Illinois High School Basketball

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.

6’6 Highflying Sophomore Terrence Shannon Jr. was impressive tonight for Texas Tech. Shot the ball w/ a ton of confidence, including two clutch threes to keep TT in the game late.

20 PTS | 9 RBS | 4-7 3PT#YearOfTheLefty @Sn1per_T
pic.twitter.com/BQ7JaTxH5x

— LEAGUE HIM. (@League_Him) December 18, 2020

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.

Nimari Burnett reminds me of a young Keenan Evans, except even more length and raw talent. Elite rebounding & on-ball defense potential.

Nimari's 8th in the country in steal % & his 6 steals today is the most by a Tech FR since Josh Gray had 7 in 2013 (Gray played 13 more min).

— Tech Hoops Guy (@TechHoopsGuy) December 6, 2020

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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On Sunday 40 men’s basketball players who played at Illinois high schools saw Division I action. Eleven players scored in double digits, with some notable performances below.

You can also view all Division I men from Illinois and Division I women from Illinois.

Read more

On Sunday 63 women’s basketball players who played at Illinois high schools saw Division I action. Six Illinois universities were in action, and nine women scored in double digits.

You can also view all Division I men from Illinois and Division I women from Illinois.

Breakout Season for Geneva Graduate

Nobody had quite the scoring night like Geneva graduate Margaret Whitley. The UAB junior put up 26 points and seven rebounds in a win over Grambling State.

Whitley averaged 4.5 points as a sophomore, reaching double figures just three times. Through four games as a junior, she’s averaging 23.8 points and five rebounds. Her shooting numbers have impressed: 14-of-33 from three (42.4 percent) and 33-of-35 from the line (94.3 percent).

Salukis Passing Milestones

Edwardsville graduate Makenzie Silvey moved up to No. 15 on Southern Illinois’ all-time scoring list. She had 14 points in a 67-51 win over SEMO, giving her 1,225 for her career. She passed Mary Berghuis.

Lincolnwood graduate Abby Brockmeyer finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds, which put her over 700 career boards for her career. She’s No. 11 in program history.

Read more

College performances by boys from Illinois high schools on November 26, 2020. At least 77 players appeared in a game.

Major Debuts Around the Big Ten

Morgan Park Duo Shine for Illini

Illinois’ pair of former Mustangs — junior Ayo Dosunmu and freshman Adam Miller — nearly beat North Carolina A&T on their own in the season opener. Each scored 28 points in the 122-60 win. For Dosunmu, it totaled a career high and a second career double-double (he added 10 rebounds and five assists). For Miller, it’s the highest debut scoring total in school history.

Other Illini players from Illinois

• Da’Monte Williams (Peoria Manual, senior): 6 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals
• Brandon Lieb (Deerfield, freshman): 4 points, 3 rebounds
• Connor Serven (St. Rita, freshman): 2 points, 1 rebound
• Zach Griffith (Fisher, senior): 1 rebound

Fenwick Star Makes Immediate Impact for Wolverines

Mike Smith, a Columbia grad transfer from Fenwick, showed the type of floor general he can be for No. 25 Michigan. In his debut with Michigan after leading the Ivy League in scoring a year ago, Smith played 32 minutes, scoring 16 points and leading the team with eight assists.

Niles North’s Smart in Rotation for Maryland

Niles North graduate Aquan Smart played 15 minutes off the bench for Maryland in an 85-67 win over Old Dominion. The freshman guard scored six points on 2-for-6 shooting from the field, grabbing a rebound. He also made No. 7 on the #SCTop10 for this dunk:

We told you @AquanSmart had bounce.

Hammer time. pic.twitter.com/ogJQpyz1j6

— Maryland Basketball 🐢 (@TerrapinHoops) November 25, 2020

Marion Catholic’s Ulis Debuts for Iowa

Marian Catholic graduate Ahron Ulis came off the bench and played 10 minutes for the Hawkeyes in his collegiate debut. He scored five points, all at the free-throw line, grabbed two rebounds and had one assist in a 97-67 win over North Carolina Central.

Johnson Strong on Glass for Gophers

Brandon Johnson, who played most of his high school basketball at Thornton, grabbed seven rebounds and chipped in four points off the bench as Minnesota beat Green Bay 99-69. It was his debut after three seasons at Western Michigan in which he started 85 of 93 games played.

Martice Mitchell, a Bloom 2020 graduate, got on the court for his college debut but was held scoreless.

Other Big Ten Performances

Liddell Strong for Buckeyes

Belleville West graduate E.J. Liddell, a sophomore forward, scored 16 points for Ohio State in a 94-67 win over Illinois State. Liddell averaged 6.7 points per game as a freshman.

Conant graduate Jimmy Sotos fouled out in 10 minutes off the bench for the Buckeyes. He was held scoreless in his debut after transferring from Bucknell, dishing two assists.

Hall Does Everything for MSU

Sophomore forward Malik Hall, who played at Matea Valley before transferring to Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas, played a big role off the bench for No. 13 Michigan State in its 83-67 win over Eastern Michigan. He scored six points, dished five assists and added four rebounds. Redshirt junior guard Jack Hoiberg (Hinsdale Central) scored two points.

Big Twelve

Big Performances

• Terrence Shannon Jr., a sophomore guard and Lincoln Park graduate, had 16 points, five rebounds and two steals for Texas Tech in a 101-58 win over Northwestern State.
• Dajuan Gordon, a sophomore guard and Curie graduate, had 15 points, five rebounds and two assists in Kansas State’s 80-70 loss to Drake.

Freshman Debuts

• Nimari Burnett, who won a state title at Morgan Park before transferring out of state, scored two points on 1-of-7 shooting and added two assists off the bench for Texas Tech in a 101-58 win over Northwestern State.
• Seryee Lewis, who had stops at Marist, Kenwood and Morgan Park, had four points and two rebounds in just two minutes off the bench for Kansas State.

In-State Schools

Northern Illinois (65-61 Loss to UIC)

• Darius Beane, a junior guard from Carbondale, started and had 13 points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal.
• Tyler Cochran, a sophomore wing from Bolingbrook, came off the bench and scored 13 points, adding five rebounds and an assist.
• Nathan Scott, a senior forward from Neuqua Valley, started and scored five points, adding five rebounds, two assists and a steal.
• Kaleb Thornton, a sophomore guard from Bolingbrook, had four points, three rebounds and two assists off the bench.
• Keenon Cole, a sophomore forward from Streamwood, was scoreless in three minutes.

UIC (65-61 Win Over NIU)

• Zion Griffin (Hinsdale South grad and Iowa State transfer) had 11 points, three rebounds and an assist.
• Ohio Transfer Teyvion Kirk, a Joliet West grad, had 12 points, nine assists and six rebounds, playing 37 minutes off the bench.

Eastern Illinois (77-67 Loss to Wisconsin)

• Josiah Wallace, a senior guard from Marshall, had 22 points, four rebounds and three assists.
• Barlow Alleruzzo IV, a junior forward from De La Salle, had two rebounds in 10 minutes off the bench.

Illinois State (94-67 Loss to Ohio State)

• Antonio Reeves, a sophomore guard from Simeon, led the team in scoring with 17 points, adding seven rebounds.

Other Conferences

Freshman Debuts

• Darius Burford, a freshman guard from Bolingbrook, played 17 minutes off the bench for Elon in a 82-52 win over NC Wesleyan, scoring seven points on 3-for-4 shooting, adding two assists and a steal.
• Devon House, a redshirt freshman from Newman Central Catholic, had nine points, seven rebounds, two assists and three steals off the bench for UMKC in its 105-35 win over Culver-Stockton.
• Nate Shockey, a freshman guard from York, had five points, a rebound and an assist in North Dakota’s 81-67 loss to Miami (Ohio).
• Downers Grove North freshman guard Semaj Henderson played eight minutes off the bench in Jacksonville State’s 81-57 loss to Alabama. He had three points, two assists and a rebound.
• Naperville Central forward Chris Conway had two points, two assists and a rebound in 10 minutes off the bench for Oakland in a 101-49 loss to Xavier.
• Joliet West guard Jamere Hill had two points and two rebounds in six minutes for Toledo in a 61-59 loss to Bradley.
• Nate Ferguson, a redshirt freshman forward from Lemont, scored four points off the bench in Drake’s 80-70 win over Kansas State.
• Hampshire graduate Nick Erickson saw three minutes of action as Jacksonville beat College of Coastal Georgia 99-57.
• Oswego graduate Dylan Engler saw two minutes of action in the Citadel’s 89-64 win over Piedmont.

Transfer Debuts

• Libertyville graduate Drew Peterson had 12 points, nine rebounds and three assists in his debut for USC after transferring from Rice. The Trojans won 95-87 over California Baptist.
• Malachi Smith, a sophomore guard from Belleville West, had 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in his debut for Chattanooga (a 99-63 win over Lander) after transferring from Wright State.
• Stevenson graduate and Indiana grad transfer Justin Smith started and had 13 points, four rebounds, two assists and three steals in Arkansas’ 142-62 win over Mississippi Valley State.
• Curie alum and DePaul grad transfer Devin Gage started for Fresno State in an 87-47 win over William Jessup. He tallied eight points, four rebounds and three assists.
• Lake Forest alum and St. Joseph graduate transfer Lorenzo Edwards had three points, four rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks in the starting lineup as Charleston lost to North Carolina 79-60.
• Austin Trice, who played for Morgan Park and Hales Franciscan, scored four points and grabbed six rebounds off the bench in Old Dominion’s 85-67 loss to Maryland.

Other Performances

• Four Illinois high school alumns saw action in Missouri’s 91-64 win over Oral Roberts. Junior guard Xavier Pinson (Simeon) had 17 points, four assists and three rebounds. East St. Louis senior forward Jeremiah Tilmon had eight points and 12 rebounds. Junior guard Javon Pickett (Belleville East) had 11 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals off the bench. Edwardsville senior guard Mark Smith had three points and two rebounds off the bench.
• Four Illinois high school alums saw action in Saint Louis’ 89-52 win over SIU Edwardsville. Senior guard Jordan Goodwin (Althoff Catholic) had a double-double in just 23 minutes, scoring 12 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Demarius Jacobs (Uplift) scored nine points and grabbed five rebounds, Terrence Hargrove Jr. (East St. Louis) had 11 points off the bench and Brandon Courtney (Wesclin) saw three minutes of playing time.
• Elyjah Williams, a senior forward from Evanston, had 19 points, three rebounds, an assist and four steals in Fairleigh Dickinson’s 84-66 loss to Quinnipiac.
• Myles Baker, a sophomore guard from Whitney Young, scored 17 points off the bench for Central Connecticut State in a 102-75 loss to UConn.
• Marvin Nesbitt Jr., a senior guard from Butler College Prep, had 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists and six steals in UMKC’s 105-35 win over Culver-Stockton.
• PJ Pipes, a senior guard from Lemont, had 13 points, six rebounds, five assists and a steal in the starting lineup for Green Bay in a 99-69 loss to Minnesota.
• Kamron Reaves, a senior guard from Centennial, started and had 15 points, three assists and three steals for Florida A&M in a 65-56 loss to Florida Gulf Coast.
• Messiah Jones, a sophomore from Simeon, had 12 points, 12 rebounds and three assists in Wofford’s 88-49 win over Toccoa Falls.
• Ty Chisom, a senior guard from Proviso East, had 12 points, nine rebounds, three rebounds and an assist in South Dakota’s 84-61 loss to Colorado.
• Chase Adams, a sophomore guard from Orr, had 13 points, four rebounds and two assists off the bench in Portland’s 84-72 loss to Seattle U.
• Former Barrington forward Chris Lester scored nine points and grabbed eight boards in the starting lineup for New Hampshire in a 93-54 win over Keene State.
• Fred Cleveland Jr., a sophomore guard from Leo, had nine points and four rebounds from the starting lineup for North Carolina A&T in a 122-60 loss to Illinois.
• Bryson Langdon, a junior guard from Kenwood, had six points, four assists, three rebounds and a steal in 38 minutes for Northern Kentucky, which beat Ball State 74-73.
• Former Uplift guard Detalian Brown scored eight points in 15 minutes off the bench as North Alabama beat Oakwood 98-74.
• Okawville senior guard Noah Frederking had seven points and two steals in the starting lineup as Evansville lost to Louisville 79-49.
• Nick Finke, a senior forward from Champaign Centennial, had six points, seven rebounds and two assists off the bench for Army in a 93-32 win over US Merchant Marine Academy.
• Zion Young, a junior guard from Simeon, had six points and five rebounds in the starting lineup as Oakland lost to Xavier 101-49.
• Lenell Henry, a senior forward from Morgan Park, had seven points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals for Prairie View A&M in its 71-66 loss to Little Rock.
• Quinlan Bennett, a junior guard from Proviso East, had five points, six rebounds, three assists and a steal for Lamar in an 89-45 loss to Houston.
• Carbondale graduate and sophomore wing Kani Acree had four points, five assists and three rebounds in 29 minutes off the bench for Ball State in a 74-73 loss to Northern Kentucky.
• East St. Louis graduate and junior forward Joe Reece had five points and two rebounds in the starting lineup for Old Dominion in an 85-67 loss to Maryland.
• Deonte Billups, a sophomore guard from Moline, had two points, six rebounds, an assist and a steal in the starting lineup for Purdue Fort Wayne in a 67-63 win over Southeast Louisiana.
• Joseph Yesufu, a sophomore guard from Bolingbrook, had four points and two rebounds in Drake’s 80-70 win over Kansas State.
• Ben Coupet Jr., a senior guard from Simeon, started and had four points and a rebound for Little Rock in a 71-66 win over Prairie View A&M.
• De La Salle graduate and senior guard George Willborn III had two points and two rebounds off the bench for UC Riverside in a 66-60 loss to Pacific.
• Dane Quest, a sophomore guard from Lake Forest, had three rebounds and an assist off the bench in Tennessee Tech’s 89-59 loss to Indiana.
• Malik Hardmon, a junior forward from Crete-Monee, had two points and three rebounds for Alcorn State in its 99-50 loss to UAB.
• Javion May, a junior guard from Hope Academy, had two rebounds, a steal and an assist in Sam Houston State’s 97-67 loss to SMU.