At a postseason high school all-star game at Illinois Wesleyan University on June 26, three future Huskies stood out.

But it was the Huskie that got away and likely never will be in DeKalb who stole the show.

Homewood-Flossmoor graduate Cyrus Tate signed with NIU Dec. 9, joining three other prep players: Leo’s Frank Clair, and Schaumburg’s Zach Pancratz and Craig Reichel.

Pancratz (11 points) and Reichel (10 points) each contributed in the all-star game, but Tate took home the MVP award for the North team.

Fueled by his relentless nature, the 6-foot-8 Tate brought his team back from a 15-point deficit, forced overtime and eventually led his team to a win over the South.

An academic non-qualifier, Tate will play at Vincennes (Ind.) Junior College next year.

“I’m going to Vincennes,” Tate said earlier this summer. “It’s what’s best for me.”

Along with Tate, NIU also loses would-be-junior power forward Rome Sanders (seven points, six rebounds per game), who transferred to Florida A&M University.

In the Class A game, Clair scored 14 points in a winning effort.

“The game was more competitive that I figured,” Clair told the Peoria Journal Star after the game. “I thought this would just be a bunch of farm boys shooting threes, but these kids can all play.”