Mount Carmel’s Angelo Ciaravino (33) heads down the lane during Caravan’s win over De La Salle.
Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times
Mount Carmel senior Angelo Ciaravino was the breakout star of the summer. The 6-6 forward turned heads and went from a likely mid-major recruit to a kid sought after by Big Ten programs.
Ciaravino signed with Northwestern in November and then went out and showed the city that he wasn’t a summer basketball mirage by dominating high school games. He averaged 20 points and led the Caravan to wins against the first 21 in-state opponents this season.
Mount Carmel’s first local loss came to Kenwood on Jan. 20. Ciaravino battled through that game while nursing an injury and wasn’t at full strength. The Caravan has played without Ciaravino and senior Lee Marks for multiple games in the last month, but when healthy they are one of the favorites to win the Class 3A state title.
Ciaravino is a Sun-Times All-City First Team selection, joined by Curie’s Carlos Harris, DePaul Prep’s PJ Chambers, Lindblom’s Je’Shawn Stevenson and Kenwood junior Aleks Alston.
Individual honors and team rankings haven’t been the focus for Ciaravino this season. He and his teammates have been focused on Champaign all along.
“Our team doesn't really look at that kind of stuff like rankings or whatever,” Ciaravino said after the Kenwood game. “It’s obviously great getting recognition but the important thing is to get better and put the work in day in and day out.”
It’s common to see a player’s development stagnate after sophomore year. Ciaravino, who played club basketball with the Illinois Wolves, improved significantly each year. His dad Tony was a star at De La Salle in the 1980s and played for Dick Bennett at Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Harris, who led Curie to the city title, averaged 14 points, six assists and five rebounds. The UIC recruit has been the city’s most consistent, winning star over the past four years.
Chambers was a starter on DePaul Prep’s Class 2A state championship team last season. He averaged 15 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals this year while leading the Rams to an undefeated season in the Catholic League and a 29-2 overall record.
Stevenson has been one of the city’s best scorers for the past two seasons. As a senior, he took his overall game to another level, averaging 25.6 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Alston turned his significant potential into production this season. He was a force on both sides of the court, averaging 15.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 2.1 blocks.
Alston and Kenwood senior Chris Riddle, a fourth-team selection, were both among the five Kenwood players ruled ineligible for the state tournament by the Illinois High School Association on Thursday.
The All-City team was finalized before the IHSA’s decision and is based on what happened on the court during the regular season, so they remain on the team.
Players on teams within the Chicago city limits are eligible for All-City. The All-Area team, comprised of players in the Sun-Times’ entire coverage area, will be released next week.
FIRST TEAM
Aleks Alston, Kenwood, 6-9, Jr.
Angelo Ciaravino, Mount Carmel, 6-6, Sr.
PJ Chambers, DePaul Prep, 6-2, Sr.
Carlos Harris, Curie, 6-2, Sr.
Je’Shawn Stevenson, Lindblom, 6-4, Sr.
SECOND TEAM
Jakob Blakley, Payton, 6-0 Sr.
Zavier Fitch, Brother Rice, 6-7, Sr.
Phoenix Gill, St. Ignatius, 6-3, Jr.
Richard Lindsey, De La Salle, 6-4, Sr.
Darshan Thomas, Marist, 6-6, Sr.
THIRD TEAM
Marcos Gonzales, Brother Rice, 6-3, Jr.
Will Gonzalez, Curie, 6-6, Sr.
Jaylan McElroy, DePaul Prep, 6-7, Sr.
RJ McKinnie, Simeon, 6-2, Sr.
Shaheed Solebo, Lane, 6-5, Sr.
FOURTH TEAM
Jurrell Baldwin, Hyde Park, 6-6, Sr.
EJ Breland, St. Patrick, 6-1, Jr.
Al Brooks Jr., Hansberry, 6-7, Jr.
EJ Horton, Phillips, 6-2, Jr.
Chris Riddle, Kenwood, 6-5, Sr.
Honorable Mention
DJ Bolden, Westinghouse, 6-3, Sr.
Stephen Brown, Marist, 6-7, So.
Johnathan Calmese, Manley, 6-2, Sr.
Amari Edwards, Phillips, 5-9, Jr.
Quentin McCoy, Lindblom, 6-2, Sr.
Lee Marks, Mount Carmel, 6-5, Sr.
Dalton Scantlebury, Lane, 6-9, Jr.
TJ Seals, Johnson, 6-5, Jr.
Chayse Turner, Lincoln Park, 6-4, Jr.
Tavariyuan Williams, De La Salle, 6-5, Sr.
Looking back:
2023 All-City Team
2022 All-City Team
2021 All-City Team
2020 All-City Team
2019 All-City Team
2018 All-City Team
2017 All-City Team
2016 All-City Team
2015 All-City Team
