Michael O’Brien’s notebook: Dec. 21, 2017

Add another name to the list of talented freshmen. Prospect sources say that Rolling Meadows freshman Max Christie is the real deal. The Knights won the game tonight, but the 6-4 freshman scored 20 points.

Tonight’s other big performance came on the national stage.

Thursday’s top games

No. 25 Prospect 57, Rolling Meadows 55: David Swedura scored 17, Jalen McLachlan had 11. The Knights have won eight in a row.

No. 10 Romeoville 60, Joliet West 54: Grudge match here. Encouraging performance from Joliet West. They almost pulled off the upset at home. Deandre Heckard had 13 and Eddie Creal scored 11 for the Spartans.

No. 14 New Trier 43, Glenbrook South 42: The Trevians moved up the rankings really quickly. They had a solid group of wins in the first two weeks of the season. I’ll admit I’m a bit concerned about their ranking. Phil Ralston is already making an impact with the Titans. Keep an eye on things in Glenview.

No. 1 Simeon 69, Wesleyan Christian (NC) 68: Huge win for Simeon at the prestigious City of Palms tournament. Messiah Jones hit the winning free throw with 2.2 left. He had 17 points, 11 rebounds. Talen Horton-Tucker led the way with 27 points and ten rebounds. Simeon had a first round bye, so this puts them in the semifinals.

North Lawndale 64, Carver 38: Demetrius Douglas continues to impress. He nearly had a triple-double with 24 points, seven rebounds and seven steals. London Stamps added 18 points and six assists.

Rancho Christian (CA) 50, No. 5 Morgan Park 44: The Mustangs keep losing to good teams. Haven’t seen a stat line for Ayo Dosunmu.