How did a kid from Glen Ellyn evolve from a complete unknown into the Sun-Times Player of the Year?
Why doesn’t the rest of the country appreciate how good Glenbard West’s Braden Huff is?
Those are the two biggest questions surrounding Huff. The first one can be answered. Huff has been working on his incredibly unique skill set for years, but the downtime and isolation provided by the COVID-19 pandemic took his work and the results to a higher level.
“He’s always been focused,” Alec Huff, Braden’s dad, said. “But it was great for him to have basketball as an outlet. He took full advantage of it. He needed to get stronger. He had a couple trainers and did whatever he had to do, Zoom workouts in the driveway. He drove the whole thing and wanted to get better.”
The second key factor was just down to genetics. Huff grew to 6-11.
“[Huff] is one of the most skilled kids I’ve ever had and we’ve had some talented guys,” Illinois Wolves club basketball coach Mike Mullins said. “It’s his skill set and vision and passing and shooting ability.”
Mullins was blown away by Huff’s first attempt at the Illinois Wolves’ typical practice drills. And at that point, Huff was just 6-9.
“I’d seen him go through middle school and he was long and lanky but had the good skill set,” Mullins said. “I liked him even at 6-4. He was so competitive.”
This season Huff and his teammates at Glenbard West took the area by storm. They lived up to all the preseason hype and became a sensation. The Hilltoppers are the hottest ticket in the area. They sold out Wintrust Arena for a regular-season game. The most recent playoff game sold out the Bartlett high school gym in under 30 minutes.
Even the local television stations have taken notice. A local photographer had Topps print up basketball cards of the five starters. Younger kids wait in line for autographs after games.
“That’s been cool,” Huff said. “Just kind of meeting people and so many people introducing themselves. It’s been crazy. I couldn’t even have imagined it a couple of years ago.”
It’s been a whirlwind four months for a group of friends that played together at Hadley Middle School. The game at Wintrust Arena against Sierra Canyon was the area’s biggest high school sports event in recent memory.
Alec Huff never imagined he’d watch his son go up against LeBron James’ son in an ESPN game. And outplay him.
“That was an unbelievable experience,” Alec Huff said. “For a high school with a bunch of kids that grew up together to get to that point was amazing.”
The Hilltoppers lost that game on a buzzer-beater three. It’s their only loss of the season but most observers think it was their best performance.
Huff didn’t want to hear anything about moral victories after the game. The Hilltoppers want to win. The Class 4A state championship is the focus.
“We’ve been thinking about it for a long time now,” Huff said. “It can be hard to not look ahead. We’re excited for the next few playoff games and ready for them. But if we are able to get there playing in Champaign would be a really cool experience.”
Huff has signed with Gonzaga, so it is clear that one elite college program appreciates him. But the rest of the country isn’t on board yet. He’s ranked 95th by 247Sports and isn’t in ESPN’s top 100.
“He’s the most under recruited kid I’ve ever had,” Mullins said. “He outplayed all those kids ranked ahead of him.”
National rankings are ridiculous, and Huff hasn’t spent a second worrying about them. He’s been too busy working. He may be the best shooting big man in the history of Illinois high school basketball.
“Some guys struggle when that three-point line moves back a couple feet,” Mullins said. “That’s an easy release for him.”
Huff averaged just 16.8 points, six rebounds, and three assists this season. But he was immense in the crucial moments of the most important games. Glenbard West blew out the vast majority of its opponents, so he’s only averaging 25 minutes per game. Those numbers could be doubled if stats were the focus.
“Braden and his teammates are so professional and so mature,” Hilltoppers coach Jason Opoka said. “They aren’t worried about stats or all of this intense media stuff lately. When they step on the floor it is strictly business.”
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
2021—Max Christie, Rolling Meadows
2020—DJ Steward, Young
2019—DaJuan Gordon, Curie
2018—Talen Horton-Tucker, Simeon
2016—Charlie Moore, Morgan Park
2014—Cliff Alexander, Curie
2013—Jahlil Okafor, Young
2012—Jabari Parker, Simeon
2011—Wayne Blackshear, Morgan Park
2010—Jereme Richmond, Waukegan
2009—Jereme Richmond, Waukegan
2008—Kevin Dillard, Homewood-Flossmoor
2007—Derrick Rose, Simeon
2006—Jon Scheyer, Glenbrook North
2005—DeAndre Thomas, Westinghouse
2004–Calvin Brock, Simeon
2003—Shannon Brown, Proviso East
2002—Sean Dockery, Julian
2001—Eddy Curry, Thornwood
2000—Cedrick Banks, Westinghouse
1999—Leon Smith, King
1998—Quentin Richardson, Young
1997—Melvin Ely, Thornton
1996—Ronnie Fields, Farragut
1995—Kevin Garnett, Farragut
1994—Jerry Gee, St. Martin de Porres
1993—Rashard Griffith, King
1992—Chris Collins, Glenbrook North
1991—Sherell Ford, Proviso East
1990—Jamie Brandon, King
1989—Deon Thomas, Simeon
1988—Eric Anderson, de Sales
1987—Marcus Liberty, King
1986—Nick Anderson, Simeon
1985—Michael Ingram, Proviso West
1984—Hersey Hawkins, Westinghouse
1983—Len Bertolini, St. Patrick
1982—Bernard Jackson, Phillips
1981—Walter Downing, Providence
1980—Glenn Rivers, Proviso East
1979—Isiah Thomas, St. Joseph
1978—Mark Aguirre, Westinghouse
1977—Eddie Johnson, Westinghouse
1976—Glen Grunwald, East Leyden
1975—Pete Boesen, Maine South
1974—Audie Matthews, Bloom
1973—Mark Vitali, St. Charles
1972—Quinn Buckner, Thornridge
1971—Quinn Buckner, Thornridge
1970—Lloyd Batts, Thornton
1969—Jim Brewer, Proviso East
1968—Jeff Hickman, Lockport
1967—Rick Howat, Downers Grove
1966—Rich Bradshaw, Marshall
1965—Terry Hurley, Steinmetz
1964—Eugene Ford, Crane
1963—Joe Allen, Carver
1962—Cazzie Russell, Carver
1961—Bob Caress, Thornton
1960—George Wilson, Marshall
