Stasys Commits to Yale, Extending Illinois Ivy League Basketball Pipeline
The Benet Academy guard joins a growing group of Chicago-area prospects choosing Ivy League programs that combine elite academics with top-tier Division I competition.
By Samir Doyle ·
Ed Stasys of Benet Academy has committed his basketball future to Yale, a decision that places the state’s top-ranked prospect in the Class of 2027 with the two-time defending Ivy League champions. Stasys describes the choice as a balance between two high priorities. "The academic piece for my decision was definitely a factor, although I believe that Yale had some of the strongest basketball as well from the schools that I was considering," Stasys said. "My family values academics. But that, along with basketball, were both even priorities."
This commitment follows a clear trend in the Chicago area. High school athletes are increasingly selecting Ivy League schools for their dual offering of rigorous degrees and competitive Division I sports. Alex Sirbu of Buffalo Grove and Hayden Schroeder of Wheaton Academy, both ranked in the top 10 of the senior class, have already announced plans to attend Columbia and Penn, respectively. This pattern has created a distinct pipeline of local talent flowing into the conference.
The current Ivy League freshman class includes five players from Illinois. Christopher Kirkpatrick from New Trier attends Princeton, while Rykan Woo from DePaul Prep is at Brown. Jake Pollack from Deerfield is enrolled at Dartmouth, Trey Williams from Loyola is at Cornell, and Chris Bolte from St. Ignatius is a freshman at Yale. Bolte, who helped St. Ignatius win 27 games last season, cited this local success as a major influence on his own recruitment. "I started to want to be one of those names. I saw what John Poulakidas did when he went to Yale. And even Caden Pierce with what he did at Princeton and how he’s able to go to Purdue now," Bolte said.
The on-court results for these local players have been substantial. Cooper Noard from Glenbrook South led the Ivy League in scoring last season during his final year at Cornell. Jake Fiegen from New Trier ranked as the third leading scorer in the conference. Penn, which qualified for the NCAA Tournament, maintained four Illinois players on its roster. That group included leading scorer Ethan Roberts from Hersey, alongside key contributors Dalton Scantlebury from Lane and AJ Levine from York.
Historical performance reinforces the appeal of this path. John Poulakidas of Neuqua Valley was the Ivy League’s leading scorer in the 2023-24 season while helping Yale secure back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2024 and 2025. Caden Pierce from Glenbard West earned Ivy League Player of the Year honors in the 2023-24 season. Other recent alumni include Jackson Munro from New Trier at Dartmouth, Blake Peters from Evanston at Princeton, and Louis Lesmond from Niles Notre Dame at Harvard.
Current rosters continue to feature local names. Niko Abusara from Benet plays at Dartmouth. Princeton’s lineup includes Jack Stanton from Downers Grove North and Dalen Davis from Young. These players maintain a presence in the conference while the academic benefits accrue to the athletes. Bolte views the degree as a long-term asset beyond his playing career. "I really wanted to be in a spot where it’s not just a four-year decision but a 40-year decision for me with the degree," he said.
Stasys’s commitment adds to the depth of the 2027 recruiting class for Yale. The program has retained its status as a two-time defending champion while absorbing the top talent from the state’s most competitive high school leagues. The move solidifies the connection between Chicago prep basketball and Ivy League competition, a relationship defined by strong scoring averages and consistent tournament eligibility.
