WE ARE HERE!!!!!! IT ALL ENDS HERE!!!! ROAD TO CHAMPAIGN!!!! Supsersectionals are over and we are at the Holy Grail of Illinois High School Basketball. Americas Original March Madness. Rankings are Big Tim's Chicago Area rankings. Here we go:
STATE FARM ARENA CHAMPAIGN ILLINOIS:
CLASS 1A:
Hope Academy (Chicago) (29-7) state ranked #7 vs Meridian (Mounds) (25-8) :
First year Coach Ronnie Fields is a legend in Illinois High School basketball circles. Mr Basketball in 1996, McDonald's All-American, and took his Farragut Academy (Chicago) team to state finals as a player. Now he has taken his team down here as a coach. Second appearance for school (2017 third place). Players and team have flown under the radar all year. Top players are Sophomore point guard Tyjuan Hunter (5'5") (18.1 ppg, 5.3 apg), Senior guard Cam'Ron Centeno (6'1") (16.3 , 6.9 rpg), and senior guard Josh Dillon (5'9") (15.0 ppg). Team is very quick and attack the basket constantly.
Mounds Meridian's top players are freshman Antonio Flenoid Jr (6'3") (23.8 ppg,10.9 rpg) looking to put his name up with the other top freshman in the state. Others are senior Jai'Deon Reed (6'2") (8.7 ppg, 9.8 rpg), and senior Cole Kaufman (6'2") (9.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg). Coach David Davis is in third year.
Christian (Aurora) (25-8) state ranked #10 vs West Central (Winchester) (34-3):
Third appearance for Christian (Aurora) last one in covid year of 2020. Top players are sophomore Marshawn Cocroft (6'0") (16.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 4.7 apg), senior Cam Morel (6'4") (15.0 ppg), sophomores Jacob Baumann and Jalen Carter. Coach Dan Beebe is in eighth year.
Third trip for West Central. Top players are senior Zack Evans (6'2") (20.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg), and senior Chance Little (6'4") (14.3 ppg, 8.8 rpg). Have won 28 in a row against Illinois teams. Coach Ryan Sichting is in seventh year.
CLASS 2A:
Williamsville (26-9) vs #18 Wendell Phillips Academy (Chicago) (23-9):
Williamsville made it here despite losing top scorer Blake Shoufler in the 9th game of the year. First state finals appearance since 1991 (fourth place). Came into playoffs not ideal losing 4 of 7 but turned it on at the right time. Top players are junior Brayden Sailing (5'11") (13.6 ppg), senior Carson Kohler (6'4") (8.4 ppg, 9.0 rpg), and senior Brecken Thomas (6'2") (8.8 ppg). Coach Nick Beard is in eleventh year.
Wendell Phillips Academy is making their first appearance since 1977. Won title in 1975. Played a tough schedule in Chicago Public League Red South/Central) mostly Class 3A and 4A schools. Made Chicago Public League Playoff semifinals. Junior laden team. Top players are junior EJ Horton (6'2") (20.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg), junior Amari Edwards (5'9") (16.4 ppg), junior Phoenix Childs (6'4") and sophomore Claude Mpouma (6'6"). Coach Paris Martin is in second year.
Byron is making first appearance here since 2007. Their second appearance overall. This will be their first trophy in boys basketball. Top players are senior Ryan Tucker (6'3") (23.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg schools all time leader in points and three pointers), senior Jack Hiveley (6'3") (11.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg), sophomore Carson Newton. Coach Matt Huels is in his fifth year.
Benton is making first appearance since 2003. Sixteenth appearance overall. Winning streak is 18 in a row. Top players are junior Docker Tedeschi (6'8") (15.5 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 3.7 apg offers from Colorado, Murray State amongst others), senior Isaac Billington (6'1") (11.4 ppg), and senior Luke Melvin (6'1") (12.5 ppg). Coach Ron Winemiller is in his fifteenth year.
CLASS 3A:
Mount Carmel is making their first appearance since 1985 (won title) second overall appearance. Football powerhouse. Top players Northwestern commit senior Angelo Ciaravino (6'6") (21.0 ppg), senior Lee Marks IV (6'5") (16.3 ppg), junior Grant Best (6'2") (14.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg), senior Christian Uremovich (6'7"), junior Cam Thomas (6'3") and sophomore Noah Mister (6'0"). Note: Marks IV may not be available has not played most of the state playoffs. One of two Chicago Catholic League teams still playing in Class 3A. Coach Phil Segroves is in his eighth year.
Mount Zion is making first ever state finals appearance. Only loss is to state power Metamora who was Class 3A champ last year. Have won 17 in a row. Young team. Top players are junior Lyncoln Koester (6'3") (15.9 ppg), sophmore JC Anderson (6'7") (14.7 ppg, 8.8 rpg Division One football recruit with multiple offers), junior Brayden Trimble (6'2") (7.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg). Coach Dale Schuring is in fourth year.
DePaul College Prep won Class 2A last year and is now in Class 3A. came in third in 2019 and 2022 in Class 2A. Fourth state finals appearance in six years. Pack line defense has given teams trouble all year. Allowing average of 24 ppg to teams in state playoffs. Multiple players with championship rings but still a young team. Top players are senior PJ Chambers (6'2") (12.5 ppg), senior Jaylan McElroy (6'7") (11.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg), junior Robert Walls (6'1"), junior Jonas Johnson (6'7"), sophomore Rashaun Porter (6'6"). One of two Chicago Catholic League teams playing in Class 3A. Coach Tom Kleimschmidt is in twelfth year.
Richwoods (Peoria) is making it's tenth appearance first since 2010. They have turned it up in state playoffs knocking out defending champ Metamora and Thornton Township in Supersectional. Rutgers commit 6'10" senior Lathan Sommerville outplayed his two top competitors for Mr Basketball Iowa commit Cooper Koch (Metamora) and Illinois commit Morez Johnson Jr (Thornton Township). Might have cemented the award with his play. They will have to contend with DePaul Prep's pack line defense. Top players are Sommerville (24.6 ppg, 12.3ppg), senior Daquan Little (6'0") (12.3 ppg), senior Tavie Smith (6'2") (10.2ppg), senior Jared Jackson (6'5") (11.1 ppg, 7.0 rpg). Coach William Smith is in his fourteenth year.
CLASS 4A:
Palatine is making their first ever appearance in state finals. School record for wins in a season. Four starters play multiple sports. Washington University of St Louis commit 6'7" senior Connor May is an absolute steal for division three. He made the game winning back door layup in supersectional win over Warren Township (Gurnee). Great pass from senior teammate 6'3" senior Tommy Elter. Top players are May (19.3 ppg, 8.0 rpg), Elter (7.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 6.6 apg), and sophomore Tony Balanganayi (6'3"). Coach Eric Millstone is in his sixteenth year.
Normal Community is making it's first trip since 2015 (second place). They are here off a miracle win in sectional final where they were down one with 4.3 second left, Quincy ball. They had trouble getting it in but finally got it in, but Quincy player was falling out of bounds. He saved it right to Wright State commit senior Jaheem Webber who slammed ball in at buzzer for one point win. Then they exacted revenge in a big way over North (Downers Grove) in supersectional in their home town. Big team height wise with Webber (6'10"), Noah Cleveland (6'9"), Kobe Walker off bench (6'9"), and guards Niko Newsome (6'6" Saginaw State commit), and Braylon Roman (6'4"). Webber (10.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg), Roman (11.8 ppg), Cleveland (10.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg). Came to Chicago Area three straight weeks and went 3-3 which helped them get toughness to get here. All 5 losses are to ranked teams. Coach Dave Witzig is in his twenty fifth year all at Normal.
Homewood Flossmoor is making it's first appearance since 2004 (second place). Great combination of youth and experience. Had some transfers come in but they have meshed well with the returnees. They have played a tough schedule and got through a dicey supersectional game with #1 Curie (Chicago). Columbia commit senior Gianni Cobb (6'0") has hit a number of game winning shots( twice vs Thornton Township (Harvey), free throws (Curie), and game winning plays all season. Legit Mr Basketball candidate. Top players are Cobb (15.1 ppg, 3.4 apg), junior Bryce Heard (6'6") (16.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg has multiple division one offers Arkansas, Arizona State and Cal are a few), senior Carson Brownfield (6'3") (12.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg), junior JT Tyler (6'0") has multiple division one offers, Lewis commit senior Mac Hagemaster. Coach Jamere Dismukes is in second year at Homewood Flossmoor.
New Trier (Winnetka) is making it's second consecutive appearance finishing third last season. They have shooters all over the court and have come together once again late in the season. Sophomore point guard Chris Kirkpatrick (6'2") has dominated in the postseason hitting a game winning three point shot in sectional final against Glenbrook North (Northbrook). Top players are Kirkpatrick (13.6 ppg), Carnegie Mellon commit senior Ian Brown (6'5") (10.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg), Johns Hopkins commit senior Logan Feller (6'3") (8.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.5 apg), senior Will LeeMaster (6'4"), junior Colby Smith (6'3"), sixth man sophomore Danny Houlihan (6'2"). Coach Scott Fricke is in his sixteenth year. To add Rick Malnati is in the staff as a special assistant.
