The Player of the Year race began in November with four main contenders: Yorkville Christian’s Jaden Schutt, Glenbard West’s Braden Huff, Thornton’s Ty Rodgers and Glenbrook South’s Nick Martinelli.
Nearly four months later, things are the same. All four players have lived up to the preseason hype and delivered seasons worthy of Player of the Year. They’ve done it in different ways, but any of the four would be a deserving winner.
Here’s a look at each contender a few days before the winner is revealed:
Braden Huff
Glenbard West, 6-11, senior
Season averages: 16.8 points, six rebounds, three assists, 1.5 steals, 1.5 blocks.
The Gonzaga recruit is the best player on the top-ranked team in the state. The Hilltoppers haven’t lost to a team in Illinois this season and are heavy favorites to win the Class 4A state title.
Huff’s numbers are below the usual Player of the Year standards, but there are multiple reasons for that.
Glenbard West has dominated most teams this season, so Huff hasn’t played many full games. The Hilltoppers are also incredibly balanced, which is why they have been so difficult to defeat.
Huff is shooting 61% from the field and 40% from three-point range. He also has stepped up and delivered in crunch time in Glenbard West’s toughest games.
Nick Martinelli
Glenbrook South, 6-7, senior
Season averages: 22.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists.
Martinelli’s fantastic season was expected, but his team has outperformed even the boldest preseason predictions. The Titans beat Niles North 67-64 to win a Class 4A regional Friday. They defeated Simeon and New Trier during the regular season and gave Glenbard West its toughest in-state test.
The Elon recruit is shooting 67% from the field and 35% from three-point range.
Ty Rodgers
Thornton, 6-6, senior
Season averages: 17.3 points, 15.4 rebounds, eight assists, 3.3 steals, three blocks.
It’s difficult to explain how physically dominant Rodgers is on a high school basketball court. He’s simply bigger, stronger, faster and more athletic than anyone in the state.
The Illinois recruit’s numbers are outstanding, and that’s with him not looking to score very much early in the season. The transfer from Michigan wisely deferred to his new teammates in the early going, showing his maturity and smarts. That’s how you build chemistry on a team that will need to be more than the sum of its parts to succeed.
That’s exactly what happened. Thornton has improved tremendously through the season. The Wildcats went to Kenwood and won on the final day of the regular season, firmly establishing themselves as a title contender in Class 3A.
Rodgers missed a few games over the holidays, and Thornton failed to win the Big Dipper. The Wildcats didn’t win their conference, either, finishing second to Bloom in the Southland.
Jaden Schutt
Yorkville Christian, 6-6, senior
Season averages: 27 points, seven rebounds, three assists.
The Duke recruit has lived up to every expectation this season. He’s the most dominant scorer in the area and an excellent shooter(65% from the field and 40% from three-point range).
Schutt also has led his Class 1A team to victories against Kenwood, Hyde Park, Orr and St. Ignatius.
Super 25 for Feb. 27, 2022
With record and last week’s ranking
1. Glenbard West (32-1) 1
4A: Tue. vs. Naperville North
2. Glenbrook South (31-2) 2
4A: Wed. vs. Evanston
3. Young (22-9) 3
4A: Tue. vs. Riverside-Brookfield
4. Simeon (23-5) 4
3A: Tue. vs. Nazareth
5. Thornton (20-5) 5
3A: Wed. vs. Kankakee
6. Curie (26-6) 6
4A: Wed. vs. No. 21 Lyons
7. Kenwood (24-8) 7
4A: Tue. vs. No. 20 Bloom
8. Hillcrest (26-4) 8
3A: Tue. vs. Lemont
9. New Trier (29-3) 9
4A: Wed. vs. No. 14 Rolling Meadows
10. Wheaton Warrenville South (31-2) 10
4A: Wed. vs. Benet
11. Oswego East (32-1) 11
4A: Tue. vs. Neuqua Valley
12. Hyde Park (22-7) 12
3A: Wed. vs. 19 Mount Carmel
13. Leo (23-4) 13
2A: Wed. vs. U-High
14. Rolling Meadows (28-5) 14
4A: Wed. vs. No. 9 New Trier
15. Bolingbrook (27-6) 15
4A: Wed. vs. Andrew
16. Homewood-Flossmoor (21-7) 16
4A: Wed. vs. No. 25 St. Rita
17. Larkin (29-3) 17
4A: Tue. vs. Rockford East
18. Clark (22-4) 18
2A: Wednesday vs. Wells
19. Mount Carmel (28-4) 19
3A: Wed. vs. No. 12 Hyde Park
20. Bloom (22-5) NR
4A: Tue vs. No. 7 Kenwood
21. Lyons (25-5) 21
4A: Wed. vs. No. 6 Curie
22. DePaul Prep (23-5) 22
2A: Tue. vs. Orr
23. Burlington Central (30-3) 23
3A: Tues vs. Boylan
24. Yorkville Christian (20-13) 24
1A: Tue vs. Ellison
25. St. Rita (22-11) NR
4A: Wed. vs. No. 16 H-F
