Breaking down Illinois’ top high school basketball teams from outside the Chicago area

There is a lot of tunnel vision for Chicago area high school basketball fans when it comes to top teams outside the city and suburbs.

Without a big-named star –– i.e. EJ Liddell and Belleville West, Shaun Livingston and Peoria, Darius Miles and East St. Louis –– top teams around the state don’t typically garner the attention they deserve from the Chicago area. 

A pair of southern Illinois teams, Belleville West and East St. Louis, captured state titles in the two largest classes in 2019. Last year Moline and Metamora won the Class 4A and Class 3A state titles, respectively. 

That makes two of the last three IHSA State Finals that have been played — there were no state championships played in 2020 or 2021 due to COVID –– without a Chicago area state champ. 

Before those “downstate” sweeps in 2019 and 2023, there has been at least one Chicago area state champ in either 3A or 4A every season since the four-class era of basketball began in 2007-08. 

But with the recent surge of programs around the state playing and winning on the final day of the season, it’s never too early to start monitoring these top 4A and 3A teams. 

Plus, Illinois high school basketball is always better when you can incorporate downstate, tradition-rich programs into the mix. We have that this year with the likes of Collinsville, Centralia and Quincy among the best in the state.

Here is a look at the teams from around the state who are off to impressive starts and that we all can be keeping tabs on between now and March. 

CLASS 4A

Collinsville (18-1)

Historically, there are very few programs in the state that can match the success of Collinsville basketball. With 14 state appearances, including two state titles, and 23 sectional championships, this program was a state power for half a century from 1945-1992. However, Collinsville hasn’t won a sectional championship in 30 years. 

The Kahoks sprinted into the new year with an unbeaten record and fresh off winning their own holiday tournament. But they stubbed their toe for the first time last week with an upset loss to Edwardsville. 

Jamorie Wysinger (15.8 ppg), Nick Horras (16.7 ppg) and 6-9 Zach Chambers (12.8 ppg) form a terrific senior trio. Wysinger was the holiday tournament MVP and is 54 of 119 from the three-point line. 

Road to Champaign: It appears Collinsville and Quincy are on a collision course to meet in the Pekin Sectional. They just faced off in the Collinsville Holiday Tournament final, where Collinsville came away with a 44-39 win. Normal is also in the Pekin Sectional, which feeds into the Normal Super.

Normal (15-1)

This has consistently been a winning program over the years under coach Dave Witzig. Since the calendar turned to the 2000s a little over 20 years ago, Normal has averaged 21 wins a year with 11 regional titles and two State Finals appearances.

But this is the best Ironmen team since the 2014-15 team won 33 games and finished second in the state. Plus, Witzig seriously upgraded the schedule to prepare this team for the postseason. 

There is Division I talent and enormous size with 6-10 Jaheem Weber (Wright State) and uncommitted talents in 6-8 Noah Cleveland, 6-6 Carson Newsome and 6-4 point guard Braylon Roman. 

Normal played Thornton in December –– the Ironmen’s only loss –– and throttled Kenwood this past weekend. Witzig’s team also has games this weekend in the Chicago area, facing unbeaten Waubonsie Valley and highly-ranked Downers Grove North at Wheaton South. They then play DePaul Prep at When Sides Collide in two weeks at Benet. 

Road to Champaign: The road to a state semifinal appearance will be a grueling one. For starters, Normal will be favored in its sub-sectional portion of the Pekin Sectional. Then the Ironmen would likely face either Collinsville and Quincy in the final. Next? The winner of the East Aurora Sectional (Downers Grove North, Benet, Bolingbrook or Waubonsie Valley) at Redbird Arena in Normal. 

Quincy (16-1)

Anyone who knows anything about high school basketball in Illinois is well aware of Quincy. This historic program has its best team in years as coach Andy Douglas has this program humming again. 

The Blue Devils suffered their only loss to unbeaten Collinsville in the title game of the Collinsville Holiday Tournament.

Bradley Longcor is a 6-4 guard and one of the state’s top talents in the junior class. But the Blue Devils have multiple weapons in 6-6 junior Keshaun Thomas, junior Dom Clay and the senior tandem of Camden Brown and Ralph Wires. 

But for a program with 23 state appearances and 13 state trophies, including two state championships, Quincy is aching to get back to the State Finals. The Blue Devils haven’t been back since the 1997-98 team finished third in the state. 

Road to Champaign: See above. Normal, Collinsville and Quincy will all be battling it out in the Pekin Sectional with the winner getting a shot at the top team in the western suburbs in a super-sectional showdown at Illinois State.

Class 3A

Metamora (13-4)

We have become quite familiar with Metamora in recent years. The Redbirds have spent a weekend in Champaign in each of the last two years, finishing second in the state in 2022 and beating Simeon for a state championship last season. 

In Danny Grieves’ final season as head coach, Metamora is right back in the state title conversation. The Redbirds impressed over the holidays by sweeping five games in late December to win the Jack Tosh Holiday Tournament, which included a title game win over Bolingbrook. 

Metamora did fall this past weekend to Thornton in a heartbreaking fashion, losing 63-62 in the closing seconds.  

Is this team as loaded as the past two years? Not yet. But time will tell. They’ve had to incorporate a major transfer, 6-8 Cooper Koch from Peoria Notre Dame, into the mix this season. Koch, who is headed to Iowa next year, seems to be blending in nicely. Star guard Tyler Mason, 6-8 Luke Hopp and up-and-coming junior Matthew Zobrist are returning players from last year’s state title team. 

Road to Champaign: There appear to be a few potential obstacles in preventing Metamora from claiming a third straight sectional championship. Morton beat Metamora in December, Peoria Richwoods can play with or beat anyone, and Kankakee is another dangerous team. All three are in the Pontiac Sectional. 

If Metamora can take care of business in its backyard as the hunted, it would then likely get a rematch with Thornton and Morez Johnson in the Ottawa Super, though Brother Rice hopes to have a say in that. 

Centralia (17-0)

This is another program that prides itself on being one of the most storied basketball programs in Illinois. And it’s deserved. 

The program surpassed 2,000 wins during the 2007-08 season and has since been in a continuous battle for the winningest high school basketball program in the country. Centralia is now closing in on 2,400 victories. 

Centralia has made 24 state appearances, resulting in three state titles. Coach Lee Bennett, who took over the program in 2007, has his best team since his state runner-up team in 2010-11. 

The Orphans are unbeaten and will be favored in each of their remaining games. They won their own holiday tournament in December, beating Chicago Marist in the final, behind tournament MVP Cruz Harlan and all-tournament selection Daryle Jones. 

An undefeated Centralia team fighting its way to Champaign in March could be a fun, developing story to watch unfold. 

Road to Champaign: Centralia will be favored to win the Triad Sectional in the southern part of the state. The Orphans would travel to the Springfield Super to face the Lincoln Sectional winner, a sectional that appears to be wide open and without a juggernaut. But Mt. Zion is heading into the second half of the season with a 17-0 record and looks to be the favorite at Lincoln. 

Peoria Richwoods (13-3)

Richwoods is better than last year’s 25-win team that lost convincingly to Metamora in the sectional championship. That was the first regional title for the Knights since 2010. 

The three losses were to Thornton, Hyde Park and St. Louis Vashon. 

With a star in difference-making Lathan Sommerville, a skilled, big-bodied 6-10 big man, the expectations and ceiling remain high. He’s a mismatch problem and a regular double-double who is headed to the Big Ten. While the Rutgers recruit is the real force behind the Knights, Tavie Smith is an underrated senior guard. 

Road to Champaign: Most notably, Metamora stands in the way of a sectional title, while Morton and Kankakee are also threats. 

Morton (17-2)

Morton basketball isn’t the most recognizable program on the list for Chicago area fans, but the Potters have a sparkling record and a confidence-building win over Metamora in December. A rematch awaits with Metamora in two weeks. Morton’s two losses came to Peoria and Lake Park. 

The leader is senior guard Gus Rugaard, a scorer with a motor and a three-point shooting threat. Rugaard recently surpassed 1,000 career points and was an all-tournament selection over the holidays at Pekin. Evan Barlow is a 6-4 senior wing and Wes Gudeman is a 6-5 junior who put up numbers.  

Road to Champaign: The program won its first and only sectional championship in 2011. If the Potters intend to add a second one it will have to find a way to beat Metamora a second –– or possibly for a third time –– and maybe face Peoria once again. 

Mt. Zion (17-0)

The unbeaten team we know the least about.

There isn’t a high-profile player leading the way. There isn’t a win on the schedule that makes you say “wow.” And while the Braves did win 28 games a year ago, the lack of big basketball success at the state level over the years suggests it might not be a huge threat this postseason. 

Mt. Zion broke the school record for most wins a year ago but lost a tough regional title game, falling 66-64 to Decatur MacArthur. The program has just two sectional championships in its history, the last one coming 20 years ago. But there appears to be a window open where coach Dale Schuring’s team can do some damage in the postseason over the next two years. 

Four starters returned from last year’s team, including 6-3 junior Lyncoln Koester, who has transitioned to point guard and remains a legitimate scorer. Juniors Sam Driscoll and Brayden Trimble, along with senior Grant McAtee, join Koester as veteran starters. However, the big difference in this year’s Mt. Zion team is the emergence of 6-7 sophomore JC Anderson. 

Road to Champaign: Again, it’s been 20 years since Mt. Zion last won a sectional title –– and there have only been two regional championships since then –– so any postseason push this year is a boon. 

A trip to the super-sectional in Springfield –– Mt. Zion is located one hour east of the state capital –– is certainly attainable. Mt. Zion will have put itself in a position to be a serious threat in the Lincoln Sectional. The Braves beat Lincoln back in November and may get Decatur MacArthur (13-2) again this year.