Every week during the prep basketball season, IlliniHQ will give a wrap-up of how Illini commits and targets fared during the previous weekend's games. Here are a few notes from the week that was. 


THE RECRUITS









AUSTIN COLBERT, a senior forward/center from Gill St. Bernard's (N.J.) School, and the Knights stand at 7-6 on the season after a narrow 54-53 loss to Abington Heights (Pa.) High School in the Lehigh Valley Hoop Group Showcase on Sunday in Allentown, Pa. Gill St. Bernard's posted 66-53 home win on Friday against Bridgewater-Raritan (N.J.) High School and an 83-47 win at Franklin (N.J.) High School last Tuesday night. Colbert had 18 points and 12 rebounds against Bridgewater-Raritan and in the win against Franklin, Colbert scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Colbert and Gill St. Bernard's have a busy week planned, with three games in four days, starting this Tuesday at home against Immaculata (N.J.) High School, this Thursday at home against Hunterdon Central Regional (N.J.) High School and this Friday against Roselle Catholic (N.J.) High School in the Newark Invitational at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. 


MALCOLM HILL, a senior guard/forward from Belleville East (Ill.) High School, and the Lancers are getting closer to the 20-win plateau. Hill led the Lancers with 27 points on 18-of-20 shooting at the foul line in Belleville East's 72-61 victory on Friday night at home against Edwardsville (Ill.) High School. In Belleville East's 66-46 home win against Belleville West (Ill.) High School last Tuesday, Hill scored 22 points. Belleville East (19-2) and Hill return to the court this Tuesday night at Belleville Althoff Catholic (Ill.) High School before playing at East St. Louis (Ill.) High School this Friday. 


MAVERICK MORGAN, a senior center from Springboro (Ohio) High School, went for 17 points, 10 rebounds and six blocked shots in Springboro's 58-51 home win against West Carrollton (Ohio) High School on Friday night. Springboro (14-3) and Morgan are back in action this Tuesday at Butler (Ohio) High School before hosting Miamisburg (Ohio) High School this Friday.

KENDRICK NUNN and JAYLON TATE, senior guards from Chicago Simeon High School, helped the Wolverines win four games last week. Simeon (18-2) edged Chicago Whitney Young 44-41 on Saturday night at Chicago State University during a game televised on ESPNU. Tate compiled 12 points and three assists while Nunn came through with 10 points and six assists. Prior to Saturday, Simeon won 73-54 at home on Friday against Chicago Harlan and 67-48 at Chicago Bogan last Wednesday. Nunn had 17 points, five rebounds and three steals against Harlan in a game in which his jersey was retired at halftime. Tate did not play in the game because of headaches suffered in a fall during the team's win against Bogan last Wednesday. Nunn had 19 points and five rebounds while Tate added nine points. Prior to the three games against Chicago Public League teams, Simeon knocked off Oak Hill (Va.) Academy 81-68 last Monday at the Hoop Hall Classic in Springfield, Mass, with Nunn contributing 21 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals. Simeon returns to action this Saturday against Coronado (Nev.) High School in Las Vegas, which is the last game of a four-game suspension Simeon head coach Robert Smith will have to serve. Smith was suspended after an altercation on the court following the Simeon-Chicago Morgan Park game on Jan. 16 that ended with a Chicago teenager shot to death outside Chicago State's arena in a separate incident.

THE COMMIT








MICHAEL FINKE, a junior forward from Champaign Centennial (Ill.) High School who verbally committed on Dec. 12, had 25 points and 13 rebonds in Centennial's 70-54 win at Champaign Central (Ill.) High School on Friday night. Prior to Finke's efforts against Central, he scored 28 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a 60-55 overtime home win against Decatur MacArthur (Ill.) High School last Tuesday night. The Chargers (17-5) hit the court again this Friday at Decatur Eisenhower (Ill.) High School.



THE TARGETS








CLIFF ALEXANDER, a junior center from Chicago Curie High School who has offers from Illinois, Connecticut, DePaul, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Tennessee and Wisconsin, lost 46-45 to Elmhurst York (Ill.) High School on Sunday night at the Ronald "Chops" Billinger Jr. Memorial Shootout at Chicago Whitney Young. Alexander had nine points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots for the Condors, now 14-6. Alexander had 27 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots during Curie's 72-37 win at Chicago Harper on Thursday, which came after a 74-55 win against Chicago Phillips last Tuesday in which Alexander scored 26 points and corralled 15 rebounds. Curie and Alexander are back in action Tuesday night at Chicago St. Rita.

LARRY AUSTIN, JR., a junior guard from Springfield Lanphier (Ill.) High School, scored a game-high 31 points in an 80-61 win at Taylorville (Ill.) High School on Saturday night. Austin, who has offers from Illinois, Bradley, DePaul, Iowa, Kansas State, Memphis, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Southern Methodist and Wake Forest, had 28 points but the Lions could not pull out a home win on Friday night against Chatham-Glenwood (Ill.) High School, falling 59-54 to the Titans. Lanphier (12-9) and Austin resume play this Friday at home against Jacksonville (Ill.) High School before playing at Rochester (Ill.) High School this Saturday night.  


TREVON BLUIETT, a junior forward from Park Tudor School in Indianapolis, and the Panthers breezed past Cardinal Ritter (Ind.) High School 89-42 last Tuesday night. Bluiett, who has offers from Illinois, Butler, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas State, Louisville, Michigan, Notre Dame, Purdue and Xavier, had 22 points in the win. Park Tudor (14-1) and Bluiett return to the court this Friday night at Brebeuf Jesuit (Ind.) Prep School before hosting Martinsville (Ind.) High School this Saturday.

CARLTON BRAGG, a sophomore forward from Villa Angela-St. Joseph (Ohio) High School, and the Vikings have compiled a 13-2 record after two wins this past weekend. Bragg, who has interest from Illinois, Dayton, Indiana, Louisville, Missouri, Texas and Xavier, scored 12 points in Villa Angela-St. Joseph's 68-59 overtime win on Saturday against Martinsburg (W. Va.) High School during the Dunk 4 Diabetes Shootout at Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio. During an 86-36 win at Warren John F. Kennedy (Ohio) High School on Friday night, Bragg led all scorers with 20 points. Bragg and Villa Angela-St. Joseph will host Trinity (Ohio) High School this Friday night.

JALEN BRUNSON, a sophomore point guard from Lincolnshire Stevenson (Ill.) High School, and the Patriots are 15-4 after winning 75-58 on Saturday at Mt. Prospect (Ill.) High School and beating Gurnee Warren (Ill.) High School 63-31 last Tuesday night. Brunson, who has offers from Illinois, DePaul, Purdue, Southern Methodist and Xavier, along with interest from Indiana and Iowa, scored 23 points and made four steals against Mt. Prospect after he scored 11 points in the win against Warren. Stevenson (15-4) and Brunson host Glenbard West (Ill.) High School this Tuesday before welcoming in Libertyville (Ill.) High School this Friday night.

HYRON EDWARDS, a sophomore point guard from East Chicago Central (Ind.) High School who has offers from Illinois, Indiana and Purdue, and the Cardinals had their five-game winning streak stopped after a 53-40 home loss against Gary West (Ind.) High School on Thursday night. Edwards and East Chicago Central (8-6) return to the court this Saturday afternoon against Fort Wayne Luers (Ind.) High School.


JAQUAN LYLE, a junior point guard from Evansville Bosse (Ind.) High School, had Friday night off after Bosse's game at Owensboro (Ky.) High School was postponed because of inclement weather. The game is scheduled to be made up this Tuesday night. Lyle, who has offers from Illinois, Cincinnati, Georgetown, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Ohio State, Tennessee, Texas and Xavier, along with interest from Arizona, Duke, Florida and UCLA, and Bosse (12-3) will return home for a game against Evansville (Ind.) North High School this Friday.

CHARLES MATTHEWS, a sophomore guard from Chicago St. Rita, and the Mustangs routed Kankakee Bishop McNamara (Ill.) High School 90-66 in Kankakee on Friday night. Matthews — who has offers from Illinois, Arizona, DePaul, Providence and Southern Methodist — and the 13-5 Mustangs will host Chicago Curie High School this Tuesday night before playing at Chicago Hales Franciscan this Friday night.  

SEAN O'MARA, a junior forward from Benet Academy in Lisle, Ill., and the Redwings beat Naperville Central (Ill.) High School 46-35 on Saturday night as part of the High School Hoops Showdown at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill. O'Mara, who has offers from Illinois, Boston College, DePaul, Georgia Tech, Marquette and Virginia, among others, had 12 points in the win. Benet (19-3) and O'Mara are back in action this Friday night at home against Arlington Heights St. Viator (Ill.) High School and Saturday night against West Aurora (Ill.) High School as part of Batavia (Ill.) High School's Night of Hoops event.

JAHLIL OKAFOR, a junior center from Chicago Whitney Young, along with junior teammates PAUL WHITE and L.J. PEAK, had eight points and four blocked shots in Whitney Young's 44-41 loss to Chicago Simeon on Saturday night at Chicago State University. White added eight points and six rebounds, but the real star of the game was Peak. The transfer from South Carolina who has interest from Illinois and offers from Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina State and Virginia Tech, among others, scored a game-high 20 points. Okafor, who has offers from Arkansas, DePaul, Illinois, Michigan State, North Carolina and Ohio State, among others and White, who has offers from Illinois, Arizona, Baylor, DePaul, Florida, Florida State, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin, among others, also helped Whitney Young overpower Chicago Collins during a 93-57 road win last Wednesday. Whitney Young (18-2) resumes play this Saturday against Evangelical Christian (Tenn.) School in Louisville, Ky.

D.J. WILLIAMS, a sophomore forward out of Chicago Simeon who has offers from Illinois, Florida, Cal-Poly, DePaul, Nebraska and SMU, and the 18-2 Wolverines are back in action this Saturday in Las Vegas against Coronado (Nev.) High School.

KEVIN ZABO, a junior point guard out of Wolfeboro Brewster (N.H.) Academy, and the Bobcats are 18-5 after three wins last week. Zabo, who has offers from Illinois, George Washington, Iowa State and West Virignia with interest from Connecticut, Marquette and Ohio State, among others, had 12 points in Wolfeboro's 87-54 home win against South Kent (Conn.) School on Saturday. Wolfeboro beat Kimball Union (N.H.) Academy 80-48 on Friday, which came after Zabo had 11 points during Wolfeboro's 81-78 victory at Bridgton (Maine) Academy last Wednesday. Zabo and the Bobcats host Putnam Science (Conn.) Academy this Wednesday before starting the Prep School Invitational — held in Providence, R.I. — against St. Thomas More (Conn.) School this Saturday before playing Vermont Academy this Sunday in another game at the Prep School Invitational.