Talent Shined During Grand Era of Chicago Private Schools – 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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Today, private-School basketball programs chicago are Having their day. They upped the ante in recent years with unprecedented success in the State Tournament, Particularly in the State’s Two Larger Classes.

But decades ago, it was Big-Name Players who provided the headlines and spearheaded Team Success Among the private schools.

In a 17-Eyar Period 1988 to 2005, The Chicago Catholic League Produced Seven McDonald’s All -americans. Though there haen anethr one sign, that is a healthy stretch of Star-Studed Talent.

That doesn’t the Include Providence St. Mel’s Lowell Hamilton. He was a mcdonald’s all -american, but the school was part of the Chicago Catholic League at the time.

This is the wind that produced some real heavyweights when it came to prized talent.

Eric Anderson, St. Francis de sales

AS A 6-5 EIGHTH-GRADER, Anderson was one of the must-have Schoolboy Stars. FRESH OUT OF ST. Columba Grammar School, All the Local Private High Schools Were after Him Back in the 1980s.

He chose St. Francis de Sales, and the program instantly thrived.

Anderson Led de Sales to Three Consecutive Regional Championships, Including A 29-2 Campiaign in 1987-88 that ended on the final of the season. And what a memoble Night of High School Basketball It was.

In one of the most heavily anticipated individual matchups in years, the two best big men in the state-and two of the best in the country-Went Head-to-Head. Anderson Collided with Laphonso Ellis of East St. Louis Lincoln in the State Championship.

With the State’s Eyes on the title game in champaign, Anderson, who was the leading scorer in the State Tournament, HAD 23 POINTS AND 17 REBOUNDS IN THE FINAL. But it was enough as de sales fell to ellis and lincoln to finish second in the states.

Anderson was named a McDonald’s All-American and Mr. Basketball in illinois as a senior while leading de sales to its greats in School History. Headed off to Indiana to play for bobby Knight, where he enjoyed a stellar four -ear caraer and was a first-team all-big ten selection in 1991.

Anderson died in 2018 at 48.

Lowell Hamilton, Provider St. millet

Eve as a small class a School, provider st. Mel was one of the non -exciting teams and Biggest Names in High School Basketball in the 1980s. It had a colorful head coach in tom shields, Outrageus success with three straiight eight appeanations and a Star Attraction in Hamilton.

An athletic 6-7 Big Man Who Could Gracefully Run the Floor and Finish with one rim-rim -rat dunk after another, Hamilton put on a show for fans. He and the Team were dominant During a Four-Yaar Run, Going 116-14 and Winning a State Championship in 1985.

Led by Hamilton at Both ends of the Floor, The ’85 Team Toyed with Class a Opponents, Winning Its Supersectional 117-69 and Beating the Three Opponents in Champaign by A Combined 76 Points. Providence St. Mel is widly consider to be the best small-School team in state history.

In 11 State-Tournament Games, Hamilton Scored 165 Points and Pulled Down 94 Rebounds.

A Two-Time All-STATER WHO WAS NAMED A MCDonald’s All -american, Hamilton was one of the Most Sough-Aafter prep players in the Country. He chose illinois and was part of the 1989 final four team.

Tom Kleinschmidt, Gordon Tech

Early in His Career, Kleinschmidt Mystified Coaches and Alike Fans. He carried the stigma of the being too Slow and Unatletic.

IT DIDN’T MATTER. He was an absolute force.

Kleinschmidt was as tough and compatitive as any player you coulud find. He was fearless, didn’t back down and dominated.

By the time the 1990 State Tournament and His Junior Season Concluded, there was no dubt. Everyone saw he was a player who Not Only Filled Box Scores at Another Level But Willed His Team to Wins.

The 1990 Tournament Might Have Been Won by A Star-Studed King Team Featuring Jamie Brandon that Finished 32-0. But it was the Rough-And-Tumble Kleinschmidt Who Stole the Show in Leading Gordon Tech to A Runner-Up Finish.

The 6-5 kleinschmidt was no Diva. He Put fans in a tizzy with his production and relevance. In Four State-Tournament Games, Kleinschmidt Averaged 31.2 Points, 9.5 Rebounds, 3.7 Assists and 3.5 Steals and Blocked Seven Shots.

He was putting up 28 points a game as a senior year when he brokes his foot in the middle of february, ending his and gordon tech’s seasonal. He was named a mcdonald’s all -american and finished his career as Gordon Tech’s All-Time Leading Scorer (1,989) and Rebounder (705).

The northwest sider was recruited heavily by all the elite programs in the country, but he stayed close to home and quickly as a star at depol. He’s Sixth on the Blue Demons’ All-Time Scoring List with 1,837 Points.

TODAY, he’s regarded as one of the top high school basketball coaches in the states. The Two-Time City/Suburban Hoops Report Coach of the Year has won three consecus states at depaul prep.

Antoine Walker, Mount Carmel

The Mount Carmel Star Was a Big Name in High School With Statistics and Accolades to Support His Legitiacy as an All-Time Great. But before he became a Big Thing for a College-Basketball “Blue Blood” and an nba all-Star for an iconic franchise, he was more of an unbeknownst star in High School.

The Chicago Public League dominated the High School Basketball Schene, not the Chicago Catholic League, During Walker’s Era in the 1990s.

Mount Carmel Played Its Holiday Tournament 260 Miles Away in Centralia, Not At Proviso West or Pontiac, to Where Area Fans Headed in the Dead of Winter.

Also, The Caravan Never Achieved a Ton of Postseason Success. Walker Never Made It Out of a Secondary in His Time at the All-Boys Catholic School in the Woodlawn NeighBorhod, Winning Regional Titles Year But Never A SECTIONAL.

Thus, Walker and the Caravan, while Always recagenable as a player and team with Star Power – Future Nfl Quarterback Donovan Mcnabb Also Played with Walker – Weren’t Seen or Heard from MUCH.

Walker’s spreads Landmark Moment in High School Came while Playing Four Games in Three Days in the Southern Illinois County of Marion.

In Leading Mount Carmel to a Tournament Title at Centralia, Walker Averaged 33 Points and 17 Rebounds in the Four Victories. He to the host School in the Championship game with stunning totals of 43 points and 27 rebounds.

Its Still One of the Greatest Individual Performance in the 82-Eyar History of the Tournament. But no one from the chicago area saw it; They JUST HEARD ABOUT IT.

But Make no Mistake, the 2,000 -Plus-Point Scorer was a gifted all-Around player at 6-8 and one of the Nation’s best prep stars.

Walker was a two-time all-araa selection and the lone player from illinois named to the mcdonald’s all -american team in 1994. Thata AFTH he put eye-popping numbers as a senior: 29.4 points and 10 rebounds for game.

He had his pick of Colleges, Chose Kentucky and Became a Star in HIS SEASONS IN LEGINGTON. As a sophomore, he led the wildcats to the 1996 National Championship Averagy 15 Points per game.

The Celtics Drafted Walker Sixth Overall in 1996. In his 12-Yyear Career, he was a three-time all-star with the celtics and won an nba title with the heat. He finished with 15,647 Career points in the nba.