I doubt anyone in the state thinks as highly of Bloom as I do. I love watching Larry Dumas play, he reminds me of some of the tough Joliet players I grew up watching, guys like Richard Terry and Joel House.

Jamal Daniel, Bloom's junior point guard, is a real sleeper. H-F's Kevin Dillard was the only young player in the south suburbs who played better last season. It'll be interesting to see just how much Daniel has improved over the summer.

Leo is loaded with size and talent. They never really put it together last season. Tonight will be a real chance for them to prove they will be a force this season.

Last night turned into "Upset Tuesday." I wasn't real surprised by Conant beating Thornton. The Cougars are well coached and have a lot of skiled, experienced players. This isn't the same Thornton team that's been around the past few years — Joevan Catron will be missed more than any other graduated senior in the state.

St. Rita over Hales was a shocker. Last season, I was very impressed with Hales sophomore team. I didn't think they'd struggle much when promoted to varsity. Kudos to Rob Sarmiento, the new St. Rita coach. He got himself on the map pretty quickly.