CHICAGO _ Rated as a three-star prospect by recruiting analysts, senior point guard Evan Gilyard from powerhouse Simeon Career Academy had multiple Division I programs from which to choose.
He researched the typical criteria: won-lost records, styles of play, coaches' backgrounds.
Gilyard and his family also looked at another important statistic: homicide rates.
In October, he signed with the University of Texas at El Paso. The campus sits in a city of about 680,000 on the Mexican border where 17 homicides took place in 2015. It seemed like a haven compared with his home city.
"It's safer out there," said Gilyard, who lives near the Englewood neighborhood. "In Chicago you have a lot of violence, a lot of gang violence, and it hasn't been as safe. When I looked at UTEP, I saw there was a very small amount of murders. ... We looked up the school and saw it's a real tight-knit community."
He added wistfully, "I would've loved to have played for my city."
While Gilyard calculated ways to leave Chicago, city college coaches are trying to figure out how to keep players like Gilyard home.
While Chicago does not rank in the top 25 nationally in per-capita violent crime rate, its violence has drawn harsh national attention. Last year, 468 were murdered. This year the homicide toll has surpassed 700 with more than 4,000 people shot.
From politicians to parents, it seems as if everyone within the city borders _ especially in the neighborhoods most affected _ is grappling with the seemingly unsolvable surge in violent crime.
Athletes and coaches are no exception.
