15 PLAYERS OF FAME FROM CHICAGO AREA
Last week’s list of top college hoopsters with local ties only scratched the surface; here’s a bunch more
Last Saturday, we ranked the top 10 active college basketball players from the state of Illinois. But there are so many players from around the Chicago area who have made an impact in college programs across the country that it required a deeper dive.
Here’s a list of 15 more players whose presence has been felt this season.
Tyler Cochran, Northern Illinois (Bolingbrook)
The big-bodied, 6-3 guard led the Huskies with 13.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game before an injury shut him down after the first five games of the season.
Ryan Davis, Vermont (Conant)
The 6-8 junior has proved to be one of the top producing players in Division I. He’s averaging 19.4 points and 6.3 rebounds for a Catamounts team that is 5-3. He’s even shooting 50% from the three-point line (12-for-24).
Ray J Dennis, Boise State (Oswego East)
The 6-2 guard was one of the well-kept secrets in the Chicago area as a high school star. Now, he’s quietly rolling out west in his sophomore season while averaging 11.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and a team-leading 3.5 assists on a Broncos squad that’s 12-1.
DaJuan Gordon, Kansas State (Curie)
The former Sun-Times Player of the Year was solid as a freshman and is even better as a sophomore. Gordon is averaging 10.7 points and 6.7 rebounds for coach Bruce Weber’s Wildcats.
Elijah Joiner, Tulsa (Curie)
Joiner has improved his numbers in each of his four seasons with the Golden Hurricane. Now a senior, the 6-3 guard is averaging 9.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists.
Teyvion Kirk, UIC (Joliet West)
All Kirk has done for first-year coach Luke Yaklich is lead the Flames in virtually every category. He’s averaging 14.7 points and 7.1 rebounds while ranking among the country’s leaders in assists with 7.3 per game.
Loudon Love, Wright State (Geneva)
The reigning Horizon League Player of the Year is averaging a double-double as a senior with 14.6 points and 10.4 rebounds a game. The 6-8, 260-pound center also has the ability to make others better with 1.9 assists a game.
Adam Miller, Illinois (Morgan Park)
The overall impact and numbers have been modest. Miller’s three-point shooting and added scoring (9.8 ppg), though, have been a boost for No. 22 Illinois.
Charlie Moore, DePaul (Morgan Park)
While Moore has been a bit of a college basketball vagabond, with previous stops at Cal and Kansas, the 5-11 point guard has settled in at DePaul and put together two statistically solid seasons. This year, he’s averaging 12.9 points and 4.4 assists for the Blue Demons.
Drew Peterson, USC (Libertyville)
The versatile forward has picked up where he left off while at Rice. Peterson is averaging 10.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 30 minutes of action for the 11-3 Trojans.
Justin Smith, Arkansas (Stevenson)
The athletic forward is putting up the best numbers of his career after spending his first three years at Indiana. Smith is averaging 10.9 points and 6.5 rebounds for the Razorbacks.
Mike Smith, Michigan (Fenwick)
The veteran on the list from the Class of 2016, Smith transferred from Columbia to Michigan and has been a key cog in coach Juwan Howard’s hot start. The numbers aren’t huge, but the impact has been significant. Smith is averaging 8.6 points and 5.4 assists for the No. 7 Wolverines.
Elyjah Williams, Fairleigh Dickinson (Evanston)
He was overlooked in high school, and that has continued in college. He quietly has put together a solid career with the Knights. The numbers have improved every year, and his senior season has been his best: 14.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.
Lucas Williamson, Loyola (Young)
A steady and consistent all-around player throughout his four-year career at Loyola, Williamson is averaging 8.8 points, four rebounds and 2.7 assists for the 11-3 Ramblers.
Joseph Yesufu, Drake (Bolingbrook)
The athletic sophomore point guard has been a key contributor for a Drake team that is 13-0. He scored a career-high 16 points in a recent win over Southern Illinois and is averaging 8.8 points in just 17 minutes off the bench.