Isom-Jones leads 2A all-state team

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Englewood’s DeMarkus Isom-Jones had the senior season every basketball player in the city dreams about.

The 6-5 forward began the season as a complete unknown, playing for a school that was scheduled to close after the season. Things didn’t seem promising.

In today’s basketball world, stars are made on the club basketball circuit, at the Peach Jam Tournament in Georgia or the Kingswood Classic in Texas.

Isom-Jones didn’t play in those events. He made his name the old-fashioned way: He scored loads of points on the far-less-glamorous courts of the Red-East section and earned a spot on the Sun-Times Class 2A All-State first team.

"Originally I was going to go to Simeon," Isom-Jones said. "But then I thought it would be better to go to a school that didn’t have as much tradition or history. I could help the school make its own history."

He averaged 24 points and eight rebounds per game and emerged as one of the top unsigned seniors in the state. He’s now deciding among three colleges: UIC, Missouri-Kansas City and George Washington.

"It’s been such a great run, being part of the last senior class ever at Englewood," Isom-Jones said.

Another virtual unknown from the Public League, North Lawndale forward Jonathan Mills, also earned Class 2A first-team honors.

Mills helped the Phoenix to a 28-4 record and a trip to the state finals in Peoria.

He averaged 16.7 points and 14 rebounds per game. His tenacious style on the boards earned him respect all over the city.

"He’s a warrior," North Lawndale coach Lewis Thorpe said. "Jonathan brings it every night."

Hales forward Matt Humphrey, an Oregon recruit, is the third area player on the Class 2A first team.

"We tell our kids that you can’t be a leader on the basketball court until you are a leader in the classroom," Hales coach Gary London said. "That’s something Matt has been from Day 1: a great student and just an all-around great citizen."

Humphrey, a three-year starter for the Spartans, was named MVP of the Big Dipper Holiday Tournament and averaged 15 points per game.

Paris Gulley of Peoria Manual and Kyle Cassity of Pinckneyville round out the Class 2A first team.

Gulley, a 5-11 junior, won the MVP award at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament, despite the Rams’ loss to Simeon in the title game.

He averaged 14.2 points per game, leading Manual to a 24-7 record and an appearance at the state finals.

Cassity, a 6-6 guard, earned some national recognition with a very impressive performance in December at the Marshall County Shootout in Kentucky.

He averaged 19 points and eight rebounds and is now being recruited by a host of schools, including Michigan, St. Louis and Arkansas State.

Warrensburg-Latham guard Zack Boyd leads the Class 1A team.

Boyd, a 6-3 senior, scored a school-record 729 points this season. He averaged 23.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game for the Cardinals, who are 31-1 and advanced to the state semifinals.

The local representatives on the Class 1A team is Immaculate Conception junior Matt Purdom, a 6-5 center, and guard Cliff Fleming of state champion St. Anne.

Purdom averaged 15.3 points per game and scored a career-high 36 points against Morgan Park Academy in the regional finals. He had 16 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks against St. Anne in IC’s sectional semifinal loss.

Fleming brought averages of 16.8 points, 4.7 assists and 4.4 rebounds to the state tournament.

Contributing: Patrick Z. McGavin