Chicago Sun-Times - All2021-02-02T10:07:29.573-06:00https://chicago.suntimes.com/rss/stream/219404712021-02-02T10:07:29.573-06:002021-02-02T10:28:06-06:00Winningest high school basketball programs of the decade: No. 1 Simeon
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<img class="Image" alt="Simeon celebrates in the last seconds of their state championship game against Stevenson. " srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3302653/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2400x1347+0+127/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FkUY3jNJEBR45nml8ya4sSNikOs4%3D%2F0x0%3A2400x1600%2F2400x1600%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281198x543%3A1199x544%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22275810%2FBBKstate4_CST_031713_14.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d716fb2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2400x1347+0+127/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FkUY3jNJEBR45nml8ya4sSNikOs4%3D%2F0x0%3A2400x1600%2F2400x1600%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281198x543%3A1199x544%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22275810%2FBBKstate4_CST_031713_14.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Simeon celebrates in the last seconds of their state championship game against Stevenson. </p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Sun-Times file photo</p></div></div>
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<p>When high school basketball fans think back to the 1980s, programs like Quincy, Providence St. Mel, East St. Louis Lincoln and the arrival of city powers King and Simeon are easy to think back on.</p><p>The 1990s brought us memorable basketball giants in Peoria Manual and Thornton, a few steamrolling Proviso East teams and the continued dominance of King.</p><p>The first 10 years of the 2000s included Glenbrook North, Peoria High and the beginning of a Simeon juggernaut.</p><p>Earlier this year we broke down the decade’s <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/10/9/20905703/best-illinois-high-school-basketball-teams-decade" target="_blank" >best teams</a> and <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/10/17/20919151/best-illinois-high-school-basketball-players-of-the-decade" target="_blank" >best players.</a> Now, with every season of the past decade complete, it’s time to look at the Chicago area programs who won the most.</p><p>This list is comprised of the 50 winningest programs over the past 10 years, starting with the 2010-11 season and concluding with the 2019-20 season. Every team in every class throughout the Chicago area will be broken down in a variety of ways. But total wins, with winning percentage used as tie-breaker, determined the rankings.</p><p>We wrap up the countdown today with No. 1 Simeon.</p><h3>1. SIMEON: 277-48</h3><p><b>Decade’s biggest storyline: </b>Simply put, Simeon basketball is an absolutely dominating figure in the sport. And because of its decade of dominance, coach Robert Smith’s program emerged as a state basketball empire. </p><p>The exclamation point came early in the decade. With a much-heralded team and roster, Simeon made its single biggest statement with a fourth straight state championship in 2012-13. Simeon became just the second program in history to win four consecutive state titles.</p><p>Simeon’s loaded roster, which included the senior duo of future pros Jabari Parker and Kendrick Nunn, finished 30-3. The Wolverines beat a talented Proviso East team that was led by two future NBA players of its own, Sterling Brown and Jevon Carter, in the state semifinals. Then Simeon took care of Jalen Brunson and Stevenson, 58-40, in the state championship. </p><p>The 2012-13 team was one for the ages. That was proven early on that season when dozens of college coaches filled Simeon’s open gym on the first day of the fall open recruiting period. But who could blame that bevy of coaches when the Simeon roster included 12 future Division I players, including three players who would go on to play in the NBA: Parker, Nunn and Zach Norvell. </p><p>But also on the floor that night were future Division I players Jaylon Tate, Donte Ingram, DJ Williams, Ben Coupet, Russell Woods, Kendall Pollard, Josh Thomas, Quron Davis and Ed Morrow. </p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-floatRight>
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<img class="Image" alt="Jabari Parker executes a powerful dunk for Simeon against Peoria Manual." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/161d9aa/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1155x648+0+546/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2F3WvMf-Nu5o3BWyXPjKrYaO_Q6ho%3D%2F0x0%3A1155x1740%2F1155x1740%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28578x870%3A579x871%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22275807%2FBBKsimeo_YSP_123011_05.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/bd3c8e1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1155x648+0+546/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2F3WvMf-Nu5o3BWyXPjKrYaO_Q6ho%3D%2F0x0%3A1155x1740%2F1155x1740%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28578x870%3A579x871%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22275807%2FBBKsimeo_YSP_123011_05.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Jabari Parker executes a powerful dunk for Simeon against Peoria Manual.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Sun-Times file photo</p></div></div>
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</div><p><b>Underrated highlight: </b>Yes, there were the state championships during the decade. But what’s forgotten at a program like Simeon, where seven state championships have been won, are the other great seasons that resulted in state trophies, impressive win totals and success that other programs dream of experiencing.</p><p>Maybe the 2015-16 and 2016-17 teams didn’t win state championships, but those two teams finished third and second in the state, respectively, while winning a combined 59 games in two years. </p><p><b>Player of the Decade:</b> Jabari Parker (2013).</p><p><b>All-Decade Team:</b> Jabari Parker (2013), Kendrick Nunn (2013), Evan Gilyard (2017), Zach Norvell (2016) and Talen Horton-Tucker (2018).</p><p><b>Other decade highlights:</b><br></p><ul><li id="xiopJA">The fact that four of the five players on the Simeon All-Decade Team played in the NBA is a significant decade highlight. Players like Parker, Nunn, Norvell and Horton-Tucker, all of who reached the NBA following their Simeon and college careers, have been the pillars upon which coach Robert Smith built this past decade’s success. </li><li id="1VIoMN">The decade included a handful of Chicago Public League championships as the Wolverines won more city titles in the decade than any other program. Simeon captured five city championships in the last nine years. </li><li id="GAhOjD">The Pontiac Holiday Tournament has been recognized as the premier holiday tournament in Illinois, and it’s Simeon that has made Pontiac its second home. The Wolverines have won six tournament titles since 2010. </li><li id="fY9uJF">There isn’t a program in the state that’s enjoyed more postseason success than Simeon. During the 2010s, Simeon won a combined five state trophies, including three state titles, 10 regional championships and eight sectional titles. </li><li id="8q2bsM">With the national schedule Simeon played, there were opportunities for high-profile out-of-state wins. The biggest was a 81-68 victory over perennial power Oak Hill Academy in 2013. Then in 2015, Simeon played Bishop Gorman out of Las Vegas, featuring McDonald’s All-Americans Stephen Zimmerman and Chase Jeter and junior star and future NBA player Zach Collins, and beat the Nevada state power by 30 points. </li><li id="xGOJ5D">While playing in the state’s toughest conference, Simeon won six Red-South and Red-South/Central titles, including a run in the early part of the decade where the Wolverines won 28 straight conference games and 46 of 48. </li></ul><p></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/2/2/22262327/simeon-high-school-basketball-winningest-program-of-the-decadeJoe Henricksen2021-02-01T14:54:32.381-06:002021-02-01T15:33:01-06:00Winningest high school basketball programs of the decade: No. 2 Morgan Park
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<img class="Image" alt="Morgan Park coach Nick Irvin and his team with the Class 3A state championship trophy in 2018." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/eb4c101/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1800x1010+0+95/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FBiXhfmtHtJK1xPtg4MlA182Wi1s%3D%2F0x0%3A1800x1200%2F1800x1200%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28900x600%3A901x601%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22274133%2Fob_CST_031818_04.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3467995/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1800x1010+0+95/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FBiXhfmtHtJK1xPtg4MlA182Wi1s%3D%2F0x0%3A1800x1200%2F1800x1200%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28900x600%3A901x601%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22274133%2Fob_CST_031818_04.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Morgan Park coach Nick Irvin and his team with the Class 3A state championship trophy in 2018.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Sun-Times file photo</p></div></div>
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<p>When high school basketball fans think back to the 1980s, programs like Quincy, Providence St. Mel, East St. Louis Lincoln and the arrival of city powers King and Simeon are easy to think back on.</p><p>The 1990s brought us memorable basketball giants in Peoria Manual and Thornton, a few steamrolling Proviso East teams and the continued dominance of King.</p><p>The first 10 years of the 2000s included Glenbrook North, Peoria High and the beginning of a Simeon juggernaut.</p><p>Earlier this year we broke down the decade’s <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/10/9/20905703/best-illinois-high-school-basketball-teams-decade" target="_blank" >best teams</a> and <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/10/17/20919151/best-illinois-high-school-basketball-players-of-the-decade" target="_blank" >best players.</a> Now, with every season of the past decade complete, it’s time to look at the Chicago area programs who won the most.</p><p>This list is comprised of the 50 winningest programs over the past 10 years, starting with the 2010-11 season and concluding with the 2019-20 season. Every team in every class throughout the Chicago area will be broken down in a variety of ways. But total wins, with winning percentage used as tie-breaker, determined the rankings.</p><p>We present No. 2 Morgan Park today and will add one program a day going forward.</p><h3>2. MORGAN PARK: 257-63</h3><p><b>Decade’s biggest storyline: </b>Winning state championships is not supposed to be a foregone conclusion. But when it came to Morgan Park and Class 3A basketball, there were times it felt that way over the past decade. </p><p>There were multiple titles during the decade, but the first one was the biggest one. </p><p>Morgan Park had steadily improved year by year under coach Nick Irvin in leading up to the 2012-13 season. But that team, which featured the brilliant backcourt of Billy Garrett, Jr. and Kyle Davis, was the first of five Morgan Park teams that reached Peoria –– and the first state title for Morgan Park in nearly 40 years. </p><p>That 33-3 team crushed everyone en route to Peoria. The Mustangs won the regional over St. Laurence 86-53. They beat their two sectional foes by a combined 99 points. A 33-point win over Hillcrest in the supersectional sent Morgan Park to the IHSA State Finals. And it was more of the same in Peoria, beating Limestone 70-49 in the state semifinals and handling Cahokia 63-48 in the final. </p><p><b>Underrated highlight: </b>The state championship won in 2016-17 was arguably the toughest of the four that were won in the decade. It’s often forgotten how Morgan Park, which finished the year 26-6, capped off that grueling championship run. </p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-floatLeft>
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<img class="Image" alt="Wayne Blackshear shoots." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/cee089d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1733x973+0+819/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FxpXIYAgAyYtUe1bBgqAs-JbzZOU%3D%2F0x0%3A1733x2610%2F1733x2610%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28867x1305%3A868x1306%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22274137%2F6simeonvsmorganpark.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/796455f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1733x973+0+819/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FxpXIYAgAyYtUe1bBgqAs-JbzZOU%3D%2F0x0%3A1733x2610%2F1733x2610%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28867x1305%3A868x1306%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22274137%2F6simeonvsmorganpark.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Wayne Blackshear shoots.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Sun-Times file photo</p></div></div>
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</div><p>The Mustangs faced Springfield Lanphier in the state semifinals, losing star Ayo Dosunmu to injury but finding a way to hold off the Lions for a 60-53 win. With Dosunmu sidelined for the final against Fenwick, Morgan Park pulled out an exciting 69-67 win in overtime. It was freshman star Nimari Burnett who came through, hitting six three-pointers and finishing with an eye-opening 24 points.</p><p><b>Player of the Decade: </b>Wayne Blackshear (2011)</p><p><b>All-Decade Team: </b>Wayne Blackshear (2011),<b> </b>Billy Garrett, Jr. (2013<b>), </b>Charlie Moore (2016),<b> </b>Ayo Dosunmo (2018) and<b> </b>Adam Miller (2020)</p><p><b>Other decade highlights:</b></p><p>-Blackshear was both a McDonald’s All-American and the Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year in 2011. </p><p>-The arrival of Marcus LoVett from California electrified the city and state for one season as the dynamic guard was one of the more entertaining players of the decade. In his senior year he led Morgan Park to Peoria, where the Mustangs finished third in the state in Class 3A in 2014-15. He was the talk of Peoria when he put up a sizzling 45 points in the state semifinal loss to Belleville Althoff.</p><p>-The Public League’s Red-South, which ultimately changed to the Red-South/Central, has been the state’s toughest conference in the state for the better part of the decade. Morgan Park won or at least shared two conference titles. <b> </b></p><p>-Morgan Park won Proviso West Holiday Tournament titles in 2012 and 2015. </p><p>-Although Morgan Park did make four trips to the Chicago Public League title game, the Mustangs fell short all four times. Morgan Park lost to Curie in 2019, fell to Simeon in 2017 and 2020 and came up just short to Young in overtime in 2013.</p><p>-The Mustangs won 20 or more games in each of the past 10 seasons.<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/2/1/22260978/morgan-park-high-school-basketballJoe Henricksen2021-01-31T18:36:54.154-06:002021-01-31T18:36:56-06:00Winningest high school basketball programs of the decade: No. 3 Benet
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<img class="Image" alt="David Sobolewski brings the ball down for Benet past Simeon’s Kendrick Nunn." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/cc67126/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2610x1465+0+134/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FP3rMTBCorQ9oMsCZJeVuTTv4iY8%3D%2F0x0%3A2610x1733%2F2610x1733%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281305x867%3A1306x868%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22272122%2F12benetvssimeon.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/427f823/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2610x1465+0+134/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FP3rMTBCorQ9oMsCZJeVuTTv4iY8%3D%2F0x0%3A2610x1733%2F2610x1733%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281305x867%3A1306x868%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22272122%2F12benetvssimeon.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>David Sobolewski brings the ball down for Benet past Simeon’s Kendrick Nunn.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Sun-Times file photo</p></div></div>
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<p>When high school basketball fans think back to the 1980s, programs like Quincy, Providence St. Mel, East St. Louis Lincoln and the arrival of city powers King and Simeon are easy to think back on.</p><p>The 1990s brought us memorable basketball giants in Peoria Manual and Thornton, a few steamrolling Proviso East teams and the continued dominance of King.</p><p>The first 10 years of the 2000s included Glenbrook North, Peoria High and the beginning of a Simeon juggernaut.</p><p>Earlier this year we broke down the decade’s <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/10/9/20905703/best-illinois-high-school-basketball-teams-decade" target="_blank" >best teams</a> and <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/10/17/20919151/best-illinois-high-school-basketball-players-of-the-decade" target="_blank" >best players.</a> Now, with every season of the past decade complete, it’s time to look at the Chicago area programs who won the most.</p><p>This list is comprised of the 50 winningest programs over the past 10 years, starting with the 2010-11 season and concluding with the 2019-20 season. Every team in every class throughout the Chicago area will be broken down in a variety of ways. But total wins, with winning percentage used as tie-breaker, determined the rankings.</p><p>We present No. 3 Benet today and will add one program a day going forward.</p><h3>3. BENET: 253-63</h3><p><b>Decade biggest storyline: </b>The 2010-11 team didn’t bring home a state trophy as two other Benet teams did during the decade, but it’s a team that captivated the fanbase, grabbed statewide headlines and was nationally ranked.<b> </b></p><p>A team led by Northwestern recruit Dave Sobolewski and future All-American and NBA Lottery pick Frank Kaminsky, Benet’s 2010-11 team was the talk of high school basketball for months. </p><p>In one of the greatest, high-profile games of the decade featuring the top two teams in the state, Benet beat Simeon before a sold out UIC Pavilion crowd. The Redwings also won the Proviso West Holiday Tournament and headed into state tournament play unbeaten on the season. </p><p>But the season ended abruptly in the sectional at East Aurora, where the host school and superstar Ryan Boatright stunned Benet, the No. 6 ranked team in the country. </p><p>Nonetheless, it’s arguably one of the best teams to not win a state championship from the decade and one that still finished as USA Today’s No. 21 team in the country. The Redwings finished the year 29-1.</p><p><b>Underrated highlight: </b>When two state runner-up finishes aren’t the decade’s biggest storyline, it says an awful lot about the success of a program.</p><p>Both the 2013-14 and 2015-16 teams put together historic seasons, finishing second in the state in Class 4A both years –– the best state finishes in program history. The 2015-16 team set a school record for wins with 31. </p><p>Benet made a surprising run in 2013-14 behind the play of big man Sean O’Mara. The Redwings, who were just 11-7 in late January, went on a second half run to win 25 games and reached Peoria. Benet gave Jahlil Okafor and Young all it could handle in the state championship, holding the dominating Okafor to just eight points and six rebounds while losing 46-44.</p><p>The 2015-16 team, led by a balanced group featuring James Dockery, Jason Malonga, Daniel Sobolewski and Jack Nolan, beat Simeon 49-48 in the state semifinals before losing to Curie in the state championship. </p><p><b>Player of the Decade: </b>Dave Sobolewski (2011)</p><p><b>All-Decade Team: </b>Dave Sobolewski (2011), Frank Kaminsky (2011), Sean O’Meara (2014), Collin Bonnett (2015) and Jack Nolan (2017)</p><p><b>Other decade highlights:</b></p><p>-Benet won 20 or more games every single season of the decade. </p><p>-The East Suburban Catholic Conference is a proud, tradition-rich basketball league with five teams among the top 50 winningest programs of the decade. Yet Benet went an impressive 74-17 in ESCC play with three league titles in the decade: 2010-11, 2012-13 and 2015-16. </p><p>-Dave Sobolewski, O’Mara and Colin Crothers were all 1,000-point scorers in their career during the decade and finished among the all-time leading scorers in program history. </p><p>-Benet won 12 regular-season tournament championships in the decade. </p><p>-During a stretch from January 2010 through early December 2011, Benet won 43 consecutive regular-season games and went 49-2 overall during that time. </p><p>-Coach Gene Heidkamp won his 300th game this past season and was twice named the City/Suburban Hoops Report Coach of the Year. <br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/1/31/22259492/benet-high-school-basketballJoe Henricksen2021-01-31T18:30:47.254-06:002021-01-31T18:30:49-06:00Winningest high school basketball programs of the decade: No. 4 Curie
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<img class="Image" alt="Cliff Alexander dunks against Simeon." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4560057/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1800x1010+0+95/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FWgsWnKZqAYcYv-CcY0ZKTftfCFE%3D%2F0x0%3A1800x1200%2F1800x1200%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28900x600%3A901x601%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22272111%2Fcurie_young_3.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/20e743a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1800x1010+0+95/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FWgsWnKZqAYcYv-CcY0ZKTftfCFE%3D%2F0x0%3A1800x1200%2F1800x1200%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28900x600%3A901x601%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22272111%2Fcurie_young_3.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Cliff Alexander dunks against Simeon.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Sun-Times file photo</p></div></div>
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<p>When high school basketball fans think back to the 1980s, programs like Quincy, Providence St. Mel, East St. Louis Lincoln and the arrival of city powers King and Simeon are easy to think back on.</p><p>The 1990s brought us memorable basketball giants in Peoria Manual and Thornton, a few steamrolling Proviso East teams and the continued dominance of King.</p><p>The first 10 years of the 2000s included Glenbrook North, Peoria High and the beginning of a Simeon juggernaut.</p><p>Earlier this year we broke down the decade’s <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/10/9/20905703/best-illinois-high-school-basketball-teams-decade" target="_blank" >best teams</a> and <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/10/17/20919151/best-illinois-high-school-basketball-players-of-the-decade" target="_blank" >best players.</a> Now, with every season of the past decade complete, it’s time to look at the Chicago area programs who won the most.</p><p>This list is comprised of the 50 winningest programs over the past 10 years, starting with the 2010-11 season and concluding with the 2019-20 season. Every team in every class throughout the Chicago area will be broken down in a variety of ways. But total wins, with winning percentage used as tie-breaker, determined the rankings.</p><p>We present No. 4 Curie today and will add one program a day going forward.</p><h3>4. CURIE: 245-47</h3><p><b>Decade’s biggest storyline: </b>There were some great, headline-grabbing moments for Curie during the Cliff Alexander days. But it was a rather dark ending with the eligibility scandal that left the program shaken following the 2013-14 season. </p><p>However, just two years later the Condors broke through with a season full of high-profile championships.</p><p>The unforgettable 2015-16 season included Curie’s second Pontiac Holiday Tournament championship, a run that included a 80-78 semifinal win over Simeon and title game victory over Peoria Manual, a team that finished third in the state that year in Class 3A. </p><p>In March, Curie won its first-ever sectional championship and trip to the State Finals in Peoria, where coach Mike Oliver’s team made the most of it with a state championship win over Benet in 2016. The Condors featured a balanced attack featuring senior Devin Gage, junior Elijah Joiner and sophomore Landers Nolley. </p><p>The season was also highlighted by an incredible run of close, down-to-the-wire finishes, including four games to get to the state title game that were won by a combined nine points. Curie beat Young 53-51 and Kenwood 59-57 to win the sectional. The Condors edged Notre Dame 65-62 in the supersectional and advanced to the state title game with a 55-53 win over Rockford Auburn in the state semifinals. </p><p><b>Underrated highlight: </b>Like all of Oliver’s teams, the 2018-19 team was expected to be a good one, highly-ranked and capable of competing for championships. However, no one saw a dominating, record-breaking 35-win season coming.</p><p>With a school record for wins, Curie again found ways to win the close ones in getting back to Peoria, finishing third in the state in Class 4A, just three years after winning a state championship. </p><p>Behind the play of DaJuan Gordon, Ramean Hinton and the unheralded tandem of Justin Harmon and point guard Trevon Hamilton, Curie beat Young 53-51 to claim its second sectional championship. Then the Condors beat another Public League power, Simeon, 56-54 in the super-sectional. </p><p>The run ended with a state semifinal loss to EJ Liddell and Belleville West. </p><p><b>Player of the Decade:</b> Cliff Alexander (2014)</p><p><b>All-Decade Team:</b> Cliff Alexander (2014), Devin Gage (2016), Elijah Joiner (2017) Dajuan Gordon (2019) and Ramean Hinton (2020)</p><p><b>Other decade highlights:</b></p><p><b>-</b>The individual talent and star power the program provided in the decade was impressive. The Curie program had two Sun-Times Player of the Year winners in Cliff Alexander and Gordon while Alexander became a McDonald’s All-American, top five player in the country and the Naismith National Player of the Year. </p><p>-The 2014 city championship game remains one of the most hyped finals and one of the best of all time. Curie and Alexander beat Young and Jahlil Okafor 69-66 in four overtimes. But the title was later forfeited.</p><p>-In total, Curie played in three city championship games in the decade, losing to Simeon in the 2012 championship game and beating Morgan Park in the 2019 city final.</p><p>-What might have been? If not for the eligibility scandal late in the 2013-14 season, where seven players were found to be academically ineligible, who knows where that team would have landed and be recognized among the all-time best of the decade. The Condors were 24-1 and ranked No. 2 in the country in one national poll when Curie was forced to forfeit all their wins. With a depleted roster, Curie then lost in the regional. </p><p>-A January win in 2017 over Kenwood, a top 10 team at the time, was memorable in that 6-3 guard Elijah Joiner outscored Kenwood himself with 40 points in the improbable 73-39 win. </p><p>-Curie had a signature regular-season win on national television. In a Martin Luther King Day showdown in 2014, Curie and Alexander (30 points, 12 rebounds) stunned unbeaten prep school giant Montverde Academy in Florida. </p><p>-Curie has gone a combined 17-0 the past two years in the state’s toughest conference –– the Public League’s Red-South/Central. </p><p></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/1/31/22259477/curie-high-school-basketballJoe Henricksen2021-01-29T10:56:39.783-06:002021-01-29T16:40:59-06:00Winningest high school basketball programs of the decade: No. 5
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<img class="Image" alt="Stevenson’s Jalen Brunson (15) lays in a reverse shot against Riverside-Brookfield." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a1bc130/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4928x2766+0+257/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FeNJL22BQCiCMfReuICYISZ_xLDo%3D%2F0x0%3A4928x3280%2F4928x3280%2Ffilters%3Afocal%282464x1640%3A2465x1641%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22266797%2FBBKstevenson_CST_031815_02.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ee20298/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4928x2766+0+257/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FeNJL22BQCiCMfReuICYISZ_xLDo%3D%2F0x0%3A4928x3280%2F4928x3280%2Ffilters%3Afocal%282464x1640%3A2465x1641%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22266797%2FBBKstevenson_CST_031815_02.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Stevenson’s Jalen Brunson (15) lays in a reverse shot against Riverside-Brookfield.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Sun-Times file photo</p></div></div>
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<p>When high school basketball fans think back to the 1980s, programs like Quincy, Providence St. Mel, East St. Louis Lincoln and the arrival of city powers King and Simeon are easy to think back on.</p><p>The 1990s brought us memorable basketball giants in Peoria Manual and Thornton, a few steamrolling Proviso East teams and the continued dominance of King.</p><p>The first 10 years of the 2000s included Glenbrook North, Peoria High and the beginning of a Simeon juggernaut.</p><p>Earlier this year we broke down the decade’s <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/10/9/20905703/best-illinois-high-school-basketball-teams-decade" target="_blank" >best teams</a> and <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/10/17/20919151/best-illinois-high-school-basketball-players-of-the-decade" target="_blank" >best players.</a> Now, with every season of the past decade complete, it’s time to look at the Chicago area programs who won the most.</p><p>This list is comprised of the 50 winningest programs over the past 10 years, starting with the 2010-11 season and concluding with the 2019-20 season. Every team in every class throughout the Chicago area will be broken down in a variety of ways. But total wins, with winning percentage used as tie-breaker, determined the rankings.</p><p>We present No. 5 Stevenson today and will add one program a day going forward.</p><h3>5. STEVENSON: 242-67</h3><p><b>Decade’s biggest storyline: </b>Stevenson basketball and Jalen Brunson were the biggest story in the state during the 2014-15 season. </p><p>That magical season capped off a brilliant and thrilling three-year run where the Patriots won 91 games and three state trophies. But nothing matched the 30-win state championship season of 2014-15. </p><p>Behind Brunson, a McDonald’s All-American who won every individual honor in the state as a senior, Division I recruits Connor Cashaw and Justin Smith, along with a host of valuable role players, Stevenson cruised in its third straight trip to Peoria. The Patriots pounded Bolingbrook by 20 in the state semifinals and beat Normal 57-40 in the Class 4A state championship game. </p><p>Among the lone losses that season were two out-of-state powers: Findlay Prep and Chaminade out of St. Louis.</p><p><b>Underrated highlight: </b>Everyone remembers the state championship team of 2014-15. And everyone remembers Brunson scoring 56 points in a state semifinal loss to Young the year before as the Patriots settled for third in the state. But everyone tends to forget the 2012-13 team that made it all the way to the state championship game. </p><p>Brunson and Cashaw, who were just sophomores then, were again the catalysts, along with senior shooter Andy Stempel. They led the way for a team that knocked off Edwardsville in the state semifinals but lost to Simeon and Jabari Parker in the state title game to finish 29-5. </p><p><b>Player of the Decade:</b> Jalen Brunson (2015)</p><p><b>All-Decade Team: Matt Morrissey (2014), </b>Jalen Brunson (2015), Connor Cashaw (2015), Justin Smith (2017) and Matthew Ambrose (2020)</p><p><b>Other decade highlights</b></p><p>-Brunson, one of the state’s all-time greatest players, dazzled and entertained for four straight years. He finished his career 18th all time in point scored in state history with 2,682 career points. </p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
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<img class="Image" alt="Stevenson’s Justin Smith (3) Nichols Parker (5) Ryuji Aoki (13) Jalen Brunson (15) and Conner Cashaw wait as Bolingbrook shoots free throws." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/32552db/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1800x1010+0+95/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2F-OoG2KnEdtvFzg87BzHC-6N8kDU%3D%2F0x0%3A1800x1200%2F1800x1200%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28900x600%3A901x601%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22266801%2FBBKstevensonCST_032115_12.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e6513e1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1800x1010+0+95/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2F-OoG2KnEdtvFzg87BzHC-6N8kDU%3D%2F0x0%3A1800x1200%2F1800x1200%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28900x600%3A901x601%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22266801%2FBBKstevensonCST_032115_12.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Stevenson’s Justin Smith (3) Nichols Parker (5) Ryuji Aoki (13) Jalen Brunson (15) and Conner Cashaw wait as Bolingbrook shoots free throws.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Sun-Times file photo</p></div></div>
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</div><p>-Both Cashaw and Smith soared past the 1,500-point mark during their careers. Cashaw is the second leading scorer of all-time at Stevenson with 1,736 points and Smith is fourth with 1,522 points. Matthew Ambrose is among the top 10 scorers in school history with 942. </p><p>-The Patriots are currently riding a streak of eight straight North Suburban Conference championships. </p><p>-There are just over 40 players from the decade who have gone on to play college basketball at some level. </p><p>-Even after the big-name stars who went on to play Division I basketball departed — Brunson, Cashaw and Smith — the Patriots still won another sectional title in 2018-19. The Patriots finished 27-6, winning the program’s sixth sectional championship, before losing to Evanston in the super-sectional. </p><p>-Coach Pat Ambrose won his 400th career game during the 2018-19 season. <br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/1/29/22255137/stevenson-high-school-basketballJoe Henricksen2021-01-28T10:00:57.112-06:002021-01-28T10:00:58-06:00Winningest high school basketball programs of the decade: No. 6 Newark
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<img class="Image" alt="Newark’s Kyle Anderson drives to the hoop past Parker Day of West Central." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/08b1691/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1740x977+0+89/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FIlCx5mom8NH3kLMF1LcfBL2Wnr4%3D%2F0x0%3A1740x1155%2F1740x1155%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28799x463%3A800x464%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22265606%2F06westcentralvsnewark.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c826055/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1740x977+0+89/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FIlCx5mom8NH3kLMF1LcfBL2Wnr4%3D%2F0x0%3A1740x1155%2F1740x1155%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28799x463%3A800x464%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22265606%2F06westcentralvsnewark.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Newark’s Kyle Anderson drives to the hoop past Parker Day of West Central.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Sun-Times file photo</p></div></div>
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<p>When high school basketball fans think back to the 1980s, programs like Quincy, Providence St. Mel, East St. Louis Lincoln and the arrival of city powers King and Simeon are easy to think back on.</p><p>The 1990s brought us memorable basketball giants in Peoria Manual and Thornton, a few steamrolling Proviso East teams and the continued dominance of King.</p><p>The first 10 years of the 2000s included Glenbrook North, Peoria High and the beginning of a Simeon juggernaut.</p><p>Earlier this year we broke down the decade’s <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/10/9/20905703/best-illinois-high-school-basketball-teams-decade" target="_blank" >best teams</a> and <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/10/17/20919151/best-illinois-high-school-basketball-players-of-the-decade" target="_blank" >best players.</a> Now, with every season of the past decade complete, it’s time to look at the Chicago area programs who won the most.</p><p>This list is comprised of the 50 winningest programs over the past 10 years, starting with the 2010-11 season and concluding with the 2019-20 season. Every team in every class throughout the Chicago area will be broken down in a variety of ways. But total wins, with winning percentage used as tie-breaker, determined the rankings.</p><p>We present No. 6 Newark today and will add one program a day going forward.</p><h3>6. NEWARK: 232-87</h3><p><b>Decade’s biggest storyline: </b>Sitting at the very outskirts of the area, some 60 or so miles from downtown Chicago, is this tiny school with an enrollment of less than 200 students.</p><p>The overwhelming success can’t be denied, though, and the basketball history runs deep at Newark. With all that success and history, nothing surpasses the 2010-11 state championship season where the Norsemen won a school record 33 games. </p><p>Led by the tandem of Kyle Anderson and John Avery, the Norsemen won regional, sectional and supersectional plaques before dominating in Peoria. Newark beat Deer Creek-Mackinaw 52-32 in the state semifinals and then finished the year 33-1 following a 57-35 win over West Central Coop in the Class 1A state championship game. </p><p>The lone loss that season came to Class 2A third-place finisher Rockford Christian in the championship game of the Plano Christmas Classic. </p><p><b>Underrated highlight: </b>While the state championship game was the signature moment of the program and the decade, the 2016-17 team returned to the state finals. </p><p>Newark, led by Will Clausel, Dylan Patrick and Cameron Myre, beat Aurora Christian in the sectional final and Ridgeview in the super-sectional. But the Norsemen then dropped two games in Peoria to finish fourth in the state in Class 1A. </p><p><b>Player of the Decade:</b> Kyle Anderson (2011)</p><p><b>All-Decade Team:</b> Kyle Anderson (2011), John Avery (2011), Brett Anderson (2013), Will Clausel (2017) and Dylan Patrick (2018)</p><p><b>Other decade highlights:</b></p><p><b>-</b>In addition to the first two state trophies for Newark basketball, the decade produced eight regional championships and four sectional titles. </p><p>-The Little Ten Conference is the oldest continually run high school basketball conference in Illinois with the beginning of conference play dating back to 1919-20. The Norsemen won six regular-season conference championships and six Little Ten Conference Tournaments in the past 10 years. <br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/1/28/22254325/newark-high-school-basketballJoe Henricksen2021-01-27T19:12:39.551-06:002021-01-27T19:15:22-06:00Winningest high school basketball programs of the decade: No. 7 Bogan
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<img class="Image" alt="Luwane Pipkins celebrates after stealing the ball and getting fouled." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a31dbf7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1800x1010+0+95/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FfqzG7yQHNsE7jnLBfTsaE5jRYK4%3D%2F0x0%3A1800x1200%2F1800x1200%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28700x443%3A701x444%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22264626%2Fbogan_simeon_1.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3f6b127/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1800x1010+0+95/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FfqzG7yQHNsE7jnLBfTsaE5jRYK4%3D%2F0x0%3A1800x1200%2F1800x1200%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28700x443%3A701x444%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22264626%2Fbogan_simeon_1.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Luwane Pipkins celebrates after stealing the ball and getting fouled.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Sun-Times file photo</p></div></div>
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<p>When high school basketball fans think back to the 1980s, programs like Quincy, Providence St. Mel, East St. Louis Lincoln and the arrival of city powers King and Simeon are easy to think back on.</p><p>The 1990s brought us memorable basketball giants in Peoria Manual and Thornton, a few steamrolling Proviso East teams and the continued dominance of King.</p><p>The first 10 years of the 2000s included Glenbrook North, Peoria High and the beginning of a Simeon juggernaut.</p><p>Earlier this year we broke down the decade’s <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/10/9/20905703/best-illinois-high-school-basketball-teams-decade" target="_blank" >best teams</a> and <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/10/17/20919151/best-illinois-high-school-basketball-players-of-the-decade" target="_blank" >best players.</a> Now, with every season of the past decade complete, it’s time to look at the Chicago area programs who won the most.</p><p>This list is comprised of the 50 winningest programs over the past 10 years, starting with the 2010-11 season and concluding with the 2019-20 season. Every team in every class throughout the Chicago area will be broken down in a variety of ways. But total wins, with winning percentage used as tie-breaker, determined the rankings.</p><p>We present No. 7 Bogan today and will add one program a day going forward.</p><h3>7. BOGAN: 231-67</h3><p><b>Decade’s biggest storyline: </b>Bogan basketball arrived as a powerhouse in the past decade. When coach Arthur Goodwin’s program finally broke through in the 2018-19 season, it shedded the label of being the best program to have never played in Peoria<b>. </b></p><p>The Bengals won a heart-thumping battle over Morgan Park in the sectional championship game behind a heroic effort from unheralded guard Jordan Booker. Bogan then handled Normal U-High in the supersectional and defeated DePaul Prep by 20 in the state semifinals. </p><p>So a program that was virtually non-existent 10 years earlier was playing for a Class 3A state championship in Peoria. That 2018-19 Bogan team, which was led by Booker, Rashaun Agee and Antoine Bloxton, fell in agonizing fashion to East St. Louis, losing 68-63 in overtime to finish second in the state. </p><p>The best team in Bogan history finished the season 30-4.</p><p><b>Underrated highlight: </b>The Chicago Public League championship game had been played since 1901 –– a stretch of 114 years –– without Bogan having ever even appearing in the championship game. That all changed in the 2014-15 season.</p><p>The Bengals, led by the best player in program history, mighty-mite guard Luwane Pipkins, knocked off city heavyweights Young in the semifinals and Simeon in the title game to claim their first-ever Chicago Public League championship. </p><p>That great Bogan team reached the sectional championship game where it fell to Morgan Park.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
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<img class="Image" alt="Bogan’s Rashaun Agee (12) gets a dunk in the first half against Orr." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/56efc8b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1856x1042+0+98/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FhJwEdV6bkx37CkzDu1VYJufe3H8%3D%2F0x0%3A1856x1237%2F1856x1237%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28928x619%3A929x620%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22264627%2Fobt_CST021319_02.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6fe3f51/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1856x1042+0+98/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FhJwEdV6bkx37CkzDu1VYJufe3H8%3D%2F0x0%3A1856x1237%2F1856x1237%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28928x619%3A929x620%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22264627%2Fobt_CST021319_02.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Bogan’s Rashaun Agee (12) gets a dunk in the first half against Orr.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Sun-Times file photo</p></div></div>
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</div><p> </p><p><b>Player of the Decade:</b> Luwane Pipkins (2014)</p><p><b>All-Decade Team:</b> Luwane Pipkins (2014), James Jones (2016), Jordan Booker (2019), Rashaun Agee (2019) and Antoine Bloxton (2020)</p><p><b>Other decade highlights:</b></p><p>-The 2013-14 team won what was at the time the first sectional championship in program history. Bogan pounded Hyde Park 67-37 in the sectional title game to set up a monumental matchup with South Side rival Morgan Park. </p><p>The supersectional showdown was the fourth time the two powers met that season, with Bogan having beaten Morgan Park twice during the regular season. But Bogan lost a heartbreaker, falling 68-67 to finish the season 27-6. </p><p>-Pipkins, the school’s all-time best player, became the leading scorer in program history. </p><p>-With Pipkins leading the way, the 2014-15 team won its first-ever Proviso West Holiday Tournament, beating Young in the championship game. </p><p></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/1/27/22253473/bogan-high-school-basketballJoe Henricksen2021-01-26T10:25:30-06:002021-01-26T10:25:31-06:00Winningest high school basketball programs of the decade: No. 8 Young
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<img class="Image" alt="Young’s Miles Reynolds reacts after hitting a three-pointer to send the 2014 city title game into its first overtime. " srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/cfe8c17/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1800x1010+0+95/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FRgw9rrXaxGkJ8ODWrpiiq3BTYEs%3D%2F0x0%3A1800x1200%2F1800x1200%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28919x484%3A920x485%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22260673%2Fcurie_young_1.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2dea42a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1800x1010+0+95/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FRgw9rrXaxGkJ8ODWrpiiq3BTYEs%3D%2F0x0%3A1800x1200%2F1800x1200%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28919x484%3A920x485%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22260673%2Fcurie_young_1.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Young’s Miles Reynolds reacts after hitting a three-pointer to send the 2014 city title game into its first overtime. </p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Sun-Times file photo</p></div></div>
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<p>When high school basketball fans think back to the 1980s, programs like Quincy, Providence St. Mel, East St. Louis Lincoln and the arrival of city powers King and Simeon are easy to think back on.</p><p>The 1990s brought us memorable basketball giants in Peoria Manual and Thornton, a few steamrolling Proviso East teams and the continued dominance of King.</p><p>The first 10 years of the 2000s included Glenbrook North, Peoria High and the beginning of a Simeon juggernaut.</p><p>Earlier this year we broke down the decade’s <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/10/9/20905703/best-illinois-high-school-basketball-teams-decade" target="_blank" >best teams</a> and <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/10/17/20919151/best-illinois-high-school-basketball-players-of-the-decade" target="_blank" >best players.</a> Now, with every season of the past decade complete, it’s time to look at the Chicago area programs who won the most.</p><p>This list is comprised of the 50 winningest programs over the past 10 years, starting with the 2010-11 season and concluding with the 2019-20 season. Every team in every class throughout the Chicago area will be broken down in a variety of ways. But total wins, with winning percentage used as tie-breaker, determined the rankings.</p><p>We present No. 8 Young today and will add one program a day going forward.</p><h3>8. YOUNG: 229-78</h3><p><b>Decade’s biggest storyline: </b>The 2013-14 Young team will long be remembered –– locally, statewide and nationally. </p><p>With the nation’s top-ranked player as the face of the team, the Dolphins played what was arguably the toughest schedule any team from Illinois has put together. Jahlil Okafor and Company traveled the country, played in nationally-televised events and faced 13 out-of-state powers.</p><p>Young played games in Oregon, Florida, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Tennessee and West Virginia over the course of the season. </p><p>In the end, Young won both city and state championships behind a loaded roster featuring the massive and heralded 6-10 Okafor and top 100, high-major recruit Paul White.</p><p>Prior to beating Benet in the state championship, the Dolphins won a memorable state semifinal matchup against Stevenson and Jalen Brunson. While Brunson scored a record-breaking 56 points in defeat, Okafor, the No. 1 ranked prospect in the country in the Class of 2014, scored 33 points and pulled down 14 rebounds in the 75-68 instant classic. </p><p><b>Underrated highlight: </b>While the 2013-14 team is the easy-to-remember state title team, the lesser-known 2016-17 team also won it all by beating city rival Simeon in the state championship. </p><p>Young’s 27-5 season included a Proviso West Holiday Tournament title and a breakout year from senior Lucas Williamson. The Dolphins beat Fremd 53-47 in the state semifinals and knocked off Simeon 60-50 in the title game. </p><p><b>Player of the Decade:</b> Jahlil Okafor (2014)</p><p><b>All-Decade Team:</b> Jahlil Okafor (2014), Paul White (2014), Lucas Williamson (2017), Javon Freeman (2018) and DJ Steward (2020)</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-floatRight>
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<img class="Image" alt="Jahlil Okafor of Young powers over Stevenson’s Cameron Green for a dunk." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3abbf6e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2679x1504+0+1261/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2F4DX7bFLA6sXl6B2m6XRxBu6HtX8%3D%2F0x0%3A2679x4025%2F2679x4025%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281340x2013%3A1341x2014%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22260680%2FBBK4astate1_CST_032214_216.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5ac9a2a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2679x1504+0+1261/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2F4DX7bFLA6sXl6B2m6XRxBu6HtX8%3D%2F0x0%3A2679x4025%2F2679x4025%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281340x2013%3A1341x2014%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22260680%2FBBK4astate1_CST_032214_216.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Jahlil Okafor of Young powers over Stevenson’s Cameron Green for a dunk.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Sun-Times file photo</p></div></div>
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</div><p><b>Other decade highlights:</b></p><p>-Young won back-to-back city championships, beating Morgan Park in overtime in 2013 and being awarded a forfeit win over Curie in 2014.</p><p>-It’s not very often a program can feature a McDonald’s All-American who is not the Player of the Decade. But there were two players from Young named to this prestigious team this past decade: Steward and Okafor. </p><p>-The 2013-14 team won a high-profile game at the Hoophall Classic in Massachusetts. The Dolphins beat a loaded Oak Hill Academy team, which boasted multiple high-major prospects and a surplus of Division I players, 53-50.</p><p>-In an ESPN televised game in the 2013-14 season, Okafor went for 22 points and 15 rebounds in a win over future Duke teammate Tyus Jones, one of the top five prospects in the country, and Apple Valley in Minnesota. </p><p>-Young won the 2018 Proviso West Holiday Tournament. </p><p>-Okafor went on to win a national championship at Duke as a freshman in 2014-15 and became the No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.</p><p>-Young’s 2019-20 team, led by All-American Steward, was playing for the program’s fourth sectional championship before the state series was officially canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. </p><p>-In one of the biggest regular-season wins of the past decade, Young traveled to California power Mater Dei last February and handed the Monarchs their first-ever loss in the Nike Extravaganza. </p><p></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/1/26/22250490/young-chicago-high-school-basketballJoe Henricksen2021-01-25T10:06:02-06:002021-01-25T10:06:03-06:00Winningest high school basketball programs of the decade: No. 9 Evanston
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<img class="Image" alt="Evanston’s Blake Peters (15) ignites the Wildkits bench with a three against Bloom last season." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3abddf5/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2000x1122+0+39/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2F5u6JNi91CPrycbSpW0gTRBdT9eI%3D%2F0x0%3A2000x1200%2F2000x1200%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281067x681%3A1068x682%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22258133%2Fob_CST_012620_2001.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a50d15f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2000x1122+0+39/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2F5u6JNi91CPrycbSpW0gTRBdT9eI%3D%2F0x0%3A2000x1200%2F2000x1200%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281067x681%3A1068x682%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22258133%2Fob_CST_012620_2001.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Evanston’s Blake Peters (15) ignites the Wildkits bench with a three against Bloom last season.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times</p></div></div>
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<p>When high school basketball fans think back to the 1980s, programs like Quincy, Providence St. Mel, East St. Louis Lincoln and the arrival of city powers King and Simeon are easy to think back on.</p><p>The 1990s brought us memorable basketball giants in Peoria Manual and Thornton, a few steamrolling Proviso East teams and the continued dominance of King.</p><p>The first 10 years of the 2000s included Glenbrook North, Peoria High and the beginning of a Simeon juggernaut.</p><p>Earlier this year we broke down the decade’s <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/10/9/20905703/best-illinois-high-school-basketball-teams-decade" target="_blank" >best teams</a> and <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/10/17/20919151/best-illinois-high-school-basketball-players-of-the-decade" target="_blank" >best players.</a> Now, with every season of the past decade complete, it’s time to look at the Chicago area programs who won the most.</p><p>This list is comprised of the 50 winningest programs over the past 10 years, starting with the 2010-11 season and concluding with the 2019-20 season. Every team in every class throughout the Chicago area will be broken down in a variety of ways. But total wins, with winning percentage used as tie-breaker, determined the rankings.</p><p>We present No. 9 Evanston today and will add one program a day going forward.</p><h3>9. EVANSTON: 229-83</h3><p><b>Decade’s biggest storyline: </b>The back-to-back seasons Evanston put together in 2017-18 and 2018-19 –– and continued through the postponed 2019-20 season –– was a record-breaking stretch, even for a proud basketball program that is steeped in endless success and tradition. </p><p>Evanston finished third in the state in Class 4A in 2018 and was the Class 4A state runner-up in 2019, losing to Belleville West in the state title game. It’s the only time in Evanston history where the Wildkits made back-to-back trips to state and brought home state trophies. </p><p>The 32-win season of 2018-19 tied the school record for most wins in a season. </p><p>The 2019-20 Wildkits were still alive and set to play in a sectional championship with a sparkling 29-4 record before the pandemic pulled the plug last March. </p><p><b>Underrated highlight: </b>Blake Peters’ 80-foot shot. </p><p>With Evanston trailing by two in a televised home game with Maine South in January of 2018, Peters, who was just a freshman, launched a full-court, one-handed 80-foot heave that gave the Wildkits a stunning 45-44 win. </p><p>The epic moment went viral while turning Peters’ life upside down for a brief period. The shot made SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays and was ranked No. 1. Peters was invited to ESPN’s ESPY Award Show as the shot was nominated in the “Best Play” category. </p><p><b>Player of the Decade:</b> Nojel Eastern (2017)</p><p><b>All-Decade Team:</b> James Farr (2011), Nojel Eastern (2017), Elyjah Williams (2017), Lance Jones (2019) and Blake Peters (2021)</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-floatRight>
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<img class="Image" alt="Evanston’s Nojel Eastern leaps to shoot over Riverside-Brookfield’s Jalen Clanton." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4ac888f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1962x1101+0+925/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FQpcT92kkDb4x57dI37q4V1Tpt98%3D%2F0x0%3A1962x2951%2F1962x2951%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28981x1476%3A982x1477%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22258136%2FBBKevanston_CST_012515_04.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/37a2f28/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1962x1101+0+925/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FQpcT92kkDb4x57dI37q4V1Tpt98%3D%2F0x0%3A1962x2951%2F1962x2951%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28981x1476%3A982x1477%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22258136%2FBBKevanston_CST_012515_04.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Evanston’s Nojel Eastern leaps to shoot over Riverside-Brookfield’s Jalen Clanton.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Sun-Times file photo</p></div></div>
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</div><p><b>Other decade highlights:</b></p><p>-The decade started with the big-name hiring of Mike Ellis as coach in 2010. Ellis came from Peoria Richwoods, where he was fresh off a 30-win season and two state runner-up finishes. The hiring of Ellis has proved fruitful as Evanston has enjoyed its most successful decade of basketball in program history.</p><p>-Individually, Eastern’s impact over the course of the decade was immense. A four-year starter who went on to play at Purdue, Eastern finished as the school’s second all-time leading scorer (behind only Juvon McGarry) with 1,345 points. He’s the only player in Evanston history with 1,000 points, 400 rebounds and 300 assists in his career. </p><p>-Eastern, Peters, Jones and Jaheim Holden all scored over 1,000 career points in the decade. Peters was on track to become the all-time leading scorer in Evanston history. </p><p>-Peters, a current senior, already set Evanston three-point records for most threes in a game, season and career. He was poised to finish among the all-time three-point shooters in state history. </p><p>-The past four seasons the Wildkits went a combined 115-18 over the past four seasons, averaging a remarkable 29 wins a season. </p><p>-The Wildkits have won or at least shared the Central Suburban League South in each of the past six seasons. That’s the longest conference title streak in Evanston basketball history. </p><p>-Evanston won four sectional championships over the course of the decade, including a surprise run in 2011-12.</p><p>-In 2016-17, Evanston put together arguably the toughest schedule in program history. That included a trip to Florida to play in the prestigious Beach Ball Classic to face nationally-ranked teams. Evanston finished second. Evanston also travels</p><p>-Even with all the success in the decade, especially in the past few years, there remains a question of what might have been if not for all the talent that left Evanston. </p><p>This past decade Evanston was as fertile as any area in producing top basketball talent. In addition to the great players that took the Evanston program to a record-breaking decade of basketball, the list of talented players who lived and played in Evanston in 7th and 8th grade is pretty eye-opening as well. </p><p>Lorenzo Dillard (Niles North to Division II Angelo State), Rodney Pryor (Niles Notre Dame to Georgetown), Dravon Clayborn (star at Niles North), Aquan Smart (Niles North to Maryland), Patrick Baldwin, Jr. (currently the No. 2 ranked player in the country), Anthony Sayles (the top unsigned senior in Illinois now at Notre Dame) and Ahamad Bynum (Simeon senior who has signed with DePaul) all resided in Evanston before leaving for other schools to play their high school basketball elsewhere. <br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/1/25/22248583/evanston-high-school-basketballJoe Henricksen2021-01-24T10:24:04-06:002021-01-24T13:58:50-06:00Winningest high school basketball programs of the decade: No. 10 Hillcrest
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<img class="Image" alt="Hillcrest’s Mar’Keise Irving (2) uses a head fake and then dribbles around a defender." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5d02da2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2000x1122+0+239/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2Ft9btLVhmduEWIDiRfzfWvE5TVEo%3D%2F0x0%3A2000x1600%2F2000x1600%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28833x555%3A834x556%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22256444%2Fob_cst_020920_2034.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/bf149de/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2000x1122+0+239/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2Ft9btLVhmduEWIDiRfzfWvE5TVEo%3D%2F0x0%3A2000x1600%2F2000x1600%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28833x555%3A834x556%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F22256444%2Fob_cst_020920_2034.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Hillcrest’s Mar’Keise Irving (2) uses a head fake and then dribbles around a defender.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times</p></div></div>
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<p>When high school basketball fans think back to the 1980s, programs like Quincy, Providence St. Mel, East St. Louis Lincoln and the arrival of city powers King and Simeon are easy to think back on.</p><p>The 1990s brought us memorable basketball giants in Peoria Manual and Thornton, a few steamrolling Proviso East teams and the continued dominance of King.</p><p>The first 10 years of the 2000s included Glenbrook North, Peoria High and the beginning of a Simeon juggernaut.</p><p>Earlier this year we broke down the decade’s <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/10/9/20905703/best-illinois-high-school-basketball-teams-decade" target="_blank" >best teams</a> and <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/10/17/20919151/best-illinois-high-school-basketball-players-of-the-decade" target="_blank" >best players.</a> Now, with every season of the past decade complete, it’s time to look at the Chicago area programs who won the most.</p><p>This list is comprised of the 50 winningest programs over the past 10 years, starting with the 2010-11 season and concluding with the 2019-20 season. Every team in every class throughout the Chicago area will be broken down in a variety of ways. But total wins, with winning percentage used as tie-breaker, determined the rankings.</p><p>We present No. 10 Hillcrest today and will add one program a day going forward.</p><h3>10. HILLCREST: 226-72</h3><p><b>Decade’s biggest storyline: </b>The previous decade ended with Hillcrest’s first-ever state championship, so following that up in the 2010s was always going to be difficult.</p><p>However, Hillcrest returned to Peoria two years later. That team, led by Jovan Mooring, won 25 games and finished third in the state in Class 3A. The Hawks lost to eventual state champ Peoria in the state semifinals before beating Springfield Lanphier to finish third. </p><p><b>Underrated decade highlight: </b>Hillcrest won 20 or more games every single season in the decade and extended its streak of 20-plus win seasons to 23 straight years. </p><p><b>Player of the Decade:</b> Julius Brown (2011)</p><p><b>All-Decade Team:</b> Julius Brown (2011), Taylor Adway (2105), Jovan Mooring (2013), Marcus Garrett (2017) and Julius Rollins (2021)</p><p><b>Other decade news and highlights:</b> </p><p>-The Hawks won eight regional championships in the decade and went on to win four sectional titles. The Hawks fell to Morgan Park in all three supersectionals (2013, 2015 and 2017) that they lost. Hillcrest did knock off Morgan Park in the sectional final in 2012, on the way to that third-place finish in Class 3A.</p><p>-Although Hillcrest’s remarkable conference win streak did end in 2016-17 –– the Hawks had won 28 straight conference championships –– it still won conference titles in nine of the past 10 seasons.<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/1/24/22247155/hillcrest-high-school-basketball-ihsa-country-club-hillsJoe Henricksen