Nov. 26--Kahlil Whitney, Solorio, 6-5 Fr. G/F
A shooter, driver and leaper, Whitney showed up ready to score in bunches from day one, which is what he did with a 27-point outburst already to his credit. He's skinny but wiry strong and has a great-looking frame to fill out. Solorio is now a must-see Public League team.
Kezo Brown, Simeon, 6-0 So. G
A rare Simeon freshman rotation player last winter, Brown is known in national circles and trained with USA Basketball's 16-and-under team over the summer. The lefty is a slashing playmaker who may play off the ball on a team with three good point guards when he returns from a nagging groin injury.
Ayo Dosunmu, Morgan Park, 6-0 So. G
As productive as any freshman in the city while playing for Westinghouse last season, he's going from lead dog to finding his role in a backcourt that includes Division I-bound seniors Charlie Moore and Jarrin Randall. With Morgan Park's attacking style and his game, it shouldn't be a problem.
Marquise Walker, St. Joseph, 5-10 Fr. G
Freshman point guards don't ordinarily start for defending state champions, but they don't typically have a year of varsity experience as Kentucky eighth-graders under their belt either. Replacing current Nebraska freshman Glynn Watson, Walker looked the part of a St. Joseph point guard while running the Chargers' show over the summer and has the confidence of a coach (Gene Pingatore) who's won more games in this state than anybody else.
Perry Cowan, DePaul Prep, 6-4 Fr. G/F
Long, lean and poised for a big season with the young Rams, Cowan outscored his age 18-14 in his first career game then put up solid numbers across the board against No. 6 Evanston for an encore. DePaul is a program on the rise with famous alum Tom Kleinschmidt at the helm, and Cowan is a significant building block.
Mike Helfgot is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
