Peoria High basketball star transferring north to state powerhouse Chicago Simeon

Peoria High senior-to-be De'Kwon Brown is transferring to Chicago Simeon.

The Class of 2024 6-foot-3 point guard announced via social media that he will be playing his senior season for the Chicago power, "clearing up all rumors" as he put it on Twitter. Brown began his playing days at Peoria High before transferring to Limestone for his sophomore season and then returning to the Lions last season.

"I've always been comfortable with the Chicago area ever since I've been playing AAU ball up there," Brown told the Journal Star on Thursday afternoon. "The exposure, the recognition (I) always enjoyed it.

"They always show me love, so I just feel like that'd be the best situation for me."

As a junior, Brown averaged 13.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists as Peoria High posted a 15-13 record and lost in the Illinois High School Association Class 3A regional semifinals. All-Big 12 Conference guard Mikequese Taylor has graduated, leaving a scoring void in the offense.

When asked what he'll miss about Peoria High, Brown first pointed to head coach Daniel Ruffin and assistant Ryan McElmurry, then his teammates.

"Just the whole coaching staff there," Brown said. "It's always family. Definitely going to miss my guys there and miss home, obviously.

"We lost a lot of pieces and seniors. I just feel like the exposure I just needed to get out."

Simeon, which saw its postseason end in the Class 3A state title game to Metamora, welcomes in a new coach for the 2023-24 season. Former Wolverines player and assistant Tim Flowers takes over the historic program. Flowers teamed with Derrick Rose to win back-to-back Class AA state titles in 2006 and 2007.

Longtime legendary coach Robert Smith retired following his 19-year tenure that included 513 wins and six state championships including a Class 4A four-peat from 2010 to 2013.

"(Flowers) was playing with the decent size guards," Brown said, "and I just feel like he could develop me and put me in the best situation possible.

"Simeon, they always produce one of the best guards in the state of Illinois."

Brown is currently playing travel ball with the Chicago-based DeNard Bros Basketball Club where he's picked up Division-I scholarship offers from High Point, Radford and Kent State. He had already received a scholarship offer from Western Illinois back in February.

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Playing in Chicago and with the high-profile Simeon team will help put him in a situation to potentially be discovered by a Power 5 program, according to Brown.

"It's exciting to see that my stock is going up," he said. "As I just transferred to Simeon, I feel as if some high majors should be involved, as well.

"They play the best of the best, and that's what I want. I feel as if I'm one of the best guards in the country."

Brown points to the prep paths taken by top Peoria prospects like Lathan Sommerville (Peoria Notre Dame to The Skill Factory), D.J. Richardson (Peoria High to Findlay Prep), Bobo Drummond (Peoria High to LaLumiere) and Adam Miller (Manual to Chicago Morgan Park) took to get on the recruiting map.

"The big prospects they always seem to head out of Peoria," Brown said. "I just feel like I can get on a bigger stage coming out of Chicago.

"There's always new chapters in life, and as mine starts now, I'm just excited."

Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria High guard De'Kwon Brown transfers to Chicago Simeon