Henricksen: R-B Shootout kick-starts 2015-2016 season

Want a kick-start to the 2015-2016 high school basketball season in Illinois? Do you want to begin breaking down the top teams for next year before the season tips off Thanksgiving week?

The 13th annual Riverside-Brookfield Shootout, which takes place this Saturday and Sunday, has become the premier offseason event in Illinois.

The past three 4A and 3A state champions –– Stevenson and St. Joseph in 2015, Young and Morgan Park in 2014 and Simeon and Morgan Park in 2013 –– began assembling their state champion parts at the R-B Shootout in June.

This year’s field is loaded again, featuring 36 of the top programs from throughout the city and suburbs. Whether it’s the Public League, Catholic League, south suburbs, north suburbs or western suburbs, there will be multiple prep basketball giants from each geographical region.

There are a host of teams projected to be among the top 15 teams next season, including perennial powers Simeon, Young, Morgan Park and St. Joseph, along with upstarts Fenwick, Kenwood, R-B and Evanston.

Defending Class 4A state champion Stevenson will be at R-B, along with West Aurora, St. Rita, St. Ignatius, Bogan, Morton, Curie, Marian Catholic, Hillcrest and Neuqua Valley.

The remainder of the competitive field includes Hinsdale Central, Glenbard East, York, St. Patrick, Ridgewood, Oak Park-River Forest, Plainfield East, Downers Grove South, Downers Grove North, Larkin, Waubonsie Valley, Loyola Academy, DeKalb, Palatine, DePaul Prep, Batavia, Richards and Andrew.

Pool play begins Saturday at 10:30 a.m. For more information on the R-B Shootout and the weekend schedule, go to the Riverside-Brookfield basketball webpage, which you can find here: www.riversidebrookfieldbasketball.com

Academic Showcase dates set

The highly attended High Academic Showcase, which takes place each July, has set its dates. This year there will be three dates in July, beginning with July 8, for prospective student-athletes.

The other dates of the showcase, which will be held at the Waukegan Fieldhouse, are July 15 and July 22.

For more information, go to the showcase’s website at www.highacademicshowcase.com