High school basketball is undergoing a dramatic shift. The focus on younger players likely is here to stay and figures to intensify over the next few years.
More players are committing to colleges as freshmen, which means college coaches, recruiting analysts and the media have begun to pay serious attention to seventh- and eighth-grade players.
Couple that with the established trend of some top senior players leaving the state for prep schools, and all of a sudden the focus has shifted from juniors and seniors to incoming freshmen and rising sophomores.
The top senior player has left the state the last two seasons. Washington’s DeAndre Liggins transferred to Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nev., for his senior year in 2008, and Peoria Central’s DJ Richardson went to Findlay last year. Both needed help getting their grades up to qualify for college. The moves paid off, as both qualified.
‘‘As much as I hate to see it and as much as I hate to say it, there are some situations where players have clearly benefitted from going the prep school route their senior year,’’ recruiting analyst Joe Henricksen said. ‘‘It gets them away from home and makes them grow up a lot. There are very few outside influences that they have to deal with at a prep school, as opposed to playing high school basketball in some situations here.’’
There is a chance that Illinois’ two best players in the 2010 class, Waukegan’s Jereme Richmond and Crane’s Crandall Head, will head to prep schools for their senior seasons.
That would mean for the third consecutive year, the senior class would be talent depleted. There will be plenty of focus put on the loaded 2011 class, led by Mount Carmel’s Tracy Abrams, Morgan Park’s Wayne Blackshear, Young’s Sam Thompson, De La Salle’s Dre Henley and Michael Shaw, East Aurora’s Ryan Boatright and St. Patrick’s Jacob Williams.
Youngsters already amazing
But the real story will be the freshmen.
The eighth-grade trio of Tommy Hamilton Jr., Jabari Parker and Alex Foster already has established a high profile on the local club basketball scene.
Hamilton, a 6-8 center, and Parker, a 6-4 guard, both have fathers who played in the NBA. Foster, a 6-7 forward, has been name-checked for the last four years. Hamilton and Parker are from the South Side, and Foster lives in Plainfield.
‘‘We’re talking about kids with size already,’’ Henricksen said. ‘‘That size projects out very easily. Even if they don’t grow another inch, they could fit somewhere already based on their skills and physical characteristics. Foster is like Corey Maggette or Chris Webber, that type of an athlete and body. Jabari is like a Paul Pierce. He’s gonna fill out that body. Tommy is just a little bit of a freak of nature with his combination of size and skill.’’
Last weekend at the Hensley Memorial Classic in Fort Wayne, Ind., the young trio took a first step toward national prominence. One major scout said Hamilton has a chance to be ranked as the top 2013 player in the country. All three could be in the national top 25.
‘‘Hamilton is one of the most skilled young players I’ve ever seen,’’ Henricksen said. ‘‘It’s uncanny his feel for the game at that age. You just don’t see that kind of size with that kind of skill.’’
Hamilton and Foster were regularly seen at high school games last season, presumably watching friends and deciding which team they wanted to play for. Nothing is final, but expect Hamilton to wind up at Young, Parker at Simeon and Foster at De La Salle.
Parker is likely to be the first freshman ever to begin the season on the Simeon varsity squad.
All three players possess high-major skill levels, but their unselfishness is equally impressive. They are talented passers with excellent court vision. This may be the first generation of Chicago players truly influenced by Derrick Rose.
The next generation
Illinois coach Bruce Weber, along with his assistants Jay Price and Jerrance Howard, have been so successful over the last two recruiting rotations that Illini basketball likely will be unrecognizable in two years.
Many observers thought Richmond was the best player at the event in Fort Wayne, but the real shocker was 6-10 Robinson junior Meyers Leonard, who committed to Illinois last year. The center recently vaulted into the top 30 in the national class of 2010, and it was easy to see why. He’s strong, athletic and energetic, and should be able to make a serious impact in the Big Ten.
Major credit is due to the Illinois staff for this one. Leonard wasn’t a high-profile national name when Weber and Co. started recruiting him. They identified Leonard as a prospect and closed the deal before the rest of the country even knew he existed.
That’s the kind of recruiting that can lead to a Final Four appearance.
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