Welcome to Duke D.J. Steward!

[Green Wave Dukie]

A DJ Steward tidbit the board might be interested in…

As a High School Freshman, DJ Steward had a very Laettner-like perfect game shooting the ball in the 2017 Illinois Class 3A State Championship Game.
At that time, he was playing for Fenwick High School and scored a game-high 26-points on 10-for-10 shooting from the field (including a pair of 3-pointers) and 4-for-4 at the free throw line.

Unfortunately – for me and my alma mater – the Friars came up short in OT against a very good Morgan Park and lost 69-67.

Steward attended Fenwick for his Freshman and Sophomore years and transferred to Whitney Young prior to his Junior year.
If Fenwick sounds familiar to you, it is the high school alma mater of former Blue Devils Corey Maggette and Trisha Liston.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/6/...tional-ranking

The one that sounded familiar to me was Whitney Young. Believe that is where Jahlil Oakafor went to high school

[CDu]

The one that sounded familiar to me was Whitney Young. Believe that is where Jahlil Oakafor went to high school

Yes, Whitney Young is indeed the school that Okafor attended.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Welcome DJ! LGD GTHc!

[Bluedog]

Yes, Whitney Young is indeed the school that Okafor attended.

Whitney Younng is also a pretty academically oriented magnet school in Chicago. Always rated as one of the best. Welcome DJ!!

[CDu]

Whitney Younng is also a pretty academically oriented magnet school in Chicago. Always rated as one of the best. Welcome DJ!!

To be fair, it is also a school that has been accused of (and penalized for) violating the city's policy on recruiting for athletics. It's probably fair to say that it is a school that puts an emphasis on academics, but also separately puts an emphasis on athletics.

[MartyClark]

To be fair, it is also a school that has been accused of (and penalized for) violating the city's policy on recruiting for athletics. It's probably fair to say that it is a school that puts an emphasis on academics, but also separately puts an emphasis on athletics.

Whitney Young is also the alma mater of Michelle Obama.

[elvis14]

Whitney Young is also the alma mater of Michelle Obama.

If she has any eligibility left, I'd love to see her play for Duke :-)

1 year grad transfer?

[CDu]

Whitney Young is also the alma mater of Michelle Obama.

Yep, and Russell Maryland (of the Miami Hurricanes and Dallas Cowboys), Quentin Richardson, Astronaut Joan Higgenbotham, actor/comedian Craig Robinson, and others. It is a very high profile school. It pulls in some of the best minds from the Chicagoland area, and it also pulls in some of the best athletes from Chicagoland area.

[rsvman]

Wow, this is fantastic news! Welcome, DJ!

[luvdahops]

To be fair, it is also a school that has been accused of (and penalized for) violating the city's policy on recruiting for athletics. It's probably fair to say that it is a school that puts an emphasis on academics, but also separately puts an emphasis on athletics.

I am friendly with a few Fenwick parents and alums, and they were not exactly thrilled to see DJ recruited away by Young. But I haven't heard any accusations of improprieties, and if anything, folks were glad not to see him head out of state to more of a hoops factory, which was at least under consideration by DJ. In any event, they seem happy for him now and have a hard time arguing with the outcome.

[duke96]

If she has any eligibility left, I'd love to see her play for Duke :-)

1 year grad transfer?

At a minimum she could keep future Cam Reddishes off the double cheeseburgers.

[MartyClark]

Yep, and Russell Maryland (of the Miami Hurricanes and Dallas Cowboys), Quentin Richardson, Astronaut Joan Higgenbotham, actor/comedian Craig Robinson, and others. It is a very high profile school. It pulls in some of the best minds from the Chicagoland area, and it also pulls in some of the best athletes from Chicagoland area.

Sorry folks, can't figure out how to link.

Good article in the Chicago Sun Times on the 10 best Chicago area kids to play at Duke. Jahlil #1, Scheyer "2. I'd argue the opposite.

I had a forgotten about Phil Henderson.

[bullettoothtony]

^ I thought the same thing when I saw that article and Phil was mentioned. Just sad.

[House P]

Sorry folks, can't figure out how to link.

Good article in the Chicago Sun Times on the 10 best Chicago area kids to play at Duke. Jahlil #1, Scheyer "2. I'd argue the opposite.

Thanks for letting us know about the article. Here is the link:

https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/9/...-jahlil-okafor

By the way, I find it odd that your personal quibble with the list is whether Jahlil or Jon should be #1. Given your DBR name, I would have expected that you, of all people, would point out the most glaring omission on the list - Marty Clark isn’t mentioned anywhere.

Marty is from Illinois, isn’t he? I seem to remember the “cameo” he played in Hoop Dreams as a teammate of William Gates. So, if Marty qualifies as a Chicago area player, I would probably rank him at #8 on the list - just behind Sean Dockery, but ahead of Weldon Williams, Joe Cook, and Michael Thompson.

[MartyClark]

Thanks for letting us know about the article. Here is the link:

https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/9/...-jahlil-okafor

By the way, I find it odd that your personal quibble with the list is whether Jahlil or Jon should be #1. Given your DBR name, I would have expected that you, of all people, would point out the most glaring omission on the list - Marty Clark isn’t mentioned anywhere.

Marty is from Illinois, isn’t he? I seem to remember the “cameo” he played in Hoop Dreams as a teammate of William Gates. So, if Marty qualifies as a Chicago area player, I would probably rank him at #8 on the list - just behind Sean Dockery, but ahead of Weldon Williams, Joe Cook, and Michael Thompson.

Excellent point!! I think that the real Marty Clark played his first two years of H.S. basketball in Denver for Mullen H.S. He finished at the St. Joe's in suburban Chicago.

That being said, the real Marty Clark absolutely belongs on the list.

[luvdahops]

Excellent point!! I think that the real Marty Clark played his first two years of H.S. basketball in Denver for Mullen H.S. He finished at the St. Joe's in suburban Chicago.

That being said, the real Marty Clark absolutely belongs on the list.

He sure does. Was a very productive 6th man on the '93 and '94 squads, and who can forget the key FTs he hit against Indiana in the '92 Final Four?

[bullettoothtony]

He sure does. Was a very productive 6th man on the '93 and '94 squads, and who can forget the key FTs he hit against Indiana in the '92 Final Four?

That and the warm handshake between Knight and Coach K that soon followed.

[roywhite]

That and the warm handshake between Knight and Coach K that soon followed.

The term "drive-by" comes to mind to describe Coach Knight's perfunctory gesture.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

He sure does. Was a very productive 6th man on the '93 and '94 squads, and who can forget the key FTs he hit against Indiana in the '92 Final Four?

He also had a great tip-in to win a game vs. Notre Dame in 1994 (his senior year). Plus he never fouled...

[Dukehk]

Sorry folks, can't figure out how to link.

Good article in the Chicago Sun Times on the 10 best Chicago area kids to play at Duke. Jahlil #1, Scheyer "2. I'd argue the opposite.

I had a forgotten about Phil Henderson.

I would actually argue that Corey Maggette would have easily been #1 had he stayed even 2-3 years.