Thoughts from the high school basketball holiday tournaments

Impressions and notes from all the top holiday tournaments in Illinois and beyond.

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York’s Nate Shockey (10) reacts after he makes a shot and gets the foul as well.

York’s Nate Shockey (10) reacts after he makes a shot and gets the foul as well.

Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times

A whole bunch of thoughts, impressions and notes from all the top holiday tournaments in Illinois and beyond.

Pontiac Holiday Tournament

▪︎ Ramean Hinton of Curie is a very good player, for sure. But his impact comes from more than just talent. He’s also an absolute warrior. That competitive spirit and relentlessness is at a different level in comparison to other players. The fact Southeast Missouri State was able to nab this type of talent to play in the Ohio Valley Conference is quite a coup. 

▪︎ Despite the title game loss at Pontiac, nothing has changed in regard to the glow shining on Bloom or its expectations. Bloom, with its star-studded starting five and some depth with senior guard Justin Moore off the bench, played at such a high level at times. This is still a legitimate state title contender and still arguably the most talented team in the state. 

▪︎ Here is another perception regarding Bloom: Coach Dante Maddox’s team is the most fun and entertaining team to watch in Illinois. 

▪︎ Junior guard Josh Smith of Oak Park can be a little erratic, but he’s certainly wired to score. The long, lanky and athletic 6-3 guard averaged 19.7 points a game at Pontiac. If he can become more efficient and the decision-making improves, Smith’s stock will soar as a prospect. 

Oak Park junior Isaiah Barnes was solid throughout tournament play, but the 6-6 forward’s performance in the fifth-place game against Simeon is hopefully a sign of things to come. Barnes, who averaged 17 points a game at Pontiac, went for 27 points in the loss to Simeon. He got to the rim and to the line while knocking down 3 of 5 from beyond the arc. 

▪︎ Consolation games can often be taken with a grain of salt or even ignored, but Simeon’s come-from-behind win over St. Charles North and fifth-place win over Oak Park was needed. This is a Simeon team accustomed to playing in championship games, so it would have been easy to see the Wolverines lay down after falling behind by 15 points in a consolation game. But Simeon stormed back, beat the North Stars and went on to win the fifth-place game.

▪︎ Benet has yet to play a single game this season fully intact. But if the Redwings can get healthy, it’s going to be a very dangerous team in March with shooting on the perimeter and size and ruggedness inside.

Senior big man Colin Crothers is steady, productive and offers a ton of experience, while 6-4 Jacob Snell is a likable football-playing big man who impacts with pure strength, sneaky athleticism and a dash of big man skill. Jack Prock is a dead-eye shooting threat. Now it’s a matter of getting Matt Reid healthy, a senior guard who may just be the team’s most important piece. 

▪︎ Joliet West senior guard Jamere Hill only enhanced his stock with his play at Pontiac. The 6-3 guard is a Division I prospect without Division I offers. That should change soon. A much improved player from even this past summer, Hill has some dynamic playmaking ability with his size and athleticism. 

▪︎ There is still a lot of development left in St. Charles North big man Connor Linke. But in time this is going to be a valuable piece for coach Brian Wardle and Bradley down the road. 

Proviso West Holiday Tournament

▪︎ Bogan is relentless, putting constant pressure on opponents and seemingly coming at you in waves with its depth. And yes, Antione Bloxton is an explosive scorer –– he pumped in 33 points in the title game win over Morton. But coach Arthur Goodwin’s team remains very balanced with Bloxton and Darrion Jones in the backcourt, 6-5 Kyndall Davis on the wing and big man Ideary Mooney. All four averaged in double figures at Proviso West. 

▪︎ Helped by a monster performance in the third-place game, Fenwick’s Bryce Hopkins wrapped up four games at Proviso West by averaging 28.8 points, 13.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists a game. Yes, the Louisville commit is that big of a threat each time he steps on the floor. 

How about this: In eight Proviso West tournament games over the past two years, Hopkins has scored 231 points (28.8 ppg). That’ll work. 

▪︎ Morton may never be a ranked team, but it’s a team no one will really want to play over the next two-plus months. That was a heck of a nice run Morton went on at Proviso West, which included upset wins over Hillcrest and Fenwick. Little Manny Rodriguez is a weapon on that three-point line, and that trio of Rodriguez, Jesus Perez and Kendell Nichols can give you some problems. 

▪︎ While Larkin is struggling and went 0-3 at Proviso West, the play of sophomore Damari Wheeler-Thomas is worth noting. The 5-10 guard averaged 23.3 points in three games while drilling 10 three-pointers (41 percent). 

▪︎ The saddest note in a holiday tournament recap notebook is this: This tournament is a shell of what it once was. 

Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic

▪︎ Homewood-Flossmoor guard Josiah Palmer continues to be one of the real breakout performers this season. The senior guard started with a bang at the Chicago Heights Classic over Thanksgiving and has been steady and consistent ever since. Palmer, a soft-shooting three-point threat, was an all-tournament selection after averaging 13 points a game. 

▪︎ The two losses at Hinsdale Central did raise some concerns surrounding Stevenson, a team with the capability of playing in Peoria in March. The Patriots are now 0-3 against their three toughest opponents –– Oak Park, Homewood-Flossmoor and Marian Catholic –– who all boast the type of size, length and athleticism coach Pat Ambrose’s club does not have. 

The defense has remained strong and consistent. But that opposing length and quickness has given Stevenson some struggles on the offensive end. Against the very best, Stevenson is going to have to execute what it does to perfection and knock down shots. The Patriots shot just 25 percent from three at Hinsdale Central. 

▪︎ DePaul Prep plays hard and really gets after it defensively. Both Tyler Johnson and Rasheed Bello provide ball pressure on the perimeter while Johnson and shooter Lance Mosley pack some offensive punch. Plus, the Rams can play different styles, play big or small and are only going to get better. 

▪︎ While Albert Jones is a very productive player and was named to the all-tournament team at Hinsdale Central, Kajuan Wines, a 6-2 senior guard from Richards, is an underrated player. 

▪︎ He may not have put up big numbers, T.F. South’s 6-7 Xavier Lewis certainly looks and plays the part of a very promising prospect in the sophomore class. 

Wheeling Hardwood Classic

▪︎ All Notre Dame did with its tournament title at Wheeling is look the part of a true Class 3A state title contender. This has been repeated over and over thus far, but the junior trio of Anthony Sayles, Troy D’Amico and Louis Lesmond is high level. They also complement one another very well. 

▪︎ Lesmond continues to get more and more comfortable with his new team. Whether with a couple of 20-plus point performances, high-flying dunks or dropping in three-pointers, the 6-5 wing had a few signature moments at Wheeling. He also picked up an offer from Xavier. 

York’s Jack Tosh Holiday Classic

This is not the same type of Bolingbrook team of years past. But it’s still a darn good one that’s capable of doing some big things, which included winning five games and claiming a Jack Tosh title behind tournament MVP Darius Burford. 

▪︎ No, this York team isn’t as talented as last year’s team that won 29 games and a regional championship. Nonetheless, it’s a team that has virtually matched last season’s impressive start and remains a big threat. 

Plus, senior Nate Shockey brings an individual star quality that last year’s team didn’t necessarily possess. All the 6-2 guard and North Dakota recruit did was score 23, 22, 25, 22 and 23 points in five tournament games. 

▪︎ Hinsdale South’s Billy Durkin is one heck of a small college prospect. 

▪︎ Maybe reality set in a bit on what was a fun unbeaten run from Hinsdale South to start the season. The biggest win in that great start was a 47-40 victory over Naperville Central, so there was still some work to be done in proving their worth. After starting the season 11-0, the Hornets dropped back-to-back games to Bolingbrook (in overtime) and to Schaumburg at York

Nevertheless, Hinsdale South, with both Durkin and 6-7 Aaron Tims, are another team to watch as it drops down to Class 3A this March, especially since the Hornets will host the sectional. In a sectional where Bogan will be favored and always dangerous Benet will be lurking, Hinsdale South will be a top four seed and should have a chance to play a sectional game or two on its home floor. 

▪︎ What a tournament Grant Niego of Lyons put together at York. This is one of the more improved players in the senior class. Fully healthy and showing a bit more athleticism, the 6-2 guard poured in 101 points in four games and averaged 6.5 rebounds a game. He’s turned himself into an outstanding small college basketball prospect. 

▪︎ While everyone knows about and talks about junior Max Christie of Rolling Meadows –– and deservedly so as the top college prospect in Illinois –– younger brother Cameron Christie will catch your eye. He’s just a freshman, but the soft-shooting 6-1 guard is full of promise and has come a long way since watching him this past summer. This is a good looking young prospect in the Class of 2023.

And back to Max Christie. Here are his stat-sheet-stuffing numbers from York: 24.2 points, 12.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists a game. 

▪︎ Speaking of stats, the stat line of the week at York’s Jack Tosh Holiday Classic may have come from Glenbard East’s Daron Hall. In a win over Elk Grove, the senior guard was perfect. He went 5-of-5 from inside the arc, 7-of-7 from beyond the three-point line and 1-for-1 from the line for a total of 32 points. He chipped in nine rebounds, five assists and three steals. 

Hall, who averaged 27.7 points in four games at York, has shined all season with five 30-plus games already. On the season he’s averaging 26 points, six rebounds and three assists a game for a Rams team that could be the favorite in the Upstate Eight Conference. 

▪︎ The freshman class in Illinois is extremely talented. That bodes well for the future as the Class of 2023 evolves and continues to improve. And a name you will hear a lot about from that class in coming years is Lake Forest’s Asa Thomas. The 6-4 freshman is a legit prospect with a high basketball I.Q. for such a young player. He had games of 19 and 20 at York and is averaging 13 points a game this season. 

Out of sight, out of mind …

There were a number of holiday tournaments played throughout the state. Here are some notes and thoughts from a few.

➤ Evanston finished second in the state last season and third the year before while winning a combined 59 games. But what the Wildkits were never able to do the past two seasons is win the Centralia Holiday Tournament or head into the new year unbeaten. 

Goal accomplished. 

After beating the host school in the championship game, Evanston is 13-0 heading into January.

➤ In semifinal and championship game wins at the Pekin Holiday Tournament, the Lake Park foursome of Luke Sgarbossa, Trevor Montiel, Montrell Perry and Joe Harrington remarkably scored 115 of its 116 points. The Lancers are 13-1. For you mathematically challenged out there, that’s .991 percent of its scoring from four players. 

There is still over a month left before sectional seeding time, but it’s clear Lake Park is the overwhelming choice right now as the No. 1 seed in the Addison Trail Sectional. 

➤ If you weren’t paying attention, Young just wrapped up a seven-game stretch in Florida playing seven out-of-state opponents. The Dolphins, who always play a national schedule and always seem to be a better team because of it, went 3-4 in those seven games. 

More importantly, however, is the fact in nine games against out-of-state opponents this season, the Dolphins have played five one possession games. That’s valuable experience that will only help this team going forward. 

➤ Star gazing at the Beach Ball Classic in Florida saw the state’s two biggest senior stars ––Young’s D.J. Steward and Morgan Park’s Adam Miller –– put up some numbers.

In a 121-43 New Year’s Eve win over Socastee (SC), Miller poured in 52 points. That followed up a 41-point explosion the day before against University (WV). In four Beach Ball Classic games, the Illinois commit averaged 34 points a game and shot 19 of 46 from the three-point line.

Steward, meanwhile, had games of 12, 32, 27 and 27 at the Beach Ball Classic. 

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