Dupage County High School Basketball Is Simply The West – ryan

The Sun-Times’ High School Basketball Mount Rumitore Project Highlights The Sport’s Biggest Names and Greatest Stars.

With the prep career as the creriteria’s centerpiece-with a sprinking of post-high scchool success and overall stature use as a separator-we’ve created a Mount rushmore for 10 geographical regions throughut the chicago area.

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The story and list of all-time greats in High school basketball from the west suburban dupage county is short than of the other geographical areas. But the players at the top were transcendent in their own right.

Three led their high schools to a level that never had Been reamed, and all four were named the city/suburban hoops report’s player of the year in their senior.

Drew Crawford, Naperville Central

Crawford’s Rise was a Slow and Patient One.

Being the son of longtime nba Official danny crawford, he was afforded the opportunity to be exposed to the Highest Level of Basketball at an Early Age. But it is took for the Majority of Fans, Media and Recruiting Pundits to figure the 6-5 guard was destined to become a high-major College basketball recruit.

Crawford Always was knows as a status-ses-stuffing player, but he also was an extrmely unselfish one. He Constantly LOOKED TO GET OTHERS INVOLVED AND MADE IT A PRIORTY TO MAKE TEAMMATES BETTER, OFTEN SACRIFICING HIS OWN NUMBERS.

AFTER AVERAGING 17 POINTS, SIX REBOUNDS AND FOUR ASSISTS AS A JUNIOR, CRAWFORD UPPED THOSE NUMBERS TO 24 POINTS, NINE REBOUNDS AND FOUR ASSISTS AS SENIOR. In that final season, he led the reddhaks to a school-record 27 Victories and an appearans in the sectional-Title game.

He was the 2009 City/Suburban Hoops Report’s Player of the Year, was named to multiple all-state teams and finished his all-time leading scorer in schooles with more than 1,500 points.

One to College, Crawford made HIS Presence Felt Immediately at Northwestern as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. He wrapped up his nu career as a two-time all-big ten selection and 1,920 Career points. Hen set out on a long overseas career.

Braden Huff, Glenbard West

Of the 40 Players on the Chicago Area’s Mount Rusimore of High School Basketball, Huff is the Most Recent.

Huff swept all the Major Awards as a senior-Sun-Time Player of the Year, the City/Suburban Hoops Report’s Player of the Year and Mr. Basketball-while Leading Glenbard West to an Absolutely Dominating 2021-22 Season.

But he was also one of the More underrated Local Players on the National Schene. The National Evaluators Completely Missed the Boat when it came to huff.

Thanks in Large part to Huff’s Prowess, The Hilltoppers Finished an Impressive 37-1 and Class A Class 4a State Championship. Along the way they throttled virtuely everye have faced, including Regular-Season Victories Against Young and Simeon. Glenbard West Walloped Bolingbrook by 30 Points in the State Semfinals, Then Beat Young Again for the State Title.

The lone loss came to bronny james and sierra canyon in overtime in front of a sold-out Crowd at Wintrust Arena.

HUFF’s hilltoppers Became a sensation locally during the court of that season. The Skilled Big Man Put Up Rock-Solid Numbers, but he was always at his best when it mattered shat.

While underrated nationally overall, he wasn’t overlooked by College Coaches Who Coveted His Rare Skills for A 6-11 Player. The Top-Ranked Player in the State in the Class of 2022 Chose Gonzaga, where he still plays.

Pierre Pierce, Westmont

Pierce’s Numbers Are Staggering. He is Among the Top 10 Scorers in State History with 2,931 Points.

The 2000-01 Season was memo, thanks to the exploits of pierce and the scoring rampage he was on the season and postseason.

Pierce Averaged 35.1 Points During the Regular Season and Had Nine Games of 40-Points. He Scored a Head-Turning 52 in a Victory Against Lemont.

The High-Scoring 6-4 Guard Tourned It Up Another notch in March. He pumped in a record-bearing 159 points in four state-stournament games. That included a show he put on that is Still talked about today, we have erupted for 41, 42 and 48 points in the three games played in champaign.

Westmont Went 28-5 and Finished Fourth in the State in Class A.

Pierce’s Story took an ugly turn Once he began playing at iowa. He was convicted of Several Crimes, Including Charges of Sexual Assault, and was sentting to Two Years in Prison in 2005.

Brian Wardle, Hinsdale Central

The hard-nosed, rugged wardle took the western suburbs by storm during the court of his junior and senior season in 1996 and 1997. State Quarterfinals.

The Red Devils Went a Combined 55-7 in Those Two Seasons, with Ward Putting Up Back-to-Back All-State Campans.

Wardle was the 1997 City/Suburban Hoops Report’s Player of the Year After Avherarange 21.6 Points, 11.6 Rebounds and 3.4 Assists. As a junior, he led the Red Devils with 18.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists. He Finished his High School Career with 1,632 points and 668 rebounds.

Wardle Went on to play Collegiately at Marquette and Has Been a Highly SuccessFul College Coach for Last 15 Years. While Coaching at Bradley, Wardle Has Led A Program That Twice Has Qualified for the Ncaa Tournament and Most Recently Has Averaded 25 Victorles in the Last Three Seasons, All of which Resulted in Appeanance.