The Top Five AAU Programs Of The Summer (17U)

<!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">With summer AAU season wrapping up, I'm going to highlight five outstanding Illinois-based AAU basketball programs. These teams have consistently played in strong tournaments, earned college scholarships for their players, and have left tournaments with some of the best records. Here's a look at these top programs and their standout players:</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <li class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Example Academy (Under Armour Circuit) </strong><br>Example has at least two players in the Top 10 in almost every class in the state, not including the surrounding states. The Illinois-based duo of [player_tooltip player_id='514946' first='Shania' last='James'] and [player_tooltip player_id='335739' first='Destiny' last='Jackson'] has been tough for any and all competition that has lined up against them. They are two heavy-hitting, fast-paced guards who can switch between playing the combo role and facilitating for each other. The key addition of [player_tooltip player_id='846543' first='Madison' last='Austin'] was huge for them as well, securing several offers. <br></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <li class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Mac Irvin Fire (Godfather) </strong><br>This AAU program has been at the top of the state for many years, and this year was no different. With the two huge additions of 5-star player [player_tooltip player_id='514944' first='Trinity' last='Jones'] and Top 5 guard [player_tooltip player_id='335720' first='Nikki' last='Kerstein'], the Mac Irvin Fire were among the best teams in the state in terms of record and secured offers. Another bright spot was the comeback season of [player_tooltip player_id='514895' first='Xyanna' last='Walton'], a three-level wing who can be dominant at any point in the game.. <br></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <li class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>M14 (Adidas Circuit) </strong><br>An entire rebuild this year was done with precision. Bringing in some of the best talent in the state and creating a team was key for M14, and they succeeded. From players like Stanford commit [player_tooltip player_id='419468' first='Nora' last='Ezike'] to adding two of the top guards in the state, [player_tooltip player_id='352110' first='Ariella' last='Henigan'] and [player_tooltip player_id='335789' first='Anna' last='Campanelli'], M14 was a tough matchup at circuit events as well as local pop-up tournaments. With the majority of their rotation receiving D1 scholarships, it's hard to argue against this program being one of the top in the state. Players like [player_tooltip player_id='335792' first='Aria' last='Mazza'], [player_tooltip player_id='515510' first='Ellie' last='Mjaanes'] were huge additions for the program as well. <br></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <li class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='712517' first='Full' last='Package'] 3SSB (Adidas Circuit)</strong><br>Home to one of the most electrifying guards in the state, [player_tooltip player_id='352114' first='Aubrey' last='Galvan'], this program has delivered many blowouts over the past three months. With players like [player_tooltip player_id='500610' first='Gina' last='Davorija'], Cornell commit [player_tooltip player_id='523138' first='Ally' last='Pape'], and newcomer [player_tooltip player_id='642563' first='Reganne' last='Reardon']—an Army commit—as support, it's easy to understand why teams have issues securing wins against them. [player_tooltip player_id='661254' first='Kate' last='Donovan'] was also key to the majority of those wins, being a tough player who takes on the challenge of sometimes guarding the best guard. <br></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <li class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>All In 3SSB (Adidas Circuit) </strong><br>One of my favorite programs to follow over the past couple of months, All In went ALL IN on their rebrand and brought in the right pieces at the right time to create a strong and competitive squad for all 17U teams to line up against. Led by [player_tooltip player_id='523043' first='Avery' last='Cooper'], who has been racking up offers daily, Green Bay commit [player_tooltip player_id='637362' first='Madison' last='Hoffmann'], newcomer and standout guard [player_tooltip player_id='925894' first='Quinn' last='Arundel'], and the perfect piece [player_tooltip player_id='611851' first='Lindsay' last='Harzich'], this program put pressure on a ton of teams throughout the summer. You also got to see the emergence of players like [player_tooltip player_id='675826' first='Asia' last='Kobylarcyzk'].<br><br><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Honorable Mention Teams - </span></strong><br><br><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='716192' first='Wolverinas' last='']</strong> ([player_tooltip player_id='874556' first='Alli' last='Linke'], [player_tooltip player_id='407517' first='Bridget' last='Rifenburg'], [player_tooltip player_id='728003' first='Lily' last='Fisher']) <br><br><strong>Midwest Elite Meanstreets </strong>([player_tooltip player_id='514035' first='Danyella' last='Mporokoso'], [player_tooltip player_id='593853' first='Lexi' last='Baer'], [player_tooltip player_id='412843' first='Corinne' last='Reed'])<br><br>[program_tooltip program_id='712446' first='Chicago' last='Hoops Express'] - ([player_tooltip player_id='514034' first='Danielle' last='Brooks'], [player_tooltip player_id='414748' first='London' last='Walker-George'], [player_tooltip player_id='508963' first='Ava' last='Thomas'])<br><br>Lady Lightning ([player_tooltip player_id='514945' first='Emma' last='O'Brien'], [player_tooltip player_id='728004' first='Sophia' last='Towne'], [player_tooltip player_id='672830' first='Megan' last='Ganschow']) </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list -->