ESPN

Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Julius Randle remain on top of the final ESPN 100 for the Class of 2013.

See the final rankings here.

With word that shooting guard Allerik Freeman has asked for his release from UCLA, the nation’s No. 65 senior prospect may soon join Andrew Wiggins as the only uncommitted ESPN 100 prospects. Also, coaches begin to put in serious face time with the nation’s top junior recruits.

Read the entire story here.

Senior guard Alvin Ellis, of Chicago's De La Salle High School, committed and signed his letter of intent to the Michigan State Spartans on Wednesday.

Ellis, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard, was previously signed with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. He averaged 20 points, six rebounds and four rebounds for De La Salle in the Chicago Catholic League this past season.

MeanStreets AAU coach Tai Streets, Ellis’ club coach, thought Ellis would excel at Michigan State under Spartans coach Tom Izzo.

“I love Izzo though I’m a Michigan alum,” said Streets, who played football at Michigan. “That’s my guy. I know I’m going to get into trouble for that, but it’s true. If it’s not Michigan, you can’t go wrong with Izzo.

“I think it’s a great fit for Alvin. First of all, he’s a hard worker. He’s in the gym every day. His shot has improved. His ball handling has improved. Everything has improved. He’s going to be great at Michigan State. I think it’s a steal.”

Izzo, who missed out on fellow Chicago recruit Jabari Parker earlier this year, also spoke highly of Ellis in a statement.

“Alvin will be a great addition to our backcourt,” Izzo said. “We like his offensive skill set, especially his shooting touch, hitting 40 percent from three each of the last two seasons. He has good length and versatility, with the ability to defend a couple different positions on the perimeter. Combine his great work ethic, his great family background and his commitment to academics, and I expect him to be the type of player that really develops during his time as a Spartan, enjoying the complete student-athlete experience.”

Ellis joins his former high school teammate Gavin Schilling in Michigan State’s 2013 recruiting class. Ellis and Schilling were teammates at De La Salle during their junior seasons. Schilling spent his senior season at Findlay Prep in Nevada.

Rick Malnati has resigned as an assistant coach at Loyola University to become Fenwick High School’s boys varsity basketball coach.

Malnati spent two years on Loyola coach Porter Moser’s staff.

“I am extremely happy for Rick to be able to once again be a head coach,” Moser said in a statement. “Not only was he a valuable member of the staff, but he was also a good friend. Rick has the rare ability to impact people’s lives and I know he will do just that at Fenwick.”

Malnati previously was New Trier’s boys varsity basketball coach from 1996-2008. He coached the Trevians to two state tournament appearances.

Simeon Career Academy coach Robert Smith said Monday he has decided to bypass college coaching opportunities to make a run at a fifth consecutive Illinois state title with the Wolverines next season.

Smith has accumulated a 260-40 record, won six state titles and had one runner-up finish in nine seasons with Simeon. He said after the high school season he would consider leaving Simeon for a college assistant position.

(Read full post)

Fenwick (Oak Park, Ill.) had been paired with Rolling Meadows (Ill.) at the McDonald’s Shootout because the two girls’ basketball teams played the same vertical game, with the same emphasis on taking the best shot available as early in the shot clock as possible. They were two of the highest-scoring teams in the state of Illinois, largely due to pace and, in Rolling Meadows’ case, the point guard who pushes it.

Fenwick entered that high-profile game with two goals: mitigate Rolling Meadows’ height and stop Jackie Kemph. The former went all right. The latter did not.

Rolling Meadows’ junior point guard went for 38 points on 23 shots, shredding Fenwick doubles and full-court traps in an 87-83 victory. She also dished seven assists. To celebrate her career night and an important win over a fellow suburban Chicago power, she walked into the locker room after the game and vomited.

“That was Jackie just refusing to lose,” said Jenny Vliet, a Division I talent who’s been playing by Kemph’s side since the two were in fifth grade. “She was really not feeling well, but if she hadn’t told me I never would have known. Her intensity that game was what pulled us through.”

Read the entire story here.

For the second straight year, Montverde Academy (Fla.) was involved in a epic NHSI title game that featured a double-digit lead and crazy late-game heroics. The Eagles were on the losing end in 2011. But Kasey Hill made sure they wouldn't walk away empty-handed this time around.

Hill spurred a furious late-game comeback, culminating with a drive-and-kick dish to Jalyn Patterson for the game-winning shot with less than a second to play.

Montverde, which was ranked No. 2 in our preseason poll, never dipped below its initial ranking and held the top spot for five weeks before being upset at the buzzer in consecutive games in mid-January.

St. Benedict's, the NHSI runner-up, takes over No. 2 in the poll thanks in large part to the play of Syracuse-bound PG Tyler Ennis and a win over then No. 1 Findlay Prep. Findlay put its perfect season on the line at NHSI, but came up short in the semifinals. The Pilots overall body of work was impressive, though, and they were one of two teams to beat Montverde, earning them the third spot. Lone Peak was in the mix for the top overall spot but winds up at No. 4 -- tops among public school squads.

Four-time Illinois state champ Simeon rounds out the top 5, while fellow Chicago club Whitney Young went 8-3 against ranked teams to grab a top-10 spot despite not winning a state title. Back in the final poll after an extended hiatus is four-time Nebraska champ Omaha Central.

Did we get the final rankings right? Tweet us using #ESPN25hoops and let us know which teams we missed on.

Note: This poll is compiled weekly by the RecruitingNation staff. Every high school team is eligible to be ranked as long as its roster does not include any fifth-year seniors.

Check out the rankings here.

CHICAGO -- Jabari Parker threw down a baseline dunk. He dished out a few assists. He grabbed a few rebounds. He made a few steals and blocked a few shots.

On the court Wednesday, Parker was being Parker as he displayed his all-around game and showed why he’s been considered one of the premier high school players in the country for much of his career.

But when Parker and most people think back of his McDonald’s All American Game experience, what they’ll remember isn’t Parker’s West team winning 110-99 or anything he did during the actual game. It’ll be the memory of his introduction before the game at the United Center.

With the lights out and the spotlight on and after every other player already on the floor, Parker was announced as being from Simeon Career Academy and Chicago. The welcoming decibels were well beyond those of anyone before him.

It was the perfect reception for the hometown Duke commit Parker, a four-time state champion and two-time Mr. Basketball who is No. 2 in the ESPN 100 ranking index.

“It was like homecoming,” Parker explained after the game. “It’s just a homecoming day for me, see everybody out there. You know we can celebrate. I know I represent all the high school players, so that’s all I wanted to do. Be there and represent the city of Chicago on the way.”

Whitney Young High School junior center and fellow Chicagoan Jahlil Okafor, the nation’s No. 1 junior, was just as moved by the fans’ love for Parker.

“Seeing the crowd embrace him as they did, he deserves it more than anybody,” Okafor said. “Seeing everybody cheer that loud, I was really happy and just put like chills down my body. It’s something I can work hard for and maybe I can experience that next year.”

It was nearly the same feeling for Ronnie Fields, a former McDonald’s All American from Chicago, who was attending his first McDonald’s game in nearly 20 years.

“I was so happy,” said Fields, who was a McDonald’s All American in 1996. “I was waiting for him to come out.”

“To see the city continue to breed these guys out, it just made me proud,” he said. “You go down the list. We got Jabari. We got Derrick Rose. We got Okafor coming. That goes back to Isiah Thomas. The list goes on and on.”

Parker was thought to be playing his final game in Chicago for the foreseeable future, but he hinted at another game, possibly meaning a Duke game in Chicago next season. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski did bring Jon Scheyer back to play before his hometown Chicago crowd, and that also could be the case for Parker, who is expected to spend just one season in college before bolting for the NBA.

Whether or not Parker will be back in Chicago next year, he left a bit of everything on the floor Wednesday. He had 10 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, two blocks; didn’t allow anything easy to No. 1-ranked Andrew Wiggins (uncommitted; from Canada by way Huntington Prep in West Virginia); and came out on the victorious side, just as he did throughout his career.
All in all, Parker realized his hometown experience was unique at this game.

“I know I’ve been spoiled a little bit more being in Chicago and playing at the United Center,” Parker said. “This was a great experience.”

In an all-star showcase, which team wins the game is often secondary. But which players win their individual matchups -- now that's another story. So to get you prepped for the McDonald's All American Game (Wednesday, 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU and WatchESPN), we've ranked the top five matchups to watch during the contest.

With bragging rights and sometimes rankings on the line, you can bet these high-level one-on-one battles will be intense and will provide must-see TV. Here's what you need to know.

Read the entire story.

Two ranked teams took home championship trophies, while two others came up short in their title pursuit as the remaining state champs were crowned across the nation this past weekend.

No. 8 Mater Dei captured the program's 10th title Saturday, beating San Jose Archbishop Mitty 50-45 behind a huge individual game from junior Stanley Johnson. Over in Indiana, Carmel beat Cathedral for the second time this year to grab its second straight Class 4A crown.

Then-No. 17 Pershing wasn't so fortunate in the Michigan playoffs, falling to Romulus and having its perfect season snapped. Romulus took Pershing's place in the rankings after winning the Class A tournament. Chester was upset by Lower Merion but remains in the top 25 based on total body of work.

Now that state champs around the country have been crowned, the last remaining games will come at the National High School Invitational April 4-6. Top-ranked Findlay Prep goes in as the favorites, but the Pilots will be severely tested by a loaded field that includes five top-10 squads.

Our final rankings will be revealed on April 9.

Tweet us your top five teams using #ESPN25hoops.

Note: This poll is compiled weekly by the RecruitingNation staff. Every high school team is eligible to be ranked as long as its roster does not include any fifth-year seniors.

Check out the rankings here.

Simeon senior forward Jabari Parker was announced as the first two-time Illinois Mr. Basketball winner on Monday.

Parker, a Duke recruit, won the award, which is voted on by statewide media and schools, with 315 points and 43 first-place votes, the Chicago Tribune announced on Monday. Parker was the first non-senior to win the award last season.

“It means a lot,” Parker said on Monday. “I worked extremely hard to get back (from my foot injury) and help my team the best I could. I don’t care about the individual awards, but it’s a reflection on my team. Having somebody from Simeon win it again means a lot.”

(Read full post)

CHICAGO -- Simeon Career Academy senior forward and Duke recruit Jabari Parker was named the Morgan Wootten Male Player of the Year during a news conference Monday at the Ronald McDonald House.

Read the entire story.

St. Anthony and Lake Oswego's lengthy tenure in the rankings came to an end after playoff losses, while Iowa City West and Germantown completed back-to-back undefeated seasons on the hardwood to move into the top 15. Also, Chicago Whitney Young falls to No. 10.

Check out the rankings here.

Now that No. 2 senior prospect Jabari Parker is back to full health, has his college decision behind him and is chasing a fourth consecutive state title, Paul Biancardi re-examines what makes Parker such a unique and talented player as his high school career winds to a close and why he’ll be able to make an immediate impact at Duke next year.

Read the entire story here.

Whitney Young is back on top of Chicago hoops after capturing the Public School tourney crown. The title moved the Dolphins past city rival Simeon and on the edge of cracking the top 5. Plus, preseason top-10 squads Chester and Oak Hill Academy are creeping back into the top 20.

See the rankings here.