Profile of the 2013 Simeon (IL) team - greatest IL team ever (incl Ed Morrow)

[Not A Serious Person]

Bound by basketball, friendship and grief: Simeon’s terrific 2013 state championship team, a decade later
A decade after Simeon Career Academy won its fourth consecutive state title, the death of a teammate binds arguably the greatest basketball team in Illinois high school history.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/high-school/ct-chicago-simeon-basketball-championship-20230305-q7cvcm5o4zcyzc5v6d2lcumq6q-htmlstory.html


Jabari Parker (Duke)
Kendrick Nunn (Illinois, Oakland)
Jaylon Tate (Illinois)
Kendall Pollard (Dayton)
Russell Woods (Missouri)
Ed Morrow (Nebraska, Marquette)
D.J. Williams (Illinois, George Washington, DePaul)
Donte Ingram (Loyola)
Rickey Norris
Quron Davis
Saieed Ivey
Bobby Harris
Zach Norvell
Ben Coupet.

[WhiteTrash]

That's a better team than 2013 DePaul.

[Jockey]

I think I’d take Earl Tatum’s HS team.

[dgies9156]

I’d take Quincy High or East St.Louis from the early 1980s.

[Jockey]

Was that the Laphonso Ellis era?

[WhiteTrash]

All better than DePaul 

[Not A Serious Person]

[MU82]

From now until the day I'm dead and gone, every time I hear "Ed Morrow," I'll think of that block near the end of regulation and his great work in OT against Madison in 2018. He might not have been a major part of Marquette history, but that'll always be a fond memory for this Warrior.

[MuggsyB]

There were some dominant Simeon teams in the 80's as well.  The Ben Wilson death probably cost them two undefeated seasons.  I think he and Nick Anderson would have played together for at least a year.  My guess is if Al didn't leave we would have had a Simeon pipeline.  I've also heard from a few people that Thomas, Aguirre and then Cummings all wanted to go to MU but this could be folklore.  Regardless, I believe McGuire would have had another decade+ of top 10 teams. 

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Man I had almost forgotten about Jabari Parker. What's that dude up to now? I don't think it's often that you see former 2nd overall picks disappearing from the NBA by age 27

[JWags85]

Man I had almost forgotten about Jabari Parker. What's that dude up to now? I don't think it's often that you see former 2nd overall picks disappearing from the NBA by age 27

He couldn't stay healthy.  I believe he played 70+ games only once in his career.

Add to that the fact that he never developed a reliable outside shot and there were rumblings of locker room issues after he got the big second chance in Chicago, and there ya go.

[Galway Eagle]

Some the old 80s King teams (Chi not MKE) might still be considered better.

[cheebs09]

He couldn't stay healthy.  I believe he played 70+ games only once in his career.

Add to that the fact that he never developed a reliable outside shot and there were rumblings of locker room issues after he got the big second chance in Chicago, and there ya go.

I think there were locker room issues with the Bucks too. I remember him doing a Players Tribune article during the playoffs. I also remember him saying he wasn’t paid to play defense.

[Coleman]

From now until the day I'm dead and gone, every time I hear "Ed Morrow," I'll think of that block near the end of regulation and his great work in OT against Madison in 2019. He might not have been a major part of Marquette history, but that'll always be a fond memory for this Warrior.

That would be a fun thread. Relatively obscure MU players who had one great performance that really mattered.

Mine would be Ryan Amoroso's performance in the Championship of the 2005 Great Alaska Shootout

https://gomarquette.com/news/2006/2/13/Marquette_wins_Great_Alaska_Shootout

[tower912]

Mike Kinsella, Pitt.

[Galway Eagle]

That would be a fun thread. Relatively obscure MU players who had one great performance that really mattered.

Mine would be Ryan Amoroso's performance in the Championship of the 2005 Great Alaska Shootout

https://gomarquette.com/news/2006/2/13/Marquette_wins_Great_Alaska_Shootout

David Cubillion, can't remember who it was against but he was 6-6 from 3

[Dr. Blackheart]

Mike Kinsella, Pitt.

Mike topped that performance last Saturday vs. SJU.

[wadesworld]

Matt Heldt's 15/10 on 6/6 shooting against St. John's his sophomore year was cool.

[MU82]

Didn’t Froling make a few big shots in his one good game for us? Very fuzzy memory of that.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Niv Berkowicz's behind the back passes.

[Coleman]

Niv Berkowicz's behind the back passes.

Forgot about that guy. From Israel right? 2004 ish?

[Silent Verbal]

David Diggs also had a really good game in the Great Alaska Shootout in 2001, I think.  Made like five 3-pointers.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Forgot about that guy. From Israel right? 2004 ish?

Came in mid-season. Played 7 games.  Went pro, and is still playing in Israel at age 36.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niv_Berkowitz?wprov=sfla1

We hardly knew ye.

[tower912]

Why do I have the germ of a memory that one of the reasons he left is that he was not being used the way he thought he should.

[Lennys Tap]

There were some dominant Simeon teams in the 80's as well.  The Ben Wilson death probably cost them two undefeated seasons.  I think he and Nick Anderson would have played together for at least a year.  My guess is if Al didn't leave we would have had a Simeon pipeline.  I've also heard from a few people that Thomas, Aguirre and then Cummings all wanted to go to MU but this could be folklore.  Regardless, I believe McGuire would have had another decade+ of top 10 teams.

Best HS team I ever saw was Thornridge, Il. in 1972. Led by Quinn Buckner, they were undefeated state champs. Their closest game was a 14 point win. They also won state the year before but had one loss.

[withoutbias]

SPASH 2015-2016.  Played the game the right way.

[Jockey]

Best HS team I ever saw was Thornridge, Il. in 1972. Led by Quinn Buckner, they were undefeated state champs. Their closest game was a 14 point win. They also won state the year before but had one loss.

Back when the state tournament was on WGN. Buckner was basically the same already as when he was in the NBA.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Jake Thomas v Syracuse.

[JWags85]

Back when the state tournament was on WGN. Buckner was basically the same already as when he was in the NBA.

POY in both basketball and football in HS.  He was a certified athletic freak.

[lawdog77]

There were some dominant Simeon teams in the 80's as well.  The Ben Wilson death probably cost them two undefeated seasons.  I think he and Nick Anderson would have played together for at least a year.  My guess is if Al didn't leave we would have had a Simeon pipeline.  I've also heard from a few people that Thomas, Aguirre and then Cummings all wanted to go to MU but this could be folklore.  Regardless, I believe McGuire would have had another decade+ of top 10 teams.

Surprised you haven't mentioned the Baltimore Dunbar team of the early 80's.

[Spotcheck Billy]

Surprised you haven't mentioned the Baltimore Dunbar team of the early 80's.

Yup

https://medium.com/@uarkpress/the-greatest-high-school-basketball-team-ever-4445533123a7

[Jockey]

I’ll stick with Tatum’s Mount Vernon HS team.

Earl Tatum
Gus Williams
Ray Williams
Rudy Hackett
Lowes Moore

All 5 made it to the NBA. I believe that all but Moore (who scored 40 against ND), got AA mentions in college.

If Scooter and Rodney McRay were just a couple years older, it would would be the consensus all-timer.

[MuggsyB]

Surprised you haven't mentioned the Baltimore Dunbar team of the early 80's.

Bob Wade stated numerous times that Muggs was the engine and MVP of that team.  Of course his alley oop pass to Reggie Williams, after he did a 360 in the air, is historically legendary.  The game was stopped for about 8-10 mins. 

[WhiteTrash]

Some the old 80s King teams (Chi not MKE) might still be considered better.

Saw the early 90's King with R Griffin(UW) in person. They looked like an NBA team,........... played like playground pickup team.  Landon "Sonny" Cox was not a good coach, but he could recruit and monetize his players.