Chicago Area Week 3 Top 25

1. Evanston (8-0) Jaylin Gibson is good.
2. Bloom (8-1) Will the lack of depth catch up with this team?
3. Notre Dame (8-2) Win vs Bogan was impressive. Anthony Sayles is still out.
4. Bogan (9-1) Still the best team in the Public League.
5. Curie (5-0) This team is flying under the radar. Nick Owens makes them go!
6. Thornton (7-0) Great win vs Bloom. Is this team for real?
7. Morgan Park (4-2) Tough loss to Collinsville.
8. Mundelien (8-0) Can this team run the table and go undefeated?
9. Loyola (8-0) Impressive win vs Notre Dame.
10. Fenwick (8-1) Trey Pettigrew can play.
11. Whitney Young (4-2) Has played tough schedule so far.
12. Stevenson (7-1) Loss to preseason ranked OPRF wasn’t a shocker.
13. Lincoln Park (8-2) Backcourt duo of Ishmail Habib and Julio Montes are tough.
14. Homewood-Flossmoor (6-1) RJ Odom is a load.
15. Marian Catholic (5-2) Interesting matchup vs Tinley Park Tuesday.
16. Lake Park (8-0) This team is rolling.
17. Depaul College Prep (7-1) Big matchup vs Leo Friday.
18. Glenbrook South (8-0) They are playing great team ball.
19. Simeon (2-2) Tough test at Westinghouse Wednesday.
20. Joliet West (8-1) Suprise team of the season so far.
21. Niles North (9-1) On a 5 game winning streak.
22. York (7-1) At Willowbrook Saturday.
23. Orr (5-3) This team is still figuring it out.
24. St. Charles North (8-1) Tough won vs Geneva.
25. North Lawndale (8-1) Darkhorse 3A contender.

When deciding which games to choose for this list, a number of factors were considered. Among them were quality of team and players, school environment, history of the program, current rankings. When putting all of these together we were able to come up with the list. Below are the top 10 Public League games to watch this year.

Morgan Park vs Whitney Young (at Chicago State) 11-25-19

One of the top uncommitted players in the country in Adam Miller will lead Morgan Park, while Duke commit DJ Steward leads Whitney Young. The #1 and #2 teams and players, respectively, in the ChiScoops rankings match up in what could be a preview of the City Championship game in March. ChiScoops will be in the building.

Morgan Park @ Bogan 12-3-19

After losing earlier in the season last year, Bogan’s coach Goody called Morgan Park “Adam Miller and the 4 blind mice”. In the rematch, at last years Sectional Final, Bogan knocked off the Mustangs and advanced to the Super sectionals, eventually finishing as State runner-up. This game will be full of energy and emotions.

Farragut @ North Lawndale 12-11-19

This will he their first matchup since the Sectional Final matchup in March. The game ended in a double forfeit due to a fight that broke out on the court. Aside from that incident, this should be a very competitive game as both teams are evenly matched.

Whitney Young @ Lincoln Park 12-13-19

Lincoln Park pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the year last season going into Whitney Young and knocking off the Dolphins. Can they pull off the upset again for the second year in a row? ChiScoops will be in the building.

Simeon @ Westinghouse 12-18–19

One of the more interesting games of the year. The last time these 2 teams played while both were ranked was in 2005 when Westinghouse beat a Simeon team that featured Derrick Rose. This may be the next game where both teams are ranked. ChiScoops will be in the building.

Curie @ Simeon 12-19-19

While running the the City Championship last year, Curie beat a young Simeon team. A retooled Wolverines team is looking for a different result this year.

Orr vs Morgan Park (Neutral Site) 12-20-20

Orr, three-time defending 2A state champ faces off against Morgan Park, winners of three of the last four 3A state championships. West side vs south side. The show will be in the court and sidelines, as both coach Lou and coach Nick can put on a show. Expect a close game. ChiScoops will be in the building.

Westinghouse @ Whitney Young 1/8/20

The battle of the decades. Westinghouse dominated the Red West in the 80’s, 90’s, and 2000’s (up until the school closed in 2006). Whitney Young has dominated since then.
Will things change or will it be more of the same? This game may tell a lot.

Corliss @ Simeon 1/16/20

Corliss bursted on the scene last year, highlighted by a win vs Simeon. Can the 2A title contender consistently compete on this level? Going into Simeon will be as tough a game as they face all year. Expect Simeon to be ready!

Michelle Clark @ Crane 1/17/20

This is likely to be the game that decides who wins the White West conference and is promoted to the Red West. Crane, a Senior-dominated team this year is looking to protect its home court vs the scrappy Michelle Clark team. Will the Eagles be able to go into Crane and pull off the win, celebrating on their court? Potential White conference Game of The Year.ChiScoops will be in the building.

1. Morgan Park- The areas top team is led by a D1 backcourt in Marcus Watson (Wake Forest) and uncommitted/ChiScoops #1 player in the state, Adam Miller, who just picked up an offer from Michigan, as he is down to his “Top 3”. While the loss of Seryee Lewis was disappointing for coach Nick Irvin, the Mustangs have plenty in reserve. High major junior guard Brandon Weston and senior Isaiah Murrell look to contribute big time to the Class 3A and City favorites. This team will be exciting to watch.
2. Whitney Young- Coach Tyrone Slaughter and the Dolphins start the season as the Class 4A favorite. Led by Duke-bound guard DJ Steward and uncommitted senior guard Tyler Beard, this team will be tough. Look for junior transfer Jaehshon Thomas and the dynamic freshman guard Dalen Davis to play big roles.
3. Bloom- Is this the year the potential of this senior class is realized. Minnesota commit Martice Mitchell leads a much heralded group of seniors featuring D1 guards Dantae Maddox and Keshawn Williams among others. The talent is there, finishing the job on the court is all that remains.
4. Bogan- How will this team respond after finishing last season a box-out short of a state championship. They return a good group of contributors, while adding a couple of transfers. 6’8” Tremear Fraley and guards Darrion Jones and Kyndall Davis highlights the roster. I am looking forward to attending the rematch vs Morgan Park this year.
5. Stevenson- Coming off a strong summer in which this group won the loaded 64 team field at Riverside-Brookfield, they are primed for a deep state run. The biggest name in the program is coach Pat Ambrose, which makes this team just that, a TEAM. The coaches son, senior Matt Ambrose will lead the attack. They will be playoff ready, as their non-conference schedule is tough, it features games vs multiple top 25 teams.
6. Marion Catholic- The University of Iowa commit Ahron Ulis and Western Illinois commit Elijah Jones lead the attack for this group. Underrated guard Joe Green will contribute as well. They look to cap off an unprecedented 4 year run that has seen this program win more games than any group in school history over that time span. Look for this team to be right there at the end contending for a spot downstate in Class 4A.
7. Curie- The defending City Champs are right back near the top of our preseason rankings. After losing Kansas State signee DaJuan Gordon, coach Mike Oliver will depend heavily on SEMO commit Ramean Hinton. Replacing floor general and leader Tre Hamilton may be their biggest challenge. Look for Nick Owens, Elijah Pickens, and the veteran, but unproven bench to play a big role in this teams success. Their up and down hectic pace is hard to plan for. This team is dangerous.
8. Simeon- After a “down” year, going 20-15, but advancing to the supersectionals, before losing a nail biter to Curie, Simeon is looking for a bounce-back season. Ahamad Bynum and transfer Jeremiah Williams will lead the attack. Look for Freshman Davious Loury and Jalen Griffin to contribute on the varsity level. This team is young, but they are still a Class 4A team to watch.
9. Orr- What does coach Lou Adams have up his sleeve this year? After graduating the core of last years team (all transfers) how will Orr look this year. Oft-injured, but talented Damarius Splunge looks to finally be healthy. Reggie Strong, and Shaun Harris will play big roles in Orr’s quest to 4-peat. Under the radar transfer Norvell Meadows will be the X-Factor.
10. Bolingbrook- This team has reloaded after losing their top 3 guards to the Div. 1 level. Athletic guard Darius Buford leads the attack. Expect big contributions from Alijah Nelson and Kai Evans. Interesting 2023 group. Keep an eye on this team.
11. Westinghouse- The House returns to the Red, and the top 25. After winning their conference and a regional championship last year, this years squad returns all 5 starters and 9 of their top 10 players. Scoring machine Devin Davis leads the attack. Ryan Brown, Kier Jordan, and DeWayne Walton will he big contributors. 6’5” sophomore Tony Webb and 6’6” junior Gary Johns are high major talents. Class 3A dark horse.
12. Benet- Coach Heidkamp returns 3 year varsity starter Colin Crothers, an early Player of the Year candidate. 6’5” Tyler Van Eekeren is expected to contribute as well. Guard play will be key for this group.
13. Fenwick- This team goes as far as recent Louisville commit Bryce Hopkins takes them. Sophomore guards Trey Pettigrew and Kaden Cobb could push this team to another level as their development is paramount in this teams success. Depth may be an issue. An early Thanksgiving tourney test vs the #11 and #12 teams in our rankings will tell a lot.
14. Lincoln Park- Coach Pat Gordon has done a great job the last few years of building this program up. The oft-overlooked north side school has become a team to reckon with! The dynamic duo junior backcourt featuring Ismail Habib and Julio Montes are among the city’s best. This team had some good wins last year, none bigger than beating Whitney Young on the road. They look to be more consistent this year as a lot of new faces will need to contribute.
15. Geneva- Losing the conference Player of the Year Jack McDonald will be hard to replace for the Vikings. Coach Scott Hennig will rely on the senior leadership of Josh Preston to keep things afloat. They will have a group of solid contributors from last years squad, as well as a couple of guys moving up from the JV level. While 30+ wins isn’t expected, look for this team to be competitive throughout.
16. Notre Dame- Coming off a 19-12 record that saw this team lose a regional matchup against Evanston this team has big expectations. Led by juniors Troy D’amico and 2-sport star Anthony Sayles this team looks ready to contend for a Class 3A crown. They will get contributions from a solid supporting cast as well. A solid schedule, highlighted by matchups vs Marian Catholic and Benet will be worth watching.
17. Homewood-Flossmoor- College of Charleston commit R.J. Ogom leads the attack for H-F this year. Coach Marc Condotti has a strong veteran group that is looking to compete for the South Suburban league title. Look for a few unknowns to contribute big time to this team at some point during the year.
18. Glenbrook South- Coach Phil Ralston will depend heavily on high scoring senior guard Dom Martinelli. Coming off a 24 win campaign last year. This team looks to capture a 4A berth downstate this year.
19. Loyola- Coach Tom Livatino’s team is coming off winning 22 games last year, highlighted by a 9 game winning streak. The challenge this year will be beating the top teams, as they excelled at beating the mid-level teams last year. Senior point guard Quinn Pemberton will take over and lead this squad this season.
20. OPRF- Look for Isaiah Barnes to have a breakout campaign. He is a high major wing who continues to improve. This team has a good mix of veterans and players with a point to prove. Junior Josh Smith is looking to take the next step in his development. Solid 3A contender.
21. Hillcrest- This team is led by its 2021 class, headlined by Julius Rollins. Lead guard Kenton Wright is experienced and understand the game. Former Morgan Park Mustangs and 5-star football recruit Mar’Kiese Irving might be the best scorer on this team. This team has great size and will be a threat in class 3A.
22. Mundelein- Led by 6’8” junior Scott Ebube, this team is not lacking for size. After a surprising season last year that saw this team win 20 games, expections are high this year. Though this team won’t be sneaking up on anyone this year. Will they be able to step up to the challenge?
23. Evanston- The class 4A Final 4 team from last year is looking to return to Peoria for the third year in a row. Led by 2021 Jaylin Gibson, Blake Peters, and Isaiah Holdin they will be in the Class 4A conversation.
24. Riverside-Brookfield- Though they lost veteran leadership and scoring to graduation, including Andrew Veon, there is still plenty in reserve. Versatile Richards transfer Paul Zilinskas is a load. He has all-area ability. While they are talented as a whole, this team will go as far as he takes them.
25. Buffalo Grove- Led by 6’4” sophomore guard Kam Craft, 20 wins is a realistic goal. However, staying in the top 25 throughout the year may be a tough task with this young group.

Chicago Area Preseason High School Basketball Top 25

Next 5

1. St. Rita
2. North Lawndale College Prep (NLCP)
3. Depaul College Prep
4. St. Viator
5. York

The most underrated player in the city of Chicago is an award that’s difficult to hand out, as there are many deserving honorees.
Many are familiar with schools whose lesser known players are capable of being lead guys, which would make them worthy candidates. While we agree to that fact if those guys are talented but they don’t qualify for this award out of the mere fact that they are more undervalued by their current team than underrated throughout the city. This award is speaking of those who are either little known or may be overlooked.

This years winner(s) for the Most Underrated Player(s) in the city goes to Kier Jordan (2021) of Westinghouse College Prep and Nick Owens (2021) of Curie Metropolitan High School. Both of these guards are small in stature but big on impact. They are the leaders of their respective teams and a blur with the ball in their hands. They both will be leading top 25 teams and are potential Division 1 guards.

Let’s first dive into more about Kier Jordan. The 5’11” junior guard is a 1 year varsity starter who helped lead his team to an undefeated conference record last year, promoting them to the Red NorthWest Conference. He is one of the city’s best ball handlers and finishers around the basket. He uses both hands well and is what would be considered a “shot maker”.

While ChiScoops #7 player in the city (Devin Davis) grabs most of the headlines, Jordan has opened up some eyes with his excellent play, including his summer session playing at UIC and other locations. Sources have mentioned to ChiScoops of interest from the Flames 🔥 and a couple of Division 2 programs.
His perimeter game is an area that he needs to trust more, but he has improved tremendously in that area of his game as well, extending out the the 3 point line with regularity. It is said that he is an excellent student in the classroom and a qualifier. He is my dark horse candidate for a slot on the all-city team. He is one of the more exciting players and grades out as a Division 1 mid-major player.

Now shifting our attention to the co- Most Underrated Player in the city, Nick Owens. This 2 year varsity player and 2019 City Champion is the engine behind Curie’s fast paced attack. While his listed size (5’7” generously), may seem to be a liability, he uses it to dash by defenders and create space for his just shot. Defensively he hounds the ball and is among the better on-the-ball defenders at his position. While Curie has many contributors and Chi Scoops #3 rated player in the city (Ramean Hinton), without the contributions of Nick Owens, this team would not be as highly ranked as they will be.

Playing on the Adidas circuit with Team Rose boded well for Owens, as he will get maximum exposure throughout the spring and summer, which should parlay in multiple offers.

As we’ve seen in the past with guards such as Chase Adams and Fred Cleveland, size doesn’t stop the big time schools from pursuing good players. We project Nick to be a high Division 2 to Low major guard as he will put up numbers that will warrant plenty of interest. He has a great chance to finish as an all-city guard this year.
We are excited to monitor both these teams and players process this season.

While many players around the city could stake claim to the title, such as the Wake Forest commit and Morgan Park Mustang Marcus Watson, Simeon’s (not so super) sophomore Jalen Drake, and Orr’s injury prone Damarius Splunge, only 1 stood out from the rest!

The city’s most overrated player this season belongs to Crane Cougars Jamarius (Sug) Sneed. The 6’3” (listed at 6’5”) muscular wing was the runaway winner of the award.  Sug, who ran with Team Rose 17U this summer, has been a fixture on the court for the Cougars and double digit scorer on the varsity level for the last 3 years. 

After leading his team out of the White division into the Red his sophomore year, he has continued to play at a decent level, but hasn’t elevated his play since.  

When you see him in the crip line and warming up, you get captivated with his high flying acrobatics and smooth jelly rolls, but there seems to be no substance behind it. While he does finish well at the rim at times, usually on the second jump after missing the first attempt, his game outside of the paint is questionable at best.

Right now he is no better than a 3rd or 4th ball handler on a not so good Crane team. HIS jump shot is non-existent, as most games he doesn’t even attempt any. Many teams just have began to back off him on defense and force him to shoot. Right now his range is limited, as anything outside of 8 feet seems to be outside of his shooting range.

While it is always up to the individual player to work on his game, we here at ChiScoops just can’t look past the lack of development that seems to be going on at the Crane Medical Prep High School. 

Led by the #6 ranked coach in the White West and the new Face of Team Rose, this Crane program doesn’t seem to have the tools to get kids better.

Our belief is that Jamarius (Sug) Sneed is a very talented player that has the ability to continue playing ball at the next level (NAIA).  However, due to his lack of development over the last few years, he is a few steps behind where he should be. 

In closing, like Khalil Whitley before him, “Sug” needs to escape Coach Crowder quick.

Chicago Area Basketball Top 25 (In no particular order)

Benet

Bloom

Bogan

Bolingbrook

Buffalo Grove

Curie 

Evanston

Fenwick

Geneva

Glenbrook South

Hillcrest

Homewood Flossmoor

Lincoln Park

Loyola 

Marion Catholic

Morgan Park

Mundelein

Notre Dame

Oakpark River Forest

Orr 

Riverside Brookfield

Simeon

Stevenson

Westinghouse

Whitney Young