Kenwood’s early season struggles are in the past. The No. 13 Broncos have found a rhythm over the last few weeks and begun living up to their preseason No. 1 ranking.
The reasons why were evident in the Public League semifinals Thursday at UIC’s Credit Union 1 Arena. Coach Mike Irvin has settled on a taller rotation, and several young players are producing consistently.
Aleks Alston, a talented 6-9 junior, is no longer just full of potential. He’s a legitimate force. Alston finished with nine points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists in Kenwood’s 71-62 victory against Phillips.
“We know we are the most exciting team in the state,” Irvin said. “We don’t get enough credit. But these kids continue to work, and we know how good this team could be.”
Kenwood was exciting, but Phillips never went away. The Wildcats pulled within one point three times in the fourth quarter. The last came on a driving layup by junior LJ Horton with 1:25 left.
Kenwood (22-6) responded quickly. DePaul recruit Chris Riddle made a three-pointer, and Alston and Riddle sealed the win with consecutive dunks.
“I’m just more comfortable out there knowing what I can do and fitting in with my teammates,” Alston said. “The game has definitely slowed down a lot for me.”
Senior Calvin Robins led the Broncos with 25 points and 10 rebounds.
“I was not going home,” Robins said. “I have to bring it home to Hyde Park. We’ve never won a championship on the varsity level.”
Phillips, which starts just one senior, might be the city’s most promising emerging program. The Wildcats will play in the sophomore title game Saturday.
“In the first half, the jitters and the crowd were a lot,” Phillips coach Paris Martin said. “Everyone settled down and came back to fight in the second half.”
Horton led the Wildcats (18-9) with 19 points, and junior Amari Edwards added 18. Edwards scored 11 in the third quarter to lead the comeback effort.
“The Public League doesn’t have the biggest gyms, the cutest gyms,” Irvin said. “But Phillips came out and played hard. The Public League is tough. A lot of people said CPS basketball was down. But it’s not down.”
Kenwood and No. 2 Curie have been the best teams in the Public League all season, and they will meet in the title game.
The Condors knocked off Simeon 75-51 in the first semifinal Thursday. The Wolverines (14-13) start just one senior, but they hung with Curie for three quarters.
Senior Will Gonzalez led the Condors (26-2) with 17 points, and UIC recruit Carlos Harris added 13 points.
Taevion Collier, Curie’s 6-6 center, had five blocks and made a significant impact as a rim protector.
“I was just more aggressive than usual on defense, and it paid off,” Collier said.
Rashad McKinnie and Lorenzo Shields each scored 15 for Simeon.
“We turned the ball over and missed free throws,” Wolverines coach Tim Flowers said. “But to be honest, the referees have been cheating us all year. The city is mad. They thought Simeon was down. They thought it was going to be over [after Robert Smith retired]. But we are still grinding and worked our way to get back here. Some people didn’t want us to get to [the title game].”
The Condors beat Kenwood 68-49 on Jan. 11. Curie has won two city titles, the last in 2019.
