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CHICAGO -- Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers may be 20-plus years removed from his playing days at Proviso East High School in Chicago’s western suburbs, but he’s still loyal to the program.

Prior to Monday’s game against the Chicago Bulls, Rivers was asked how he felt about Proviso East being back on the rise after reaching the IHSA Class 4A state championship last season. It was the first return trip to the finals since 1992.

“What do you mean on the rise?” Rivers said in a harsh tone. “They’re always on the rise.”

Rivers was only joking, but he does really still keep close tabs on Proviso East. And the Pirates, for the most part, have been one of Illinois’ most consistently successful programs. They’ve reached 14 state tournaments, won four titles and have produced past and present NBA players like Rivers, Jim Brewer, Donnie Boyce, Sherell Ford, Michael Finley, Shannon Brown, Dee Brown, Reggie Jordan and Steven Hunter.

Plus, like in Rivers’ day, Proviso East still wears jerseys with sleeves.

“Proviso East is what it is,” Rivers said. “You know what it is. It’s a heck of a school. For basketball, I don’t know if there’s any place better in the country, not only in the state, as far as the history of it."

Rivers does still keep close tabs on Proviso East, too. He often talks with his brother Grady Rivers, who still attends games, and Boyce, the current Proviso East coach, about the team.

Boyce said their conversations are important to him and his players.

“It means a lot,” Boyce said. “He’s not only a friend, but a mentor to me. I’m always taking things from him and watching him coach. He helps pass my message to the players and show what the program is all about when he talks to them.

Boyce even one day hopes to follow Rivers’ footsteps into the NBA as a coach.

“I want to coach at the highest level,” Boyce said. “I want to attack it just as when I was a player.”

Proviso East enters this season as one of the state favorites again. The Pirates’ roster includes SMU recruit Sterling Brown, Shannon’s younger brother, and Illinois State recruit Paris Lee.

ESPN recruiting coordinator Jared Shanker breaks down movements in the ESPN 300 player rankings in the Midwest.

Jabari Parker, the nation's No. 2 senior out of Chicago's Simeon Career Academy, does not have a leader in the recruiting process, and he may miss his team's season-opener on Dec. 1 because of the fracture in his right foot.

Parker has visited Michigan State, Duke and Florida the past three weekends and still plans to visit Stanford and BYU in November. His final visit will be to BYU the weekend of Nov. 24. His father, Sonny Parker, said his son will commit after the early signing period (Nov. 14-21) and then sign in the spring.

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Thanks to a pair of top 10 ESPN 100 prospects, Florida's Billy Donovan has already put together one of the top recruiting classes in the country.

With local products and AAU teammates Kasey Hill (Eustis, Fla./Montverde Academy) and Chris Walker (Bonifay, Fla./Holmes County) already on board, the Gators have one of the best point guards and power forwards in the country heading to Gainesville next year.

This weekend, the rich will look to get richer as the Gators host No. 2 senior Jabari Parker (Chicago/Simeon) officially and No. 9 junior Justise Winslow (Houston/Saint John’s) unofficially.

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Dave Telep and Paul Biancardi compare No. 1 SF Andrew Wiggins and No. 2 SF Jabari Parker based on athleticism, established skills, intangibles, scoring, and potential.

Enoch Smith holds a handful of FBS offers, but he stills waits for one from Michigan. Chantel Jennings talks to Smith about recruiting and the season at Mount Carmel.

It's been an eventful few days for the top players in the Class of 2014. Last Thursday, No. 1 prospect Andrew Wiggins (Thornhill, Ontario/Huntington Prep) reclassified from 2014 to 2013. On Friday, new ESPN 60 No. 1 Tyus Jones (Apple Valley, Minn./Apple Valley) talked about his new ranking and visiting both Duke and UNC.

And on Sunday night, elite junior big man Jahlil Okafor (Chicago/Whitney Young), the new No. 2 player in the ESPN 60, discussed how his recruiting was progressing and wanting to play in college with Jones.

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Joliet Catholic (Ill.) offensive lineman -- and lead blocker for USC commit Ty Isaac -- J.B. Butler still waits for his first scholarship offer. The Class of 2014 prospect talks to Chantel Jennings about his recruiting.

Former Illinois basketball player Jereme Richmond was returned to Lake County (Ill.) Jail on Thursday after he violated terms of his probation, according to assistant state's attorney Jim Newman.

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The McDonald's All-American Games announced Wednesday it will remain in Chicago for at least five more years.

The games were held at Chicago's United Center in 2011 and set a record for attendance with 19,909 tickets sold. The games returned to the United Center in 2012.

The deal announced Wednesday will keep the games in Chicago until 2015 and includes an option for 2016. The 2013 games will be held at the United Center on April 3.

"This is a historic day for the McDonald's All American Games," McDonald's All American Games director Douglas Freeland said in a statement. "Fans throughout the U.S. can now make Chicago their 'destination' to see the greatest high school basketball players participate in this annual rite of passage."

The 2013 games' nominees will be revealed in January and the teams will be announced in February.

The Chicago area was represented by three girls players (Whitney Young's Janee Thompson, Niles West's Jewell Loyd, Bolingbrook's Morgan Tuck) and no boys in 2012. The 2013 games are expected to include at least Simeon forward Jabari Parker, the nation's No. 1 senior.

Illinois has produced 74 McDonald's All-Americans, including 60 boys and 14 girls. The state ranks third behind California (123) and New York (84).

Journeys.

If we are honest with ourselves, we know that they never really begin where we think they begin and they hardly ever end when we think it's the end.

The journey to get the story of Ben Wilson's life told on (and through) film started long before directors Coodie Simmons and Chike Ozah were given the green light to start telling one of the most compelling stories in the history of Chicago -- and one of the most traumatic, misunderstood and unforgiving stories in sports.

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LOMBARD, Ill. -- This weekend’s first-ever “Midwest Workout” highlighted 45 players selected from Illinois and the surrounding region. The concept was to bring in three groups of 15 players and put them through roughly an hour of drills, implement basic principles and then allow 30 minutes of controlled play using the concepts learned.

Mike Procopio, a former scout with the Boston Celtics and operator of Hoop Consultants, conducted the five-hour workout.

From an evaluation standpoint, the event allowed you to see how a prospect reacts to the implementation of concepts and gauge an overall skill level. There were players ranging from low to high major. In an era where exposure events are the rage, Procopio’s workout was a welcomed change where real basketball concepts were taught and emphasized. In short, the 45 kids who were hand picked to attend were subject to improvement.

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Simeon senior forward Kendall Pollard committed to Dayton on Friday.

Pollard, a 6-foot-7 small forward, chose the Flyers over Rhode Island. He’s ranked the 35th small forward in the country and the state’s eighth best prospect by ESPN.

“They’re getting a skilled wing,” Simeon coach Robert Smith said. “I think they’re getting a steal. Dayton fits his style.”

Pollard is the third Simeon senior to commit to a Division I program this year. Point guard Jaylon Tate and shooting guard Kendrick Nunn committed to Illinois. Smith expects possibly four more seniors, including No. 1-ranked Jabari Parker, to accept D-I scholarships this season.

“I tell people all the time, we take guys who understand basketball,” Smith said. “We help them get to the next level. They’re comfortable playing for us because of our past success.”

Pollard is Dayton’s third Class of 2013 commitment. He joins point guard Putnam Science Academy (N.Y.) point guard Dayton Smith and Morgan Park (Chicago) point guard Kyle Davis.

Bolingbrook senior forward Ben Moore committed to Southern Methodist on Tuesday.

Moore, a 6-foot-7 forward, chose the Mustangs over Colorado State and Illinois. Moore was the second Chicago-area recruit to commit to SMU in the past week. Proviso East (Maywood, Ill.) senior guard Sterling Brown committed to the Mustangs on Monday.

Southern Methodist coach Larry Brown was the first high-major coach to recruit Moore.

“Coach Brown from the very first time pegged Moore,” Bolingbrook coach Ben Brost said. “The first night I talked to him, (Brown) described what I had been seeing for the last six months. Just the way (Moore) has a feel for the game, the way he can get to where he needs to on the dribble, and he has a nose for the basketball. I’ve seen what he can do, especially in the last six months. It’s been rewarding for him and for me also to see the attention he deserves, and his recruitment to go up as it has.”

Moore’s recruitment has increased since his junior season.

“He’s such a strong ball handler for his size,” Brost said. “He can get to anywhere he wants to go on the floor. And obviously he can score in bunches as well. He’s perceived like an elite player.

“Last year our first game he had a triple-double with 11 blocks, so he played really, really well last year. But people perceived him as a post player, and he’s a wing with the way he can handle the ball. He’s a 3-4 combo type player at this level. Now, people are seeing he can play at this level.”

Moore has improved in some areas, but Brost does expect him to grow in even more areas.

“The things that are going to translate (to college) are he has a nose for the ball, he can finish around the basket, the ball handling really translates, getting where he wants to be on the floor,” Brost said. “Obviously he needs to get stronger, and his jump shot needs to improve, but those are two things that can improve as you get older and you work on them and get more reps.”

SMU assistant coach Jerrance Howard’s connections into the Chicago area helped pay off again for the Mustangs. Howard was hired by SMU after leaving the Illini after last season. Howard has helped with Chicago recruits Brown, Moore and Illinois transfer and former Proviso East High School guard Crandall Head.

Moore is SMU’s second Class of 2013 recruit. He joins Sterling Brown in the recruiting class.

CHICAGO -- Simeon Career Academy (Chicago) forward Jabari Parker, the nation's No. 1-ranked senior, doesn't plan to commit and sign during the early signing period, his father said on Tuesday.

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