Who’ll end ‘ burger boy’ drought?
Dosunmu has shot to be McDonald’s pick
The drought is real. For the second consecutive year, Illinois didn’t have a player selected to play in the McDonald’s All-American Game. That’s incredibly rare. The state had been a reliable producer of elite talent for the first 40 years of the game before the recent down spell.
So when will it end? Here’s a look at some of the players who might become ‘‘ burger boys’’:
Class of 2018
Morgan Park junior Ayo Dosunmu has a good chance. Earning a spot in the game is as much about pedigree as it is about summer and senior- year performance. Dosunmu has been a notable name around the country for a solid year now. He’s ranked No. 21 by Scout, No. 22 by Rivals and No. 40 by ESPN.
Dosunmu bruised his foot in the Class 3A state semifinals two weeks ago, an injury that was expected to sideline him for four to six weeks. But Mustangs coach Nick Irvin now expects him back next week.
Class of 2019
The highest nationally ranked local player is Uplift sophomore Markese Jacobs. He’s No. 50 in Rivals and No. 53 in Scout. A lot of that is because of his commitment to Kansas. Jacobs had a decent — but not sensational — sophomore season. He will need to show a lot of improvement in the spring and summer to rise to McDonald’s All-American status.
Illinois’ best chance at a ‘‘ burger boy’’ in 2019 is Normal West’s Francis Okoro. The 6- 9 center is a consensus top- 30 national player.
Class of 2020
Things start to brighten up when you get to the freshmen. Fenwick’s DJ Steward was tremendous two weeks ago in Peoria and led the Friars in scoring all season. National rankings aren’t available for freshmen yet, but Steward has an excellent chance at cracking the top 50 if he has a good spring and summer.
Morgan Park’s Nimari Burnett is one of the best young shooters in recent memory. He also has a high profile, thanks to the Lifetime reality show his mother is starring in. Burnett’s play on the club circuit will determine his fate.
Peoria Manual’s Adam Miller is the best- known freshman in the state. If he stays on track, he has a real chance of playing in the McDonald’s game in three years.
Good news for Illini
So far, so good for new Illinois coach Brad Underwood.
Three of the four Class of 2017 recruits have announced they are staying with the Illini through the coaching change. Florida’s Trent Frazier, Belleville East’s Javon Pickett and Peoria Manual’s Da’Monte Williams all announced their inten- tions publicly in the last two weeks. No word yet from East St. Louis center Jeremiah Tilmon.
Ring troubles
Morgan Park is having difficulty coming up with the money to buy state- championship rings. Athletic director Michael Berger posted a plea on Twitter last week.
‘‘ In the past, Chicago Public Schools and Morgan Park High School would help in the purchase,’’ Berger wrote. ‘‘ However, in the severe budget- crisis times we are living in, no financial help is avail- able from these sources this year.’’
Morgan Park is hoping the community will help out. Email Berger at msberger@cps.edu for information.