The Sun-Times’ high school basketball Mount Rushmore project highlights the sport’s biggest names and greatest stars.
With the prep career as the criteria’s centerpiece — with a sprinkling of post-high school success and overall stature used as a separator — we’ve created a Mount Rushmore for 10 geographical regions throughout the Chicago area.
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Might a Mount Rushmore of Will County actually be more controversial than most — or at least more than one would think?
This is an area filled with basketball tradition and diehards, particularly when talking high school hoops in Joliet and the surrounding area. But it’s not the Chicago Public League or the south suburbs, areas loaded with high school basketball royalty.
So when you consider that a pair of Will County players who were McDonald’s All-Americans were left off this Mount Rushmore? That’s saying something.
The two “Burger Boys” from Will County, Providence’s Michael Thompson in 2002 and Crete-Monee’s Phil Henderson in 1986, certainly left their mark. But they couldn’t catapult themselves past the four who defined this area.
With the dominating careers they put together, along with the talent they displayed, it’s difficult to deny any of these four a spot on Will County’s Mount Rushmore.
Walter Downing, Providence
Downing led a relatively unknown high school program to prominence the moment he entered high school. As a freshman, he led the Celtics to a third-place finish in Class A and was an all-tournament selection.
He was on everyone’s radar. Fans tried to anticipate what was to come after such an impactful first season.
Then as a sophomore, he propelled Providence to a state championship, scoring a game-high 21 points in the title game.
That was just the beginning of what became one of the most storied prep careers in state history.
The 6-9 shot-swatting center led Providence back to the Elite Eight as a senior in 1979, the year he was voted as the state’s first Mr. Basketball winner. He was also a Parade and McDonald’s All-American and one of the top recruits in the country. Downing played in the same McDonald’s game as Michael Jordan.
In four seasons, Downing — who remains the all-time leading scorer and shot blocker in Providence history — led the Celtics to 104 wins, four sectional titles and three Elite Eight berths.
He was such a big name and hot prospect in the Chicago area, Downing announced his college decision — he chose DePaul before eventually transferring to Marquette — in a Chicago radio studio.
While Downing started the majority of his four years in college — two at each school — he had very modest numbers.
After playing professionally overseas, Downing was a teacher at Hinsdale South for over 20 years.
Gary Bell, Joliet
When Bell began making a name for himself at a young age, the consensus was something special was happening. That’s the type of talent the athletic 6-4 forward displayed.
Bell and his family left North Carolina for Illinois, ultimately moving to Joliet in 1988. He started showcasing his talent at Dirksen Junior High in Joliet, and he would soon become a prominent name around town and beyond.
Bell was a marvel in the Joliet basketball world in the 1990s. His body and athleticism immediately opened eyes. His scoring triumphs and high-flying game regularly drew oohs and ahhs throughout his early years. He certainly didn’t hide his 40-inch vertical, showing off dunks and fantastic finishes at the rim.
More important, Bell was front and center for a whole lot of winning in Joliet during his career: 101 victories, two sectional and four regional titles, four conference championships and a pair of state-finals appearances.
As a freshman and sophomore, Bell was part of a combined 43 wins. During the summer before his junior year, Bell and Joliet shined at the prestigious Morris Shootout. That was an inclination of what was to come, and the program took off over the next two seasons.
With Bell putting up 24.7 points and 9.9 rebounds per game as a junior, Joliet entered the postseason ranked No. 2 in the state with a 25-0 record. The Steelmen rolled to the Elite Eight in Champaign. In the three wins before their trip downstate, Bell averaged 31 points and 15 rebounds.
Despite 27 points and 12 rebounds from Bell, Joliet was upset by Carbondale in the state quarterfinals to finish a program-best 30-1.
A herniated disc hindered him as a senior, limiting his explosiveness, though he played extremely well without anyone knowing about it. Bell, who was ranked among the top 20 players in the country by some recruiting services, still averaged 21.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.
With Bell leading the charge, Joliet headed into the postseason ranked third in the state with a 23-2 record. The Steelmen reached the state finals, where they finished fourth with a 29-4 record after falling to Peoria Manual 62-60 in the semifinals.
If not for move-in Kevin Garnett, Bell would have been the state’s Mr. Basketball winner in 1995. He finished second in the voting. Bell left Joliet as the school’s all-time leading scorer with more than 2,140 points while pulling down 1,250 rebounds.
He underwent back surgery one day after graduating and went to Notre Dame. But injuries continued to plague him, and he played just 27 games in two seasons.
Roger Powell Sr., Joliet Central
Basketball fans of a certain age will recognize the name and think of Roger Powell Jr., the former Joliet and Illinois star who is now the head coach at Valparaiso. While Powell Jr. was on the short list of candidates to make this Will County Mount Rushmore, it’s his dad who did.
Powell Sr. was a superstar in the early 1970s at Joliet Central. As a sophomore, he fueled a postseason run that ended with a third-place finish at state — and led the state tournament in scoring with 90 points in four games.
Powell was a two-time all-state selection, as a junior and senior. But as a senior, he made the move from point guard to shooting guard, and the 6-4 Powell exploded, averaging 33 points and 12 rebounds.
He left Joliet Central as the school’s all-time leading scorer with more than 2,200 points. Powell went on to play at Illinois State, where he put together a very good four-year career.
Alando Tucker, Lockport
A four-year varsity player, Tucker commonly has been referred to as one of the more underrated players the state has ever produced.
People outside Will County likely still don’t appreciate just how good Tucker was throughout his high school career. Remember, Michael Thompson from neighboring Providence was a McDonald’s All-American that same year and headed to Duke.
But an unbiased observer who was locked in on Will County basketball in that 2001-02 season would admit that for four months, Tucker was the best player in the area.
Even after a phenomenal college career, the athletic 6-5 wing is still an undervalued star from this state. He never truly did receive his due.
When looking back, there was always one major roadblock that kept Tucker from receiving more attention and emerging as a more prominent player: Joliet.
There was no Joliet Central or Joliet West back then. Lockport’s rival was Joliet, two large schools that merged their athletics to the tune of 4,000-plus students.
Joliet, which finished 29-2, was a thorn in the side of Lockport and Tucker the entire season. Joliet got the best of Lockport in both SICA West matchups.
When Tucker led the Porters to three wins and a championship-game appearance at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament, there stood Joliet ready and waiting. Tucker was the MVP at Pontiac, but Joliet won 44-41.
After Tucker led Lockport to a regional championship, Joliet ended Lockport’s season and Porter’s career in the sectional.
Tucker was a consensus all-stater. The do-it-all player averaged 21.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists. But he didn’t beat Joliet.
Tucker, who averaged 21.4 points as a junior, finished his career as the second-leading scorer in school history with 1,572 points.
His college career was outstanding. He not only was the Big Ten MVP and an All-American as a senior, he also scored more points (2,217) than any player in Wisconsin history, a record that still stands.
Tucker spent parts of three seasons in the NBA with the Suns and Timberwolves before playing seven years overseas.
