March 11--Jalen Brunson is a leading candidate to follow in the footsteps of Jahlil Okafor and Jabari Parker as Mr. Basketball of Illinois, but the Stevenson senior fell short of another honor the former Public League stars both garnered.
Monteverde Academy (Fla.) forward Ben Simmons, an LSU recruit, was named the McDonald's All-American Game player of the year Tuesday. UConn-bound wing Katie Lou Samuelson was named the girls player of the year.
Parker won the McDonald's award in 2013, and Okafor last spring. Brunson, a Villanova recruit, was among the six finalists.
Brunson and Simmons will face off in the McDonald's All-American Game on April 1 at the United Center.
