Jacobs will be in the ’ Zona next season
No. 1
Uplift guard Markese Jacobs, who is the City/ Suburban Hoops Report’s second- ranked prospect in the Class of 2019, reportedly will leave Chicago and enroll in a prep school in Arizona. Jacobs will be attending Hillcrest Prep, which is where 7- footer DeAndre Ayton, the No. 2- ranked player in the country, played this season.
The ultra- explosive and athletic Jacobs, who committed to Kansas last fall, helped lead Uplift to a 22- 6 record this past season.
He will be joining his brother, all- stater Demarius Jacobs, at Hillcrest Prep. Demarius, a top10 prospect in the Class of 2017, put together a sensational senior season, averaging 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Look for Demarius’ recruitment to skyrocket after a year of post- graduate prep- school basketball.
No. 2
Columbia has done some major work recruiting Illinois in the last 12 months.
Last spring, coach Jim Engles landed Fenwick point guard Mike Smith, who went on to average 13.6 points and 3.5 assists as a freshman. Nowthe Ivy League school has added West Chicago’s Tai Bibbs.
The 6- 2 combo guard committed over the weekend amid growing interest and offers from many mid- major programs. Bibbs, who visited Columbia last week, is among the City/ Suburban Hoops Report’s top 15 prospects in the senior class in Illinois.
Bibbs signed with Drake last fall. Drake coach Ray Giacoletti abruptly resigned in December, and Bibbs was given his release soon after and reopened his recruitment.
Bibbs put up huge numbers this season, averaging 26 points and 4.7 rebounds while knocking down 74 three- pointers for the Wildcats.
No. 3
While Mark Smith of Edwardsville remains one of the nation’s top uncommitted prospects, Joliet West’s Teyvion Kirk and Young’s Lucas Williamson are two area prospects still sorting out their recruitments.
Williamson, fresh off leading Young to a Class 4A state championship, continues to be an underappreciated player in the senior class. A couple of local schools, UIC and Northern Illinois, remain involved in the recruitment of the 6- 4 wing who averaged 19 points this season.
Middle Tennessee, fresh off back- to- back NCAA tournament berths, St. Bonaventure and Ohio are involved in Kirk’s recruitment. The 6- 3 point guard, who averaged 19 points, led Joliet West to 25 wins. Kirk visited St. Bonaventure last week and has visits set up with Middle Tennessee and Ohio in mid-April.
Another previously unsigned prospect, 6- 7 Manny Patterson of Kenwood, committed to Wisconsin-- Green Bay. Patterson is one of three Illinois players heading there, joining Lemont’s P. J. Pipes and Joliet West’s Trevian Bell.