Latest
-
Friday Focus: Don’t Ever Give Up
Today I want everyone to watch this 1993 ESPY Speech from Jim Valvano. It’s a must watch for all. The fame coach had his life cut cancer very shortly after giving this speech. In his speech he shares stories about his time coaching, fighting cancer, his motto for life, and pushes to fundraise for cancer…
-
Illinois Hoops Update- July 18- Freeman-Liberty, Dennis, Reeves, and More
NBA Box Score Philadelphia 76ers defeated Brooklyn Nets, 87-83. Danny Wolf (Lake Forest) did not in the loss. Miami Heat defeated Milwaukee Bucks, 93-92. Keita Bates-Diop (University) did not in the loss. Chicago Bulls defeated Utah Jazz, 105-92. Javon Freeman-Liberty (Whitney Young) started for Chicago and Matas Buzelis (Hinsdale Central) sat out. Freeman-Liberty had 22…
-
Illinois Hoops Update- April 8- Max Strus and the Cavs Clinch #1 Seed in the East
Cleveland Cavaliers guard/forward Max Strus (Stagg) scores nine points in a 135-113 win over his hometown Chicago Bulls. NBA Games Cleveland Cavaliers defeated Chicago Bulls 135-113 and clinched the #1 seed in the Eastern conference. Max Strus (Stagg) started for the Cavs but went scoreless in the first half. He finished with nine point (3-7…
-
Two Illinois Locals are Super Bowl LIX Champions
Philadelphia Eagles defeat Kansas City Chiefs, 40-22, in Super LIX on Sunday evening. It seems like most sport events and even the big ones like the Super Bowl have some type of Illinois connection. This game was no different. Lyons Township alum Jake Elliot and Crystal Lake South alum Trevor Keegan are members of the…
-
Illinois Hoops Update- February 3- Max Strus Family Foundation Hosts BOWL THE LAND
Max Strus (Stagg) hosted his first Max Strus Family Foundation event on Monday night. The event was a bowling outing to bring awareness to his foundation and help raise funds. Strus was joined by his Clevelands Cavaliers teammates at his event. The Cavs forward has always tried to give back and support the place that…
-
Max Strus Announces Family Foundation
Cleveland Cavaliers star Max Strus took to social media to announce his Max Strus Family Foundation. Well before his NBA days, Strus has donated time and dollars to several causes that hit close to him. Once he had more to his name, he did not change and stayed true to his words about giving back…
-
Illinois Hoops Update- January 4- Derrick Rose Night & Jersey Retirement Announcement
An already strong start to Derrick Rose (Simeon) weekend would quickly become even greater with an early morning announcement on Saturday. He began the day enjoying a brunch with family, friends, teammates and members of the Chicago Bulls organization. While Rose made this weekend about giving back to the fans, Bulls ownership met with him…
-
R.I.P. Greg Gumbel
It was announced Friday afternoon that Greg Gumbel passed away at the age of 78. Gumbel (1946-2024) was Louisiana-born but would grow up on Chicago’s south side. For high school he attended De La Salle Institute and played baseball. He would head to Dubuque, Iowa to attend Loras College where he graduated in 1967 with a…
-
Thank you!
This story marks the 700th post made by me to this website. For those that do not quite know me…my name is Xavier Sanchez. I am 27 years old and an Illinois native interested in having a forever job in sports (or even music). Nine years ago, I wanted to establish a strong identity in…
-
All 38 players that graduated from an Illinois High School in this year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament
College Basketball owns the month of March with tons of conference tournaments that lead into the bigger championship tournament. No tournament is bigger than the NCAA Championship featuring 68 teams. Illinois has 38 former Illinois prep athletes across 25 different teams playing in this year’s tournament. This year’s list includes anyone athlete that played some…
-
Former Illinois Prep Athletes and their NBA Performances- January 10 and 11- Frank Kaminsky Drops 13 Points vs. Bucks
Tuesday, January 10 Wednesday, January 11
-
-
Former Illinois Prep Athletes and their NBA Performances- January 7 and 8- THT Returns Home (For A Night)
Saturday, January 7 Sunday, January 8
-
-
Former Illinois Prep Athletes and their NBA Performances- December 14-30- Just The Box Scores
Trying to end the year on the right foot and getting the blog up to date which means getting box score blogs up. Here is the last two weeks of box scores. Expect a more detailed report with stats, notes, photos, videos, and more in 2023. Wednesday, December 14 Thursday, December 15 Friday, December 16…
-
Former Illinois Prep Athletes and their NBA Performances- December 13- AD, Holmes, and More
Six Illinois guys played saw playing time across four different NBA games on Monday. Jevon Carter and Talen Horton-Tucker’s teams walked away with a victory while Anthony Davis, Patrick Beverly, Kendrick Nunn, and Richaun Holmes saw the opposite for their teams. Monday, December 13
-
WeishFest is Sold Out and They Just Announced their Online Silent Auction
Nine years ago was the first iteration of the WeishFest took place and it has continued to grow each year since the first one. This Friday, the Andrew Weishar Foundation will host its annual fest in Merrionette Park, Illinois. The event will consist of music, food and drink, fundraising, and more with 100 percent of…
-
Who are the 21 former Illinois prep Basketball players that have played (so far) this NBA season?
The NBA season is in full swing as teams are about a quarter into their season and still trying to figure out who they are. This season, much like many in the past, former Illinois prep basketball players can be spotted throughout the league. So far, 17 have made appearances in an NBA game with…
-
Former Nazareth High School QB J.J. McCarthy Leads #3 Michigan over #2 Ohio State in a 45-23
Saturday afternoon, two undefeated teams met up at the Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Unfortunately, only one team would walk away with an undefeated record at the end of the day. The Buckeyes lead most of the first half but then came the ferocious Wolverines team. Michigan used a 28-3 second half to propel themselves…
-
Chasing 700: Albert Pujols Home Run #698
Friday night, Albert Pujols tied the St. Louis Cardinals-Cincinnati Red game at 4 runs apiece when he launched the first pitch he saw from Raynel Espinal. That two-run home run was not just his 19th of the season but his 698th of his MLB career. St. Louis is 15-1 when Albert Pujols hits a home…
-
Former Illinois Prep Athletes and their NBA Performances- April 10- Last Day of the Regular Season and a John Konchar Triple-Double
Sunday, thirteen former Illinois prep athletes saw minutes in various NBA games. Below I look into and share each of their NBA performances from April 10. Best of the Day: John Konchar John Konchar (West Chicago) and the Memphis Grizzlies couldn’t close out the season with a win but Konchar did notch his first career…
-
Former Illinois Prep Athletes and their NBA Performances- April 8 and 9- Just a Few Days Left
Eight former Illinois prep athletes saw minutes on Friday and four on Thursday in various NBA games. Below I look into and share each of their NBA performances from March 23 and 24. Best of the Day: Friday Talen Horton Tucker (Simeon/Los Angeles Lakers)- 34 minutes, 4/6 FG, 1/4 3PT, 6/6 FT, an offensive rebounds,…
-
Former Illinois Prep Athletes and their NBA Performances- April 7- Talen Horton-Tucker Drops A Career-High 40 points
Thursday, seven former Illinois prep athletes saw minutes in various NBA games. Below I look into and share each of their NBA performances from April 7. Best of the Day: Talen Horton-Tucker Talen Horton-Tucker (Simeon) scored a career-high 40 points in the Lakers’ loss to the Warriors on Thursday. Talen Horton-Tucker (Simeon/Los Angeles Lakers)- 37…
-
Welcome Back Baseball and Happy Opening Day
The air is crisp, the smells from the grills are flowing through the ballpark, and fans are flocking to ballparks everywhere. Major League Baseball began their season on Thursday and it did not disappoint. Despite two postponements, seven games were played and they all delivered big moments. Below I take a look at each one.…
-
Former Illinois Prep Athletes and their NBA Performances- April 6- Brunson Balls Out, Sykes Waived, and More
Wednesday, seven former Illinois prep athletes saw minutes in various NBA games. Below I look into and share each of their NBA performances from April 6. Best of the Day: Jalen Brunson Jalen Brunson (Stevenson/Dallas Mavericks)- 35 minutes, 24 points, 9/15 FG, 1/2 3PT, 5/6 FT, an offensive rebounds, 6 total rebounds, 3 assists, a…
-
Former Illinois Prep Athletes and their NBA Performances- April 5- Isaiah Roby Blocks A Career-High Six Shots, Strus Schools Lamelo Ball, and More
Tuesday, ten former Illinois prep athletes saw minutes in various NBA games. Below I look into and share each of their NBA performances from April 5. Best of the Day: Isaiah Roby Isaiah Roby blocked a career-high 6 shots on Tuesday. His previous best was three. Isaiah Roby (Dixon/Oklahoma City Thunder)- 43 minutes, 18 points,…
-
South Carolina Gamecocks defeat UConn Huskies 64-49 to win National Championship.
South Carolina Gamecocks are National Champions after
-
Former Illinois Prep Athletes and their NBA Performances- April 2- Max Strus Returns Home and Dunks on Chicago
Saturday, just three former Illinois prep athletes saw minutes in various NBA games. Below I look into and share each of their NBA performances from April 1. Best of the Day: Max Strus Max Strus (Stagg) made his third straight appearance in the Heat’s starting lineup on Saturday. https://twitter.com/xavier_sanchez4/status/1510430523465773056?s=21 Max Strus (Stagg/Miami Heat)- 24 minutes,…
-
Former Illinois Prep Athletes and their NBA Performances- April 1- Robert Covington Got The Start and Broke Records
Friday, twelve former Illinois prep athletes saw minutes in various NBA games. Below I look into and share each of their NBA performances from April 1. Best of the Day: Robert Covington Robert Covington (Proviso West) got his first start in a Los Angeles Clippers uniform on Friday night. The Clipper needed some to fill…
-
Former Illinois Prep Athletes and their NBA Performances- March 31- Talent Horton-Tucker
Thursday, four former Illinois prep athletes saw minutes in various NBA games. Below I look into and share each of their NBA performances from March 31. Best of the Day: Talen Horton-Tucker Talen Horton-Tucker (Simeon) was set to make a big leap this season but like the Los Angeles Lakers as team, the season has…
-
Former Illinois Prep Athletes and their NBA Performances- March 30- Max Strus Comes Up Clutch Against the Boston Celtics
Wednesday, nine former Illinois prep athletes saw minutes in various NBA games. Below I look into and share each of their NBA performances from March 30. Best of the Day: Max Strus Max Strus (Stagg) began his NBA journey after signing with the Boston Celtics as an undrafted free-agent back in 2019. He played for…
-
Former Illinois Prep Athletes and their NBA Performances- March 29- Another Slow Day
After an eventful Monday filled with strong performances, new starters, and a camp announcement, Tuesday was rather quiet. Just four former Illinois prep athletes saw minutes in various NBA games and none really stuck out. Below I look into and share each of their NBA performances from March 29. Best of the Day: Robert Covington…
-
Former Illinois Prep Athletes and their NBA Performances- March 28- Happy Birthday Max Strus, Roby’s Career-High Night, & More
Monday, eight former Illinois prep athletes saw minutes in various NBA games. Below I look into and share each of their NBA performances from March 28. Best of the Day: Isaiah Roby Isaiah Roby (Dixon) scored a career-high 30 points which included several big shots down the stretch. Isaiah Roby (Dixon/Oklahoma City Thunder)- 38 minutes,…
-
Former Illinois Prep Athletes and their NBA Performances- March 27- Brunson, Beverly, and Horton-Tucker
Sunday, three former Illinois prep athletes saw minutes in various NBA games. Below I look into and share each of their NBA performances from March 27. Best of the Day: Jalen Brunson Jalen Brunson (Stevenson/Dallas Mavericks)- 32 minutes, 22 points, 7/15 FG, 2/4 3PT, 6/6 FT, 3 offensive rebounds, 10 total rebounds, 5 assists, a…
-
Former Illinois Prep Athletes and their NBA Performances- March 26- Dosunmu, Strus, and More
Saturday, eight former Illinois prep athletes saw minutes in various NBA games. Below I look into and share each of their NBA performances from March 26. Internet is slow. Will try to upload videos and photos tomorrow. Best of the Day: Ayo Dosunmu Ayo Dosunmu (Morgan Park/Chicago Bulls)- 32 minutes, 11 points, 5/6 FG, 0/1…
-
Former Illinois Prep Athletes and their NBA Performances- March 25- Slow Day
Friday, four former Illinois prep athletes saw minutes in various NBA games. Below I look into and share each of their NBA performances from March 25. Best of the Day: Robert Covington Robert Covington (Proviso West/Los Angeles Clippers)- 24 minutes, 8 points, 3/6 FG, 2/3 3PT, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal, a game-high 3…
-
Relive the performances from Illinois High School graduates from the first weekend of this year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament
An eventful first week of NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament has given fans a mix of highs and lows. That could also be said for the Illinois guys involved in the tournament. After starting with 47, there is less than half that are still playing during the Sweet Sixteen. Two notable names receiving big minutes and…
-
Former Illinois Prep Athletes and their NBA Performances- March 22- Jevon Carter Off the Bench
Tuesday, five former Illinois prep athletes saw minutes in various NBA games. Below I look into and share each of their NBA performances from March 22. Best of the Day: Jevon Carter Jevon Carter (Proviso East/Milwaukee Bucks)- 18 minutes, 3/4 FG, 1/1 3PT, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, a turnover, and +8 in a 126-98 win…
-
Former Illinois Prep Athletes and their NBA Athletes and their NBA Performances- March 21- Jalen Brunson and the Dallas Mavericks
Monday, six former Illinois prep athletes saw minutes in various NBA games. Below I look into and share each of their NBA performances from March 21. Best of the Day: Jalen Brunson When it’s all said and down, Jalen Brunson (Stevenson) will have new career-highs for games, starts, minutes, field goals, field goal attempts, three-point…
-
Former Illinois Prep Athletes and their NBA Performances- March 20- JaVale McGee, Isaiah Roby, and More
Sunday, four former Illinois prep athletes saw minutes in various NBA games. Below I look into and share each of their NBA performances from March 20. Best of the Day: JaVale McGee JaVale McGee (Hales Franciscan/Phoenix Suns)- 17 minutes, 14 points, 5/8 FG, 4/5 FT, a gam-high 5 offensive rebounds, 7 total rebounds, an assist,…
-
Former Illinois Prep Athletes and their NBA Performances- March 19- Jevon Carter Sets New Season-High in Assists
Saturday, five former Illinois prep athletes saw minutes in various NBA games. Below I look into and share each of their NBA performances from March 19. Best of the Day: Milwaukee Bucks took the “L” on Saturday but Jevon Carter (Proviso East) gave a strong performances off the bench which included a season-high 7 assists.…
-
Former Illinois Prep Athletes and their NBA Performances- March 18- Logo Strus, McGee’s Efficiency, and More
Friday, nine former Illinois prep athletes saw minutes in various NBA games. Below I look into and share each of their NBA performances from March 18. Best of the Day: JaVale McGee JaVale McGee (Hales Franciscan) had his fifth game with no misses on two or more shots this season. It was also the forth…
-
Former Illinois Prep Athletes and their NBA Performances- March 16 and 17
Eleven former Illinois prep athletes saw minutes on Wednesday and just one on Thursday in various NBA games. Below I look into and share each of their NBA performances from February 16 and 17. Best of the Day: Wednesday Patrick Beverly (Marshall/Minnesota Timberwolves)- 29 minutes, 18 points, 6/9 FG, 2/3 3PT, 4/4 FT, 2 offensive…
-
All 47 players that graduated from an Illinois High School in this year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament
The NCAA men’s basketball tournament is here! This year is no different as the state of Illinois is once again well represented in the tourney. Below is a full list of former Illinois prep athletes in this year’s March Madness. Not included are Nimari Burnett, Malik Hall, and Mike Peake who all attended an Illinois…
-
Former Illinois Prep Athletes and their NBA Performances- March 15- Max Strus Drops 16 Points in the Fourth Quarter
Tuesday, five former Illinois prep athletes saw minutes in various NBA games. Below I look into and share each of their NBA performances from March 15. Best of the Day: Max Strus Max Strus (Stagg) has becoming a Swiss army knife for the Miami Heat this season. No matter the situation, he will step in…
-
Former Illinois Prep Athletes and their NBA Performances- March 14- Beverly Ties Career-High in Points in a Big T’Wolves’ Win
Monday, seven former Illinois prep athletes saw minutes in various NBA games. Below I look into and share each of their NBA performances from March 14. Best of the Day: Patrick Beverly Patrick Beverly (Marshall) scored 20 of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 149 points on Monday. His 20 points not only helped his team but tied…
-
Former Illinois Prep Athletes and their NBA Performances- March 12- Dosunmu, Strus, Sykes, and More
Saturday night, five former Illinois prep athletes saw minutes in various NBA games. Below I look into and share each of their NBA performances from March 12. Best of the Day: Ayo Dosunmu Ayo Dosunmu (Morgan Park/Chicago Bulls)-36 minutes, 17 points, 7/10 FG, 3/4 3PT, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, a game-high 2 blocks…
-
Former Illinois Prep Athletes and their NBA Performances- March 11- Miami Nights, Max Strus, and a Heat Win
Friday night, seven former Illinois prep athletes saw minutes in various NBA games. Below I look into and share each of their NBA performances from March 11. Best of the Day: Max Strus For this day’s pick, I was between Max Strus (Stagg) and Talen Horton-Tucker (Simeon). Both with strong outings off the bench and…
-
Baseball is Back and So Is Jeff Passan
After 99 days of being in a lockout, Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association finally agreed to a new labor deal. What does that mean? Well, BASEBALL IS BACK. This was a long, drawn out back and forth between the two sides and it looked like it could have gone longer than previous…
-
Former Illinois Prep Athletes and their NBA Performances- March 9- Fred VanVleet is Back
Wednesday, eight former Illinois prep athletes saw minutes in various NBA games. Below I look into and share each of their NBA performances from March 8. Best of the Day: Fred VanVleet Fred VanVleet (Auburn) has been out the last five game with a knee injury. In his first game back, he leads the Toronto…
-
Illinois Hoops Update- November 21- Box Scores
Miami Heat defeated Chicago Bulls, 143-107. Dallas Mavericks defeated New Orleans Pelicans, 118-115. Cleveland Cavaliers defeated Indiana Pacers, 120-109. Brooklyn Nets defeated Celtics, 113-105. Phoenix Suns defeated Minnesota Timberwolves, 114-113.
Icon Sports 