A full week of High School Basketball is in the books. During the first week of the season, I went to 8 different tournaments/shootouts, saw 13 games, in 7 different cities. Here is where I traveled, who I saw, and what experience I had at each game.
November 20, 2017
The Battle of the Bridge Tournament at DePaul Prep
DePaul Prep 67 Taft 44
The Rams of DePaul Prep looked sharp in the opening round of The Battle of the Bridge Tournament, cruising to a 67-44 victory over Taft High School. The Rams were led by Junior Perry Cowan who had chipped in 22 points. Teammate Pavle Pantovic added 15 points, while Lance Mosley and Raheem Anthony combined for 14 points. The Eagles were led by Senior Jakwon Derry who finished with 17 points.
Notre Dame 78 Lake View 38
A total team effort for the Dons as they defeated Lake View in the first round of pool play at The Battle of the Bridge Tournament, 78-38. 1st year Varsity Head Coach Kevin Clancy and Freshman Anthony Sayles were very impressive in their Notre Dame debut. Sophomore Jason Bergstrom led the team with 17 points, while Dusan Mahorcic added 14 points. Sayles and Robert Pryor combined for 22 points. Rocky Viette was the leading scorer for the Wildcats with 11 points.
Experience: DePaul Prep is one of my favorite places to watch high school basketball. For one, Tom Winiecki Gymnasium has tons of character; from the hanging scoreboard, to the old Gordon Tech floor. They always have well done programs for each game, which I love. My only complaint is that DePaul does not have a public address announcer throughout the game. This includes players checking in and out of the game, when a player scores, fouls, etc. Regardless this is just a cool place to watch high school basketball on the North Side.
November 21, 2017
Grant Thanksgiving Tournament
Waukegan 67 Boylan Catholic 47
Waukegan rolled past Boylan Catholic on Tuesday night as they pick up their first win of the season, winning 67-47. A triple dose of Brown put the Titans in their place as Bryant Brown lead the charge, scoring 23 points. Ja’Dyn Brown had 22 points, but didn’t finish the game as he left in the second half due to a lower leg injury. Jordan Brown added 10 points as well. This team will be tough to stop with all three on the floor at once.
North Lawndale 72 Carmel Catholic 40
North Lawndale improved to 2-0 with a win over Carmel Catholic in the second day of the Grant Thanksgiving Tournament. The speedy Demetrius Douglas lead the Phoenix with 23 points. David Forrest added 17 points, showing off his athleticism with a few dunks to finish off the Corsairs. Freshman Kimahri Wilson, was very impressive in his second outing of the season, leading Carmel with 9 points.
Experience: Benedetti Center Fieldhouse was very clean, and you can tell they take pride in keeping their facilities looking nice. Immediately after the games, they had a group of employees cleaning up the stands and floor. Sound carried throughout the fieldhouse very easily. I can only imagine how loud it gets when they have a packed house. The people were very friendly and helpful. Would definitely go back.
November 22, 2017
New Trier/Loyola Academy Thanksgiving Tournament at New Trier
St. Ignatius 51 Lake Forest 40
St. Ignatius took care of Lake Forest on Wednesday evening in the final round of pool play. Even with the absence of Senior Carter Higginbottom and Junior Christian Davis, the Wolfpack improved to 3-0 with a well-earned 51-40 victory, advancing to the Championship on Saturday. Dariusz Muta stepped up to lead Ignatius with 15 points. Senior Jake Brennan and Sophomore Daniel Forley added 11 points apiece. The Scouts were led by Seniors Ben Gibson (16 pts) and Sean Trkla (11 pts).
New Trier 46 Loyola Academy 41
The best was saved for last. The winner of this game would advance to the Championship on Saturday to represent Pool A. New Trier topped rival Loyola Academy 46-41, in an all-out battle between two neighboring “old friends.” Griffin Ryan was the difference maker in the end, making 4 clutch free throws to seal the deal for the Trevs. He finished with 12 points. Ciaran Brayboy added 10 points in the victory as well. The Ramblers were led by Connor Barrett (13 pts). Kevin Cunningham added 9 points for LA as well, all from beyond the arc.
Experience: This was my first time visiting Gates Gym, and it sure had that Wow factor. You could tell this place was ahead of its time when it first opened, and it’s still a very cool gym today. The unique seating throughout the gym was neat, and it made it even more special to see a good crowd for the New Trier VS Loyola game. The school is a 3-minute walk from the Indian Hill Metra Station. Gates Gym is a gem; a must see if you appreciate good old fashion high school basketball.
November 24, 2017
Crystal Lake Central Thanksgiving Tournament
Belvidere North 65 Prairie Ridge 53
A fast start for Belvidere North to open action on Friday afternoon in the Crystal Lake Central Thanksgiving Tournament, gave the Blue Thunder a win over Prairie Ridge, 65-53. The big man, John Carlson, led the way for North with 27 points. Callahan Diercks added 13 points as well. The Wolves leading scorers included Michael Patterson (20 pts) and Jack Hoyland (15 pts).
Experience: This has been the comfiest gym I’ve been in so far. I was at a tournament game in the afternoon on Black Friday, so there really wasn’t a lot of spectators. With that being said, the Fieldhouse at Crystal Lake Central is unique because it felt like a decent sized crowd, even when there really wasn’t a lot of people there. There is not a bad place to sit in the fieldhouse to watch a basketball game. Friendly people. Need to see the home team play next time.
Ken Peddy Windmill City Classic at Batavia
Wheaton-Warrenville South 59 Kaneland 45
Wheaton-Warrenville South was a four man wrecking crew, as the Tigers cruised to a 59-45 victory over Kaneland. South was led by Senior Jake Healy (19 pts), Chase Stebbins (17 pts), Jeff Kratz (12 pts), and Paul Cuddihee (9 pts). All four combined for 57 of their 59 points. On the other side, Blake Feiza (21 pts) lead the way for the Knights. Matt Olson got hot in the second half, putting up and finishing with 12 points. Wheaton-Warrenville South improved to 3-0 on the season.
Batavia 70 Marmion Academy 54
With football heading to the State Championship on Saturday, the Batavia basketball team was the story Friday night, as they blew past Marmion Academy, 70-54. Not even at full strength, the Battlin' Bulldogs made it look easy. Sophomore Jayden Johnson was very impressive, leading Batavia with 30 points, including four 3-pointers in the first half. Kyle LeFever also had a big night, putting up 16 points, including a long ranged 3-pointer at the buzzer heading into halftime. The Cadets were led by Senior Mick Sullivan (26 pts) and Junior Tommy Surges (13 pts).
Experience: The gym itself was decent. Cool too see all of the championship banners throughout the gym. Batavia does a great job showcasing all of their sports with their trophy cases and wall of accomplishments. Lots of parking. Love how the concession stand was within the gym space. Have to come back for a Batavia VS Geneva game.
November 25, 2017
Dean Riley Shootin’ the Rock Thanksgiving Tournament at Ottawa
Dixon 45 Oak Forest 42
The 3rd Place game at the Dean Riley Shootin’ the Rock Thanksgiving Tournament got off to a slow start, but had a heck of a finish. Dixon ousted Oak Forest, 45-42. Jayson Kent (12 pts), tied the game for Oak Forest at 42 a piece with less than 10 seconds to go. Just when you thought we were going to overtime, Beau Bailey (16 pts) put the Dukes back in front for good, and drew the foul. Bailey completed the 3-point play, leading Dixon to victory. Oscar Van Sickle also added 12 points. Ethan Balinao (14 pts) lead the way for the Bengals.
Metamora 50 Ottawa 42
The Metamora Redbirds took 1st place on the road from the host Ottawa Pirates at Kingman Gym. Collin Dietz took over in the second half, scoring 16 points. The Senior finished with 23 points. Thomas Hall added 12 points, all from beyond the arc, while Peyton Haven (11 pts) was 5/6 at the free throw line. Ottawa was led by Wyatt Hill (15 pts) and Myles Tucker (13 pts).
Experience: Kingman Gym was everything I hoped it would be and more. The gym has been modernized, but also keeps its original state in a lot of forms. There are some obstruction views in the balcony, but that comes with the age of the gym. You get very close when you are sitting on the main floor. The lobby outside the gym was cool with the old ticket booth, pictures, trophies, and awards. Would love to come back to see a sold out game.
Seneca Thanksgiving Turkey Tournament
Newark 56 Illiana Christian 51
A very physical Championship game at the Seneca Thanksgiving Turkey Tournament between Illiana Christian and Newark. The Norseman came out on top 56-51. Both teams showed lots of hustle throughout the contest, and never really let up. Dylan Patrick is as blue collared as it gets. The Senior was very impressive, leading Newark with 24 points. Jacob Silvka (11 pts) and Brett Myre (8 pts) also helped the Norseman to victory. Andrew Smits led Illiana Christian with 16 points. Colin Flipse added 12 points, and Daniel Chandler (7 pts) knocked down some big time free throws in the second half.
Experience: A big small school gym. Small lobby, but trophy cases were jammed with awards, some dating way back. Loved the little shamrock crows nests on the corner of each end of the gym for media and broadcasters. I thought it was neat that they had the updated rosters under the old scoreboard. You don’t see that anymore, especially for a tournament game. Nice programs for the tournament. Would love to come back and sit in one of the crow’s nest to cover a game for the home team.
November 26, 2017
The Jordan Brand Class of XXXll “Like Mike” Invitational at Chicago Navy Pier
Whitney Young 74 Fenwick 73
Two of the State’s best teams going at it on a Sunday night. The stage was set at Navy Pier in Chicago, and Whitney Young survived Fenwick 74-73 in a great battle. In a game that had plenty of turnovers and missed free throws to go around, it was still a very close finish with Fenwick knocking on the door. Senior Javon Freeman (35 pts) of Young and Sophomore DJ Steward (31 pts) of Fenwick were in the zone. No one could stop either one throughout the game. Other leading scorers for the Dolphins included Myles Baker with 13 points and Xavier Castaneda with 8 points. Seniors Mike O’Laughlin and Billy Bruce chipped in 8 points apiece for the Friars in the loss.
Experience: I don’t even know where to begin with this one. Going in, I really didn’t know what to expect. What I did find out was that if you like loud music, lots of different colored lights, sitting (or standing) shoulder-to-shoulder with lots of people, and super competitive basketball, then this would have been the place for you. The fact that they held three basketball games in the Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier is pretty sweet. You could tell this event was professionally done, but there was a lot of drawbacks. For one, the games were way behind schedule. Also, this event was not made for more than 500 people. I was fortunate enough to be sitting right on the floor, but unless you were sitting in the stands, there really wasn’t a good place to watch the game. Lots of obstructed view in the balcony. There also was not a physical program for fans, only online rosters that you had to take a picture of. That was pretty annoying. If I had to sum it up, the whole experience was like going to a concert. Would I go again? Probably not. But looking back on it, it was awesome to be a part of a Nike commercial for a few hours, and that’s an experience I’ll never forget.
Next weeks article will come out Monday. Be sure to click on the icons at the top of the homepage and follow me on Twitter and Instagram if you already haven't. If you want to see more pictures from last week, they are on my Instagram page.