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Our earlier survey on the five best high school basketball players in Illinois history generated considerable debate. So it only figures that we'd ask several longtime observers to select the 10 best teams of all time.
Of course, each analyst is limited to teams which he saw. Some selections cover a period of 50 years, others no more than 15 or 20.
But, as I have argued many times, basketball is one sport that transcends decades, from the 1950s to today. For example, can anyone argue that the 1954 Du Sable team of Paxton Lumpkin, Sweet Charlie Brown and Shellie McMillon and the 1958 Marshall team of George Wilson, M.C. Thompson, Bobby Jones and Steve Thomas couldn't be competitive today?
With that in mind, here are my selections, dating to the 1950s:
1. Thornridge 1972: Quinn Buckner, Boyd Batts, Mike Bonczyk & Co. went 33-0 and never permitted an opponent to come within 14 points. They averaged 87 points per game while allowing 55. Their pressing defense was unmatched, before or since. In the state finals, they won by margins of 28, 29, 19 and 35 points. Their 104-69 victory over Quincy is regarded as the gold standard of all state championships.
2. Quincy 1981: Coach Jerry Leggett's 33-0 squad, led by Michael Payne, Bruce Douglas and Dennis Douglas, won by margins of 28, 25, 31 and 29 points in the state finals. They went on to win 64 games in a row, eclipsing Thornridge's 58-game streak.
3. Marshall 1958: Wilson, Thompson, Jones and Thomas led coach Spin Salario's team to a 31-0 record. Imagine, the Commandos weren't even rated in the Associated Press' final regular season poll of the top 16 teams in Illinois. But Marshall was the first Chicago Public League team to win a state title--the Commandos went on to win again in 1960--and nobody took city teams lightly from then on.
4. Collinsville 1961: Coach Vergil Fletcher always said his 1958 team, which lost to Herrin in the state final, was his best. But the 1961 squad of Bogie Redmon and Fred Riddle went 32-0 and won his first of two state titles. The Kahoks beat second-ranked Centralia 66-64 in the Salem supersectional in one of the most celebrated games in state tournament history.
5. King 1990: Coach Landon Cox won three state titles in eight years and always claimed that his 1986 squad of Marcus Liberty and Levertis Robinson was best of all. But his 1990 team was more dominant. Jamie Brandon, who scored over 3,000 points in his career, Johnny Selvie and Ahmad Shareef led King to a 32-0 record and a national championship. In the semifinals, they snapped East St. Louis Lincoln's bid for a fourth state title in a row.
6. Proviso East 1991: Coach Bill Hitt's team won back-to-back state titles in 1991 and 1992. His 1992 squad was unbeaten. But the 1991, which finished 32-1, is recognized as the best of four state championship teams produced by the Maywood school. The Pirates were led by Sherrell Ford, Michael Finley, Donnie Boyce, Jamal Robinson and Kenny Davis. Robinson and Davis were the ringleaders of the 1992 team.
7. Peoria Manual 1997: The last and best of Peoria Manual's four state championship teams in a row. Coach Wayne McClain's Rams featured Marcus Griffin, Sergio McClain and Frank Williams, each of whom went on to star at Illinois. Their state tournament matchups with Thornton were stuff of legend.
8. Simeon 2007: After playing and coaching under Bob Hambric, Robert Smith assumed control of the program after his mentor's retirement. His 2006 team barely got past Peoria Richwoods in overtime in the state final but his 2007 squad, led by Derrick Rose, Tim Flowers and Kevin Johnson, was dominant. The Wolverines beat O'Fallon 77-54 for the state crown.
9. Whitney Young 1998: In a year which produced the most outstanding crop of college prospects in 20 years, Whitney Young went 30-1 behind Quentin Richardson, Dennis Gates, Cordell Henry and Corey Harris and beat Galesburg and Joey Range 61-56 for the state title.
10. Evanston 1968: Talk about dominance. Few teams measure up to coach Jack Burmaster's Evanston team that lost only once in 31 games, to Jim Brewer and Proviso East, which went on to win the 1969 state title. The Wildkits were led by Bob Lackey and Farrel Jones up front and Ron Cooper and Walt Perrin in the backcourt. In the state finals, they won by margins of 12, 22, 16 and 19 points.
Honorable mention: King 1986, 1993; Thornton 1966, 1997; Lyons 1953, 1970; East St. Louis Lincoln 1987; Simeon 1984; Providence-St. Mel 1985; Phillips 1975; Lockport 1978; Manley 1980; Proviso East 1992.
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What is your top teams that never won a state championship?
The 1984 Simeon team with Ben Wilson as Junior should be included on this list. They lost one game on a technicality and were State Champs.
THE CURRENT RICH SOUTH TEAM MAY NOT GO IN THE HISTORY BOOKS WITH THE ABOVE MENTIONED TEAMS, BUT A WIN TONIGHT AT HOME AGAINST THORNWOOD, AND THEY REACH THE TWENTY WIN PLATEAU, BIG SHOUT OUT TO COACH SCOT RITTER, AND HIS CREW, WHAT A GREAT SEASON, THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP IS UNBELIEVABLE, THE BATTLES ALL SEASON, BIG UPS TO ATHLETIC DIRECTOR MARK HOPMAN AND NANCY ADUCCI, THE RICH SOUTH TEAM 2009-2010 WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN, SENIOR NIGHT FRIDAY NIGHT AGAINST BLOOM, WHAT A GREAT TEAM, THEY ARE CURRENTLY 19 AND 4, THEY HAVE BATTLED EVERY NIGHT, TO ALL COLLEGE RECRUITERS IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A POINT GUARD TO RUN YOUR TEAM, HIS NAME IS DARRYL HERVY, AND HE PLAYS AT RICH SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL, HE DROPPED 24 AGAINST RICH CENTRAL FRIDAY NIGHT, AND HE HANDED OUT 7 ASSISTS, RICH SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL WHERE THE STARS OF TOMORROW SHINE TONIGHT!
LEARNERS TODAY, LEADERS TOMORROW, STARS FOR LIFE!
The 1989 Peoria Central team is the best team I have seen that did not win the State Title. Lost in 3 OT's to East St. Louis. Great team with outstanding coach.
For me 1998 Whitney Young team and 2007 Simeon team are one and two. Both played teams out of state whereas the earlier teams only played in state opponents. So would Thornridge 1972 team have beaten some of the out of state opponents at that time? Will never know. It needs to be split into before 90's and after 90's when teams started playing out of state opponents.
You guys have some of the most narrow-minded writers i have ever seen. How dare u not mention the 1993 KING team with two 7-footers and five guys who were on the bench, and became #1 in the nation the very next season. They won 61 games in a row. And averaged an approximately a 25 point magin in state finals. Rashard Griffith, Thomas Hamilton, Michael Hermon, Leonard Myles, Toporis Nash, Eddie Washington, Jerard Billingsley, DeWarren Stewart. Are u serious saying honorable mention? This column is a joke
I'd have to say 1997 Thornton team ranks as best team not to win a state title. They had the bad luck to be great at the end of an even greater run by Peoria Manual.
The 1993 King was the best I've ever seen. Two 7-footers, one could shoot the 3. Shot-blocking, intimidation factor, athleticism, depth, veterans, shooting, freshman studs, and two starting lineups. 61 wins in a row. The second five on that team was #1 in the nation the following season. Crazy 60 point victory margins rolled over Farragut, Carver, Westinghouse, two-time defending champ Proviso East, 1st round draft pick Keon Clark led Danville, all by 25+ points. This team should top the list, it's not even close. The only team that could have played with them was 1990 King, but Rashard Griffith was a freshman on that team and a senior on the 1993 team.
Typical Taylor Bell, pining for the days of the two hand set shot and jump center after every made basket.
No doubt 1990 King. Brandon, Selvie, Shareef, Griffith, etc. In the State Championship game, they handled a Gordon Tech team with 5+ Division I recruits.
Disagree if you will, but don't hate on Mr. Bell. If anyone knows prep ball in the state of Illinois, its him. Maybe we should stop to consider that he has a lot more experience covering the game than any of us do, and with that experience comes a certain level of wisdom. He was around for all those great King teams in the 90's, but he decided not to put them #1. I respect that decision because I know he doesnt take these rankings lightly and obviously put a good deal of thought into them. That being said, 07 Simeon needs to be a tad higher up, if only for the Oak Hill victory. Anyway, I really enjoyed this list, it brought back some good memories. Keep up the good work Mr. Bell
KOSI .... The King 1990 team was clearly the better, more dominant high school team than King of 1993. The biggest reason is Jamie Brandon. The second biggest reason is the state of basketball in Illinois in 1993 was so weak! Look at the Elite Eight and the teams the 1993 King team played in Champaign that year. Rockton-Hononegah? Come on, my man! How can someone be narrowminded regarding a King team when Taylor Bell has the King team from three years earlier on the list?
YOU MIGHT HAVE TO PUT THE CURRENT MARSHALL TEAM ON THE LIST IF THEY GET DOWNSTATE, THEY UPSET FOREMAN YESTERDAY, AND MORGAN PARK DEFEATED HYDE PARK IN SEMIFINAL ACTION!
LET'S GET REAL, BLOOM HAD SOME DYNAMITE TEAMS, WHAT ABOUT THE HINSDALE CENTRAL TEAM WITH BRIAN WARDEL, WHAT ABOUT THE RICH SOUTH TEAM THAT MADE IT TO THE SWEET 16 IN 97?
HOW ABOUT THE RICH CENTRAL TEAM THAT FOUGHT TOOTH AND NAIL AGAINST KING, WITH KENDALL GILL AND BOBBY SMITH, DID YOU KNOW THAT CHRIS SMITH FROM RICH CENTRAL IS BOBBY SMITH'S SON?
WHAT ABOUT THOSE GREAT CRANE TEAMS?
THE LEO TEAM OF 1973 WITH TONY PARKER, JERRY NEWELL, GARY BLOUNT, RON SIMMONS, JIM MCELDOWNEY, COACHED BY THE LEGENDARY ONE COACH O'MALLEY, WHOM BY THE WAY IS STILL COACHING, HE IS THE HEAD COACH AT ST. XAVIER UNIVERSITY!
WHAT ABOUT THE THORNWOOD TEAMS WITH EDDY CURRY AND COMPANY?
THE HIRSCH TEAM OF 1973 WITH RICKY GREEN
AND JOHN ROBINSON, JOSHUA SMITH!
THE PHILLIPS TEAM WITH MARTY MURRAY AND COMPANY
FROM THE 70'S!
PROVISO EAST HAD SOME QUALITY TEAMS, WITH THE THREE AMIGOS
MICHAEL FINLEY, SHERELL FORD, DONNIE BOYCE!
IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD, PLEASE SUMMIT IT?
Sorry, but the 1990 King WAS NOT clearly better than the 1993 team. The 1993 team gets disrespected way too much because of the competition that they played in the state finals that year. It's not their fault that the rest of the field was weak. They cleaned everyone else's clock, with no one getting within 25 points of them in the state finals. Plus tell us when you will ever see another high school team in Illinois that starts two 7-footers. It may never happen again. So you c'mon man! Give them some credit.
Also, if memory serves us correctly the 1990 King team was lucky to make it to the Chicago Public League championship game. They should have lost in the semifinals. It took a miraculous shot at the buzzer by Brandon just inside the half-court stripe to enable King to survive. Afterward, Landon Cox kissed the floor of the UIC Pavilion and pointed up in the stands to Lou Henson.
Thanks voice of reason! They beat two time defending champ Proviso East 82-54, beat defending city champ Westinghouse by 25, a loaded Carver team by 30, Peoria Manual who won the next year by 30, Farragut with Fields by 30, danville with Keon Clark by 30. Two close games at Dunbar 51-49 and Marshall in 3 overtimes by 8. No miracle shots.
Maybe forgot the 1970 Joliet Central Team with Roger Powell. Atleast Honorable Mention. One in the memory of many Joliet residence as we move back to two sports programs. Lost to the State Champs in a huge game. Roger Powell, Sr. could absolutely shoot lights out, from what I understand. I would not want to be responsible for counting all the three pointers the guy would have made. If any basketball junkies havent been to the gym, it is a must. Thanks for all you do. Go JT.
Lloyd Batts
Hello I'm Jerard Billingsley a ex King player who started for three years on that 93 undefeated team. For us to not be mentioned I think that goes to show what people really thought about us. Altough we had more talent than most, we worked hard extremely hard to get better. I never thought we as a team received the credit we deserved, I think if we were a downstate team, writers would have us at the top of the list. We had a chance to win three years in a row, a few calls are way and thats what you would have seen. I can go on and on about this topic, with that said I think we deserve to be considered in the top ten at the least.
How can you even give a knod to honorable mention for to a 1985 Providence St Mel team without putting Lawrenceville's 82 & 83 Back to Back perfect seasons, record of 68 - 0, in the top 10? Lawrenceville's 83 victory over Flanagin is the only title game in Illinois history that had two undefeated teams competing for the championship. Sure they're a 1A school but the performance put out by players like Doug Novsek and Marty Simmons during those two years was outstanding. Ron Felling is one of the most successful coaches in Illinois High School Basketball. Winning by large margins only means that the competition wasn't strong. Lawrencville didn't win very many games by more than 10 pts. The 83 squad won all three of their state games by a combined total of 11 pts. Give credit where it's due.