Spot-Liters Game of the Week

Hyde Park 57 – Curie 56

The host team managed to squeeze this one out, despite Curie’s barrage of last second attempts.  This red-central conference match-up was the marquee contest of the evening, a game slated for 6:15 pm but didn’t get under-way until an hour later, due to a double over-time thriller in the frosh-soph game won by Curie.  Hyde Park High-School the past 5 years or so has become somewhat of a hub for local hoop junkies to watch significant players and teams, you can always find some polished figures in the stands, whether-it-be college coaches, former players & coaches, or even current high-school coaches in the audience scouting.  “The gym has an aura where the climate feels awfully good.”  Blah, Blah, Blah . . . .  The Hyde Park squad often regulated to the 3^rd slot in the conference behind the likes of Curie and Kenwood, fought hard to pull this one out, the Thunderbirds led Curie most of the game.  Junior guard Alante Pickens (13) kept Curie within reach with 3 treys in the first half, the Condors went into intermission down 32-30, but then Curie came out in the third quarter looking stagnant and Hyde Park jumped out to a 47-38 cushion behind the calming presence of sophomore point-guard Andrew Anderson.  Senior guard Devin Gage (14) finally awoke, the DePaul recruit tallied a dunk and a couple 3’s to cut the deficit 53-49 with DePaul Coach Dave Leito in the house you’d think Gage would be inspired enough to set-off some fireworks this night.  Gage may still be hobbled by an ankle sprang he suffered in the Pontiac semi-finals versus Peoria Manuel.  Never-the-less, the game did feature a handful of division one recruits – Gage, Elijah Joiner (13) a junior PG, Terry Smith Jr a strapping athletic 6-5 JR, Landers Nolley 6-5 soph, Treavon Martin a 6-7 soph & twin brother Tyree – Hyde Park can counter with senior forward Tajuan Agee (12), 6-8 promising junior post-man Anthony Cameron (9), 6-5 lefty senior Mykel Oliver (10) he’s an important piece to the team’s success, likely juco bound; Andrew Anderson a 5-8 soph play-maker already one of the best in the 2018 crop.  The player with the brightest future could be 6-6 freshman forward Rashaun Agee, very talented!  “What all of these darlings don’t realize is they have so much work to do before they can step on the court in a high-level college game.” 

Note:  Stand-out De LaSalle guard George Willbourn will miss the next 2-3 games due to an injury.  The senior regarded as one of the top 10 available seniors in the state also one of the leading scorers in the Catholic league.  He will be greatly missed.

Top 7 prospect in the 2017 class Javon Pickett gave University Illinois a verbal several days ago, Pickett’s decision left some observers in the state scratching their heads, both parties might need to examine the final decision.