The NCAA Men’s Tournament began with 41 former Illinois high school players. This is actually a correction from my initial stories and tweets because I forgot to include Andrew High School and Missouri guard Evan Yerkes. With the conclusion of the Elite Eight, there are none left.
The only former Illinois prep athlete left in either of the tournaments is Rock Island’s Brea Beal. She and her South Carolina Gamecocks teammates take on Stanford on Friday, April 2 at 5 p.m. CT.
Monday, March 29 Games
#4 Baylor defeated #3 Arkansas, 81-72
- Justin Smith (Stevenson)- 37 minutes, 10 points, 5/9 FG, an offensive rebound, 6 total rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and a block.
Tuesday, March 30 Games
#1 Gonzaga defeated #6 USC, 85-66
- Drew Peterson (Libertyville)- 34 minutes, 13 points, 5/13 FG, 1/4 3PT, 2/2 FT, 2 offensive rebounds, 6 total rebounds, 2 steals, and a turnover.
#11 UCLA defeated #1 Michigan, 51-49
- Mike Smith (Fenwick)- 31 minutes, 3 points, 1/7 FG, 1/3 3PT, 0/2 FT, an offensive rebound, 5 total rebounds, 4 assists, a steal, and a turnover.
