June was a busy month for basketball.
The summer camps and leagues and what is now most important — the two “live” periods for college coaches to evaluate prospects — are in the books.
Here are five storylines from the month.
Brady Pettigrew’s star rises
While Pettigrew was an enormously talented freshman last season, the 6-3 guard was relegated to playing a role — and playing it well — for a Bolingbrook team that featured superstar Davion Thompson, the Sun-Times Player of the Year, and Pettigrew’s older brother, senior JT Pettigrew.
With Thompson headed off to a prep school and JT Pettigrew a freshman at Valparaiso, the Brady Pettigrew coming-out party has started.
Fresh off a much-talked-about June performance at the Nike Elite 100 Camp, Pettigrew continued his breakout during the two “live” periods with the Raiders. He’s evolving into a complete guard and the top prospect in the Class of 2028 in Illinois.
National champion Florida made an offer after the Riverside-Brookfield Shootout.
State’s best is even better
The scintillating play of Warren’s Jaxson Davis needs to be highlighted yet again.
Now the state’s best player and prospect, the 6-0 rising junior has made high-level strides since his super sophomore campaign. Davis, a cerebral playmaker who instantly processes plays as a floor general, has become a deadly perimeter shooter.
Davis has proven he can play anywhere in the country in college.
Defending champs not going away
Forget the fact that defending state champ Benet lost SIU recruit Daniel Pauliukonis and Illinois-bound Blake Fagbemi to graduation. The Redwings are loaded. Again.
Coach Gene Heidkamp’s team still has plenty of work to do, but when it was hitting on all cylinders this summer, it certainly looked capable of a repeat.
For starters, both 7-footer Colin Stack and guard Jayden Wright are older and better than a year ago, when they were double-figure scorers. But 6-8 junior Ed Stasys is showing he’s set to make a significant jump.
There are other experienced pieces return-ing, as well as some up-and-coming young talent ready to make a splash, including 6-3 junior guard Perry Tchiegne.
Dangerous Loyola
When this past season ended, there weren’t many hyping Loyola as a serious contender next season. But after a highly successful June, including a perfect 8-0 mark in the two “live” period events, it’s a team that will be flirting with top-10 status when the season begins in November.
Loyola throttled foes with its typically strong defense and discipline, but it’s the offensive punch provided by the guard trio of Trey Williams, Sam Golden and Luke
Alvaraz that elevates this team.
Could Loyola be the top team in the North Shore next winter? New Trier and senior Christopher Kirkpatrick will have something to say about that, but it’s possible.
KJ Miller’s arrival in 2027
The Class of 2027 needs some help. Plainfield East’s KJ Miller will provide some.
This is a class that was crushed by the departure of Kenwood’s Devin Cleveland and Bolingbrook’s Davion Thompson, elite players who were ranked among the best in the entire country. But it’s also a group that is lacking Division I prospect depth.
Miller had a solid but under-the-radar sophomore season as he knocked down shots and filled the stat sheet.
Now he’s turning heads with his size and skill on the perimeter. The 6-6 guard is long and lanky, with tons of upside — the breakout performer of the spring and summer in the Class of 2027.