Illinois Next-Level Preps: D1 Roundup 12.14.2020
Monday had a small slate of games on both the men’s and women’s side, so we’ve combined our roundup into one post. Just 18 D1 college basketball players from an Illinois high school appeared in a game, compared with over 100 on Sunday.
Sortable tables are at the bottom, with default ordering by high school alphabetically. You can also view all Division I men from Illinois and Division I women from Illinois.
Harden Emerges for Miami
It took a few years, but Destiny Harden is starting to put up the numbers in college that made her an all-state player at Morgan Park. The redshirt junior scored 20 points and added 12 rebounds as the Hurricanes beat ACC foe North Carolina 67-63. Miami head coach Katie Meier was pleased with her offense.
After averaging under five points per game as a sophomore — her first season after transferring from West Virginia — Harden has scored in double figures in five-of-six games to start the year, adding two double-doubles. She’s simply become more of a threat at every level: All of her percentages are up despite her taking more shots per game, and she’s finding teammates far more often.
| Season | Min. | Pts. | FG% | 3PTM | 3PT% | FTM | Ast. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 411 | 122 | 36.2% | 12 | 29.3 | 18 | 15 |
| 2020-21 | 122 | 66 | 46.7% | 7 | 41.2 | 17 | 9 |
Five games in and she leads the team in rebounds and steals, is second in scoring and third in assists. It seems she’s finally found her rhythm in Miami.
Oakwood Graduate Impresses Early
Katelyn Young has been a college basketball player for less than a month, but already she’s made her mark for Murray State.
The former Oakwood freshman had 22 points and 7 rebounds Monday in a win over North Alabama (no former Illinois prep player scored more yesterday, man or woman). Still, that type of stat line has become routine.
Young has averaged 17.6 points and 9.2 rebounds through five games. She’s scored 20-plus in her last three games and already has two double-doubles.
Those numbers have earned her Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Week honors in each of the season’s first three weeks. She’s only the second freshman in conference history to do so.
Colorado State Duo Playing Big Roles
The Rams got their season started late after games against San Diego State were postponed twice. But now they have two games under their belt, and we’ve gotten a glimpse of what role the two Illinois players will have.
Kendle Moore, a junior from Danville, is starting for the third consecutive season. It’s early, but he’s definitely playing a big role in the offense, tied for scoring at 12.5 points per game. He added four assists and four steals in Monday’s win over Northern Arizona.
A bigger question mark than Moore’s role was how freshman Isaiah Rivera, a Geneseo grad, would be used.
All signs say he’ll be in the rotation, as he’s averaging 14.5 minutes a game. He had six points Monday, and five points in his college debut on Saturday.
All Performances by Men from Illinois High Schools (12.14.2020)
| Player | HS | College | Result | Min. | Pts. | Reb. | Ast. | Blk. | Stl. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tristen Becker | Barrington | Presbyterian | W: 85-46 (Carver) | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kendle Moore | Danville | Colorado State | W: 91-52 (NAU) | 28 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Isaiah Rivera | Geneseo | Colorado State | W: 91-52 (NAU) | 17 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Marcus Garrett | Hillcrest | Morehead St. | W: 75-62 (MORE) | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Aquan Smart | Niles North | Maryland | L: 60-74 (RUTG) | 9 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyler Hankins | South Elgin | Central Michigan | W: 91-39 (STF) | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
All Performances by Women from Illinois High Schools (12.14.2020)
| Player | HS | College | Result | Min. | Pts. | Reb. | Ast. | Blk. | Stl. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chatori Tyler | Argo | UNC Greensboro | W: 49-46 (NCAT) | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaylah Rainey | Belleville East | Northwestern | W: 80-51 (MINN) | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mya Glanton | East St. Louis | Indiana State | L: 65-72 (XAV) | 12 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Nadia Green | Homewood-Flossmoor | Missouri | L: 58-72(MS) | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Karli Seay | Homewood-Flossmoor | LSU | W: 62-57 (UL) | 25 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Jonaie Johnson | Kenwood | UMKC | L: 57-74 (KSU) | 21 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tekia Mack | Marshall | Rutgers | L: 87-91 (TERP) | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Destiny Harden | Morgan Park | Miami (FL) | W: 67-63 (UNC) | 28 | 20 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Katelyn Young | Oakwood | Murray State | W: 94-80 (UNA) | 21 | 22 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jamyra McChristine | Simeon | Indiana State | L: 65-72 (XAV) | 31 | 18 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Jada Thorpe | Simeon | Kansas State | W: 74-57 (UMKC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cymone Goodrich | South Shore | Kansas State | W: 74-57 (UMKC) | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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