Chicago Area HS Players in NCAA

#1      

illinoisportsfan

I
illinoisportsfan
One thing is clear, if you want to win the national championship it helps to have a McDonald's All-American, but it also really helps to have a player from the Chicago Area.

Chicago-area High School Players on NCAA title team:

2016 - Jalen Brunson, Villanova
2015 - Jahlil Okafor, Duke
2014 - Ryan Boatright, Connecticut
2013 - Wayne Blackshear, Louisville
2012 - Anthony Davis, Kentucky
2011 -
2010 - Jon Scheyer, Duke
2009 - Bobby Frasor, North Carolina
2008 - Sherron Collins, Kansas

There were also years like last year, where you had one Chicago-are player (Okafor) beating another Chicago-area player (Kaminsky) or in 2008 (Collins vs. Rose).

The thing is, when Illinois keeps their blue-chip players home, such as the 2005 team, the 2001 team, and the 1989 team, they are among the nation's elite. All three of those teams were ranked #1 for some or most of the season.
 
#2      

illynifan34

I
That's a winner!!
OH
illynifan34
illinoisportsfan said:
One thing is clear, if you want to win the national championship it helps to have a McDonald's All-American, but it also really helps to have a player from the Chicago Area.

Chicago-area High School Players on NCAA title team:

2016 - Jalen Brunson, Villanova
2015 - Jahlil Okafor, Duke
2014 - Ryan Boatright, Connecticut
2013 - Wayne Blackshear, Louisville
2012 - Anthony Davis, Kentucky
2011 -
2010 - Jon Scheyer, Duke
2009 - Bobby Frasor, North Carolina
2008 - Sherron Collins, Kansas

There were also years like last year, where you had one Chicago-are player (Okafor) beating another Chicago-area player (Kaminsky) or in 2008 (Collins vs. Rose).

The thing is, when Illinois keeps their blue-chip players home, such as the 2005 team, the 2001 team, and the 1989 team, they are among the nation's elite. All three of those teams were ranked #1 for some or most of the season.
Click to expand...
I think it is interesting that you stopped listing the champion and the Chicago kid when it didn't fit your narrative. Keep going backwards.
 
#3      

rtbritt

rtbritt
rtbritt
illynifan34 said:
I think it is interesting that you stopped listing the champion and the Chicago kid when it didn't fit your narrative. Keep going backwards.
Click to expand...

I didn't research, but I assume you are saying if you go back before 2008, then it isn't as common to have a Chicago-area kid on the team?

Even if that is the case, the last 8/9 of the past years is pretty impressive.
 
#4      

rtbritt

rtbritt
rtbritt
illinoisportsfan said:
One thing is clear, if you want to win the national championship it helps to have a McDonald's All-American, but it also really helps to have a player from the Chicago Area.

Chicago-area High School Players on NCAA title team:

2016 - Jalen Brunson, Villanova
2015 - Jahlil Okafor, Duke
2014 - Ryan Boatright, Connecticut
2013 - Wayne Blackshear, Louisville
2012 - Anthony Davis, Kentucky
2011 -
2010 - Jon Scheyer, Duke
2009 - Bobby Frasor, North Carolina
2008 - Sherron Collins, Kansas

There were also years like last year, where you had one Chicago-are player (Okafor) beating another Chicago-area player (Kaminsky) or in 2008 (Collins vs. Rose).

The thing is, when Illinois keeps their blue-chip players home, such as the 2005 team, the 2001 team, and the 1989 team, they are among the nation's elite. All three of those teams were ranked #1 for some or most of the season.
Click to expand...

miketherevelator said:
cheery thought. . .

[FONT=&quot]Joe Henricksen ‏@joehoopsreport [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]If Jalen Brunson & #Villanova wins title Monday, it will be 5th straight year Chicago area prep product will have won NCAA championship ...[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Joe Henricksen ‏@joehoopsreport [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]...Jahlil Okafor (Duke) in 2015; Ryan Boatright (UConn) in 2014; Wayne Blackshear (Louisville) in 2013; and Anthony Davis (Kentucky) in 2012[/FONT]

and I'm pulling for Jalen and 'Nova.
Click to expand...

It also goes along with what someone else posted in another thread that Joe H. Tweeted. 5 straight years. Impressive.
 
#6      

illinoisportsfan

I
illinoisportsfan
illynifan34 said:
I think it is interesting that you stopped listing the champion and the Chicago kid when it didn't fit your narrative. Keep going backwards.
Click to expand...

It's not really a new thing.

For instance, the last three national champions for Indiana included a starter from the Chicago Area:

1987 - Daryl Thomas (St. Joe's)
1981 - Isiah Thomas (St. Joe's)
1976 - Quinn Buckner (Thornridge)
 
#7      

zpfled

Z
Logan Square, Chicago
zpfled
illinoisportsfan said:
One thing is clear, if you want to win the national championship it helps to have a McDonald's All-American, but it also really helps to have a player from the Chicago Area.

Chicago-area High School Players on NCAA title team:

2016 - Jalen Brunson, Villanova
2015 - Jahlil Okafor, Duke
2014 - Ryan Boatright, Connecticut
2013 - Wayne Blackshear, Louisville
2012 - Anthony Davis, Kentucky
2011 -
2010 - Jon Scheyer, Duke
2009 - Bobby Frasor, North Carolina
2008 - Sherron Collins, Kansas

There were also years like last year, where you had one Chicago-are player (Okafor) beating another Chicago-area player (Kaminsky) or in 2008 (Collins vs. Rose).

The thing is, when Illinois keeps their blue-chip players home, such as the 2005 team, the 2001 team, and the 1989 team, they are among the nation's elite. All three of those teams were ranked #1 for some or most of the season.
Click to expand...

Can the same be said for Houston, or New York, or LA?

Could just be that Chicago is a huge city.
 
#9      

BananaShampoo

B
Captain 'Paign
Phoenix, AZ
BananaShampoo
illinoisportsfan said:
One thing is clear, if you want to win the national championship it helps to have a McDonald's All-American, but it also really helps to have a player from the Chicago Area.

Chicago-area High School Players on NCAA title team:

2016 - Jalen Brunson, Villanova
2015 - Jahlil Okafor, Duke
2014 - Ryan Boatright, Connecticut
2013 - Wayne Blackshear, Louisville
2012 - Anthony Davis, Kentucky
2011 -
2010 - Jon Scheyer, Duke
2009 - Bobby Frasor, North Carolina
2008 - Sherron Collins, Kansas

There were also years like last year, where you had one Chicago-are player (Okafor) beating another Chicago-area player (Kaminsky) or in 2008 (Collins vs. Rose).

The thing is, when Illinois keeps their blue-chip players home, such as the 2005 team, the 2001 team, and the 1989 team, they are among the nation's elite. All three of those teams were ranked #1 for some or most of the season.
Click to expand...
We were #1 ranked during the 2001 season? I don't recall that.
 
#10      

champaignchris

C
champaignchris
Not sure that Julian Wright's '07 Kansas team "only" making it to the Elite 8 or Shannon Brown's '06 Michigan St team being upset in the first round to eventual Final Four team George Mason, really disproves the OP's point.

And before that, the best Illinois high school players were either at Illinois or jumping straight to the pros.
 
#13      

89illinigrad

89illinigrad
Chicago
89illinigrad
illinoisportsfan said:
One thing is clear, if you want to win the national championship it helps to have a McDonald's All-American, but it also really helps to have a player from the Chicago Area.

Chicago-area High School Players on NCAA title team:

2016 - Jalen Brunson, Villanova
2015 - Jahlil Okafor, Duke
2014 - Ryan Boatright, Connecticut
2013 - Wayne Blackshear, Louisville
2012 - Anthony Davis, Kentucky
2011 -
2010 - Jon Scheyer, Duke
2009 - Bobby Frasor, North Carolina
2008 - Sherron Collins, Kansas

There were also years like last year, where you had one Chicago-are player (Okafor) beating another Chicago-area player (Kaminsky) or in 2008 (Collins vs. Rose).

The thing is, when Illinois keeps their blue-chip players home, such as the 2005 team, the 2001 team, and the 1989 team, they are among the nation's elite. All three of those teams were ranked #1 for some or most of the season.
Click to expand...

Ever since Henson retired and Jimmy Collins was passed over for the head coaching job in lieu of Kruger, we have not been able to recruit the CPS, with the exception of Simeon. Some say the CPS coaches were miffed over Collins not getting the job, and thus steered their players elsewhere.

Even the much heralded recruiter Bill Self could make little headway in the CPS (IIRC only Luther Head came from the CPS).

With that said, we've fared better in the suburbs and downstate, which is why I think we've got a better shot with the 2017 class, but we've still got to seal the deal.

Bottom line, the boycott of Illinois may be over, but we've got to win to get the Chicago kids interested again.
 
#15      

Golfer63

G
Golfer63
Jalen Brunson may have played high school ball in Chicago, but as we learned during his recruitment, Philly/East Coast is what he calls home. If we would have just stayed away from him after his dad got all butthurt over us stopping recruiting him after the QS commitment, Jawun Evans is probably an in Illini uniform right now.
 
#16      

zpfled

Z
Logan Square, Chicago
zpfled
Golfer63 said:
Jalen Brunson may have played high school ball in Chicago, but as we learned during his recruitment, Philly/East Coast is what he calls home. If we would have just stayed away from him after his dad got all butthurt over us stopping recruiting him after the QS commitment, Jawun Evans is probably an in Illini uniform right now.
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That would be weird. It's not even game day.
 
#17      

Newman

N
Newman
Golfer63 said:
Jalen Brunson may have played high school ball in Chicago, but as we learned during his recruitment, Philly/East Coast is what he calls home. If we would have just stayed away from him after his dad got all butthurt over us stopping recruiting him after the QS commitment, Jawun Evans is probably an in Illini uniform right now.
Click to expand...

Probably right if you believe everything that you read on here.