Players to watch in the Chicagoland 3A, 4A preps basketball sectionals
The 2023 IHSA boys basketball state tournament is in full swing.
The sectional championships are scheduled this week as the road to Champaign continues. As playoff action rolls along this week, here are some players to watch from the Class 3A and 4A fields.
Tune in next Monday, March 6 at 6 PM CT as Marquee Sports Network airs IHSA Boys Basketball Class 3A and 4A Super-Sectional Matchups. Matchups airing on Marquee to be announced following the Sectional Final games this Friday.
3A
Miles Rubin, Wes Rubin — Simeon
Star senior big men and twin brothers Miles (Loyola-Chicago signee) and Wes Rubin (Northern Iowa) led Simeon to the Public League title earlier this month. They now look to bring home the Wolverines’ eighth state title in retiring coach Robert Smith’s final season
Chicago Simeon held on to defeat Kenwood 72-64 in OT to win the City Title behind the Rubin Twins, Wes and Miles. This was Simeon coach Robert Smith's record seventh city title. Coach Smith announced his retirement before this sesason🏆 pic.twitter.com/W8MAUKCB2z
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) February 13, 2023
Asa Thomas — Lake Forest
Thomas recently earned his second straight North Suburban Conference Player of the Year honor with Lake Forest, the No. 1 seed in the Grayslake (Central) sectional. The 6-foot-7 senior is a Clemson signee.
Congratulations to @AsaThomas13 on being named the North Suburban Conference Player of the Year for the second year in a row! pic.twitter.com/LH7S1U3ivT
— LFHS Boys Basketball (@LFBoysHoops) February 20, 2023
Macaleab Rich — East St. Louis
Rich posted 25 points and 13 rebounds in No. 1-seeded East St. Louis’ win over Jacksonville in the Centralia sectional regional finals. The 6-foot-7 senior forward is a Kansas State signee.
DeAndre Craig — Mount Carmel
Craig scored 17 points in No. 2-seeded Mount Carmel’s win over Bogan in the regional finals. The 6-foot-1 senior point guard is a Denver signee.
Your Mount Carmel Caravan are regional champs! MC 74 Bogan 48 We were led by Angelo Ciaravino's 32pts and D. Craig w 17! Zoller (2), Best (1), and Tado (1) all take charges. Anthony Ciaravino keeps their best shooter without a field goal! @michaelsobrien @HSBBALLjg @Tim_OBrien10
— Caravan Basketball🏀 (@caravanhoops) February 25, 2023
Jurrell Baldwin — Hyde Park
Baldwin, a 6-foot-7 junior forward with offers from Saint Louis and Murray State, put up 14 points and 11 rebounds in Hyde Park’s win over Nazareth in the regional finals. Hyde Park will square off with Mount Carmel in the sectional semifinals.
Hyde Park 53 Nazareth 38
— Hyde Park Academy BB (@HydePark_BB) February 25, 2023
Da'Marion Morris; 14pts, 7asst
Jurrell Baldwin; 14pts, 11rebs, 3bs
Germaine Benson; 8pts, 6rebs, 2stls@michaelsobrien
Richard Barron — St. Ignatius
The 6-foot-5 Barron, a George Mason signee, scored 28 and 20 points in Ignatius’ two wins en route to the regional championship.
The Wolfpack defeats Elmwood Park 95-46! Richard Barron led the Pack with 28 points. Philip Erickson scored 18 and Phoenix Gill pitched in 11. @michaelsobrien @NestoHoops @joehoopsreport @HSBBALLjg @Tim_OBrien10 @ILL_HS_Hoops @scottybscout pic.twitter.com/CT2aL4jiUv
— Saint Ignatius Basketball (@SICPBB) February 23, 2023
The Wolfpack defeats Perspectives/IIT-MSA 69-35 to win the Regional Championship! Richard Barron led the Pack with 20 points and Phoenix Gill added 16 points. @michaelsobrien @joehoopsreport @NestoHoops @HSBBALLjg @Tim_OBrien10 @ILL_HS_Hoops @scottybscout
— Saint Ignatius Basketball (@SICPBB) February 25, 2023
📸: @simoprods pic.twitter.com/dq3OWYYaPB
4A
Darrin “Dai Dai” Ames — Kenwood
Ames, a Kansas State signee, has had plenty of memorable moments this season — from his 65-point game in December to going toe-to-toe with top 2023 recruit DJ Wagner of Camden N.J. last month. He dropped 16 points with seven assists in No. 1-seeded Kenwood’s win in the regional finals.
Dai Dai Ames dropped 65 PTS in Chicago Kenwood's 122-48 win. Kansas State signee shot 28-41 (7-15 3s) pic.twitter.com/QTyThqB6vV
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) December 27, 2022
Dai Dai Ames Was COOKING Yesterday Against Camden! @daidai3k @KenwoodHoops @TheMacIrvinFire @KStateMBB
— Hoop Highlights (@h00phighlights1) January 21, 2023
Full Highlights: https://t.co/yH1vFmeZJV pic.twitter.com/PnTEtrubQh
Kenwood 79 vs Oak Lawn 56
— Mike Irvin (@MIKE_IRVIN) February 25, 2023
Tyler Smith 30pts 5rebs 4asst 5stls
Dai Dai Ames 16pts 7asst 3stls
Solomon Mosley 8pts 4rebs 1blk
Isaiah Green 8pts 4asst 2stls
Jaden Smith 5reb 3blks
Calvin Robins 10rebs 1stl@michaelsobrien @joehoopsreport @scottybscout
Brock Harding, Owen Freeman — Moline
Harding scored 26 points and Freeman notched 15 in Moline’s regional final win over Bradley-Bourbonnais. The senior point guard-forward combination are both Iowa signees.
STOCKPILE GOLD-Boys Basketball
— Brian Stocking (@BrianStocking) February 25, 2023
Moline beats Bradley-Bourbonnais 71-39. Brock Harding 26 pts (14 in 1ST QTR). Owen Freeman 15 pts (38 in regionals). Moline is 18-1 in 2023 and 11-game win streak. 20TH time with 70+.#Stockpile@TheScoreWQAD @MolineBoysBball @MolineAthletics
Morez Johnson — St. Rita
One of the nation’s top recruits in the class of 2024, Johnson finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds in St. Rita’s win in the regional finals. The 6-foot-9 forward is committed to play for the Fighting Illini.
Jeremy Fears Jr. — Joliet West
Fears is a Top 30 recruit in the class of 2023 and a top-ranked player from Illinois, according to 247 Sports. No. 1-seeded Joliet West’s point guard is a Michigan State signee and will play in the upcoming McDonald’s All-American Game.
James Brown — St. Rita
Brown is a Top 30 player in the Class of 2024, according to 247 Sports, and committed to North Carolina last month. The center scored 13 points in St. Rita’s win over Homewood-Flossmoor in the regional finals.
Cameron Christie — Rolling Meadows
Christie, a senior guard, dropped 20 points in Rolling Meadows’ win over Loyola Academy in the regional finals. The Minnesota signee became the school’s second all-time leading scorer in the process.
Mustangs win 52-44 to win Back-Back Regional Championships, improve to 27-6. Christie with 20, 5, and 5, Ogbonna w/ 9, Sotirov w/ 9, Nikolich-Wilson w/6, 5, and 4. Miletic w/ 4pts, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists! Duffer big minutes off of the bench.
— RM Boys Basketball (@RMBoysHoops) February 25, 2023
Tonight, Cameron Christie passes Rob Garnes to become the second leading scorer in Rolling Meadows History! Now stands at 1,869 points. Congratulations @24CameronC !!
— RM Boys Basketball (@RMBoysHoops) February 25, 2023