While not the most athletic, Avila has solid footwork, can handle the ball, uses both hands and can extend a defense with shooting range out to the three-point line. The son of a former Lithuanian National Team player, Buzelis started his career at Hinsdale Central (Ill.) High and is projected to be a lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft after spending what would be his freshman year of college with the NBA's G-League Ignite. Polling Place: Is Patrick Kane the greatest Blackhawk ever? Facebook; Twitter; instagram; FB Rec. 2023 BVM Sports. In 2004, Downey was named to the Illini Mens Basketball All-Century Team. Bardo had 909 points and 495 assists during his exceptional career at the University of Illinois. His best performance while wearing an Illinois uniform was on December 30, 1972, when the Illini faced off against the top-ranked Bruins of UCLA in the Sugar Bowl Classic in New Orleans. 3 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft and has played four seasons in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets and is currently with the New Orleans Pelicans. First, you have to ignore the basketball stardom Davis has reached out of high school. 1. He played for the Fighting Illini for four seasons, starting three of them. Rank Player Pos Ht / Wt Rating Team. Illini Starting Five 1946-47 photo by D. Kirk Son of Walton Kirk Jr. Wikimedia commons. Led the Tigers to a 28-5 record heading into the Class 4A sectional final. Bryce Curry Ohio. Williams was voted the Most Outstanding Player of the Chicago Regional in the NCAA Tournament and was a nominee for the Wooden Award. Bottom Line: Jefferson's Daniel Freitag was the only underclassman to make the Minnesota AP All-State squad first or second team after he averaged 26.7 points as a sophomore in 2021-22. These qualities have allowed them to dominate their rivals and earn many honours along the way to success. 25 all-time for the Illinois Fighting Illini. Super Bowl Odds 2023 - Best Odds To Win Super Bowl 57; Tickets; Players Born In Peoria (IL), United States. Plus, Ethan Happ and Keita Bates-Diop were second-team All-Americans. Still, at the pinnacle of their game, Illinois doesnt show any signs of slowing down anytime soon in producing exceptional athletes and its a matter of time before another star athlete comes out of Illinois. From 1963 to 1966, Freeman was a student at the University of Illinois. Clearly, Illinois knows how to produce exceptional girls basketball players and the programs that have landed recruits from the state are keenly aware of this fact. But with his continued improvement and the upside that still remains, Benson has climbed into the top 10 as we head into July. Montverde Academy (Florida) has won Geico Nationals in back-to-back years and remains No. BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (BVM) The state of Illinois has produced some high-quality girls basketball players over the years. High School Basketball; Current Affairs; Off-Topic Board; . Deon Johnson Ohio. a staff of more than 50 full time recruiting reporters and evaluators that rank and compile data on the nation's elite high school recruits.More Info About; Contact Us; Advertisers . An explosive guard with blazing end-to-end speed with the basketball, Boatright scored 63 points in one game and went for 55 in another. Sports Illustrated recently released its college basketball All-Decade Team and included Davis on the first team, while Kaminsky, Okafor and Brunson all made the second team. He was a member of Bill Selfs back-to-back Big Ten championship teams in 2000-01 and 2001-02. After graduating from high school, Winters was accepted to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he played varsity basketball from 1982 to 1986. Players received five points for a first-team vote and three points for a second-team vote. The point guard, who was 6 feet 3 inches tall, averaged 14 points per game. HONORABLE MENTION (19): Ensley Tedeschi, Benton (6-1, Sr., PG/SG) 30; Natalie Peterson, Freeburg (6-0, Sr., G/F) 18; Kaitlyn Coombes, Paris (5-4, Sr., PG) 15; Dalia Dejesus, Deer Creek-Mackinaw (5-11, Fr., F) 15; Addison Swadinsky, Deer CreekMackinaw (5-7, Sr. PG) 13; Lauren Miller, Central-Southeastern (5-10, Soph., G/F) 11; Campbell Schrank, Winnebago (5-9, Sr., G/F) 11; Sophie Bormann, Metropolis Massac County (5-9, Sr., SG) 9; Clair Hulke, Rock Island Alleman (6-0, Jr., F) 9; Mady Kibelkis, Peotone (5-8, Sr., SG) 9; Madi Schroeder, Peotone (5-11, Jr., PG/PF) 9; Blair Eftink, Quincy Notre Dame (5-8, Sr., G) 8; Grace Roland, Elmhurst Timothy Christian (6-2, Sr., C) 8; Kyla Elsbury, Sherrard (Sr., F) 6; London Walker George, Chicago DePaul Prep (5-9, Soph., F) 6; Jenna Hunter, Peotone (5-11, Sr., F) 6; Mya Janssen, Stillman Valley (6-1, Jr., F) 6; Whitney Rumbold, Tremont (5-10, Sr., F) 6; Layne Rupert, Hillsboro (5-7, Sr., G) 6. With sound form and mechanics, range and a pure release, Schutt has elite shooting ability that easily translates to the next level. The Portland Trail Blazers acquired him in the NBA draft as a third-round pick. Bottom Line: St. Mary's Prep star Trey McKenney is already a Top 20 recruit for the Class of 2025 it's not hard to see him continuing to rise in those rankings over the next two years as Big Ten and Big 12 teams are already falling over themselves to get at the 6-foot-4, 200-pound guard. Johnson consistently makes winning plays with the ball in his hands, both as a scorer and as a table-setter. Ulis decided to forgo his final two years at Kentucky and was a second-round pick (No. He scored a school record 2,335 career points, including averaging 23 points and 6.8 assists as a senior. 2023 Illinois HS Basketball Player Rankings | Prep Girls Hoops Illinois 2023 Rankings WL indicates Watch List Access all of Prep Girls Hoops Subscribe for access to all premium articles and rankings. A ranking of the 2022 Best NFL Football Players in Illinois. Bottom Line: Darren "Dai Dai" Ames great name was named Class 4A All-State as a junior in 2022 after he averaged 19.3 points, 4.7 assists and 2.4 steals. Chicago basketball was an afterthought until coach "Spin" Salarios squad came on the scene. These are the best high school boys basketball players in every state headed into the 2022-2023 season for the midwestern states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Alexander averaged 25 points, 16 rebounds and six blocks as a senior and was named the Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year. And there were a lot of them the past two years in leading the Maroons to back-to-back state championships and 100 wins overall in four seasons. Having participated in 137 games, Augustine is tied with Dee Brown. Rayvon Griffith, Taft Taft forward Rayvon Griffith celebrates after the Senators won the Division III regional championship,. Some of the notable players to come out of Indiana are Victor Oladipo, Tyler & Cody Zeller, Mason & Miles Plumlee to name a few. As a senior he averaged 31.2 points and had seven games of 40-plus points. It's not hard to imagine him and Biliew tearing up Big 12 competition at the forward spots for the Cyclones in the near future. Dawson transferred to Illinois after his sophomore year and was chosen to the 1974 All-Big Ten team as well as an academic All-American. As a bonus, Okafor was huge in Youngs biggest games: 35 points and 13 rebounds in a sectional final win over St. Rita; 33 points and 14 rebounds in a state semifinal win over Stevenson; 22 points and 23 rebounds against Providence (Fla.) in the City of Palms Classic; and he averaged 31 points and 12.5 rebounds in the loaded Les Schwab Invitational in Oregon. Mid-major programs will keep their fingers crossed the point guards recruitment stays at their level. The Illini were unbeaten during the season up until their one-point loss to Ohio State in the last regular-season game. Here are 20 players who have had a national MVP-worthy season thus far. For 20 years, his 40-point outburst as a sophomore would stand as the school record. But pure and simple, Davis is the most talentedprospectto come out of Illinois in the last decade, which is why he was the No. Interested in high school basketball? High School: Link Academy (Branson, Missouri). Wessels averaged 13.4 points per game while playing in 60 games, grabbing 521 total rebounds, and scoring 803 points across his three years of varsity basketball. High School: Jefferson Senior High School (Minneapolis). Clemons was the most reliable predictor for the 1992 12-12 Illini, who travelled to Bloomington, Indiana, with a 4-1 record to face Bob Knights second-ranked Hoosiers (20-4) and faced them. Its a little more challenging for a potential player to be fully recognized and appreciated. With the 2022-23 basketball season fast approaching, here are the top 10 seniors for the upcoming season. There was a stretch during the first half of the decade where the state was churning out generational talent, many who left their mark on the sport forever. The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) celebrated 100 years of the IHSA State Tournament in the 2006-07 season. Before playing for the University of Illinois, George Bon Salle was a star at the Loyola Academy in Chicago, Illinois. Specifically, Illinois Class of 2023 will showcase several future Division I and Power 5 college basketball players who will look to further prove themselves in 2022-23. 15 ranked prospect in the Class of 2022. Derek received a scholarship to attend Indiana, but he then changed schools and played three years of varsity basketball at the University of Illinois. a staff of more than 50 full time recruiting reporters and evaluators that rank and compile data on the nation's elite high school recruits.More Info About; Contact Us; Advertisers . WNBA greats from Illinois include Candace Parker, Yolanda Griffith and Tamika Catchings. Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Tisdale concluded with 176 career blocks to place second in school history and 1,243 points to rank No. Jamaal McKnight Jr Maryland. WNBA standouts Candace Parker, Tamika Catchings and Yolanda Griffith once took the hardwood at the high school level in the state. The Top Ranked Basketball Players of All-Time from Illinois High Schools . Vote for the boys high school Player of the Week in southwestern IL from Feb. 20-24. Richmonds career, albeit a bit mercurial, was outstanding. The player who did more for himself during the early live periods than anyone, grabbing attention with his physical attributes, athleticism and motor. Co-captain of the 2005 team that finished with a record of 37 victories and competed for the national championship, Brown was unstoppable, scoring 1,812 points, dishing out 674 assists, and maintaining 231 steals. There certainly wasnt a player who was as electric or more entertaining during the past decade than the dynamic Boatright. Momcilovic, 6-foot-8, averaged 18.1 points and 7.7 rebounds in 2021-22 and picked the Cyclones over offers from Minnesota, UCLA, Creighton and Virginia, among others. Also, three-point shooting has never been more important in the game of basketball, which is why Yorkville Christians Jaden Schutt and Buffalo Groves Kam Craft continue to rank so high. 1. High School: Bartlesville High School (Bartlesville, Oklahoma). James Griffin was able to dominate while playing for the University of Illinois thanks to his physical attributes. Williams and his colleagues made it to the Elite 8 in 2001 while still attending Illinois. "Streaming Central Wisconsin Christian vs Oakfield - WIAA High School Boys Basketball Live @ OakfieldStream On : http://4ty.me/c17fcbThanks For Watching And . He also helped the USA Basketball 18U team to a gold medal. 2023 BVM Sports. These are the best high school boys basketball players in every state headed into the 2022-2023 season for the midwestern states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The high school basketball season is set to tip off, and once again, the state of Illinois features some of the top talent in the country. As the spring and summer plays out for a group of rising seniors in the state, the production of the player becomes a little more imperative. Coach Ezra Hendrickson, Fire looking to prove doubters wrong, Baseball quiz: Remember what happened after Jackie, Kahleah Copper: Precious mettle for the new-look Sky. Altenberger was. 2023 www.rrstar.com. In 1983, Harper was chosen to the First Team All-Big Ten and Second Team All-American teams, while in 1981 and 1982, he received Honorable Mention All-Big Ten recognition. Conner spent the majority of his collegiate career playing the centre position out of position, but he more than made up for it with his amazing leaping abilities. . His 830 career boards were a school record for 15 years, and he owns the two highest single-season rebounding averages in Illinois history (14.5 and 13.8 boards per game). They anchored one of the Big Tens top teams during their time there, and the Illini eventually earned a number one seed in the 2001 NCAA Tournament, advancing to the Elite 8. A ranking of the 2004 Best NFL Basketball Players in Illinois. The Best NFL Betting Odds; . High School: Cathedral High School (Indianapolis). Rank Player Pos Ht / Wt Rating Team; No Results for 2004 Basketball . 6'5". . In 1957, Bon Salle received All-American recognition as a senior and was chosen by the NBAs Syracuse Nationals in the 1957 draft. Gill was nominated to the first-team All-American (UPI) and led the Big Ten in scoring as a senior. With these statistics, he tied for eighth place in school history for steals. Douglas had a stellar career with Illinois, where he was a statistical leader in numerous categories. In five seasons hes averaged 15.1 points. Thorens teams at Illinois won 51 of 74 games and the 1963 championship when he was a player there. The Manual and Simeon four-peat teams got two each. In his time at Illinois, Jerry Hester averaged 4.6 boards per game. A ranking of the 2001 Best NFL Basketball Players in Illinois. High School: St. Mary's Prep (Orchard Lake, Michigan). Their contributions to the sport of basketball are unmatched, as are their successes, abilities, and on-court manoeuvres. There were six players from the state who went on to become first-team college basketball All-Americans: Davis, Parker, Okafor, Kaminsky, Brunson and Tyler Ulis. All players listed include height, year in school, position and points earned. As a result, Bensons recruitment has exploded. With the Illini, he averaged more than seven rebounds per game, and his 156 career blocks were excellent to place him fourth in the all-time at the university. Post-high school career:Randle was a star at Stanford, where he became the schools all-time leading scorer with 2,375 points and was an honorable mention All-American as a senior. Also won state in 1960 behind George Wilson (back row, fouth from left) and suffered playoff defeats by one and two points in 1959 and 1961. The light came on during his junior campaign, the production increased and the arrow continues to point straight up. He ranks fifth in Big Ten history in his career assists. Post-high school career:As a junior at Connecticut, Boatright was a key defensive player and averaged 12.1 points in helping the Huskies to a NCAA national championship. Hes spent time with the Bucks, Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards and will play this season with the Atlanta Hawks. 2022 Top Basketball Recruits in Illinois. (The first girls state tournament was in 1977; the boys tournament started in 1908 at the Oak Park YMCA.) If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. DePaul womens basketball star. Throughout his 10-year pro career, Ohl averaged 15.9 points per game, demonstrating how well his scoring ability transferred to the NBA. 220 32 8. The 2022 Illinois High School Association state finals are scheduled for March 2-4 in Normal. Choose your favorite sports and teams to follow to be able to see all of the content you want to enjoy first. He still maintains the Illini career steals (324) and assists (765) records. This came after a junior season in which he put up 24.8 points and 12.6 rebounds. Dalen Davis Whitney Young (Chicago, IL) PG. James Augustine and Brown both played in 137 games during their careers. His 17.3 points per game rank as Illinois eighth-best career average. Roosevelt Thomas Illinois. Where Castillo really turned heads for the first time was in international play as he helped lead the Team USA U16 National Team to a gold medal at the FIBA Americas World Championships in 2021. girls basketball players and the programs that have landed recruits from the state are keenly aware of this fact. Best High School Boys Basketball Player in Every State 2022: West, Best High School Girls Basketball Player in Every State 2022: West. MaxPreps.com; High School Basketball; Illinois; Illinois Rankings; IL High School Basketball Rankings. He was selected by Illinois supporters as one of the top 20 basketball players for the Fighting Illini in the teams 100-year history. High School: Minot High School (Minot, North Dakota). Now's your chance to vote for . Steve Bardo photo by TonyTheTiger Wikimedia commons. 2026; 2025; 2024; 2023; 2022 . Deron Williams #8 of the Brooklyn Nets photo by Keith Allison Wikimedia commons. 2022 highschool Pos Rankings State Rankings. Denali Craig Edwards, Peoria High (6-0, Sr., SG/F) 67 Amalia Dray, LaGrange Nazareth (5-8, Jr., F) 37 Claire McDougall, Washington (6-0, Sr., G) 33 Aubrey Galvan, Deerfield (5-6, Soph., PG) 31. Dissette averaged 22.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and shot 56 percent from the floor in his junior season and was at his best in the Class A state title game with 22 points and 13 rebounds in a 73-62 win over West Fargo on his way to being named Class A Tournament MVP. The understated Randle has one heck of a career rsum, including a Class 3A state championship as a senior and sharing the states Mr. Basketball Award that same year with another all-decade performer, Ryan Boatright. He also holds the record for the most minutes played (4,698) and the most games started (136) of any player in school history. From 2002 through 2006, Augustine was a member of the University of Illinois mens basketball team. The Illini finished with an 18-6 record during Thorens senior year, placing third in the Big Ten with a 10-4 record. Life on a third straight one-year contract with the mega-talented Astros isnt bad at all. 3 in their respective draft classes. Parkers biggest attribute is that he won. You will now be able to customize your experience on our website. Williams played three seasons for the Fighting Illini while a student at the University of Illinois, helping the team to numerous NCAA Tournament berths. In 2004, Gill was chosen for the Illini Mens Basketball All-Century Team., Brian Cook Clippers photo by Keith Allison Wikimedia commons. When he graduated, he ranked third in school history for games played with 138 and was second all-time at Illinois in terms of rebounding (909), scoring (1,279 points) at number 22, and games played 138 which put him at third. Thank you for submitting a news tip to BVM Sports! WG. Happy travels! Biliew, a five-star prospect Top 10 recruit for the Class of 2023, has a pro-ready body at 6-foot-8 and 210 pounds and picked Iowa State over Kansas, Oregon and the G-League Ignite. In 2004, Gill was chosen for the Illini Mens Basketball All-Century Team.. Augustine started as a freshman for a team that placed second in the Big Ten. Won two gold medals with USA Basketball. Phone: (309) 663-6377 Fax: (309) 663-7479 : 2715 McGraw Drive Bloomington, IL 61704-6011 Map & directions : Office Hours Darrin "Dai Dai" Ames, sr., Kenwood (Illinois) Ames had one of the best performances of the season at the Proviso West Holiday Tournament, scoring a tourney-record 65 points, and the point guard scored 27 going up against DJ Wagner and Camden (New Jersey) on Friday. From 2007 until 2011, he was a student at Illinois. While vastly overlooked early in his high school career, the pure-as-they-come point guard shined throughout his four seasons at Marian Catholic. A true big with a sweet skill set for his size and position. He gained notoriety for his abilities and the Fighting Illinis triumphs in the two seasons (19411943 and 19461947), which were interrupted by the world war. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Bottom Line: Elliot Cadeau will be in a new state and at a new school for his junior season with Link Academy the five-star recruit and No. 11/08/2022 Joliet West Tigers Kenwood Academy Broncos Rolling Meadows Mustangs East St. Louis Flyers Moline Maroons Whitney Young Dolphins Neal F. Simeon Career Academy Wolverines Lake Forest Scouts Basketball In his college career, he made 216 three-pointers, which ranks fifth all-time among Illini players. On Feb. 26, ESPN's basketball version of "College Gameday" will be in Iowa City for No. Rnk: Athlete: POS: Rookie Yr: School: Overall Rank: 1: George Mikan: C: 1947: Archbishop Quigley (Chicago) 12: 2 . So here they are: The best of the best from each part of the state. He served as the team captain for Illinois Flyin Illini squad in 1989. In the 19941995 and 19961997 seasons, Garris also held the team record for assists. Each voter picked a five-player first team and five-player second team in each class. Prep girls basketball action remains in full . A top 50 player nationally, Liddell was the top-ranked prospect in Illinois in the Class of 2019. On February 16, 1963, he set the Illinois single-game scoring record with 53 points against Indiana. BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (BVM) The high school basketball season is set to tip off, and once again, the state of Illinois features some of the top talent in the country. Parker, who scored 1,870 points in his career, became the first two-time Illinois Mr. Basketball winner in state history. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. But his pure talent puts him on the second team. Log in Brunsons production and numbers were off the charts. Williams led the Fighting Illini to the NCAA championship game in 2005 as a junior starting point guard, but they fell to the University of North Carolina. Oak Forest's Robbie Avila (21) maintains possession of the ball during the game against DePaul Prep at the . Other teams such the mid-1990s Thornton juggernaut that was blocked by Peoria Manuals dynasty; the 1977 Westinghouse team that featured Mark Aguirre and Eddie Johnson but didnt make it out of the city playoffs; Edwardsvilles mid-1950s teams with future Globetrotters Mannie Jackson and Govoner Vaughn; and the 1954 DuSable team that put Chicago basketball on the map certainly belong in any discussion of the states best all-time teams, but this list is for champions only. Altenberger ranks in Illinois' all-time top 25 in scoring (1,271 career points) and holds the Illini record with a three-point shooting percentage of .472 over his four seasons. Highlighting High School Basketball Prospects in Illinois News, analysis, and recruiting updates on D1, D2, D3, NAIA, and JUCO prospects throughout Illinois Sortable list to easily organize and identify players Player profiles with stats, college interest, videos, news, and more View the Full Prospect List Recent Posts 2022-2023 Season Awards March 1, 5 Takeaways: Downers Grove North vs Whitney Young, Scott Burgess He was that talented of a player and that dynamic of a high school basketball figure. Thank you for submitting a news tip to BVM Sports! As a junior in the city title game, Okafor went for 19 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks, including the game-saving block of Billy Garretts shot in Youngs 60-56 overtime win over Morgan Park. The results of that poll, in a word: Oof. With 177 blocks, Thomas blocked more shots than any Illini player ever. CENTRALIA Centralia couldn't get any closer than seven points in the second half and fell to East St. Louis, 53-39, in the first semifinal of the IHSA Class 3A Centralia boys basketball . The results of that poll, in a word: Oof. It's a pretty simple concept you have the No. Teams; CBS Sports; CBS SPORTS HQ . A ranking of the 2001 Best NFL Basketball Players in Illinois. Last update: 2/26/2023, Minimum Games Played . From 2001 until 2005, he was a collegiate athlete at the University of Illinois. A spark-plug scorer and safe bet to be a productive offensive player at the next level due to his shot-making ability from all areas of the court. Here is a look at the 10 best Illinois High School Athletic Association (IHSA) boys basketball players in the Class of 2023. With his record number of points in a career, he also placed eighth all-time among Illini. The 6-3 guard was ranked among the top 75 prospects in the country and won a gold medal with USA Basketballs U17 team. Griffin had a good shooting touch, but his post-up talents werent NBA-caliber. From 1961 through 1965, Thoren decided to play college basketball at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Who do you take? The fan base, historical events, and players from Illinois are legendary. Johnson studied history from 1977 to 1981 at the University of Illinois. Whether you want to learn the history of a city, or you simply need a recommendation for your next meal, Discover Walks Team offers an ever-growing travel encyclopaedia. With his 2,682 career points, Brunson is among the top 20 all-time scorers in state history. 1 and No. Period. He managed to achieve 1,271 career points and subsequently held a three-point shooting percentage of .472 through the four seasons he was at Illinois.