If you take all the Kenwood prospects — Jaden Smith, Chris Riddle, Calvin Robbins and recent Hillcrest transfer Isaiah Green — out of the City/Suburban Hoops Report’s Class of 2024 player rankings, there are only two Public League players among the top 30: Curie’s Carlos Harris and Lane’s Shaheed Solebo.
This follows two recent classes — the Class of 2022, which just graduated, and the Class of 2021 — in which only three players from the Public League ranked among the final top 25 in each class.
This is a bit of an alarming trend for city basketball, especially when you consider all the talent it has produced in the past.
The Class of 2007 had nine Public League players among the top 25. There were nine in 2008, eight in 2009 and nine in 2010.
The Public League averaged eight to 10 players a year among the top 25 prospects in the state from 1998 to 2015. Since then, we’ve seen those numbers plummet to a handful or fewer in many cases.
Public League challengers?
After watching all the talent and age groups in the city, along with getting a sneak peek at teams in the Riverside-Brookfield and Ridgewood shootouts in June, this could be as top-heavy as the Public League has ever been. It’s Simeon, Young, Kenwood, Curie and . . .?
Morgan Park was a major player in city and state basketball for a decade under coach Nick Irvin.
His departure to the college ranks — Irvin is now a part of Bobby Hurley’s staff at Arizona State — ended Morgan Park’s dominant run.
Orr coach Lou Adams has retired, leaving questions surrounding that highly successful program.
Bogan has taken a massive step back after the sudden death of longtime coach Arthur Goodwin 15 months ago.
The turnover at Lincoln Park and Hyde Park has not helped their causes.
As a result of several fading or transitioning programs, there is an opening in the Public League to enter that next group behind the “Big Four” in the city’s hierarchy.
Mount Carmel’s addition
The recent transfer of Lee Marks from Homewood-Flossmoor to Mount Carmel is a boon for the Caravan.
Homewood-Flossmoor’s Lee Marks (23) gets an open look from beyond the arc as the Vikings play Hyde Park.
Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times
Coach Phil Segroves’ team already was among the top teams in the Catholic League with the return of Division I star guard DeAndre Craig, promising junior Angelo Ciaravino and other key pieces. But Marks, a 6-5 junior who made an impact last year at Homewood-Flossmoor, adds much-needed size, length and athleticism.
Brother Rice and Mount Carmel figure to be the biggest threats to St. Rita in the Catholic League.
