Preseason Player of the Year Favorites

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>***Use Code “ScottyB30” for 30% off your annual subscription to Prep Hoops***</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The season is almost here!&nbsp; Who will be vying for Player of the Year in Illinois this year?&nbsp; Today we start out with the 10 players who set at the top of the board preseason as the odds-on favorites to take home the coveted honor in <strong>Illinois Player of the Year Preseason Favorites</strong>!<br><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2323571' first='Jaxson' last='Davis'] (Warren)<br></strong><br>Odds:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2/1</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Why He Can Win:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Davis comes into the season as the clear favorite.&nbsp; He either won or was the runner up for all the awards last year and is the only one returning among the Big 3 of 2027.&nbsp; Davis is going to put up crazy stats and his team is going to be at the top of the state all season.&nbsp; Will have high profile games to perform on the big stage!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1845360' first='Rashaun' last='Porter'] (DePaul Prep)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Odds:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>5/1</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Why He Can Win:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Best player on the best team is usually a pretty good combination to win these awards.&nbsp; That is what Porter brings as the Toledo power forward is going for a four peat as he has contributed since his freshman season.&nbsp; He is a double double machine and going to win at a high rate!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2105360' first='Lincoln' last='Williams'] (Kankakee)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Odds:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>8/1</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Why He Can Win:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Williams is the top ranked senior in the state.&nbsp; Once again that is a good starting point for your candidacy.&nbsp; He is coming off a strong summer with both his high school team and the Fire where he showcased he can be option 1 on a winning team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2531973' first='Brady' last='Pettigrew'] (Bolingbrook)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Odds:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>8/1</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Why He Can Win:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Perhaps the best pure prospect in the state as the sophomore headlines the 2028 class.&nbsp; With Thompson gone it is clearly his team for the Raiders as the guard will be the go to scorer and playmaker that will have plenty of opportunities to impress on the big stages Bolingbrook will play in.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1873523' first='Jamison' last='White'] (East St. Louis)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Odds:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>8/1</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Why He Can Win:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>White emerged as the #2 prospect in the senior class after a strong summer transferring into East St. Louis.&nbsp; His size, physicality, and athleticism really impress.&nbsp; Should be the top player in the metro east and if he can elevate the Flyers to one of the premier teams in the state he will be in the running.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1552475' first='Marquis' last='Clark'] (Whitney Young)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Odds:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>8/1</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Why He Can Win:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Clark is the best player in the Public League this season.&nbsp; The senior will be the man for one of the states premier programs.&nbsp; He is coming off a strong summer and has been a name on the scene his entire career.&nbsp; The recent Tennessee commit has a lot going for him.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1435692' first='Rykan' last='Woo'] (DePaul Prep)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Odds:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>8/1</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Why He Can Win:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Woo teams with Porter form the best duo in the state.&nbsp; He will take over full time on ball duties where he will be able to show his elite playmaking feel and leadership while still scoring at a nice clip on a team that is going to win a lot of games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2105376' first='Colin' last='Stack'] (Benet)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Odds:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>10/1</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Why He Can Win:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Benet will be one of the top two preseason teams in the state.&nbsp; Their best player and prospect is this seven footer.&nbsp; Stack is primed to make noise in his final season as the top 10 senior is an elite shot blocker, rebounds very well, and has skill.&nbsp; Benet will be a balanced team, but you have to include someone from the defending champs!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1554516' first='Christopher' last='Kirkpatrick'] (New Trier)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Odds:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>12/1</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Why He Can Win:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kirkpatrick is a gritty leader that makes plays and wins at a high rate.&nbsp; New Trier should post a lot of wins with Kirkpatrick running the show and playing a fun style of basketball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2531981' first='Cole' last='Kelly'] (Neuqua Valley)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Odds:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>12/1</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Why He Can Win:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kelly posted numbers as a freshman and we know they will be even better as a sophomore.&nbsp; Strong southpaw that has a sweet looking shot from beyond the arc.&nbsp; He can really shoot it at a super high level.&nbsp; Good feel for the game and rebounds well.&nbsp; Look for double doubles on the regular basis.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->