Prospect: PG Ahamad Bynum. (Michael Blackshire / Chicago Tribune), Curtis Glenn, oldest brother of Ben Wilson, cries while holding his granddaughters Bella Robinson, 8, left, and Chloe Robinson, 10, during a street sign dedication for Benji Wilson on Nov. 21, 2022, in Chicago. In 2011, he won the NBAs Most Valuable Player Award. Began season outside the Tribune Top 15 despite the previous team's success and did not duplicate it. At Illinois, he was named an All-American twice and led theFighting Illini to the 2005 NCAA Championship Game. High school: Thornton College: Fresno State Career highlights: 2x WAC Player of the year, 2007 NBA ChampionEly was the center on the nationally-ranked Thornton team that also includedfuture NFL players at point guard (Randle-El) and power forward (Harris). The closest any other state champion came was La Grange and Ted Caiazza in 1953, which went 29-0 without allowing any opponent to come within nine points. Dora B. Jones sings "Keep Looking Up" for Mary Wilson, right, mother of slain basketball star Ben Wilson, at the second anniversary vigil for her son on Nov. 20, 1986. Those guys have been on varsity for years now. Kevin Garnett, while a graduate of Farragut Academy, only lived in Chicago for a little over a year. Why people dont give us as much credit? Three-time team MVP had a long pro career overseas before returning to the U.S. to coach. Share your memories by posting photos or stories, or find out about your next class reunion! The only two-time consensus All-American in program history, Granite City, Ill., native helped Illini win back-to-back Big Ten titles under Head Coach Doug Mills. Robert Smith has been the head coach at Simeon for 19 years and has had an incredible Simeon supporters argue, justifiably, that Thornridge didn't play the challenging national schedule that awaits the Wolverines. Call it a generational version of Beatle-mania. Print. Submit a Class Note, suggest story ideas, update your mailing address or write a letter to the editor of Illinois Alumni magazine. I just dont think we get enough credit on what we do or how we play but it is what it is. He explains. POINTS Macaleab Rich, East St. Louis (6-7, Sr., G/F) 94 Deandre Craig, Chicago Mount Carmel (6-1, Sr., G) 89 Jalen Griffith, Chicago Simeon (5-10, Sr., PG) 82 Ethan Kizer, Metamora (6-6, Sr., G) 77 Richard Barron, Chicago St. Ignatius (6-5, Sr., G) 76, SECOND TEAM NAME, SCHOOL (HT., YR., POS.) 8147 S Vincennes Chicago, IL 60620-1761. It was the best team produced by legendary coach Morgan Wootten.<\/p>\n
Interestingly, Thornridge 1972 ranked ahead of Oscar Robertson's 1955 Indianapolis Crispis Attucks team and Wilt Chamberlain's 1955 Philadelphia Overbrook team.<\/p>\n
The author, Scott Lynn (real name: Scott Betzelberger), has an interesting background in Illinois high school basketball. He is the Heats all-timeleading scorer, was named the 2006 NBA Finals MVP, the 2010 NBA All-Star GameMVP and won the 2009 NBA scoring title. CLASS 4A FIRST TEAM NAME, SCHOOL (HT., YR., POS.) By Michael O'Brien May 12, 2022, 3:43pm PDT Pocket Reddit Flipboard 2023 Choose Chicago. He died Nov. 21, 1984, a day after he was shot near Simeon High School. No Illinois team before or since has ever done it better. After 12 All-Star Games in 13 seasons, Thomas had his numberretired by the Pistons and entered the Hall of Fame. So author Scott Lynn thinks it is time to remind today's hip-hoppers and slam-jammers and crossover dribblers that, 40 years ago, Thornridge's 1971-72 team created every bit as much hoopla as Simeon.