High school: Fenwick College: Duke University Career highlights:McDonalds All-America Maggette was anAll-American at Fenwick before spending only one year with the Duke BlueDevils. It was the best team produced by legendary coach Morgan Wootten.<\/p>\n
Interestingly, Thornridge 1972 ranked ahead of Oscar Robertson's 1955 Indianapolis Crispis Attucks team and Wilt Chamberlain's 1955 Philadelphia Overbrook team.<\/p>\n
The author, Scott Lynn (real name: Scott Betzelberger), has an interesting background in Illinois high school basketball. Lynn's book, "Thornridge: The Perfect Season in Black and White," published by AuthorHouse, brings back memories for high school basketball fans throughout Illinois. (Michael Blackshire / Chicago Tribune), Curtis Glenn, oldest brother of Ben Wilson, cries while holding his granddaughters Bella Robinson, 8, left, and Chloe Robinson, 10, during a street sign dedication for Benji Wilson on Nov. 21, 2022, in Chicago. Call it a generational version of Beatle-mania. Future Mr. Basketball winner Deon Thomas was a somewhat raw sophomore. Another future NBA player, David Wingate, also was a starter.<\/p>\n
Power Memorial was led by 7-2 junior Lewis Alcindor, now Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who went on to become the highest scoring player in NBA history. Buckner, whose mother was a teacher in the district and whose sister later became superintendent of the district, and Batts were among the first African-Americans to attend the Dolton school.<\/p>\n
Lynn focuses on other fascinating human-interest stories that played out beyond the basketball courthow Ferguson was able to maintain discipline among his players, how Greg Rose had to work nights as a musician to support his family, Ferguson confessed that he rarely slept because he was worried that he would make a mistake that would cause his once-in-a-lifetime team to lose a game.<\/p>\n
One incident tells you all you need to know about the Thornridge team: During a team meeting prior to the start of the season, Ferguson was listing his team's goals on a chalkboard. He died the next day. Mikan was so dominant thatthe NBA had to make rules changes because of him, including a wider lane andintroducing a shot clock. Publichigh school Established 1894 (1894) Status Open[1] School district Chicago Public Schools NCESDistrict ID 1709930[2] School code IL-15-016-2990-25-1501629900011 CEEB code 140815 NCESSchool ID 170993000788[1] Principal Tonya Hammaker Grades 9-12 Gender Coeducational Enrollment 670[1] (2021) Grade 9 174[1] Grade 10 137[1] Grade 11 "That's huge man. 4 behind Baltimore Dunbar 1983, New York City's Power Memorial 1964 and Hyattsville, Md., De Matha 1965. "When I play the game, I don't think about anyone in the stands or anything like that. St. Ignatius, Chicago - 3rd Floor gym, not used for varsity. A lot of people underestimated us. No Illinois team before or since has ever done it better.<\/p>\n
That is the challenge that confronts Simeon this season.<\/p>\n", mps => {"league":"","sport":"","sponsor":""}, chrome_data => "{\"league\":\"\",\"sport\":\"\",\"sponsor\":\"\"}", image => {"uri":"public:\/\/archive\/assets_article\/chicago\/2011\/12\/06\/604768.png","alt":"604768.png","title":"Remembering Thornridge -- 40 years later"}, fb_url => "https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dialog\/share?app_id=330072974228200&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsports.com%2Fchicago%2Fremembering-thornridge-40-years-later&display=popup", tw_url => "https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Remembering%20Thornridge%20--%2040%20years%20later&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsports.com%2Fchicago%2Fremembering-thornridge-40-years-later&original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsports.com%2Fchicago%2Fremembering-thornridge-40-years-later", mailto => "mailto:?subject=Remembering%20Thornridge%20--%2040%20years%20later&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsports.com%2Fchicago%2Fremembering-thornridge-40-years-later", meta => {"file":"\/mnt\/gfs\/rsnunited\/sites\/default\/files\/archive\/article\/chicago\/remembering-thornridge-40-years-later.json","assets":["public:\/\/archive\/assets_article\/chicago\/2011\/12\/06\/604768.png"]}, orig_image => {"uri":"public:\/\/2016\/04\/11\/604768.png","alt":"604768.png","title":"Remembering Thornridge -- 40 years later"}. Thomas won Mr. Basketball, but King won the game 67-57 for its third city title in four years. He won the 2005 NBAThree Point Shootout championship. High school: Westinghouse College: Bradley Career highlights: 1988 NCAA AP Player of the Year, 1991 NBA All-StarHawkins played four years at Bradley University, where he won back-to-backMissouri Valley Conference Player of the Year Awards and averaged an NCAADivision I-leading 36.3 points per game his senior year. Ben Wilson, an American high school basketball star from Neal F. Simeon High School in Chicago, Illinois, USA, was shot in the neighborhood surrounding the school during its lunch hour on November 20, 1984.Wilson died from injuries sustained in the shooting the following morning. -- NOTE: Also receiving a single vote (thus not receiving honorable mention): Mason Shubert, Breese Central (received firs team vote); Kerr Bauman, Pontiac; x-Christian Bentancur, Marian Central; Aidan Parker, Robinson; Landon Sanders, Lawrenceville; x-Dylan Schmidt, Johnsburg. HONORABLE MENTION (19 TOTAL; IN ORDER OF POINTS) Jordan Pickett, Belleville East (6-3, Sr., PG/SG) 21; Jack Stanton, Downers Grove North (6-2, Jr., G) 21; Nojus Indrusaitis, Chicago St. Rita (6-5, Jr., G/F) 15; James Brown, Chicago St. Rita (6-10, Jr., C) 14; Daniel Johnson, Chicago Whitney Young (6-7, Sr., F) 14; Stefan Cicic, Riverside-Brookfield (6-11, Jr., C) 11; Dalen Davis, Chicago Whitney Young (6-0, Sr., G) 11; Brayden Fagbemi, Lisle Benet (6-0, Sr., G) 11; Mekhi Cooper, Bolingbrook (6-0, Sr., G) 9; Brady Kunka, Lisle Benet (6-4, Sr., PF) 9; Mekhi Lowery, Oswego East High (6-7, Sr., G) 9; Niklas Polonowski, LaGrange Lyons Township (6-6, Sr., SG/SF) 9; Ryan Cohen, Glenbrook North (6-3, Sr., SG) 6; Jeremiah Fears, Joliet West (6-0, Soph., G) 6; Connor May, Palatine (6-7, Jr., G) 6; Braylen Meredith, Wheaton Warrenville South (6-6, Sr., F) 6; Jaheem Webber, Normal Community (6-9, Jr., C) 6; Luke Williams, Naperville North (6-1, Jr., G) 6; Koby Wilmoth, OFallon (6-7, Sr., F) 6. Inside the FAB 50: All about Alhambra - ESPN - ESPNHS Boys' Basketball Students hold a candlelight vigil on Nov. 26, 1984, on the South Side, where Simeon High School basketball star Ben Wilson was slain the week before. Simeon has kept the trend of success going over the last few years, including last season where they reached the IHSA class 3A semifinals while playing a national schedule. Ben Wilson's father, Ben Wilson Sr., talks to the media during the murder trial in his son's slaying on Oct. 9, 1985, at the Criminal Court Building in Chicago. They also won the Class 4A championship four times; 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, and 2012-13 (which tied Manual High School for the longest Illinois state championship title run). In his fourth season in the NBA he started a career-high 74games for the LA Clippers and his point-per-game average more than doubled to16.4, earning him the leagues Most Improved Player Award for the 2004-05season. (Heather Charles / Chicago Tribune), Simeon assistant coach Maurice Jones, left, helps with a framed portrait of Ben Wilson during a ceremony where the basketball team was being honored for their fourth consecutive Class 4A IHSA championship at Simeon High School in Chicago on March 20, 2013. Davis career is only beginning, but his one year at Kentucky is considered oneof the best freshman seasons in NCAA history. Green was credited with scoring the five millionth point in NBA history in1982. Athletic alums organizing others to support student-athletes within and beyond Simeon's walls. In the 1970s, Illinois schools were restricted by travel limitations. Wilson was a top basketball prospect at Simeon High School when he was murdered during his senior year in 1984. He wrote: "Win the conference. Simeon High School, which is located in Chicago, Illinois, is one of the most famous and well known basketball programs around the country. Famous alumni include Derrick Rose, Kendrick Nunn, Jabari Parker, Bobby Simmons, Talen Horton-Tucker, and others. Tragedy struck on the eve of the season with the murder of Wilson, who had been deemed the No. Anderson lived up to the hype by becoming the first of Simeon's four Mr. Basketball winners, but the city championship streak ended at two with a 49-46 loss to King and Anderson's future Illinois teammate Marcus Liberty in the final. On April15, 2010, Wardle was named the head mens basketball coach at the University ofWisconsin-Green Bay. Prospect: PG Ahamad Bynum. High school: Thornton College: Fresno State Career highlights: 2x WAC Player of the year, 2007 NBA ChampionEly was the center on the nationally-ranked Thornton team that also includedfuture NFL players at point guard (Randle-El) and power forward (Harris). Adam Duvall is a . Simeon basketball star Ben Wilson, right, with his coach, Bob Hambric, at Simeon in 1984. PG Sr. 5' 10" 160 lbs. It is all about the school and winning than it is about self. High school basketball: Breaking down the Class 3A state finals (Michael Blackshire / Chicago Tribune), Friends, family and supporters celebrate as an honorary street sign is revealed and dedicated to Benji Wilson on Nov. 21, 2022, in Chicago. As acoach, he won the NBA Coach of the Year while with the Orlando Magic in 2000,and won an NBA championship as coach of the Boston Celtics in 2008. He played one year of football at Indiana before quitting to concentrate on basketball. 6 Simeon (Chicago) and No . His 19,202 career points still rankamong the top-50 totals in NBA history. By Joe Henricksen Sept 10, 2021, 7:43am PDT Simeon's expanding NBA legacy Pocket Home - Neal F. Simeon Bio. - Simeon Career Academy Their business was winning. High school: Lyons Township College: Iowa State University Career highlights: 1992 NBA All-Star Hornacek starred at suburban Lyons Township before playing at Iowa State. Famous alumni include Derrick Rose, Kendrick Nunn, Jabari Parker, Bobby Simmons, Talen Horton-Tucker, and others. High school: Proviso East College: University of Wisconsin Career highlights: 2007 NBA Champion, two-time NBA All-StarFinley was a member of the famous Three Amigos team at Proviso East withfuture NBA players Donnie Boyce and Sherrell Ford. It was really a tough group. (Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune), Curtis Glenn, Ben Wilson's oldest brother, center, accepts a framed team jersey from members of the Simeon High School boys basketball team on Nov. 14, 2009. Last updated on November 1, 2017 by Tab Bamford. McNeal was also a Simeon High School student, and a member of Good Kids Mad City, a youth organization that fights to end violence. Kendrick Nunn continues legacy of Ben Wilson in Chicago homecoming - ESPN Simeon Career Academy - Wikipedia By Joe Henricksen May 12, 2022, 3:51pm PDT Pocket Flipboard (Ed Wagner, Jr., Chicago Tribune). Hardaway created thekiller crossover and was among the most lethal guards in the NBA over his13-year career. Hambric, whose sophomore teams routinely outperformed the varsity, coached both teams the rest of the season. 12 overall pick in the 1983 NBADraft. Simeon (IL) Robert Smith Speaks History of Program, Chicago Basketball Jalen Griffin, who was a junior last season, has been on varsity since he was a freshmen also and they have been through the wars already. He answers. High school: Mount CarmelCollege: KentuckyCareer highlights: 2006 NBAChampion, 3x NBA All-Star Walker played with Donovan McNabb at Mount Carmel before heading to play onRick Pitinos Wildcats at Kentucky. By Joe Henricksen. High school: RichardsCollege: MarquetteCareer highlights: 2x NBAchampion, 9x NBA All-Star, NBA Finals MVP In 2002-03, Wade led Marquette to their first Final Four berth since 1977, andearned the Conference USA Player of the Year Award. Melvin was a sophomore teammate of Wilson's as he . Brock played star high school ball at Simeon Career Academy of the Chicago Public League. Nunn learned about the 35-year anniversary of Wilson's death ahead of Friday's tipoff. ALUMNI Registration He was named first-team All Conference USA in 2001. 1 Evanston for the first of Simeon's Illinois record six state championships. Chicago has an incredibly rich history on the hardwood. Named All-American and won three national awards. LIST OF VOTERS (30) Derek Bayne, WREX-TV Rockford; Aaron Britton, Nesto Hoops.com; Josh Brown, Robinson Daily News; Jack Bullock, A Baseline View (Southern Illinois); Jimmy Dean, WGGH radio Marion; Adam Duvall, Peoria Journal Star; Charlie Ellerbrock, The Times (Ottawa/Streator); Kevin Hieronymus, Bureau County Republican; Brian Hoxsey, The Times (Ottawa/Streator); Johnston City Newsbreak; Fred Kroner, Mahomet Daily; Colin Likas, Champaign News-Gazette; Randy List, Centralia Morning Sentinel; Jim Mattson, WEEK-TV Peoria/Bloomington; Erich Murphy, Pontiac Daily Leader; Seth Pote, Chicagoland Prep Hoops.com; Dick Quagliano, Chicago Daily Herald; Randy Reinhardt, Bloomington Pantagraph; Matt Rodewald, IHSA TV Network; Greg Sapp, WXEF-WKJT radio Effingham; Mason Schweizer, Kankakee Daily Journal; Steve Tappa, MC22-TV Quad Cities/QCSportsNet/AP All-State chair; Matt Trowbridge, Rockford Register-Star; Greg Shashack, Alton Telegraph; Steve Soucie, Joliet Herald-News; Joe Stevenson, (Crystal Lake) Northwest Herald; Alex Wallner, Effingham Daily News; Josh Welge, Kendall County Record/Kane County Chronicle; William Welt, Springfield State Journal-Register; Matt Wilson, Carlyle Union Banner. It's great to see it, especially for kids from the same situation that I'm from, with the same upbringing because a lot of us don't get that opportunity.". 1 team in the nation. POINTS Ty Pence, St. Joseph-Ogden (6-6, Sr., G/F) 120 Cole Certa, Bloomington Central Catholic (6-4, Jr., G) 116 Gianni Cobb, Chicago Perspectives-Leadership (6-0, Jr., PG) 59 Dylan Bazzell, Fairbury Prairie Central (6-4, Sr., G/F) 58 Grady Thompson, Princeton (6-4, Sr., G) 58, SECOND TEAM NAME, SCHOOL (HT., YR., POS.) For the last 22 years, he has served as sports director of KEX Radio in Portland, Oregon.<\/p>\n
Lynn is a colon cancer survivor who underwent life-saving emergency surgery in 2008. Lynn focuses on other fascinating human-interest stories that played out beyond the basketball courthow Ferguson was able to maintain discipline among his players, how Greg Rose had to work nights as a musician to support his family, Ferguson confessed that he rarely slept because he was worried that he would make a mistake that would cause his once-in-a-lifetime team to lose a game. The 1979-80 record is from Tribune archives. There were no unanimous selections (players named on every ballot). Against the Bulls on Friday, Nunn recorded his seventh 20-point game this season, which is tied with Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant for most among rookies and the most by a Heat rookie since Michael Beasley in 2008-09, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Tribune archives show eight losses, four to Vocational. CLASS 3A FIRST TEAM NAME, SCHOOL (HT., YR., POS.) High school: Westinghouse College: University of Illinois Career highlights: 1989 NBA Sixth Man of the YearJohnson was named to the Illini Mens Basketball All-Century Team in 2004,and went on to play 17 seasons in the NBA. Before building Chicago's premier . Curtis Glenn, Ben Wilson's oldest brother, center, accepts a framed team jersey from members of the Simeon High School boys basketball team on Nov. 14, 2009. We bring back the Rubin twins, who have both committed to Loyola-Chicago, and then we have two guys who transferred in. Top 10 Illini basketball players - University of Illinois Alumni The previous spring, he had led Simeon to the first state championship in . They have the talent once again, and as always, will play an elite national schedule over the course of the season. High school: CarverCollege: University of MichiganCareer highlights: 1970 NBA Champion,1972 NBA All-Star, U. of Michigan Athletic Hall of Fame Russell was a two-time NCAA All-American at the University of Michigan and wasnamed the Player of the Year in 1966 before the New York Knicks made him thefirst overall pick in that summers NBA Draft. At the time, he was the youngest head coach in NCAADivision I. Tab Bamford is the owner of a Blackhawks blog, CommittedIndians.com, serves as a columnist and Chicago correspondent for TheFourthPeriod.com, and is a featured sports blogger for ChicagoNow.com. And business was good," said former Chicago Bulls announcer Jim Durham.<\/p>\n
But Thornridge was more than Buckner. : https://t.co/hpR7JLDheo pic.twitter.com/6uMmDabNSs. I just dont think we get enough credit on what we do or how we play but it is what it is. He explains. Will Simeon or any state champion ever measure up to Thornridge's gold-standard performance over Quincy (104-69) in the 1972 state final?<\/p>\n
Simeon supporters argue, justifiably, that Thornridge didn't play the challenging national schedule that awaits the Wolverines. POINTS Jeremy Fears Jr., Joliet West (6-0, Sr., PG) 105 Owen Freeman, Moline (6-11, Sr., F) 102 Darrin Dai Dai Ames, Chicago Kenwood (6-2, Sr., PG) 100 Morez Johnson, Chicago St. Rita (6-9, Jr., F) 75 Cameron Christie, Rolling Meadows (6-6, Sr., G) 73, SECOND TEAM NAME, SCHOOL (HT., YR., POS.) Joining them soon will be Simeon alum and Duke star Jabari Parker, who's projected as one of the top picks in the June 26 NBA draft. High school: Simeon Career AcademyCollege: DePaulCareer highlights: 2005 NBA MostImproved Player Simmons joined Quentin Richardson at DePaul and played three strong seasons forthe Blue Demons, averaging 16.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in his junior(and final) season. In 2006 he was a member of the NBA Champion MiamiHeat. High school basketball: Simeon's expanding NBA legacy - Chicago Sun-Times High School Basketball Sports High School Sports Simeon's expanding NBA legacy Wolverines coach Robert Smith has four players in the NBA and a fifth battling for a roster spot. -- NOTE: Also receiving a single vote (thus not receiving honorable mention): Garrett Wolfe, Effingham (received first team vote); Marquel Newsome, Peoria Richwoods; Evan Nolle, Marion; Cesar Ortiz, Woodstock North; Jevon Warren, Thornton Fractional North. And that team was the same way. 3: Michael Ratliff. An overflow crowd stands outside Operation PUSH headquarters where the funeral services were held for slain Simeon High School basketball player Ben Wilson on Nov. 24, 1984. He was named first team All-NBA in 1997 and his career averageof 8.2 assists per game is the twelfth best mark in NBA history. A brother of slain Simeon High basketball star Ben Wilson comforts his father, Ben Sr., at the 17-year-old boy's wake on Nov. 23, 1984. 11y . The Throne National Championship Field of Teams Announced. De Matha, the team that snapped Power Memorial's 71-game winning streak was led by Bob Whitmore, Sid Catlett, Bernard Williams Mickie Wiles and Ernie Austin. Call it a generational version of Beatle-mania.<\/p>\n
Coach Robert Smith's Wolverines, heavily favored to win their third state championship in a row and fifth in seven years, are being touted as the No. Sign up today to have alumni and campus news updates sent to your inbox via email once a month. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. Nazareth Glenn attends the honorary street sign dedication for Ben Wilson on Nov. 21, 2022, in Chicago. The schools career scoring leader before Thomas came along, he still stands seventh. Thomas and guard Cody Butler had big seasons as the Wolverines won their first 28 games to set up the final and possibly most hyped meeting of this stretch with 28-1 King and its junior phenoms Jamie Brandon and Johnny Selvie. He played one year of football at Indiana before quitting to concentrate on basketball. Ben Wilson with Simeon coach Bob Hambric (left) in November of 1984. Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Resources CPS Non-Discrimination Statement Simeon Career Academy Simeon Career Academy. High school: Carver College: DePaul Career highlights: 2x NBA All-Star, 1983 NBA Rookie of the Year. But not all high schools are created equal, and most of them are lucky to have a single player make it to the NBA. 8147 South Vincennes Avenue Chicago, IL 60620 . (Ovie Carter / Chicago Tribune), Students hold a candlelight vigil on Nov. 26, 1984, on the South Side, where Simeon High School basketball star Ben Wilson was slain the week before. Frame: Lean frame with room . Sam Lewis, who committed to Toledo, and Kaiden Space, who has multiple offers already. Latest Updates. Simeon's 2011-12 basketball team has stirred up considerable excitement. Why people dont give us as much credit? The Miami Heat selected himwith the fifth overall selection in the 2003 NBA Draft, and he has built thefinest resume in that franchises history since. He was named an All-American in 1994before taking his talents to the NBA; that summer, the Washington Bullets madeHoward the fifth overall pick in the NBA Draft. Photos: Street sign dedication ceremony for slain 1984 Simeon High Nunn scored 13 points in the first quarter before deferring to Jimmy Butler in the fourth quarter with Miami losing a 22-point lead, but he still had a solid game overall, going 8-for-14 from the field. After his sophomore year, Richardson was the No. The Detroit Pistons made himthe second overall pick in the 1981 NBA Draft. Could Simeon break Thornridge's suffocating 1-2-1-1 zone press that devastated every opponent? One incident tells you all you need to know about the Thornridge team: During a team meeting prior to the start of the season, Ferguson was listing his team's goals on a chalkboard. He was captain of Lincoln's 1971-72 team that was rated behind Thornridge for much of the regular season. Lynn is a colon cancer survivor who underwent life-saving emergency surgery in 2008. High school: St. JosephCollege: Indiana UniversityCareer highlights: 2x NBAchampion, 12x NBA All-Star, NCAA Champion One of the most decorated point guards of the last 40 years, Thomas led theHoosiers to the 1981 National Championship and was named the Most OutstandingPlayer of that years Final Four before going pro. Another future NBA player, David Wingate, also was a starter. For example, Lynn researched how the issue of racial integration was overcome when black students were enrolled at the previously all-white school. Power Memorial was led by 7-2 junior Lewis Alcindor, now Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who went on to become the highest scoring player in NBA history. Simeon High School Alumni, Class Reunions, Yearbooks, Wolverines Classmates, and more! Hewent on to have one of the finest careers in the history of the FightingIllini, averaging 18 points per game over his four-year career. High school: Whitney YoungCollege: DePaulCareer highlights: Conference USAPlayer of the Year, 2005 NBA Three Point Shootout champion Richardson led Whitney Young to a state championship and was named a McDonaldsAll-American before staying home in Chicago to play at DePaul. I asked coach Smith to reflect on last seasons team as they were also ranked as one of the top ranked public schools in the country. One man's opinion after covering almost three decades of Illinois basketball. Jeffrey Wilson, center, talks to friends and family during a street sign dedication ceremony for his older brother, Ben Wilson, on Nov. 21, 2022, in Chicago. Wilson was listed in critical condition. Calvin Brock (basketball) - Wikipedia 1 prep player in the nation in 1984, the first from Illinois to earn that ranking. He was a founder and commissioner of the ABA, andhelped bring the NBA back to Minnesota when the Timberwolves franchise wasborn. He also ranks in the Top 10 in rebounds and blocked shots. Status: SI All-American Candidate. The vigil was held at the Benjamin E. Mayo and Elmer L. Fowler Historic Gallery in Chicago. The mission was clear: 33-0. In 2012, he was a member of the NBA champion Miami Heat. High school basketball: A look back on the legacy of Simeon basketball High school basketball: Simeon's expanding NBA legacy - Chicago Sun-Times The 1975-76 Hoosier squad remains the last team to complete an undefeatedseason with a championship. The New OrleansHornets made him the number one overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. 1 prep prospect before his life was cut short. "Quinn Buckner was the most mature high school athlete I ever saw, both physically and mentally. Though his Lincoln team never had an opportunity to play against Thornridge in 1971-72, Lynn was always fascinated by the aura of coach Ron Ferguson's team and its dominant players--Quinn Buckner, Boyd Batts, Mike Bonczyk, Greg Rose and Ernie Dunn. Point guard from Quincy, Ill., could score. The Wolverines are expected to be ranked in the preseason top-25 national rankings and public school rankings coming into the 2022-2023 high school season. Could Thornridge make the transition to today's fast-paced style? Simeon High School, which is located in Chicago, Illinois, is one of the most famous and well known basketball programs around the country. (Ovie Carter / Chicago Tribune), An overflow crowd stands outside Operation PUSH headquarters where the funeral services were held for slain Simeon High School basketball player Ben Wilson on Nov. 24, 1984. For a basketball city that continues to endure a dark cloud decades later behind one of its greatest players never reaching his full potential, seeing Nunn in action was able to bring a bright spot. Simeon High School basketball player Ben Wilson on Nov. 13, 1984. Top 40 High Schools That Have Produced the Most NBA Players "It was normal to me," Nunn said. Lincoln, Ill., native is fourth on the schools career scoring chart. When he graduated in 2001, Wardle ranked thirdall-time in Marquette history in scoring after averaging 14.4 points per gamein 117 contests. Years later, he would say this was a better team than the 1984 state champs. Who would you choose to lead your team, Parker or Quinn Buckner? 2: Jalen Griffith . Buckner stood up and said to his coach and the other players: "If we win all of our games, we will accomplish all of our goals." He won five titles with the MinneapolisLakers in the 1950s, was a four-time NBA All-Star (including the All-Star GameMVP in 1953), was named first team All-NBA six times, led the NBA in scoring three times and led the league in rebounding once. At Illinois, he was named an All-American twice and led theFighting Illini to the 2005 NCAA Championship Game. Sweet shooter, who beat Magic Johnson and Michigan State in 1979, spent 17 years in the NBA. Our younger guys, Rashad Mckinnie is going to be a prospect people need to watch out for over the next couple of years. He played nine NBA seasons and won a championship ring as a member ofthe 1992-93 Chicago Bulls. Cheeks still ranks 11thall-time in assists and fifth all-time in steals in NBA history. Simeon was born in Chicago, Illinois on May 30, 1916 and was of Creole descent. Senior guard Andre Battle, a future star at Loyola, teamed with Tony McCoy and Ivan Young to lead the "Big Blue Machine," as Simeon was often called, to a 20-0 start. Could Simeon break Thornridge's suffocating 1-2-1-1 zone press that devastated every opponent? Stands third on Illini career scoring list.