High School Basketball: October 2008 Archives

Dani Lopez's growth as a basketball player has been astounding.

Watching the South Elgin senior center play two years ago would never have led you to believe a Division I scholarship was possible. But the improvement the 6-foot-9, 275-pounder has made of late is phenomenal.

Jacobs senior Conrad Krutwig committed Monday to play at South Dakota next year. The Coyotes are making the leap to Division I competition after a successful run at the Division II level under coach Dave Boots. South Dakota will play in the Great Western Conference.

"When I visited (South Dakota) a few weeks ago I liked it a lot," Krutwig said. "It just felt right and it felt like I had an opportunity to play there, and that was important to me."

Krutwig, a 6-foot-5 forward/center, earned All-Area second team honors last year. He averaged 15.4 points and a team-best 7.9 rebounds while helping the Golden Eagles finish 26-3 and win a regional title.

Krutwig is the second Jacobs player to commit to a Division-I program in as many years, following in the footsteps of John Moran, who will play at Northern Iowa this winter.

-- Erik Jacobsen

Senior forward Marcus Redburg, being counted on heavily by an Elgin High team that lost plenty to graduation, might not see game action until January.

Anthony Johnson, who once seemed destined for stardom at Dundee-Crown, recently verbally committed to attend Purdue.

The hot-shot guard from Whitney Young is the half-brother of former D-C star and 2004 Courier News Player of the Year C.C. Kilbert. Johnson, a junior at talent-rich Young, is a gifted shooter and very basketball savvy.

Johnson's family moved to Chicago before his freshman year at D-C, leaving the Chargers program before he arrived.