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Top 5 Chicago, Illinois basketball recruits from the 2010s

By Rees Woodcock

02 APR 2012: Head coach John Calipari and forward Anthony Davis (23) from the University of Kentucky celebrate following the Championship Game of the 2012 NCAA Photos via Getty Images Men's Division I Basketball Championship Final Four held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome hosted by Tulane University in New Orleans, LA. Kentucky defeated Kansas 67-59 to claim the championship title. Ryan McKee/ NCAA Photos via Getty Images.
02 APR 2012: Head coach John Calipari and forward Anthony Davis (23) from the University of Kentucky celebrate following the Championship Game of the 2012 NCAA Photos via Getty Images Men's Division I Basketball Championship Final Four held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome hosted by Tulane University in New Orleans, LA. Kentucky defeated Kansas 67-59 to claim the championship title. Ryan McKee/ NCAA Photos via Getty Images. /
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ANAHEIM, CA – MARCH 30: Zach Norvell Jr. #23 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs celebrates during the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Elite Eight round of the 2019 NCAA Photos via Getty Images Men’s Basketball Tournament held at Honda Center on March 30, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Justin Tafoya/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA – MARCH 30: Zach Norvell Jr. #23 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs celebrates during the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Elite Eight round of the 2019 NCAA Photos via Getty Images Men’s Basketball Tournament held at Honda Center on March 30, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Justin Tafoya/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) /

No. 5 Zach Norvell

Not all of the players from the 2010s who succeed at the college level were highly-touted. Usually, the top players are in the top 40 in the nation in recruiting. That wasn’t the case with Zach Norvell.

I remember Norvell’s recruitment. It made me sad that Illinois wasn’t really ever involved. This kid seemed liked he was a bit underrated, and I wanted him to stay in-state. He was rated as a four-star recruit who was the No. 103 player in the class of 2016 and the No. 17 shooting guard in the nation coming out of Simeon High School.

Norvell ended up picking Gonzaga over teams like Florida State, Iowa State and Georgetown. This was a choice that was surprising to me at the time, but it was one that paid off greatly for the Bulldogs. He was a legend out west.

In year one, Norvell was one of the best players on the team. He averaged 12.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Gonzaga would go on to make the NCAA tournament as a No. 3 seed and get to the Sweet 16.

Norvell came back for his sophomore season and was even better. He finished the year averaging 14.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. The Bulldogs would enter the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 seed and reach the Elite 8.

After his sophomore season, Novell would head to the NBA. He left a trail of greatness behind, though. He finished his college career averaging 13.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. He was all-conference his final year as well. In the two seasons Norvell suited up for Gonzaga, the team was 65-9 with a Sweet 16 and Elite 8 appearance. I would say that is a successful college career.

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