Which players might steal the show at this year’s IHSA State Finals in Champaign? Who are the most impactful, unheralded and unknown players?
Here is a look at several to watch this weekend.
The starting five
Blending both prospect and player, these five stand out among all the rest as the most impactful players on display this weekend in Champaign.
Jaxson Davis, Warren
A much-talked-about star since the day he arrived at Warren as a freshman, Davis already has a decorated career in just two seasons. The 6-0 sophomore led his team to a sectional title as a freshman and to the State Finals this season for the first time since 2011.
Davis plays with a remarkable basketball I.Q. and feel. He makes those around him better with over six assists a game and is both a shooting threat (64 made threes) and scorer (19.4 ppg).
Dietrich Richardson, Peoria Manual
Manual has certainly churned out its share of great players over its long, successful history. Richardson is the latest as a player who is in contention for being the top prospect in the senior class when it’s all said and done.
He leads the Class 2A contender with an impressive stat line: 18.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 5.7 assists a game.
The multi-faceted 6-7 guard is a creative passer who can play all over the floor. He’s most comfortable handling the ball, being calculating and taking his time to find his favorite spots on the floor to score or find open teammates.
Richardson is staying home for college and headed to Bradley next year.
Marcos Gonzales, Brother Rice
Being named the Catholic League Player of the Year says an awful lot. His presence on the floor and how he impacts winning says even more.
There isn’t anything Gonzales isn’t asked to do for the Crusaders. Whether it be as a primary ballhandler, someone who scores in multiple ways, a guard who can rebound or get after it defensively, the 6-3 Gonzales is a bit of a throwback.
The Citadel recruit leads Brother Rice in scoring with 18.6 points a game and adds 5.6 rebounds and three assists.
Al Brooks, Jr., Rich
The long, wiry, athletic 6-7 senior has played at another level over the past couple of weeks. Brooks went for 27 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and two blocks in Monday’s supersectional win. He had 22 points and eight rebounds in the sectional semi win over Marist.
Brooks attacks and plays around the rim. On the season Brooks is averaging 17.5 points and 9.3 rebounds a game while playing a sometimes wild but entertaining brand of basketball.
Blake Fagbemi, Benet
The ultimate stat-sheet stuffing point guard who scores, rebounds, defends and sets the table for others. Fagbemi plays a hard-nosed style and has more strength and explosiveness than opponents realize.
Headed to Division II Truman State, Fagbemi averages a team-high 12.7 points a game to go with 5.3 rebounds and 6.5 assists.
The unheralded
The notoriety might be lacking. But these players have been so instrumental in their team’s success and getting to the State Finals.
Theo Rocca, Evanston
The best player on the Evanston team is also unheralded. That’s just how this Wildkits team is built.
The only player who averages in double figures at nearly 15 points a game, it’s how and when Rocca gets his points that stands out. A highly-efficient 40 percent three-point shooter (89 of 219), he’s a winner who produces when it matters.
Rocca is a Division III dream who is headed to Washinginton University in St. Louis.
Jayden Williams, Rich
Al Brooks is the senior star. Jamson Coulter is the highly-ranked junior. But Williams is a silent assassin as a 6-3 junior who can play the role of sniper and driver. People don’t realize just how good he is as a rising prospect in the junior class.
Williams has also had his moments of significant production in some key games. He had 18 in the sectional title win and went for 16 points, five rebounds and five assists in the supersectional victory.
Williams is averaging 13.2 points a game and has connected on 60 three-pointers.
Jayden Wright, Benet
There is a conference player of the year in Blake Fagbemi, a Southern Illinois recruit in Daniel Pauliukonis and a promising 7-2 big man in Colin Stack. But it’s been Wright, a junior guard with unlimited shooting range, who has shined in some very big moments this season.
One of those came in a 21-point supersectional performance — and a bundle of key free throws down the stretch — in helping the Redwings to a win over Quincy.
Makai Kvamme, DePaul Prep
A lot of well-deserved attention has been directed towards the junior tandem of Rykan Woo and Rashaun Porter. But all Kvamme is on the verge of doing is winning a third straight state championship as the starting point guard.
He’s a double-figure scorer at 11 points a game, but more importantly Kvamme runs the show while providing a steadiness to everything DePaul does. The Western Illinois recruit is a pesky defender who takes care of the ball, rarely ever turning it over, and averages five assists a game.
EJ Breland, St. Patrick
A four-year mainstay at St. Patrick who is closing in on 1,500 career points.
Breland must be accounted for at all times from the three-point line and beyond. He’s blessed with great range, connecting on 100 three-pointers this year while averaging 14 points a game.
The 6-0 point guard is headed to Pitt State, a Division II program in Kansas.
The unknown
These aren’t the household names the high school basketball world is familiar with this season. From doing the dirty work to making winning plays, their impact is felt each game. They come up big when least expected and are dependable — just without the fanfare.
Caden Workman, Brother Rice
Everyone talks about the 1-2 punch of Marcos Gonzales and shooting threat Jack Weigus who combine for 35 points a game. But you can’t overlook the impact of the 6-4 Workman, a high-academic, small college recruiting priority.
The numbers are modest (8 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.3 apg). But Workman gets a whole lot done and in an easy-to-appreciate way.
He is an undersized big who can face-up to the basket and make a three (20 threes on the year). He can dissect a defense as the team’s leading assist man. And he can work inside, using crafty finishing ability around the basket.
Kaidan Chatham, Evanston
Simply put, the 6-3 guard checks off a lot of different boxes for Evanston since his arrival as a transfer from Niles North.
Chatham, who averages just under 10 points a game, brings much-needed athleticism and an attacking style this team is short on. He’s a player who can be a disruptive defender on one end and a dangerous downhill driver on the other.
Mac Doyle, Benet
He’s not going to do much scoring for the Redwings; Doyle will leave that up to the four double-figure scorers coach Gene Heidkamp has at his disposal. And he’s not going to provide a whole lot of flash.
However, Doyle’s impact in helping shift the tone of a Benet defense that has been so much better in recent weeks should not be overlooked. That includes a couple of stifling defensive performances against Waubonsie Valley and Quincy.
The stars of those standout teams, Waubonsie Valley’s Tyreek Coleman and Quincy’s Bradley Longcor, a pair of mid-major Division I talents, were held in check, thanks in large part to the play of Doyle.
Zach Ausburn, Warren
Maybe the word is out after his monster sectional championship game performance.
The 6-8 senior, who provides the lone size for the Blue Devils, went for 23 points and 21 rebounds in the overtime win over Waukegan.
He’s active, runs the floor, plays with energy and is a high-intangible interior player. This no-namer when the season began — he didn’t start a year ago — has put in the work and is now more than just a contributor; Ausburn is averaging 11 points and 9.8 rebounds a game.