In the girls game, the tone for the day was set early with the West jumping out to an early lead. Normal Community’s Hailey Varner and Unity’s Lauren Grubb set the pace early with 7 and 8 first-half points. Judah Christian’s Uzuri Williams and Olney’s Ebany Brumfield also established themselves in the paint area, scoring 8 and 7 points a piece.  The East would battle back led by Montini’s duo of Whitney Holloway and Whitney Adams. Shiloh’s Lauren Bogle also made her presence felt as she scored all of her 7 points in the half.

The East still faced a 4 point deficit going into the second half. They quickly switched to a full court defense that would turn the tide of the game. Danville’s Eriel Davis and Keisha Liggins forced turnovers and helped the East quickly gain the lead. A combination of scoring from Davis and Holloway dominated the second half. They were matched by a balanced West team lead by Normal West’s Lexie Taylor and Anna-Jonesboro’s Destiny Dillow. Cissna Park’s Taylor Redeker also knocked down some key free throws for the West. After a forced turnover, Lindsey Grubb hit a big 3-pointer in the final seconds to force overtime.

The overtime period saw Montini’s stars take over the game. Whitney Holloway and her teammate Whitney Adams put the game out of reach for a 92-84 victory for the East. Whitney Holloway was named Most Outstanding Player finishing with a game high 32 points.

The second game was a high scoring affair that managed to outpace even last year’s counterpart. Bloomington’s TJ Riggs and his Bloomington Teammate Jeremy McDavis got the West going early as they jumped out to an early lead. McDavis scored all 8 of his points in the first half.  He was quickly joined by Urbana’s Deonta Jones and Rantoul’s Shawn Lauderdale who both put up 11 first-half points. Manual’s Andrew Jordan and Central Catholic’s Ryan Schmidt worked hard to keep the East in the game as the West went up 68-60 at halftime.

In the second half the East mounted a comeback thanks in large part to Peoria Central’s Darian White and Deontray Dorsey. Levi Williams also played with strong dribble penetration and created for his teammates. For the Eest, Lawrence Kinney and Cole Jackson established themselves with strong outside shooting. As regulation came to an end, Ryan Schmidt hit a big 3-pointer to tie the game, and eventually sent it to overtime.

The game remained close in overtime. Timely shooting from Dalton Temples of Paris and gutsy play from Blue Ridge’s Jack Plunk were not enough to defeat the West 129-125. Darian White was the game’s high scorer with 36 points, and was named Most Outstanding Player.

There have been a lot of changes made to the class of 2011 rankings and a this is our first edition of of class of 2012 rankings.  See where the best junior college players in the state of Illinois rank among each other

Top 30 JC Sophomores

Top 15 JC Freshmen

First, let’s start with the most outstanding player, Jabari Parker from Simeon. Parker plays well beyond his years. He is a high I.Q. player who is very good at creating his own shot.  He is hard to defend because he can create his shot both facing the basket as well as with his back to the basket.

A couple of players to keep an eye are Darell Combes from Thornwood and Denzel McCauley from Rock Island.  Combes is a 6′1″ combo guard who is good at scoring off the dribble by either taking it all the way to the basket or pulling up and hitting the fifteen footer. McCauley is 6′8″; a big body who has his best years ahead of him. He still has a little rawness to him but runs the floor well and has decent face up skills. Once he reaches his potential, he will be a solid mid-major player.

The most underrated players were Armani Flannigan from Rockford Boylan and Max Bielfeldt from Peoria Notre Dame. Flannigan is 6′7″ senior athletic forward with great body control around the rim.  If a college can convert him to a wing forward, he is a legitimate mid-major player. Bielfeldt is a 6′8″ power forward.  How many times does Bielfeldt need to put up big numbers against good competition to get more mid-major offers? Many believe he is not athletic or explosive enough to play at a high major school, but he has good footwork and finishes well around the basket.

Other players yet to play to their full potential are Anthony Beane, Aaron Simpson, and Steve Taylor.  Beane of Normal Community is an athletic guard who has to become more patient at times and let the game come to him.  Shot selection and consistency will be key to his success as he continues to get even better.  Simpson of North Chicago has the tools to be a high major player. He has good quickness and can beat his defender with either hand but is still streaky on his outside shot. Taylor of Simeon is a 6′7″ smooth versitile forward/center.  He has a nice feel around the basket and has range out to the three point line. I have a feeling he will raise his stock quite a bit and be in the top 75 nationally by his senior year.

The most athletic player was Karrington Ward from Lockport.  Ward is a 6′5″ long forward who can jump out the gym.  He is also a track & field standout for his school and can clear 6′10″ in the high jump.

The best shooter of all the tournaments was Jack Krieger of Plainfield North.  He scored 30 points and was 5/8 from three point range in the pontiac semifinal game.

Finally, the most cerebral player was Chasson Randle from Rock Island. In the past three years I’ve watched Randle, I have very rarily seen him take a bad shot. He’s a very good shooter and finishes well around the basket.Even as talented as he is, he doesn’t force shots. Expect to see him have a great career at Stanford.

As no surprise Alabama-bound Moussa Gueye takes over at the top spot.  This is a very talented list and will change throughout the season.

To view the rankings, click here: Top 25 JC Sophomores

Beane, a 6’2” guard from Normal Community High School, is a highly athletic scoring guard that can play both backcourt positions. He can shoot, distribute, and score off the bounce and is also an excelling defensive player.

New University of Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery extended Anthony a scholarship this past week after watching him tear it up on the travel circuit with Team Illinois this summer. He was also spectacular at Flash Flanagan’s Fall Review this past month.

Arizona State, Illinois, Missouri, and Nebraska are among some of the other programs recruiting Beane. Expect his list of suitors to grow as the high school season begins.

FIRST TEAM

SECOND TEAM
Mike Tisdale, Illinois
Mike Stovall, DePaul
Ceola Clark, Western Illinois
Robo Kreps, Illinois-Chicago
Terrance Hill, Loyola-Chicago

HONORABLE MENTION (Alphabetical Order)
Justin Bocot, Southern Illinois
Jackie Carmichael, Illinois State
Drew Crawford, Northwestern
Dodie Dunson, Bradley
Carlton Fay, Southern Illinois
Jamill Harris, Chicago State
Tyler Laser, Eastern Illinois
Sam Maniscalco, Bradley
Carl Montgomery, Chicago State
Mark Yelovich, SIU-Edwardsville

ALL FRESHMAN
Jereme Richmond, Illinois (Freshman of the Year)
Brandon Young, DePaul
Meyers Leonard, Illinois
JerShon Cobb, Northwestern
Marshall Moses, DePaul

ALL NEWCOMERS (Freshman Not Included)
Jamill Harris, Chicago State (Newcomer of the Year)
Trey Blue, Illinois State
Paul Carter, Illinois-Chicago
Mykel Cleveland, Southern Illinois
Tim Toler, Northern Illinois

TOP PLAYER: Demetri McCamey, Illinois
TOP FRESHMAN: Jereme Richmond, Illinois
BEST TRANSFER: Trey Blue, Illinois State
BEST SCORER: Xavier Silas, Northern Illinois
BEST SHOOTER: John Shurna, Northwestern
BEST DEFENDER: Dodie Dunson, Bradley
BEST PLAYMAKER: Ceola Clark, Western Illinois
MOST VERSATILE: Jereme Richmond, Illinois
BEST ATHLETE: Eric Wallace, DePaul
BEST LEADER: Michael Thompson, Northwestern

Key Losses: Dominique Keller 6’8” F (4.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg)

Star Power: Demetri McCamey 6’3” SR PG (15.1 ppg, 7.1 apg, 3.6 rpg);
Keep an eye on: Jereme Richmond 6’7” FR G/F;

Introduction: The Illini don’t lose any of their key cogs from a year ago and have added some immediate impact talent. After a slow start they rallied near the end of the season and are hoping to pick up where they left off.

Backcourt: Demetri McCamey is the team’s leader; they go as he goes. His return makes the Illini one of the top contenders for a Big Ten Championship. D.J. Richardson and Brandon Paul both had very strong freshman campaigns and though D.J. was more consistent (won Big Ten Freshman of the Year), Brandon showed great potential and will have the first starting opportunity at the third guard slot. However it may be hard for him to keep that slot with the arrival of 6’7” point-forward Jereme Richmond. Richmond is a smooth and skilled guard/forward with great court vision and outstanding versatility. If he works hard it will be tough to keep him off the floor. His approach will determine a lot at the wing as far as playing time goes for perimeter plays. 6’4” guard Crandall Head is another wing whose ability may force Coach Weber’s hand for playing time. 6’5” redshirt freshman Joseph Bertrand will spare McCamey as the team’s only other point guard.

Frontcourt: Mike Tisdale and Mike Davis come in as well experienced, established seniors. They complement each other very well on both ends of the floor. Tyler Griffey will play much of the same role he did last season backing up at the ‘4’ spot. Senior Bill Cole saw his minutes increase as a junior but could very well find himself as a reserve for his senior year with the influx of new talent arriving in Champaign-Urbana. 7’0” Meyers Leonard brings size and athleticism to the table. He has more potential than any of the team’s current frontcourt members and will be given time to adjust to the collegiate level as a freshman which should springboard him into a strong sophomore season.

Overview: Talent is not a question for the Illini. If they are able to keep the guys in their backcourt happy then the immediate and distant futures are both VERY bright for Coach Weber and company. They will need to play with more consistency than last season but if they can have a late run again than they could get very far in the NCAA tournament.

Projected Starters:
G – Demetri McCamey 6’3” SR
G – D.J. Richardson 6’4” SO
G – Jereme Richmond 6’7” FR
F – Mike Davis 6’10” SR
C – Mike Tisdale 7’1” SR

Key Losses: Kevin Coble 6’8” PF (15.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.5 apg in 2008-09); Jeremy Nash 6’4” G (8.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.1 apg);

Star Power: John Shurna 6’8” JR PF (18.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg); Michael Thompson 5’10” SR PG (9.9 ppg, 3.7 apg);
Keep an eye on: JerShon Cobb 6’5” FR SG;

Introduction: Bill Carmody’s team was almost a surefire bet for the NCAA tournament before Kevin Coble decided to forego his final season. Now, the Wildcats aren’t as strong before but still return most of their major cogs from 2009-10 with more experience and a dire hunger to get to the field of 68.

Backcourt: The success of this team starts with Michael “Juice” Thompson. He may not get the respect he deserves nationally but, for the past three years, Juice has been one of the top point guards in the Big Ten and, barring injury, nothing will change this coming season. He’s a confident floor leader who shows what it means to be a true point guard. He sets his teammates up, knocks down open shots, brings energy defensive, and most importantly he leads vocally and by example. He will go down as one of the best point guards in Wildcat history. His importance to the team and program cannot be stressed enough. Drew Crawford had a very strong freshman year as the team’s second leading scorer. He’s a big guard with a high IQ and a very consistent three point shot. The 6’5” shooter started every game last season. Freshman JerShon Cobb could have a similar impact as a newcomer that Crawford did. The highest rated recruit in Carmody’s tenure, he’s a slender guard that brings athleticism and scoring ability to the team. Jeff Ryan, who used a medical redshirt last season, is an experienced and versatile perimeter player that could start or provide solid backup minutes at the wing, or even the point if needed (Thompson averaged just under 38 minutes per game last season). Alex Marcotullio is a combo guard that will see minutes at both guard slots when necessary. He will likely take over at the point when Thompson is gone. In-state players Mike Capocci and Nick Fruendt add depth to the wings.

Frontcourt: John Shurna may have had a bigger breakout year than anyone in the country last season. He more than doubled his scoring and rebounding output from his freshman year and knocked in a team high 78 3’s. He also spent July with the U.S. Select team practicing against the superstars from the U.S.A. FIBA team. He emerged as the team’s go to scorer and is one of the top returning players in the Big Ten. Luka Mirovic has a strong sophomore year, averaging 7.3 ppg and 5.7 rpg. If he can stay out of foul trouble expect him to be even more productive. Expect classmate Davide Curletti to back Mirovic at the 5 spot. At 6’9” he’s a lethal three point shooter which gives Northwestern another look. 6’8” senior Ivan Peljusic also adds depth.

Overview: This could be a great year for the Wildcats if the injury bug can stay out of Evanston. They have the size, the skill, the experience, and the discipline to take this program to its first NCAA appearance in years!

Projected Starters:
G – Michael Thompson 5’10” SR
G – JerShon Cobb 6’5” FR
G – Drew Crawford 6’5” SO
F – John Shurna 6’8” JR
C – Luka Mirkovic 6’11” JR