TEN YEARS AFTER: RANKING THE BEST
2013 squad led by parker tops best teams of decade
Our baker’s dozen — plus five others — of Illinois’ best prep basketball teams since 2009.
As we approach the 2019-20 high school basketball season, we’re also entering a new decade of prep basketball. The last decade has been highlighted by several stars who led their teams to state championships before going on to college stardom and then playing in the NBA. These are transcendent players who led the very best teams during the time span.
There were obviously a whole bunch of great teams — from state champions to others — that fell short but maybe were just unfortunate to meet one of the other top-10 teams in March.
Here’s a baker’s dozen ranking of teams in Illinois from the 2009-2010 season through the 2018-2019 season — and five others that just missed.
1. 2013 SIMEON
There have been too many great Simeon teams to count. But this edition from the perennial powerhouse could be coach Robert Smith’s best. In fact, it could be argued it had all the ingredients to be considered one of the best in state history.
There was a combination of star power and up-and-coming talent who all bought in and understood their roles. The bottom line, however, is that the program was stacked with superior talent, and it went out and met all expectations.
Record and accomplishments: 30-3, Class 4A state champs, Pontiac
Holiday Tournament champs.
The résumé: The Wolverines lost only one in-state game — 54-53 to Morgan Park in the city playoffs, a team that is No. 3 on this list. The other two losses came against national prep school power Montverde (Florida) and DeSoto (Texas), a team that finished 33-3.
In addition to the state playoff run, which included wins over Proviso East and Stevenson in Peoria, Simeon picked up regular-season wins over Morgan Park, Curie, Young, Bogan and several out-of-state foes.
The combination of Jabari Parker and Kendrick Nunn capped off a fouryear run that included a remarkable four state titles and 118 wins.
The talent: The roster makeup of this team, from top to bottom, is about as good and deep as you will find. The senior group was headed by Parker, one of the top three players in the country who played at Duke and was the No. 2 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Parker was not at full health the entire season while working his way back from injury.
But the remaining seniors — Nunn (Illinois and Oakland), Jaylon Tate (Illinois), Russell Woods (Missouri) and Kendall Pollard (Dayton) — also all played high-level college basketball.
Future Loyola star and NCAA Tournament hero Donte Ingram was a junior. Ed Morrow (Nebraska and Marquette) and DJ Williams (Illinois and George Washington) were sophomores, while Zach Norvell (Gonzaga) was a freshman.
A legit, dominating and difference-making big man at the high school level goes a long way. We haven’t seen one since Jahlil Okafor. Surround that massive matchup nightmare with some other Division-I talent and it’s a lethal combination. Record and accomplishments: 28-5, Class 4A state champs, Public League champs.
The résumé: This Young team played an absolutely loaded and high-profile schedule, including national games all over the country. In total, the Dolphins faced 13 out-of-state foes, most of which were nationally ranked, and knocked off the likes of Tyus Jones and Apple Valley (Minnesota), Prime Prep (Texas), Oak Hill Academy and Southwind (Tennessee). Young didn’t lose to a single in-state team.
The Dolphins beat Simeon in a highly anticipated sectional game before knocking off Stevenson and Benet in Peoria to claim a Class 4A state title.
The talent: The anchor and star in the middle, the 6-10 Okafor, was an absolute force at the high school level. He averaged 24.3 points and 11.4 rebounds. One year later, he won a national title at Duke and was the No. 3 pick in the NBA Draft.
Paul White, who played at Georgetown and Oregon in college, and Miles Reynolds, who finished his college career at Oklahoma, formed quite the supporting cast by combining to average 30 points.
3. 2013 MORGAN PARK
There have been so many terrific Nick Irvin-coached teams at Morgan Park since he took over the program in 2008. This is without question the very best, which was led by a special senior backcourt.
Record and accomplishments: 33-3, Class 3A state champs, Proviso West Holiday Tournament champs.
The résumé: This is the best of all the great Morgan Park teams under Coach Irvin. The Mustangs lost three games all season (Young, Simeon and Bishop Gorman out of Las Vegas) by a total of just nine points.
But Morgan Park dazzled all year, crushing foes for four months, including Stevenson (by 15), Bogan (by 31 and 21) and Proviso East (by 25) in the regular season. The state tournament run included an average victory margin of 38 points in the seven March wins.
The talent: The senior backcourt of Billy Garrett (DePaul) and Kyle Davis (Dayton) was dynamite. They played off one another so well in an interchangeable backcourt. Senior guard Markee Williams and 6-8 senior big man Xzavier Taylor (Bradley) were rock-solid, while underclassmen Josh Cunningham (Bradley and Dayton), Lamont Walker and Charlie Moore played their roles perfectly and were budding talents.