By Joe Henricksen

The calendar on Sunday may say Dec. 2, but the Whitney Young-Hales Franciscan showdown at 6:30 p.m. at

Chicago State University is still big--very big. The City/Suburban Hoops Report preseason No. 1 and No. 2 teams in

the state will not meet at any other time this season, thanks to the new four-class system. So you better believe

Hales heads into this one with something to prove.

The only negative of this marquee matchup, which could potentially feature as many as 13 or 14 Division I players

in uniform between the two teams, is that it is being played so early. A circle-the-calendar matchup like this

deserves more buildup, more hype. That's difficult to do the first weekend in December, especially when it's

Whitney Young's first game of the season. Nonetheless, this is a must-see game with plenty on the line.

Plenty on the line? This early in the season? You bet!

As previously mentioned, this is the stage Hales Franciscan has been waiting for since last year's disappointing

and inconsistent season. There remain doubters out there as to whether Hales can indeed put it all together. This is

a chance for Gary London's team to prove it can play with--and hopefully beat--any team in Illinois regardless of

class. Hales will be a prohibitive favorite in Class 2A when March finally does roll around. But if Hales, led by the

Oregon-bound duo of shooting guard Matt Humphrey and big man Josh Crittle, wants to be considered the state's

best team when all is said and done, they must make the most of opportunities like this.

The Hoops Report put Hales at No. 2 in the preseason with the thought that talented transfer Jordan Walker, a 6-6

versatile and athletic junior, would be eligible. The IHSA had not cleared him as of last week. Hales, which lost

to Virginia power Birmingham Benedictine last weekend without Walker, will give teams an entirely different look

with Walker playing. The key, however, will be junior point guard D.J. Cooper. Whitney Young will come at Hales in

waves, with Cooper largely responsible for handling that pressure. Cooper is a talented prospect who has grown

up quickly after playing last year as a sophomore.

Still, Whitney Young is No. 1 for a reason. They, too, have plenty to prove as they hope to duplicate the 1998

Whitney Young team that stayed on top of the polls from wire to wire. Now it's a matter of Whitney Young not

trying to show or prove too much in 32 minutes of basketball Sunday night. That can be tricky when playing your

first game of the year in a big-time atmosphere and against a talented team that has some games already under its

belt. It will be interesting to see how coach Tyrone Slaughter utilizes the abundance of perimeter talent and how the

minutes are used between seniors A.J. Rompza and Bryan Hall, junior stars Marcus Jordan and Chris Colvin,

sophomore sensation Anthony Johnson and classmate Ahmad Starks.

Yes, it's probably too early for a "Game of the Year," but it's a fun matchup to enjoy and a special treat this early in

the season.

To subscribe to the City/Suburban Hoops Report, now in its 13th year of publication, call (630)-408-6709 or e-mail hoopsreport@yahoo.com

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By Joe Henricksen

Make no mistake about it, the City/Suburban Hoops Report has been a four-class basher since the mere thought of

expanding classes became a topic several years ago. Time passes and the distaste for four classes just continues

to grow. Breaking down the sectional assignments the IHSA recently released just adds fuel to the fire. Here

are some quick observations with more to follow in the future.

For starters, the premier sectional in the state--the Proviso East Sectional in Class 4A--makes little sense. In that

sectional you have powers from the city's north side in Lincoln Park and Foreman, powers from the

city's west side in Whitney Young and Farragut, powers from the city's south side in Mt. Carmel and DeLaSalle, and

powers from the near west suburbs in Proviso East, Oak Park and Fenwick. This sectional features three different

geographical areas (north, south and west side of the city)--and four if you count the near west suburbs. To make

matters worse the sectional is absolutely loaded with depth. There is no question it will be more difficult to win a

regional in this sectional complex this season with the four-class system than it was to win any regional in the two-

class system. And this makes sense?

Ridiculous.

If one didn't know better, you would get the feeling the IHSA was making sure schools with potential poor

Elite Eight attendance figures in Peoria would eliminate one another so that just one representative from that group

would make it. Word is quickly circulating within this sectional that there are several school officials that will be

outlining their concerns to the IHSA regarding the geographical assignments of this sectional.

In other absurd four-class news.... The majority of sectional sites have 21 or so teams assigned to a particular

sectional, with specific regional assignments to be determined and seeded at a later time. Meanwhile, there are

other sectionals that already have pre-determined teams assigned to four-team regionals, due mostly to travel

factors. Where is the equality and fairness in that? Those are completely different state tournament rules for

different teams in the same class.

A coach joked that they could have a video library on potential regional opponents knowing what the three regional

teams are as early as November. As an example, Minooka, Ottawa, Bradley-Bourbonnais and Normal have been

assigned to a four-team regional. Those four teams can scout one another for the next four months. For argument's

sake, lets say all four teams are sitting there in March with 10 or fewer wins. Meanwhile, Whitney Young could

play Farragut for a regional title.

And travel? The East Aurora Sectional winner, featuring schools in the far west suburbs, will have to play its

supersectional game at Chicago State University on the far south side of Chicago. That's a real nice drive for

Batavia fans in March. And how would you like to be O'Fallon? They will travel to East Moline United for their

sectional games, a nice 250-mile drive. Also in this across-the-state sectional is Pekin from central Illinois, a host of

schools from southern Illinois and schools from the Quad Cities.

Class 3A is a joke. There are a total of three teams in the Hoops Report preseason Top 25 that are in Class 3A.

Three! The Freeport Sectional and the Antioch Sectional are the two worst big school sectionals in state history.

Simeon's eyes must have popped out when looking at its sectional assignment. The two-time defending champs

must get by Englewood and .... well, just Englewood, really, to win its sectional. Simeon's second team may be one

of the state's top five teams in Class 3A.

In the end, it all goes back to the notion of why try to fix something that wasn't broken? Prep basketball in Illinois

was extremely healthy and popular. Now it's a mess with more concerns and questions to be answered than ever

before.

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By Joe Henricksen

With the first issue of the City/Suburban Hoops Report now in the mail and heading out to subscribers around the

state, it's finally time to take a look at the preseason Top 25. The Hoops Report publication has a preseason Top 50

in its issue but we'll keep it to the Top 25 in this blog entry.

A few personal thoughts on the Top 25....

I didn't anticipate ranking Hales Franciscan as high as I did, especially after watching such an up-and-down season

a year ago. But it's simply hard to ignore a team with this much talent. And this year comes experience, which

could be blamed for an awful lot last year. I think point guard D.J. Cooper is the key. But you have Division I recruits

in Matt Humphrey and big Josh Crittle, along with Cooper and transfer Jordan Walker.... This is the first time in years

the Hoops Report top five in the Chicago area features teams all within the city limits of Chicago. In the past there

has always been a suburban power among the top five, whether it be West Aurora, Glenbrook North, Proviso East

or one of the perennial powers from the south suburbs.... It's hard to ignore the potential matchups between

preseason top 25 teams as far as the importance those games could play in the regular season. The New Trier-

Evanston battle, which is already one of the best rivalries in the state, should be fun to watch in the Central

Suburban South as both are among the top 10. You have top 20 teams DeLaSalle and Mt. Carmel in the Catholic

League South and top five teams Marshall and Farragut in the Public League's Red-West.

Let the debate begin.

1. Whitney Young
2. Hales Franciscan
3. Simeon
4. Marshall
5. Farragut
6. Homewood-Flossmoor
7. New Trier
8. Oak Park
9. Evanston
10. Batavia
11. Bloom
12. Mt. Carmel
13. DeLaSalle
14. Zion-Benton
15. Richards
16. Curie
17. Wheaton North
18. St. Joseph
19. Lincoln Park
20. Von Steuben
21. Jacobs
22. Fenwick
23. Neuqua Valley
24. North Lawndale
25. Waukegan

To subscribe the City/Suburban Hoops Report, now in its 13th year of publication, call (630)-408-6709 or e-mail at hoopsreport@yahoo.com

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By Joe Henricksen

Although nearly every top prospect in the state of Illinois has already committed, the formality of the official signing

day is quickly approaching. The Hoops Report takes a look at what schools made out the best in terms of securing

recruits from Illinois. This isn't simply looking at the best players, but the impact they might have and other factors

and reasons as well.

Here are the best college signings from Illinois -- and the reasons why.

1. Mike Dunigan, Farragut (Oregon)
Big men are at such a premium and Dunigan has the body and potential to be a monster at the next level. Talented

big men are just so hard to find. And for Oregon to be able to come into Chicago and nab one of the top big men in

the country says a lot.

2. Keyon Smith, Simeon (Illinois State)
No, Smith is not among the top 10 players in the latest Hoops Report player rankings for the Class of 2008. Who

cares? The Hoops Report absolutely loves this point guard because he can do so many different things. He's far

from a one-dimensional lead guard as he is a terrific shooter and can defend and get after it fullcourt. When all is

said and done, the Hoops Report believes Smith will be an All-Missouri Valley Conference player down the road for

coach Tim Jankovich.

3. Iman Shumpert, Oak Park (Georgia Tech)
The No. 1 prospect in the state in the most recent Hoops Report player rankings. Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt

comes into Illinois, holds off North Carolina and Marquette, and walks away with the top senior in Illinois. Very

impressive.

4. John Shurna, Glenbard West and Nick Fruendt, Batavia (Northwestern)
This is more for perception as coach Bill Carmody nabs two high-profile, in-state players. Will these two lead

Northwestern to a Big Ten title? No, but they will help bring respectability and notoriety for a program that needs

both. This was a big catch for Carmody, especially coming off last year's class that included Lincoln Park's Juice

Thompson and Glenbard East's Mike Capocci. These might not be players that the top half of the Big Ten would

take, but it's still a step in the right direction for a program like Northwestern.

5. Jeremy Robinson, Decatur Eisenhower (Illinois State)
For starters, it's just difficult to find a 6-8 athletic big man that is pretty skilled and hope he lands at a mid-major. But

that's what Illinois State gets with Robinson, who did suffer a knee injury that probably kept his stock a little lower

than it should have been. Nevertheless, combine Keyon Smith with Robinson and coach Tim Jankovich hit a mini-

jackpot in his first year on the recruiting trail as head coach of the Redbirds.

The City/Suburban Hoops Report is now in its 13th year of publication, with the first issue due out this week. To subscribe call (630)-408-6709 or e-mail the Hoops Report at hoopsreport@yahoo.com

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By Joe Henricksen

Add another young, talented prospect to the Curie program. Dennis Hodges, who entered high school last year as

one of the more highly-regarded freshmen in the state when he began his career at Crane, has made another

move. After transferring from Crane to Hales Franciscan last winter, Hodges is now enrolled at Curie as of

Thursday, Nov. 8. The paperwork will be submitted to gain eligibility and, worse case scenario, would probably

have Hodges set to go in January -- if not sooner.

Hodges' starpower has fallen considerably since last year, mostly due to having not played at Crane or Hales while

he was a part of their respective programs. In what is considered a loaded Class of 2010, Hodges still ranks

among the top 20 or 25 players in the class. And the move to Curie, to play under coach Mike Oliver, might turn out

to be the perfect fit for him after being lost in the shuffle at both Crane and Hales for different reasons.

At Curie, Hodges will simply fill a role for the time being. But make no mistake, Curie has plans for Hodges making an

impact. The situation is perfect for a kid who had such high expectations placed on him at such a young age. He is

just one of several talented young players in the program, which includes freshman sensation Wayne Blackshear

and talented classmate Greg Travis. Oliver is also very high on what is a somewhat under-the-radar sophomore

group, headed by 6-4 Jeremy Price and 6-5 Damion Enochs. Hodges will have the opportunity to blend in with this

young group over the next three years, free of pressure. Throw in the fact Curie already has senior standout

Donovan Foster (Detroit commitment) and Hodges will have the chance to simply run the floor, use his body and

athleticism and be a factor in a freelance sort of way.

The star is shining bright on this southwest side school. With Oliver in place there is a certain continuity within the

program, a program that is brimming with talent and set to transform into a power. After averaging nearly 23 wins a

season -- and winning no less than 21 games -- over the past five years, Curie has been a consistent success.

There has been some solid showings in the city playoffs and a regional title in 2006. But now the pieces are in

place to go from a postseason afterthought to sustaining a top-tier program.

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By Joe Henricksen

With the start of high school basketball practices officially starting around the state Monday, there are several

teams that will be ranked among the top 25 in the City/Suburban Hoops Report preseason rankings that are directly

affected by football. There is no team that will be more shorthanded at the start of practice than Homewood-

Flossmoor.

The Vikings, led by point guard Kevin Dillard, figure to be one of the top teams in the south suburbs and the state

this winter. But coach James McLaughlin will have a near-empty gym on Monday. H-F's football team advanced to

the state quarterfinals with a win Friday night over Andrew. While Dillard will be at practice, three other returning

starters -- Supo Sanni, Russell Ellington and Mike Buchanan -- are all still playing football. Dorian Reese and

Dominique Harvey, two other expected contributors, are also on the football team. The most McLaughlin can hope

for is for his players to stay healthy.

Last season H-F started very slowly with several players suffering nagging injuries and slow to get their basketball

legs back. The Vikings started the season 4-6 but found its groove and had a solid second half of the season. You

better believe it's going to take some time for H-F to get back in sync. The Vikings always play one of the tougher

schedules, including a trip to the Proviso West Holiday Tournament in late December.

Coach Mike Flaherty's Mt. Carmel Caravan return virtually everyone from last year's team and is expected to

challenge in the Catholic League South. But when you coach at Mt. Carmel you can expect to be missing players

when practices begin in November due to the football team's advancement in the state playoffs. Steve Filer, a Notre

Dame recruit in football, is a leader, enforcer, rebounder, defender and key component for the Caravan on the

hardwood. It could be late November before Filer is even on the floor for Flaherty.

Richards, fresh off terrific back-to-back seasons, is yet another top basketball team that will be heavily impacted by

the success of the football team. A pair of starters, Tommie Thomas and 6-7 Shaun Pratl, are still playing football

and will likely be out for a few weeks as Richards' football team is the No. 1 seed and expected to advance deep

into the playoffs. DeLaSalle is poised for a breakout year but may also have a slow start as it awaits the return of

football and basketball standout Elliott Brown. The Meteors advanced to the state quarterfinals as well, which

means basketball coach Tom White will be without Brown for at least the opening week of practice.

Neuqua Valley, a favorite in the Upstate Eight Conference this winter, may have been brought back to the rest

of the pack due to injuries. Several players have suffered injuries from football, including versatile T.J. Jordan and

guard Anton Wilkins, two of Neuqua's top players. Jordan's prognosis for the year is still up in the air after he

played much of the football season with torn cartilage in his knee. In a non-football injury, yet still a very costly one,

promising sophomore Dwayne Evans is rehabbing from an ACL injury he suffered two weeks ago. Evans, one of

the top 20 sophomores in the most recent Hoops Report Class of 2010 rankings, is trying to avoid surgery through

rehab. Even coach Todd Sutton's son, junior guard Drew Sutton, has been hit by the injury bug. He has a sprained

ligament in his foot and is out 2-8 weeks.

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