Villanova University won the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship on a buzzer-beating shot on Monday, April 4, 2016 at NRG Stadium in Houston. The victory helped starting freshman point guard Jalen Brunson join elite company back home in Illinois.

Brunson completed a historic high school career at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire in 2015 by leading the Patriots to the IHSA Class 4A state championship (watch on NFHS Network). Brunson is now believed to be the seventh player in state history to win both an IHSA state title and an NCAA Division I national crown, joining the distinguished group below.

Brunson led Stevenson to the state tournament in each of his final three high school seasons, helping the team finish as the runner-up to Jabari Parker’s Simeon squad in 2013 (watch on NFHS Network) and place third in 2014. In 2014, Stevenson fell to Whitney Young in the semifinals at the Peoria Civic Center, a game that saw Brunson tally a state final record 56 points in the losing effort (watch on NFHS Network). Jahlil Okafor scored 33 points for Whitney Young in that contest, twelve months before he helped Duke University to the national championship.



IHSA BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPIONS & NCAA DIVISION I NATIONAL CHAMPIONS:-
-Jalen Brunson, Stevenson (IHSA Class 4A in 2015, Villanova University in 2016)
-Jahlil Okafor, Whitney Young (IHSA Class 4A in 2014, Duke University in 2015)
-Jon Scheyer, Glenbrook North (IHSA Class AA in 2005, Duke University in 2010)
-Brian Sloan, McLeansboro (IHSA Class A in 1984, University of Indiana in 1987)
-Jay Shidler, Lawrenceville (IHSA Class A in 1974, University of Kentucky in 1978)
-Quinn Buckner, Thornridge (IHSA Class AA in 1972, Indiana University in 1976)
-George Wilson, Chicago Marshall (IHSA in 1958 & 1960, University of Cincinnati in 1962)