Proviso West Holiday Tournament Professional Players

FROM PROVISO TO PROFESSIONAL

Thirty players who prepped in the Proviso West Holiday Tournament have gone on to play professional basketball in either the American or National Basketball Association.

TOM KONDLA, Riverside-Brookfield (1962-1964); University of Minnesota (1965-1968); Minnesota Pipers (1968-1969); Houston Mavericks (1969).

BOB LACKEY, Evanston (1967-1968); Marquette University (1970-1972); New York Nets (1972-1974).

JIM BREWER, Proviso East (1967-1969); University of Minnesota (1970-1973); Cleveland Cavaliers (1973-1978); Detroit Pistons (1978-1979); Portland Trailblazers (1979-1980); Los Angeles Lakers (1980-1982).

JEFF WILKINS, Elgin (1971-1972); Illinois State University (1973-1975); Utah Jazz (1980-1985); San Antonio Spurs (1985-1986).

MARK AGUIRRE, Westinghouse (1977-1978); DePaul University (1978-1981); Dallas Mavericks (1981-1989); Detroit Pistons (1989-1993); Los Angeles Clippers (1993-1994).

ISIAH THOMAS, Saint Joseph (1976-1979); Indiana University (1979-1981); Detroit Pistons (1981-1994).

GLENN RIVERS, Proviso East (1977-1980); Marquette University (1980-1983); Atlanta Hawks (1983-1991); San Diego Clippers (1991-1992); New York Knicks (1992-1994); San Antonio Spurs (1994-1996).

JEFF HORNACEK, Lyons Township (1979-1981); Iowa State University (1982-1986); Phoenix Suns (1986-1992); Philadelphia 76ers (1992-1994); Utah Jazz (1994-2000).

HERSEY HAWKINS, Westinghouse (1982-1984); Bradley University (1984-1988); Philadelphia 76ers (1988-1993); Charlotte Hornets (1993-1995); Seattle Supersonics (1995-1998).

MARCUS LIBERTY, Martin Luther King (1984-1987); University of Illinois (1987-1990); Denver Nuggets (1990-1993); Detroit Pistons (1993-1994).

RANDY BROWN, Collins (1985-1987); New Mexico State University (1987-1991); Sacramento Kings (1991-1995); Chicago Bulls (1995-2000); Boston Celtics (2000-2002); Phoenix Suns (2002-2003).

WALTER BOND, Collins (1985-1987); University of Minnesota (1988-1992); Dallas Mavericks (1992-1993); Utah Jazz (1993-1994).

JUWAN HOWARD, Chicago Vocational (1988-1991); University of Michigan (1991-1994); Washington Bullets / Wizards (1994-2001); Dallas Mavericks (2001-2002); Denver Nuggets (2000-2003); Orlando Magic (2003-2004); Houston Rockets (2004-2007); Dallas Mavericks (2007-2008); Charlotte Bobcats (2008-2009); Denver Nuggets (2008-2009); Portland Trailblazers (2009-2010); Miami Heat (2010-2013).

SHERELL FORD, Proviso East (1989-1991); University of Illinois-Chicago (1991-1995); Seattle Supersonics (1995-1996).

DONNIE BOYCE, Proviso East (1988-1991); University of Colorado (1991-1995); Atlanta Hawks (1995-1997).

MICHAEL FINLEY, Proviso East (1988-1991); University of Wisconsin (1991-1995); Phoenix Suns (1995-1997); Dallas Mavericks (1997-2005); San Antonio Spurs (2005-2010); Boston Celtics (2010).

KEVIN GARNETT, Farragut (1994-1995); Minnesota Timberwolves (1995-2007); Boston Celtics (2007-2013).

AMAL McCASKILL, Saint Joseph (1989-1991); Marquette University (1991-1995); Orlando Magic (1996-1997); San Antonio Spurs (2001-2002); Atlanta Hawks (2002-2003); Phoenix Suns (2003-2004).

KIWANE GARRIS, Westinghouse (1990-1993); University of Illinois (1993-1997); Denver Nuggets (1997-1998); Orlando Magic (1999-2000).

COREY MAGGETTE, Fenwick (1996-1998); Duke University (1998-1999); Orlando Magic (1999-2000); Los Angeles Clippers (2000-2008); Golden State Warriors (2008-2010); Milwaukee Bucks (2010-2011); Charlotte Bobcats (2011-2012); Detroit Pistons (2012-2013),

PAUL McPHERSON, South Shore (1994-1996); DePaul University (1999-2000); Golden State Warriors (2000-2001); Phoenix Suns (2001).

LEON SMITH, Martin Luther King (1996-1999); Atlanta Hawks (2001-2002); Seattle Supersonics (2004).

STEVEN HUNTER, Proviso East (1996-1998); DePaul University (1999-2001); Orlando Magic (2001-2004); Phoenix Suns (2004-2005); Philadelphia 76ers (2005-2007); Denver Nuggets (2007-2008); Memphis Grizzlies (2009-2010).

AWVEE STOREY, Proviso West (1994-1996); Arizona State University (1999-2002); New Jersey Nets (2004-2005); Washington Wizards (2005-2006); Milwaukee Bucks (2007-2008).

LUTHER HEAD, Manley (1998-2001); University of Illinois (2001-2005); Houston Rockets (2005-2009); Miami Heat (2008-2009); Indiana Pacers (2009-2010); Sacramento Kings (2010-2011).

DEE BROWN, Proviso East (1999-2002); University of Illinois (2002-2006); Utah Jazz (2006-2007); Washington Wizards (2008); Phoenix Suns (2008-2009).

SHANNON BROWN, Proviso East (2000-2003); Michigan State University (2003-2006); Cleveland Cavaliers (2006-08); Chicago Bulls (2008); Charlotte Bobcats (2008-2009); Los Angeles Lakers (2009-2011); Phoenix Suns (2011-2013),

JULIAN WRIGHT, Homewood-Flossmoor (2002-2005); University of Kansas (2005-2007); New Orleans Hornets (2007-2010); Toronto Raptors (2010-2011).

EVAN TURNER, Saint Joseph (2005-2007); Ohio State University (2007-2010); Philadelphia 76ers (2010-2013).

JEREL McNEAL, Hillcrest (2002-2005); Marquette University 2005-2009); Utah Jazz (2013).

PROFESSIONALS IN OTHER SPORTS
In the first ever Proviso West Holiday Tournament in 1961, a pair of All-Tournament selections went on to play professional football. Quarterback Jim Hart (Niles West) went on to a 19-year career in the National Football League with the Saint Louis Cardinals (1966-1983) and Washington Redskins(1984); and Steve Smith (Maine West) played in 100 NFL games for the Pittsburgh Steelers (1968), Minnesota Vikings (1968-1970) and Philadelphia Eagles (1971-1974), including playing in Super Bowl IV. Tom Hicks (Willowbrook, 1969-1970) played five years for the Chicago Bears as middle linebacker (1976-1980). Andy Fredrick (Saint Joseph, 1971) was a nine-year NFL veteran, playing for the Dallas Cowboys (1977-1981), Cleveland Browns (1982) and the Chicago Bears (1983-1985). Reggie Hayward (Thornridge, 1996) also played nine years in the NFL with the Denver Broncos (2001-2004) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2005-2009). And Dave Wehrmeister (Lyons Township, 1970) pitched six years in the Major Leagues with the San Diego Padres (1976-1978), New York Yankees (1981), Philadelphia Phillies (1984) and the Chicago White Sox (1985).

EVEN MORE PROFESSIONALS
Six officials also worked the Proviso West Holiday Tournament and later went on to referee professionally in the sports of basketball, football and baseball. Ken Falkner, Ron Olesiak and Marc Davis have worked in the NBA, and Larry Nemmers and Richard Reels both have officiated in the NFL. Current Major League Baseball umpire Dan Bellino, was a player in the Holiday Tournament for Loyola Academy in 1995.

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