New faces heading to new places in Illinois high school basketball has been a growing trend over the last several years.
As the transfer has become so ho-hum and commonplace in the sport, it’s a challenge to track the total amount of transfers. The number far surpasses 100. But with practice officially starting in just a few weeks, here are several transfers whose impact could be felt the most this upcoming season.
• Caden Crudup, Marist (from Young): The defending Class 4A state champs welcome a 6-4 jack-of-all-trades senior veteran. Crudup, who averaged 10 points and eight rebounds as a junior, can be an impactful piece for a team lacking experience.
• CJ Pittman, Young (Payton): A steady, playmaking point guard with scoring ability switches high-academic city schools. Pittman averaged 18 points and six assists as a sophomore a year ago.
• Dakari Nesbitt, Thornwood (Thornton): The sophomore guard made an immediate presence last season, putting up nearly 15 points per game. He now joins a talented backcourt featuring Lester Watson and Mekhi Young.
• DK Heard, King (Mount Carmel): The most noteworthy local transfer. The physically gifted Heard left Mount Carmel last month. The 6-4 guard is one of the top-ranked players in the Class of 2029 after opening eyes as a freshman a year ago.
• Donavyn Simmons, Romeoville (Joliet Catholic): Simmons instantly becomes one of the top players in the Southwest Prairie Conference. The 6-2 combo guard has quietly been one of the bigger producers in the senior class, averaging 12.4 points as a sophomore and 15 points last season.
• Elijah and Malachi Bell, Marian Central (Jacobs): The brothers join their father, Lafayette Bell, who is the new coach at Marian. Senior Elijah Bell filled the stat sheet last season at Jacobs with 16 points, five rebounds and a couple of steals and assists a game. Sophomore Malachi Bell will make another jump after putting up 10 points per game.
• Jacob Only, DePaul Prep (St. Viator): Look for a breakout season from the smooth, long and rangy 6-3 guard after showing so much upside as a sophomore when he averaged 13 points and three assists.
• Jayden and Tray Alford, Oswego (Yorkville Christian): A team already returning several starters from a 22-win season welcomes the Alford brothers back to Oswego. Senior Tray Alford surpassed 1,000 career points at Yorkville Christian, while Jayden Alford is a promising 6-1 sophomore guard.
• Lameck Hassan, Romeoville (Danville Christian, Ky.): This is a big wild card in several ways. Hassan is a young, raw player in the junior class who moved in from Kentucky. But there is no denying his upside and potential impact at 6-10.
• Mikey Woods, Perspectives-Leadership (Don Bosco Prep, Ind.): Arguably the biggest arrival for any program, the talented guard began his high school career as an impressive freshman at De Sales. The dangerous downhill guard’s impact will be felt immediately.
• Nate Woods, Bolingbrook (Lyons): The addition of one of the better perimeter shooters in the senior class will be a boon for what will be another highly ranked Bolingbrook team. The 6-6 Woods played a big part for Lyons’ 23-win team a year ago.