA.
Hononegah’s Ryan Hoover ranks No. 7 in the all-time list. He is one of the best shooters in Notre Dame history and had a long professional career, playing until he was 40.
I attended the Xposure Runs Friday in Homer Glen and watched some 2022 and 2023 boys compete. Lots of talent and potential. Illinois Hoops Prospects has a write-up of the event and its standouts. Marist 2023 guard Xavier Sulaiman’s tip dunk was the play of the night. Fenwick 2022 guard Den Juette was MVP.
For the Sun-Times, Michael O’Brien’s first basketball notebook of the fall discusses cancelled basketball tournaments, boys transfers and the rise of the Longwood program.