Week 5 was a slow one, as I spent most of my time up north watching high school hoops. Tuesday I was in Evanston to see the Wildkits take on Zion-Benton, Wednesday I saw Lane Tech host Lincoln Park, and Saturday afternoon I went to Niles North as the Vikings played Lake Zurich. Even though I only covered three games, it was action packed with impressive prospects, top teams, and unique gyms.
December 19, 2017
Evanston 62 Zion-Benton 42
The Wildkits of Evanston took down Zion-Benton Tuesday night by a final score of 62-42. On only their second home game of the year, Evanston jumped out to an early lead and didn’t look back. Junior Jaheim Holden was the leading scorer for the Wildkits with 14 points, while teammate Lance Jones added 10 points including a dunk in the 2nd quarter. Freshman Blake Peters also chipped in 9 points, all 3s in the 3rd quarter for Evanston. The Zee-Bees were led by freshman Amar Augillard who had 11 points.
Experience: The setup at Evanston is absolutely incredible. Between the architecture of the school, to the perfect blend of old and new that is Beardsley Gymnasium, to the neat setup of awards and Hall of Fame outside the gym. Another unique thing that Evanston does includes utilizing the new jumbotrons that were installed this year for instant replays and pregame hype videos. Their pep band sounded great as well! Evanston is a must see if you’ve never been.
December 20, 2017
Lincoln Park 59 Lane Tech 51
A very entertaining Wednesday evening matchup took place on the Northside, as the Lions of Lincoln Park went on the road and took down Lane Tech in front of a large and rowdy crowd, 59-51. Senior Terrence Shannon was very impressive as he had 17 points on the night for the Lions, leading all scorers. Tahir Thompson scored 14 points for Lincoln Park, while Senior Bill Flowers scored all 13 of his points in the second half. Lane Tech made a couple pushes at the end, but never got within striking distance. The Indians were led by Zach Krysztopik (15 pts), Johnny Colombo (12 pts), and Calvin Keyes (11 pts). Keep an eye on red hot Lincoln Park next week at the Hinsdale Central Holiday Tournament.
Experience: The School of Champions has to be one of the toughest places to play in Chicago. Lane’s gym is incredibly loud, and can hold a decent amount of people for a Chicago Public School. The gym recently went through some renovations including a new gym floor, a new LED scorers table, and brand new scoreboards. These updates modernize the old gym, but still kept its true character. About a 20 min walk from the Addison Brown Line stop, located in a great neighborhood. Good things are happening at Lane Tech, highly recommend visiting if you haven’t!
December 23, 2017
Niles North 70 Lake Zurich 43
On a very slow Saturday afternoon of basketball, Niles North rolled by Lake Zurich 70-43. The Vikings proved that they are one of the best in the state after picking apart a very solid Lake Zurich squad. Dravon Clayborn put up 22 points, leading the way for North. Aquan Smart (15 pts), Demarion Bariffe-Smith (12 pts), and Damaria Franklin (11 pts) had double-digit figures for the Vikings in the victory. Ryan Kutsor (12 pts) and Ken Haynes (10 pts) were the leading scorers for the Bears. Niles North is legit, a true threat to any 4A team come March. The Vikings extend their record to 9-0 on the year.
Experience: Conveniently located off of I-94, Niles North gym is very close to the floor. Balcony’s on both sides, there is plenty of room to sit for a packed game. Staff was very helpful and organized. I was fortunate to go when they were not charging fans admission fees with Christmas coming up. This is a good year to attend with the home Vikings playing so well. They’re a real treat to see, and there’s not better place to see them play than at home.
With the Holiday Tournaments in full swing next week, I will be coming out with a report after each day due to the amount of games I will be covering. I will be at the Big Dipper @ Rich South on Tuesday, the Proviso West Holiday Tournament on Wednesday, the Hardwood Classic @ Wheeling on Thursday, the Pontiac Holiday Tournament on Friday, and the Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic on Saturday. Stay tuned next week for lots of updates. Have a Merry Christmas! 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.