Sun-Times: Is Jahlil Okafor the 'best' player ever from Chicago?

[WI inferiority Complexes]

To draw a distinction between St. Joe's and Benet seems a little silly to me.  There isn't too much difference between Westchester and Lisle.  Pretty sure a few years back when I was in HS, they were in the same conference, and if not, the at least played each other pretty regularly.

Chicago claims the suburban kids when it benefits them, but when the burbs claim any affiliation to the city the city people get huffy.  I think it is kind of funny.

I think you would have to look at where the player lived versus when he went to high school. Isaiah grew up in the projects in Lawndale, whereas Frank is, I believe, from Glen Ellyn.

[buckchuckler]

I believe he is from "hoodridge"

[Galway Eagle]

To draw a distinction between St. Joe's and Benet seems a little silly to me.  There isn't too much difference between Westchester and Lisle.  Pretty sure a few years back when I was in HS, they were in the same conference, and if not, the at least played each other pretty regularly.

Chicago claims the suburban kids when it benefits them, but when the burbs claim any affiliation to the city the city people get huffy.  I think it is kind of funny.

Because a few of the suburbs are actually urban and similar to the city so ya a few of the cicero, berwyn, evanston, Oak park, etc are pretty darn similar to the city. The vast majority of the suburbs though are not anything like the city, I remember going to summer camp back when I was still growing up in the city and kids from Naperville and Barrington are saying they're from Chicago, ask them "oh when was the last time you went to the city?" they respond "well a couple times a year".  That's why we get huffy those places are nothing like the city, near the city, and the residents don't even go to the city often.

Now that my rant is done, I'd like to point out that conference affiliation really has nothing to do with anything especially with the catholic schools, and Isaiah was actually from the city anyways.  You'd have a better argument about Evan Turner who went to St Josephs but was from Oak Park. 

[LloydsLegs]

The person posing the question is entitled to define it, including by limiting it to those living in the city, attending school in the city, either/or, expanding to include the suburbs or exburbs or whatever.  And then the questioner may define what "best" means:  during high school, or including how a player evolved.

For me, the pool of players included in response to the "'best' player ever in Chicago" would be anyone who attends high school in an area commonly considered to be within commuter distance to the city.  So, for example, it would include Lisle, Naperville, Elgin and Waukegan, but not Joliet, DeKalb, Rockford, Peoria etc... (even though some folks actually do make these commutes).  People also commute between Milwaukee and Chicago, but neither city would want to claim the other.

For me, the "best" in response to the way this question was posed would include all time greatness.  So while Quinn Buckner may be my all time best high school player, DWade is my all time (biased) best from Chicago.

[Dr. Blackheart]

How does one conclude from this that MU is off the radar in Chicago?

You counting the Mache Twins? 

MU basketball has missed Chicago and its burbs big time over the last decade.  Steve Taylor is the last remnant, and that door with the Fire is closed.  Cal, Self and K mop up in the city AAU. With Bo, Doc, Dwade, how does MU not have inroads there?  The missed opportunities in the ESCC should cause heartburn alone (see Ulis, Big Frank, Sobolewski, Orgundade, O'Mara).  Throw in Shumpert, Shurna, Brunson, and Crawford from other suburban conferences where MU was involved...let alone Quincy Miller.  That's a lot of blanks being shot...and many of these would have come to MU in a heartbeat like Ulis.