On Thursday we had a strong group of college performances from Illinois players. Of those in action, 14 of 37 players scored in double figures. All the performances and some highlights are below.
You can also view all Division I men from Illinois and Division I women from Illinois.
Jones Does Everything for SIU
Sophomore Lance Jones has been a Swiss army knife for Southern Illinois as the Salukis have jumped out to a 4-0 start. The Evanston graduate started 26-of-32 games as a freshman, but he’s had an even bigger impact in year two.
On Thursday, Jones scored a team-high 18 points in an 85-64 win over North Dakota. Perhaps more impressive was the rest of his box score: 4 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 steals. He also took a charge.
You know Mike Ellis would love that stat line.
For the season, Jones is averaging 11.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.3 steals.
A Happy Birthday for Notre Dame’s Peoples
Schlarman graduate Anaya Peoples’ birthday was Thursday, and her performance for Notre Dame was extra reason to celebrate.
The Fighting Irish held on to beat No. 25 Virginia Tech 84-78, with Peoples’ two layups in the final 80 seconds giving Notre Dame the lead for good. She finished with 15 points, 8 rebounds and 3 steals.
After an ACC All-Freshman season, Peoples is averaging 13 points and 6.2 rebounds in her second season for Notre Dame.
Tim Robinson Finds Rhythm for Valpo
Kenwood graduate and Tim Robinson, a redshirt senior, had struggled offensively for Valparaiso to start the season. In the first six games he shot just 14-for-36 (38.9 percent) from the field and 4-for-14 (28.6 percent) from the arc.
That changed Thursday when Robinson scored a game- and career-high 21 points in an 89-71 win over Purdue Northwest, going 7-for-8 from the field and knocking down both of his triples.
According to the Post Tribune and NWI Times, Robinson called on an NBA player to help him get out of his rut.
“I told [Phoenix Suns player Langston Galloway] I was having a shooting spell, that I wasn’t hitting my shots like I should be,” Robinson said. “He gave me a few drills to do. And then, the next game, it happened.”
Despite the early season shooting, Robinson is averaging a career-best 9.3 points per game for the 3-4 Crusaders. On Thursday, two other Illinois high school players had strong performances for Valpo as well:
- Connor Barrett, Loyola Academy: 12 points, 2 steals
- Donovan Clay, Alton: 9 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 blocks, 2 steals
Shannon Jr.’s Stock Rising
After four years at Lincoln Park and a prep year at IMG Academy in Florida, Terrence Shannon Jr. was a top-100 recruit in his class. He started 20 games as a freshman for Texas Tech, averaging nearly 10 points per game. The 6-6 guard has made a leap in year two.
On Thursday, he finished with season-highs 20 points and 9 rebounds as the No. 14 Red Raiders nearly knocked off No. 5 Kansas, falling 57-58. For the year he’s averaged 13 points and 5.3 rebounds, shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from the arc.
Scouts are starting to give Shannon Jr. more draft buzz as he’s taken on a bigger role on a top-25 team. Though ESPN currently ranks him the No. 47 prospect for the 2021 NBA Draft, Bleacher Report had Shannon Jr. in the lottery as recently as November.
Big games against the nation’s top teams, like his play against Kansas, will only help his stock.
Also for the Red Raiders, Nimari Burnett — who won a state title with Morgan Park before transferring out of state — has been a key piece of the rotation. He hasn’t found his offense, shooting just 27 percent from the field and 18.8 percent from the arc, but he’s managed other ways to contribute.
He’s averaging a team-best 2.1 steals per contest, good for fourth in the Big 12. Eventually his shot will fall, but he’s managed to stay on the floor through his play on the other end of the court.
Other Notes
- Edwardsville grad Makenzie Silvey scored a season-high 24 points in a win over UMKC. Earlier this week she reached No. 15 on the SIU all-time scoring list. Also for the Salukis, Lincolnwood grad Abby Brockmeyer had 23 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.
- Mattoon grad Drake Jeffries led Wyoming in scoring (19) in a win over Omaha.
- Althoff Catholic grad Jordan Goodwin led Saint Louis with 16 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists in a win over N.C. State. The St. Louis Dispatch called him Saint Louis’ Yadier Molina, though I hesitate to add Cardinals references to this site.
- Kenwood grad Jonaie Johnson scored had season highs in points (16), rebounds (7) and assists (7) for UMKC in a loss to SIU.
All Performances by Men from Illinois High Schools (12.17.2020)
| Player | HS | College | Result | Min. | Pts. | Reb. | Ast. | Blk. | Stl. |
| Jordan Goodwin | Althoff Catholic | Saint Louis | W: 80-69 (NCST) | 36 | 16 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| Donovan Clay | Alton | Valparaiso | W: 89-71 (PNW) | 23 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| Kyndall Davis | Bogan / Homewood-Flossmoor | Long Island | L: 72-87 (SHU) | 12 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Thomas Bell | Cahokia | North Texas | W: 85-55 (HB) | 28 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Terrence Hargrove Jr. | East St. Louis | Saint Louis | W: 80-69 (NCST) | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lance Jones | Evanston | Southern Illinois | W: 85-64 (ND) | 32 | 18 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 5 |
| Nick Robinson | Kenwood | Valparaiso | W: 89-71 (PNW) | 24 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Terrence Shannon Jr. | Lincoln Park | Texas Tech | L: 57-58 (KAN) | 33 | 20 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Connor Barrett | Loyola Academy | Valparaiso | W: 89-71 (PNW) | 27 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Justin Brown | Marist | Wagner | L: 75-81 (BRYANT) | 17 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Drake Jeffries | Mattoon | Wyoming | W: 82-78 (OMAHA) | 25 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Nimari Burnett | Morgan Park | Texas Tech | L: 57-58 (KAN) | 21 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Demarion Bariffe-Smith | Niles North | Jackson State | L: 60-83 (BRAD) | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Anthony D'Avanzo | Notre Dame (Niles) | Southern Illinois | W: 85-64 (ND) | 19 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Jeremiah Oden | St. Rita | Wyoming | W: 82-78 (OMAHA) | 14 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Detalian Brown | Uplift | North Alabama | W: 99-51 (CR) | 21 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Demarius Jacobs | Uplift | Saint Louis | W: 80-69 (NCST) | 15 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris Cross | Urbana | Southern Illinois | W: 85-64 (ND) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nate Shockey | York | North Dakota | L: 64-85 (SIU) | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
All Performances by Women from Illinois High Schools (12.17.2020)
| Player | HS | College | Result | Min. | Pts. | Reb. | Ast. | Blk. | Stl. |
| Kaylah Rainey | Belleville East | Northwestern | W: 70-54 (PURD) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quierra Love | Edwardsville | Southern Illinois | W: 79-68 (UMKC) | 27 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Makenzie Silvey | Edwardsville | Southern Illinois | W: 79-68 (UMKC) | 37 | 24 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| Kate Bullman | Grayslake Central | Illinois State | W: 69-38 (OMAHA) | 14 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Isis Fitch | Homewood-Flossmoor | Bradley | L: 68-84 (SD) | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Michelle Pruitt | Homewood-Flossmoor | UTEP | L: 75-83 (NAU) | 27 | 17 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Jonaie Johnson | Kenwood | UMKC | L: 68-79 (SIU) | 35 | 16 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| Abby Brockmeyer | Lincolnwood | Southern Illinois | W: 79-68 (UMKC) | 30 | 23 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Juliunn Redmond | Marshall | Illinois State | W: 69-38 (OMAHA) | 25 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Aannah Interrante | McHenry | Bradley | L: 68-84 (SD) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| South Dakota | Montini | South Dakota | W: 84-68 (BRAD) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frankie Kokkines | Montini | Southern Illinois | W: 79-68 (UMKC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Maya Wong | Normal | Illinois State | W: 69-38 (OMAHA) | 16 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Brea Beal | Rock Island | South Carolina | W: 103-41 (TEMP) | 19 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Anaya Peoples | Schlarman | Notre Dame | W: 84-78 (VT) | 34 | 15 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Sheahen Dowling | Trinity | Florida Gulf Coast | W: 91-55 (WI) | 16 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kiara Lewis | Whitney Young | Syracuse | L: 68-92 (UNC) | 24 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
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