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Simeon won its second straight boys’ Class AA state basketball championship last weekend, and it couldn’t have done so in a more distinctive fashion. Star Derrick Rose, who had literally carried the Wolverines to the Public League title and the state championship last year, didn’t score a single field goal in the 77-54 final over O’Fallon at Bradley University in Peoria. He netted only two free throws, one in each half. Instead, Rose’s childhood running mate Tim Flowers led the way with 35 points and 12 rebounds, and nothing could have been more appropriate.
As the only Public League team to repeat as both city basketball champs and state champs–at any level–Simeon stakes its claim to being Chicago’s best high-school team ever. All I can say is they’re the best I’ve seen–and I saw King’s Jamie Brandon and Johnny Selvie with Rashard Griffith as a freshmen, Kevin Garnett’s Farragut team with Ronnie Fields, and Chris Head’s Westinghouse teams that played like brothers. Simeon is the best, not because it had the best player, but because it had the best all-around team.
