Top 10 HoopsHIGH Players

HoopsHIGH has covered a plethora of exciting games and players over the years. The following is a list of our top ten Chicago Public League Boys Basketball players of all-time:

1. Jamarcus Ellis, Westinghouse – so creative and tenacious
2. Sherron Collins, Crane – an unstoppable force
3. Luther Head, Manley – the true star in HoopsHIGH’s first ever high school game
4. Will Bynum, Crane – only covered him once, in an all-star game – lit it up!
5. Derrick Rose, Simeon – maybe the best on the list but HH only covered him once, a quiet and undeniable leader
6. Hayward Brown, North Lawndale – heart of a lion, helped build NLCP’s winning tradition
7. Jonathan Mills, North Lawndale – a dominating rebounder and competitor
8. Jamal Brown, Westinghouse – critical in the state championship run
9. Patrick Beverly, Marshall – great alone but always made others better
10. DeAndre Thomas, Westinghouse – incredible hands and balance for a giant

Honorable Mention – Shaun Livingston, Peoria Central; Andre Iguodala, Springfield Lampier; John Taylor, NLCP; Tyron Kent, Crane; Chris Singletary, Farragut; Zilijan Jones, NLCP; Isaiah Evans, NLCP; Tony Bennett, Westinghouse; Jermaine Winfield, NLCP; Kordero Smith, NLCP; Marcus Jordan, Whitney Young; Andrew Ready, Westinghouse; Shawn Smith, Westinghouse; Tony Bennett, Westinghouse … this list could go on, but I should stop.
-Jeff McCarter, Free Spirit Media Executive Director

The Chicago Sky Game

Recently, our crew had the opportunity to shoot the Chicago Sky vs. New York Liberty game. It was great! I met a lot of exciting people, but All-Star player, Candice Dupree, had to be tops. She's a great lady.

Though I spent a lot of time on the court preparing interviews, I'm glad I still had an opportunity to work inside the Columbia van. It has been a highlight for me all summer. I sometimes direct our show during the fall and spring, so it's interesting to see what a career in directing might look like.

I hope we do even more professional work next summer. It has really helped our crew improve our skills. I'm also hoping to see more students in the program who love sports, learning new things, and who are really dedicated to working hard.
-Ashley Shaffer, Senior

I'm enjoying HoopsHIGH because. . .

I'm enjoying HoopsHIGH because it is a good experience. It teaches teens how to develop professional media skills, and be a part of something good. It is fun and gets young people interested in media. I like being a part of HoopsHIGH because it allows students to create a good show, and get in front of the camera.

This is my second year in the summer program. This summer, I hope to learn new editing techniques. I want to be able to get behind a camera or in front of a computer and know exactly what to do, and how to do it.
-Kadija Davidson, 10th grade

Half-way

It's past the half-way point of the HoopsHIGH summer program. The most fun thing for me, so far, has been the ability to work with my friends again. This year I'm an intern, no longer an advanced apprentice student, and I'm gaining more knowledge in sports broadcast production.

I've also enjoyed working with the Columbia Crew. This crew is made up of students from Columbia and HoopsHIGH. They use Columbia's professional production truck to learn about sports broadcast production. This allows me to see how things really work in a professional environment.

The Juwan Howard Camp was another high-point for me. We set up the HoopsHIGH control room and cameras, so younger camp students could see how we do our shows.

I hope all of my work will better prepare me for the real world because soon I will be on my own. I'll have bills to pay, and real-world responsibilities. I think this summer internship is helping to prepare me for all of this. I am definitely looking forward to having fun and learning more over these final remaining weeks!
-Donte Payne, Olivet Nazarene University

Back Again

It's good to be back. The students in the HoopsHIGH program make television production fun during the summer. Although I am about to return to the University of Illinois as a senior, it's good to work on, and enhance my broadcasting skills. I also enjoy teaching teens what I have learned in this field. Every year around Spring, I get excited about coming back to work with the bright students that have enrolled for the summer.

By the end of the program, I hope the crew learns that the HoopsHIGH experience is one like no other. I want them to realize how important making friends and networking is in this industry. Many of the students have a raw talent with camera work and on-air personality, but I want them to understand how much potential they have to become the best. Self-confidence is key!!!
Antwon Smith, University of Illinois

Start of Summer Program

I'm excited about the start of the summer program because I have a chance to occupy my time with something useful. I will also be able to learn valuable new skills. I'm so happy that I will be able to meet new people and gain new friendships.

I hope to improve my camera skills over the summer. I want to be able to white balance, zoom, and shoot well-composed shots. I also hope to learn how to be a better sideline reporter and director. I have big ambitions for the summer, and I hope to achieve my goals.
-Taylor McGee, 11th Grade

Columbia College Experience

Free Spirit Media (the parent organization of HoopsHIGH) and Columbia College have come together to offer us a wonderful opportunity. We are taking a college course for college credit - all for free. This means we actually get hands-on experience working with college students, industry professionals, and millions of dollars worth of equipment. It's so exciting!

I really like being in the Columbia class because I'm a rising Junior in high school and I'm learning what will be expected of me in college. It's a lot of hard work, but we're learning so much. It's also a great addition to my resume.
-Michelle Bradley, 11th Grade

End of the Program

I feel bad that HoopsHIGH is over for the school year because I had so much fun this year. I learned a lot of new things about media production that I didn't know before. This program has motivated me to follow my dreams.

I've really enjoyed filming and watching games. I think any person who tries this program would really love it too. That's why I am coming back in the summer to learn more about cameras, earn college credit, make money, and have fun with my friends. So, if you're really into learning new and fun things, try out HoopsHIGH. I love it!
-Timothy McBride, 9th Grade

Barack Obama and HoopsHIGH

Barack Obama has done a great job during his first one hundred days in office- inspiring African Americans all across the country. His work to improve the current economic situation and bring peace over seas has been very impressive.

While Barack is doing an excellent job in office, we could also use his help here in HoopsHIGH. It would be nice to have some assistance with our checks; sometimes they come late. We also work very hard and could use a little increase in pay. Lastly, our crew could improve our shows if we had more equipment.
- Takeyiah Treadwell, 10th Grade

HoopsHIGH's Impact on My Life

Hoops High has had a huge impact on my life as a young African American (female) teenager . It has kept me from the harm of the streets of Chicago, and helped me learn to cooperate with my peers on a more professional level. Lastly, Hoops High has helped me learn to work under a lot of pressure.

This program has a really positive impact upon me. It gives me something to look forward to after school that isn't gang related. It keeps me out of trouble. Instead of being outside getting into fights, drugs, and all of the negative things that the mean streets of Chicago has to offer, I am here at HoopsHIGH learning. I've learned how to do things that will actually benefit me as an adult. National broadcasting is something that I have never thought about doing as an career, but after experiencing this program I would love to pursue my dreams as a reporter.
-Jsarques Harris, 10th Grade