Perhaps the most productive under-the-radar player in the Chicago area is Plainfield North’s Jeffrey Fleming.
The 6-4 senior has been putting up some whopping numbers all season, averaging 21 points and 10 rebounds while chipping in two steals and two assists a game. He was a first-team all-tournament selection in December at Pontiac, where he led the tournament in scoring and was second in rebounding.
Fleming, who already has surpassed 1,000 career points, is Plainfield North’s all-time leading rebounder.
He plays bigger than his size and has a varied offensive arsenal. He’s a strong finisher at the basket and has a midrange pull-up game to go with it. Fleming is capable of dropping in a three, and he lives at the free-throw line, where he’s shooting 83%.
Catholic White talk
Almost all of the Catholic League talk this season has been centered on the big, bad Blue Division. There have been six teams from the Catholic League Blue ranked at some point this season, including four currently: Mount Carmel, DePaul Prep, Brother Rice and Loyola.
But over in the Catholic League’s White Division, two teams are quietly building their case and are poised to grab their own headlines in the coming weeks.
St. Laurence and St. Francis are on a collision course. They’re unbeaten in league play and will be among the top seeds in the Hinsdale South Sectional next month. Both will host regionals and should be in a position to avoid playing Mount Carmel, a heavy sectional favorite, in a regional title game.
St. Laurence had the most firepower in the league coming into the season and was favored. The Vikings, however, got off to a slow start, played better in the second half and have battled through a difficult nonconference schedule.
Coach Byron Burt has relied on three double-figure scorers — junior guard Zerrick Johnson (15.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg), Denver recruit Josh Pickett (14.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg) and Brad Stratton (12.2 ppg).
St. Francis, meanwhile, is making a push thanks to the arrival of transfer Kelton McEwen. He arrived from Bartlett after three highly productive seasons there. The senior guard is averaging just over 16 points and chipping in six rebounds, three assists and three steals a game.
What appears to be the game of the year in the Catholic League White isn’t until Feb. 9, when St. Francis travels to St. Laurence.
Miletic rolling
The breakout season of Rolling Meadows’ Ian Miletic has picked up even more steam.
The 6-7 forward emerged as one of the City/Suburban Hoops Report’s handful of top prospects in the Class of 2025 thanks to an impressive early-season showing. While Miami-Ohio offered in December, the recruiting interest has quickly jumped a level. Miletic has become the hottest name in recruiting circles the last couple of weeks among players in his class.
Marquette coach Shaka Smart and Illinois coach Brad Underwood came to watch Miletic recently and extended offers. Purdue, Northwestern, Minnesota and Notre Dame have been involved and have been in to see him or are coming shortly to evaluate.
Miletic is averaging 20 points and 11 rebounds. He has size and sneaky athleticism, but it has been Miletic’s confidence and particularly his shooting that have taken his game to new heights.
Through the Mustangs’ 17-7 start, he’s shooting 49% (65-for-131) from three-point range.
