What the Mid-Suburban League has to offer its basketball fans Tuesday night is pretty special.
Both Rolling Meadows and Schaumburg are unbeaten on the young season. That’s reason enough for the fanbases of the two schools to be charged up about this league crossover game.
But there has never been two bonafide high-major players on the same floor, squaring off against one another in a MSL game.
Max Christie of Rolling Meadows is the top overall college prospect in the state. The 6-6 junior guard has an endless list of high-major offers, including Duke, Oregon, Virginia, Villanova and virtually the entire Big Ten.
Schaumburg’s Chris Hodges, a 6-8 junior who is among the top half dozen prospects in the Class of 2021 in Illinois, committed to Wisconsin in August.
Trey Pettigrew steps up
After an impressive freshman campaign, Fenwick’s Trey Pettigrew is poised to take a big step forward during his sophomore season.
Pettigrew isn’t exactly a hidden gym. He made an impact last year, starting every game and leading the team in assists. His freshman debut landed him among the City/Suburban Hoops Report’s top five prospects in the Class of 2022.
But his performance in helping the Friars to a pair of wins this past weekend was spectacular. He’s now poised to become quite the complement to Friars star and Louisville commit Bryce Hopkins.
The 6-3 guard scored a game-high 21 points in Fenwick’s big win over rival Oak Park at Wintrust Arena Friday night. He followed that up with a 33-point performance in a Saturday night victory over Mount Carmel, which included knocking down six three-pointers.
With his shooting range, natural feel and ability to play on and off the ball, Pettigrew can score from just about anywhere on the floor.
Glenbard West’s hidden gem
Glenbard West’s Braden Huff is a hidden gem. He may be the best college prospect no one has heard anything about.
At a school that’s produced John Shurna, who went on to become the all-time leading scorer at Northwestern, and Justin Pierce, who is currently finishing up his college career at North Carolina, Huff is next in line.
In basketball evaluation terms Huff remains the quintessential “prospect.” He’s so far from being a finished product –– even at the high school level. The rail-thin sophomore is clearly still developing physically and is just beginning to tap into his vast potential as a player.
But it’s not easy to find a legit 6-8 player at his age with the array of skill, length and upside he brings to the table. The tools he possesses at his size make him such an intriguing prospect, which is why he’s been among the City/Suburban Hoops Report’s top 10 prospects in the Class of 2022 since watching him this past summer.
In leading Glenbard West to a 4-0 start, Huff has sparkled early on, averaging 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists and 3.2 blocks a game while knocking down six three-pointers on the young season.
As a highly coordinated 4-man who can dribble, pass and shoot, this is a prospect who will continue to rise and open eyes over the next two-plus years.
