Illinois Spot-Lite Top Chicagoland Teams 2/09/2014

Illinois Spot-Lite Top Chicagoland Teams
“How They Fared”

1. Stevenson (19-2) – Defeated Zion-Benton easily 87-64 Sat; Simeon awaits soon
2. Simeon (21-2) – Crushed Farragut in a 2nd round play-off game on Sat
3. St. Rita (19-2) – St. Francis DeSales was no match for them on Fri, 93-61
4. Lake Forest (21-1) – The Scouts have a good tune-up with St. Viator on Tues 2-10-15
5. Hales (19-3) – Roughed-up Seton on Fri 1-6-15, 83-68; “State 2A Play-Offs coming soon”
6. Geneva (22-2) – “Yes, I’m moving them up”; they are a cohesive unit; popped St. Charles East 75-63 last Thurs
7. Bogan (18-6) – “Got by Curie 57-55 on Antonio Thomas’ tip-in at the buzzer: quarter-final match-up with Kenwood on Sunday 2-15-15”
8. St. Joseph (18-5) – Outlasted Belleville Althoff 97-95 in 2 over-times; Joffery Brown’s pull-up jumper at the buzzer won it; Glynn Watson was magnificent; Ash was stellar as usual; best game I saw all year
9. Riverside Brookfield (19-2) – Dusted-off IC Prep 92-43 on Fri 2-6-15; their schedule has been light lately
10. Neuqua Valley (21-3) – Beat Glenbard East on Fri 2-6-15; some tough games ahead including West Aurora on Fri
11. Thornwood (15-6) – They have a lot to prove in up-coming weeks –on a 10 game winning streak; has Thornridge at home Tues nite, 2-10-15
12. Kenwood (17-5) – Knocked-off a well-coached Lane Tech squad 44-35; next up Bogan in quarters Sunday
13. Orr (16-6) – Surprised Morgan Pk in the 2nd round Sat 78-69; marred in a little controversy; has Uplift in the quarters on Sunda
14. Morgan Park (17-6) – After being clipped by Orr; now they will be razor focus for the state play-offs
15. Thornton (16-3) – Squeezed by Thonridge Fri 2-6-15; can this group make a serious run late?
16. DePaul (17-5) – Slipped by Loyola Academy Fri 2-6-15 in OVT; I’ll see them Tues at St. Ignatius
17. St. Charles East (18-3) – Wasn’t quite ready for a big game at Geneva - lost 75-63
18. Uplift (19-4) – Transfer Spencer Foley has given them offensive punch; has Orr on Sunday
19. Niles Notre Dame (19-4) – Beat Marian Catholic on Fri 2-6-15, 52-42; 6th straight win
20. Maine South (20-3) – A very disappointing outing at Evanston Thurs nite, 2-5-15, lost 58-51; they need more offensive production from everyone; rely on their system often

ON RADAR

ON RADAR

Plainfield East forward James Claar will take this unfinished profile to Western Illinois, the six foot nine senior gave Billy Wright and his staff a verbal on Saturday, February 7th; the Ohio Valley Conference which already boasts 5 NBA players and plays a brand of high-level hoops that goes uncharted until their league participates in the NCAA Tournament, then viewers get a chance to see how talented their league truly is.  I’ve been high on Claar’s potential since last summer, if he makes the necessary effort to put the work in on his body as well as polishing his skills, we might just witness some special results in a few years.  Several schools missed the boat on this promising prospect.

Mather’s six foot junior Travon Bell dropped eight 3 pointers on Simeon in a first round play-off bout last Thurs, 02-05-15.  Bell has strung together some impressive outings of late, the streaky wing really impressed the Simeon coaches.  I will be paying him a visit in the next week or so.

Sophomore wiz Alonzo Verge Jr. hit a game winner Friday night versus Morton and Weisner Perez, Verge dropped 34 in an 80-78 victory.  The kid is cold blooded.  That was his 4th game winner in the last few weeks.

East St. Louis head coach Tony Young, one of our state’s bright young coaches has been on suspension for the past few games.  He was not on the bench in that thrilling Eastside vs Chaminade contest Sat night at the O’Fallon Shoot-Out.  His situation is still under investigation and I hope they work it out because he is a young coach with a bright future.

Summary of a Week Around the Rim 2/3-2/5

Summary of a Week Around the Rim

Evanston 58 – (7)Maine South 51
Thursday, Feb 5th

No. 7 Maine South came-up short late in the game as they tried to rally versus a young Evanston squad.  A packed house saw one of the prime match-ups of the night go toe to toe.  Sophomore stand-out Nojel Eastern finished with 17 points and provided a steady hand in making sure his team secured the win when he made two foul shots with a minute remaining in the contest.  One thing is for certain, Maine South better have a little more arsenal offensively as they prepare for a deep push through the state play-offs, they seemed to sputter a bit Thursday night.  Evanston’s collection of talented under-classmen can be pegged right up there with Belleville Althoff, Curie, Whitney Young, and Marian Catholic.  The future looks bright for Mike Ellis’ program.

North Park 71 – Wheaton College 68
Wednesday, Feb 4th

As I sat there watching the Vikings pull-out their 4th straight win I couldn’t help but reflect back on the glory days of this program.  Sophomore guard Juwan Henry from Bogan is their spark-plug as well as their leader, freshman wiz Colin Lake will set some scoring records before he’s done at the North-Side school, his shooting range is remarkable.  Another freshman who impressed me was Jordan Robinson a 6-3 under-size 4 man who can score around the rim or foul line or from 12-15 feet.  North Park has a nice nucleus of young players, now they need to add some size and a shooter, then we can talk about revival.

Bartlett 75 – South-Elgin 53
Tuesday, Feb 3rd

A snowy track to Bartlett, but no regrets I had the opportunity to see/view exactly what I needed.  South-Elgin, though, got trounced from the onset, never-the-less I was able to see how Elgin’s junior point-guard Matty Smith would respond with his back against the wall, Smith would finish with 10 points on a subpar night.  (It’s like that some nights.)  Bartlett’s six foot three senior guard Ryan Dicanio had his offensive game in full throttle, he had the 3 ball going as well as his back-door cuts & slashes to the rim.  Dicano recorded over 20 points, the kid on Bartlett who continues to impress me each time I see him is 6-2 explosive lefty Jordan Anderson, he’s a good athlete with a strong body, drives the ball to the basket effectively and he’s an adequate shooter on the perimeter, I envision him in some Division II situations, but I’m sure D3’s are showing him major love.  Jordan’s team doesn’t require him to score a ton of points, so his stats could be deceiving in terms of how he impacts a game.  South-Elgin frosh Anthony Lynch will be a good one, he certainly has a good feel for the game and his fundamentals are solid.

Illinois Spot-Lite’s Top Chicagoland Teams - 02/04/2014

“How They Fared”

1. Stevenson (18-2) – “Defeated Lake Zurich Tues nite 69-47; a match-up with Simeon awaits in the next week or so; Bronson & Co. coming off a low-key week;  only losses coming from out of town teams.”
2. Simeon (19-2) – “Coach Rob Smith just amassed 300 victories in just 11 seasons; they have a first round tune-up with Mather on Thursday Feb 5th.”
3. St. Rita (16-2) – “Beat a good Hales squad 55-48 Fri nite; the next night romped Fenwick 59-40; displayed too much length Tues nite against Marist 53-38.”
4. Lake Forest (20-1) – “Bourdreaux & Co. sailing along for now; handled Warren 45-34 Tues nite.”
5. Morgan Park (17-5) – “Completely man-handled Vocational on their court 92-48; then went to Los Angeles and polished-off Cathedral over the weekend; now have a date Thurs with Foreman 1st round of the city play-offs.”
6. Hales (18-3) – “St. Rita’s length was just too much on Fri nite in a 55-48 loss; dusted off Brother Rice Tues nite 72-51.”
7. Maine South (20-2) – “Got by New Trier in a close one 50-45 over the weekend; then beat Hersey Tues 66-59; a date at Evanston on Thurs.”
8. St. Joseph (16-5) – “They lost by 53-52 to Highland Park at the Batavia Shoot-Out Sat; Ping has some issues to clean-up before the state play-offs.”
9. Bogan (14-6) – “With the city play-offs now looming, can they put it together and make a serious run at the title?”
10. Geneva (20-2) – “Big game versus St. Charles East on Thursday at home.”
11. St. Charles East (18-2) – “We will see if Cole Gentry & crew are legit on Thurs.”
12. Riverside Brookfield (18-2) – “Crushed Wheaton Academy 78-44 Fri nite.”
13. Neuqua Valley (20-3) – “Connor Raridon should be considered for All-State 1st or 2nd team; they knocked-off a tough Bartlett team Fri nite 66-61; PG Desmond George can play.”
14. Thornwood (14-5) – “Knocked-off conference rival Thornton 51-46 Tues nite; beat a good Lincoln-Way West squad 67-54 last Fri nite; they could potentially upset some top dog’s at the Eisenhower 4A sectional next month.”
15. Kenwood (16-5) – “They’ve enjoyed a fine season under first year coach Marlo Finner; now they will be tested again during the city play-offs; the Broncos have Collins H.S. up first.”
16. Thornton (15-3) – “Beat Bradley on OVT 71-68 last Fri; lost to Thornwood on a close game 51-46 Tues nite.”
17. DePaul Prep (16-5) – “Enjoyed a cake-walk week in which they dismantled Holy Trinity 60-46; clubbed Leo at home last Friday 71-54; this is a system team and well coached.”  
18. Niles Notre Dame (18-4) – “Mooney & Becar continue to provide a combined 40 points per outing; crushed Joliet Catholic last Sat 60-42.”
19. Curie (14-5) – “Won the White Conference Title handily; now face a tough road test Thurs at Marshall in the City Play-Offs.”
20. Uplift (17-4) – “Beat a weak Gary-Roosevelt team Saturday 74-50; they could be peaking at the right time; they will have to be at their very best to advance into the final 8 round in the city play-offs.”

Top 5 Games to Watch on Thursday, February 5th, 2015

7-Maine South at Evanston 7:00 pm
Westinghouse at Hyde Park 5:00 pm
19-Curie at Marshall 5:00 pm
Lincoln Park at Vocational 5:00 pm
11-St. Charles East at 10-Geneva 7:00 pm

Summary of a Week Around the Rim 1/30-31

Summary of a Week Around the Rim

Willowbrook 64 – Hinsdale South 63
Saturday, Jan 31st

This contest featured two of the state’s hottest under-classmen, junior Barret Benson’s squad squaring off against sophomore Alonzo Verge Jr. and his upstart Willowbrook team.  Verge, fresh off a 44 point performance Friday night versus Addison Trail looks to keep his team undefeated this week, never-the-less Willowbrook gutted-out a one point victory despite some lousy officiating.  Benson wrapped-up the night with 29 points, but was unable to pull this one out against a quick Willowbrook cast.  Verge was remarkably impressive even though his offensive out-put was below his ordinary standards, he still managed 19 points and a handful of dimes he dropped on team-mates. But it was his 3 pointer he nailed with 44 seconds left that sealed the out-come.  “The kid has ice water in his veins.”

Marist 51 – Marina Catholic 42
Friday, Jan 30th

A ballgame billed as a viewing for some of the bright young under-classmen in the area, excellent crowd was on-hand, but lackluster play on the court just didn’t live-up to the billing.

Thornton 71 – Bradley Bourbonnais 68  OVT
Friday, Jan 30th

“This 6:00 pm start was fitting for hoop junkies like myself who tried maneuvering over to another 7:30 tilt, but got tripped-up and landed into a weak showing.  Micah Bradford was magnificent, he and his mates jumped on the Wildcats early holding on to a ten point margin the first half.  Prior to half-time Thornton’s Robert McCalley started to heat-up, he would finish with 24.  Meanwhile, Bradford tallied 23 markers and it wasn’t enough in an over-time loss where Thornton used the physicality of the game to batter Bradley.