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Like most other analysts, Scott Powers of Illhoops.com singled out Illinois-bound guard D.J. Richardson of Peoria Central as the top performing player in the state over the summer.
"There wasn't a clear-cut favorite for the best player in the class of 2009 heading into the summer. Brandon Paul, D.J. Richardson, Chris Colvin and a few others were all near eah other," Powers said. "But throughout the spring and summer, Richardson distinguished himself as the elite player in the class and put himself in the running for a spot on the McDonald's All-America team."
But Powers' choices for the top five players of the summer from the Chicago area are Colvin, Jack Cooley of Glenbrook South, Ben Brust of Mundelein and Paul Bunch and Jonathan Mills of North Lawndale.
Powers said he knows some people think Marcus Jordan of Whitney Young should be on the list. "He played well when I saw him. But I didn't see him at any major events, but he played great from what I heard," he said.
Others who saw Jordan said he was outstanding, especially at the Peach Jam. But some still have questions about his shooting skills. Not Powers. "I actually think he is a better shooter now," he said.
Powers said Cooley "doesn't receive the publicity or hype that a lot of the other top players do but he's just as impressive in what he does. He's a beast on the boards and is becoming very hard to stop around the paint with his mid-range jumper and post moves."
According to Powers, Colvin showed consistently throughout the summer that no one can stop him one-on-one. If he can prove he can run a team, he's going to be a very special point guard for a big-time college program.
Before watching him play this summer, Powers said he thought Brust was simply a great shooter. But he proved he's more than that. He has become a great scorer. He can still shoot it from all over the court but he's also able to get to the rim and finish.
Bunch, all 6-10 of him, isn't by any means a finished product, according to Powers. He is still very raw but you could see see his improvement throughout the summer. He is more aggressive on the boards, more consistent with his jumper and he is working harder. Only a junior, he has a major upside.
Without Richardson among the five of Powers' list, he said he would add Mills. "For some reason, I saw North Lawndale more than any team in the state this summer. If Mills was a few inches taller, everyone in the country would know about him. Even at 6-5, he is the best rebounder in the state," he said.
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Inch for inch, Mills is the scrappiest and toughest kid in Public League. He gets after every loose ball and rebound and he goes up strong on the scoring end.
Bunch is more of a mystery to me. I only saw him play assertively once last year. Luckily for North Lawndale it was in the state championship game against Peoria Manual. The other times I saw him play last year he was passive and a step or two slower than everyone else.
I get the impression that North Lawndale has a pretty good group of freshmen and sophomores coming in. That's what bringing home a trophy from Peoria will do for your program. North Lawndale is pulling closer to the storied Public League programs like Marshall and Simeon.
I don't understand all the attention given to whether Colvin is a point guard. An excellent ballhandler who can penetrate and score almost at will is what he is. If he decides to pass the ball off instead of taking it all the way himself, good for him. But he is a scorer.
Darius Smith of Marshall probably deserves some sort of mention. I think Richardson and Smith are the two most complete/well rounded players in 2009. They play under control and don't make many mistakes.
Well it's a good list. Chris Colvin is the best player in the Class of 2009. Is a big time point guard with good outside shooting skills. He has been a point guard all his life. Darius Smith is a must get for most college coaches. He is a winner period. The best defensive player in the state. Has to work on his left hand. North Lawndale is a powerhouse. Mills is probably a better baseball prospect as a pitcher than a high major basketball player.