Basketball stars trying elsewhere – Chicago Solar-Instances

Jeremiah Fears has joined what’s turning into a prolonged listing of high-level basketball prospects from Illinois who’ve left the state. 

The Joliet native, who starred for Joliet West final season as a sophomore, introduced final week he’s headed to Dawn Christian, a prep college in Kansas. 

The 6-1 level guard has been the Metropolis/Suburban Hoops Report’s top-ranked prospect within the Class of 2025. Fears already has affords from Arizona, Arizona State, Georgia, Gonzaga, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Oregon, Xavier and others. 

Earlier than returning to Joliet West for his senior yr final season, Jeremy Fears Jr., Jeremiah’s older brother and a Michigan State recruit, left after his freshman yr to play two years at La Lumiere in Indiana. The 2 teamed up final season to assist the Tigers to a 28-6 document. 

The listing of stars who’ve left the state in latest weeks contains the St. Rita tandem of James Brown and Melvin Bell. Brown, a North Carolina recruit, is headed to Hyperlink Academy in Missouri for his senior yr, whereas Bell, one other vivid, younger prospect within the Class of 2025, is off to La Lumiere.

The rising development has included a number of extremely ranked prospects lately. JJ Taylor and Bryce Heard left Kenwood. Taylor is headed to Memphis subsequent yr after transferring from Chicago to California, whereas Heard is among the many prime 50 prospects within the nation within the Class of 2025 and attends Montverde Academy in Florida. 

The most important departure, nonetheless, was Matas Buzelis. The versatile 6-10 ahead left Hinsdale Central for Dawn Christian after his freshman yr and rapidly emerged as a top-five prospect within the nation. He’ll be taking part in within the G League subsequent season.

Stevenson finds Ambrose’s successor

The footwear are huge, however Will Benson would be the one to fill them.

Benson, the veteran head coach with stops at Harvard, Marengo and Huntley, will substitute Pat Ambrose at Stevenson, pending approval of the District 125 college board at its subsequent assembly.

Ambrose, who turned the Patriots into one of the vital constant applications within the Chicago space, resigned final month as head coach. He guided Stevenson to 4 state finals appearances, together with a Class 4A state championship in 2015. In 24 years on the college, Ambrose compiled a 505-191 document. 

Benson has spent the final 9 years at Huntley. His Crimson Raiders have gone 86-28 within the final 4 seasons. That included a pair of 27-win seasons and two regional championships. Final season, Benson led Huntley to 22 wins and a regional title. 

He spent one season at Marengo, the place his 2013-14 group received 20 video games, and three years at Harvard earlier than that.

Lockport hires Andrew’s Dave Wilson

Lockport, a program with an extended basketball historical past, hasn’t received 20 video games or a regional championship since 2011. 

Dave Wilson has finished each at Andrew, a program with zero basketball historical past, since taking up as head coach on the Tinley Park college in 2014. 

Andrew all the time has been one of many tougher basketball teaching jobs within the Chicago space. 

The Thunderbolts, although, usually have overachieved underneath Wilson. He has put collectively six successful seasons within the final seven years in a job the place there was marginal expertise. Wilson guided Andrew to a 20-win regional championship season — solely the third at school historical past — simply two years in the past. 

Wilson returned only one starter from a yr in the past and located a approach to information the Thunderbolts to an 18-13 mark final season. 

New West Aurora coach HAS robust ties

Michael Fowler, a starter on West Aurora’s solely state championship group in 2000, is returning to his alma mater. The Blackhawks will welcome again the previous guard as their subsequent head coach.  

Fowler, who was out of teaching this previous yr, has spent his complete teaching profession at Plainfield East. He was an assistant with the Bengals from 2008 to 2017. Fowler was then named the pinnacle coach and compiled a 57-69 document in 5 seasons.