Straight To The Hoop

A Tuck makes her pick

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:10:06 -0600

Bolingbrook's Taylor Tuck, Morgan Tuck's older sister, made a verbal committment to Illinois Thursday night, according to coach Tony Smith.
The elder Tuck, who is a junior, picked Illinois over Clemson and Princeton.
Tuck was a key contributor in the Raiders' state final win over Young, scoring 10 points and pulling down six rebounds.

Sweet 16 fix

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:13:51 -0600

The Sweet 16 tournament is ongoing. Even though there were 16 games held at Fenwick at the end of January, there have been single tournament games going on sporadically since the big 16-game fest ended.
Marist was one of those teams still playing as of this week. The RedHawks won their final Sweet 16 game Tuesday night, beating Hinsdale Central 58-51. That makes Marist 5-0 in the tournament, along with Marian Catholic.
Marist coach Mary Pat Connolly points out that the RedHawks are on a nine-game winning streak and have gone 16-3 since Dec. 16. They are 23-7 overall.

Taking a big hit

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:16:31 -0600

Bolingbrook coach Tony Smith knows that not having reserve guard Fallon Edwards around for the postseason is going to be a huge loss for the No. 1 Raiders, as they try to defend their Class 4A state championship. Regionals begin next week.
Last week in practice Edwards tore her anterior cruciate ligament. Smith said Edwards will have surgery on the knee next week.
"She's like a starter for us," Smith said. "She was really coming into her own."
Smith said the injury occurred when Edwards went one way on a drill "and her knee went the other."

Clay pours in a bunch in city playoffs

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:33:03 -0600

Minnesota recruit and Von Steuben senior Shonte Clay has led the Panthers into the Public League quarterfinals, after scoring a whopping 49 points Wednesday night in a 103-26 second-round win over Taft.
What made the night even more special was that it was Von Steuben's senior night and Clay's future Minnesota coaches were in attendance.
In Von Steuben's first-round game against Phillips, Clay scored 36.
Von Steuben will play the winner of the Lincoln Park -- North Lawndale game at Attack Athletics Saturday. The first quarterfinal is scheduled for 11 a.m.
Last week Clay and teammates LaTerria Taylor and Alicia Johnson -- both Division I recruits to Northwestern and Northern Illinois, respectively -- were named to the all-city team.

Norris nears milestone, makes a choice

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 22:03:28 -0600

Homewood Flossmoor junior Jailyn Norris committed to Memphis Tuesday night.
Norris picked Memphis over Illinois State and Loyola after giving consideration to Missouri, West Virginia, Southern Illinois and Ball State.
She averages 13.8 ppg with 35 three pointers and is closing in on 1,000 points. At the Hillcrest tournament, Norris scored a career-high 31 points against Sandburg.

What have we learned?

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:14:17 -0600

Now that the McDonald's Girls Prep Classic at Willowbrook is over, it seems like there are a few things that are quite clear in the world of girls basketball.
I think the first thing is we have to take No. 4 Geneva seriously. The Vikings have been criticized (either fairly or unfairly) that their schedule is soft and that they don't really play quality opponents. Before Geneva played Hillcrest last Saturday at Willowbrook they had beaten only one ranked opponent, Oswego, over Thanksgiving. But the Vikings' 66-61 win over then-No. 6 Hillcrest was legit. The Hawks were still on a high after beating previously undefeated Rich Central in their own Christmas tournament. And the loss also snapped Hillcrest's 17-game winning streak, which began Nov. 21 with an 80-27 win over Thornwood. Hillcrest had opened the season with a 68-63 loss to Homewood-Flossmoor.
"They're the real deal," Hillcrest coach John Maniatis told me after the game.
The win not only solidified Geneva's reputation, but it extended its season winning streak to 20 in a row and its regular-season winning streak to 47 games. Not too shabby.
While this was going on, Montini was still stunned about Connecticut-bound senior center Michala Johnson. The 6-3 Johnson, who was averaging 18 points and 11 rebounds a game, injured her right knee Dec. 12 in a 57-23 Suburban Conference Blue win over Guerin. At first, doctors thought it was a meniscus injury, but an MRI revealed that Johnson had indeed torn the anterior cruciate ligament and she will have to have surgery in February. Her season is done. In November 2008, Johnson tore her left ACL two minutes into a game at the Young Thanksgiving tournament.
Montini coach Jason Nichols now had to ready his players for the unenviable task of facing defending state champion Bolingbrook Monday night at Willowbrook. What was to have been probably the best game of the regular season so far -- No. 1. Bolingbrook vs. No. 3 Montini with a matchup of nationally regarded Morgan Tuck of Bolingbrook and Johnson -- was turning into a downer.
That is, until Montini got on a roll and almost upset the Raiders. Montini kept the game close and in the fourth quarter the Broncos took a three-point lead. But after Tuck brought Bolingbrook back to a three-point advantage and Montini's Whitney Adams sank a three-pointer to tie it at 36, Nichols took a timeout with 4:14 to go. He admitted after the game that maybe he shouldn't have taken that timeout, because Montini lost the lead and couldn't come back. Bolingbrook won 51-43.
Nichols was, however, pleased with how the Broncos performed in the face of a big negative-- Johnson's season ending knee injury.
"You know what? We beat that team with Michala Johnson, because they don't rebound like that and we score inside," Nichols said. "We are better than that team at full strength. Period. The end. [Bolingbrook coach Tony Smith] is going to make his remarks that Michala is not as good a player as Morgan Tuck, but we showed we are just as good as that team. And I am proud of my girls. Without [Johnson] those girls busted their butts and took that team down to the wire."

Watch for Harlan

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:03:40 -0600

Coach Andre Lewis is doing a great job at Harlan.
Tuesday, Harlan beat No. 20 Morgan Park 42-41 for the Windy City South section championship and upped its record to 16-4 overall and 7-1 in the section.
Wednesday, Lewis dropped me an e-mail and noted the following:
"We also won our Christmas Tournament (72-61 over Lincoln-Way North) at Oak Lawn, finished third at the Galaxy Thanksgiving Tournament and have been pretty consistent all year. We have won 14 of our last 16 games. We have a potential All-State player in Tikeyiah Johnson 20 points, four rebounds a game; and a solid point guard in Linda Brown (nine points, five assists, four steals per game)."
The Windy City tournament begins Jan. 25 and pairings should be announced this weekend.

Johnson takes another hit

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:01:07 -0600

It's happened again.
Montini senior and Connecticut recruit Michala Johnson, a 6-3 center, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee, coach Jason Nichols announced in a text message Monday morning and will miss the rest of the season. Johnson played in 20 games and averaged 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Johnson hurt the knee last week Tuesday in a conference win over Guerin. Nichols said there is some minor damage to Johnson's meniscus, too.
It is a stroke of sad luck for Johnson, a Sun-Times Player of the Year candidate who tore the ACL in her left knee in November 2008 and missed her entire junior season but for two games.
No. 3 Montini will face No. 1 Bolingbrook Monday night at 6 p.m. at the McDonald's Prep Classic at Willowbrook. It was hyped to be the matchup of the weekend, but now that Johnson is hurt there is a tinge of melancholy surrounding the contest.

Johnson update, etc.

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:33:52 -0600

Montini senior and Connecticut recruit Michala Johnson has an injury to the meniscus in her right knee, Montini coach Jason Nichols said Thursday. Nichols said Johnson went to her doctor Thursday morning, and Johnson's doctor said if the meniscus is strained or sprained Johnson will miss two weeks. If Johnson has to have the knee scoped, she will miss four weeks and should return by the playoffs. But if the meniscus is torn she is out for the season.
Johnson tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee in November 2008 and missed her entire junior season but for two games.
Nichols said Johnson will have an MRI Thursday night.
Johnson injured the right knee Tuesday night in Montini's nonconference win over Guerin.
In other girls basketball news this week:
Marshall coach Dorothy Gaters is hosting her annual MLK Dream Classic at Whitney Young on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The event features several out-of-state girls and boys teams. The theme for this year's event, as in year's past, is health education.
Maine West coach Derril Kipp is four wins away from 700 career victories. The Warriors play Maine East on Friday and Bishop McNamara Monday in the McDonald's Classic.

Finally!

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 21:23:05 -0600

When New Trier's Amy Hart put her hand up to block Fenwick guard Anne Mullen's attempted three-point shot with only three seconds to play in the Dundee-Crown tournament championship game Wednesday night, you had to know this night belonged to the Trevians. So what if Fenwick forward Tricia Liston was out with an illness and had missed the tournament? Sure, the Friars missed Liston's presence and her 20 points per game average, but this Dundee-Crown title game was far from one-sided.
The game was tight the whole way through. Even during a six- to seven-minute stretch in the fourth quarter where New Trier's defense didn't allow a single Fenwick point, New Trier never really had the game in the bag.
Until Hart's block, that is.
"I was kind of in the moment and I'm glad I didn't foul [Mullen]," Hart said.
It was the first Dundee-Crown title for New Trier since 1986 --the first and only time the Trevians won the tournament.
This title came the day after coach Teri Rodgers' birthday and during her 10-year anniversary as New Trier's coach.
"This is a great birthday present for her and we've been in the championship a lot and we're really glad we pulled it through," Hart said.
New Trier has faced Fenwick for the D-C championship four times since 2005. With this title, New Trier ends Fenwick's run of five consecutive titles. Fenwick has won eight D-C championships in 10 years, with two Candace Parker-led Naperville Central teams stopping the Friars in 2002 and 2003. Fenwick coach Dave Power is now 41-3 at Dundee.
"It's nice to finally win here. Our program deserved it. This was a program win. We've competed really hard out here," Rodgers said. "Amy has had such a great tournament defensively, and we've had a different kid step up each time.
"What I thought was so good [Wednesday night] was that we fought. I don't think it was one of the most beautifully played games, but we didn't give up and we kept fighting. We didn't panic. We didn't start forcing things. We did play better defense in the fourth quarter and that turned it around. That's what changed the game for us."

Hillcrest electric

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 20:42:46 -0600

It's always important to win your own tournament, but for Hillcrest winning was more for neighborhood pride than anything else.
In what I thought was one of the more exciting and intense girls basketball games I've been to in a long while, Hillcrest beat Rich Central Tuesday night 66-55 in Country Club Hills in front of a really raucous crowd.
And was it any wonder? They call it the "Civil War" between the two schools because many students from Rich Central and Hillcrest grew up together and went to grade school together in Country Club Hills, and later some going to Hillcrest and others to Rich Central. It made for a more emotional game than most.
Hillcrest hadn't won its tournament since 2000, and during an eight-year stretch Marian Catholic and Marist have dominated the trophy case for Hillcrest titles.
Now it was the Hawks' turn.
"You know, it is definitely a neighborhood rivalry with them and Homewood-Flossmoor [another Hillcrest tournament competitor] and it is up and up battles we've had," Hillcrest coach John Maniatis said. "Coach [Bryan] Craig has turned that program around, and our kids were looking forward to this opportunity from last year when we lost in the championship game [to Marian]. This last year has been a one-year journey for us in terms of time, effort and energy for this quest."
The crowd in the Hillcrest gym was really something else, too. Both sides were so into it that the players and coaches couldn't help but be swept away in it. At one point my ears were ringing, it was so loud in that gym.
"We talked about peaks and valleys and we wanted more peaks than valleys, and we never trailed. We were able to control the tempo and pace and when they went on some runs, our seniors did an outstanding job with their leadership," Maniatis said.

Doing some analysis

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 20:00:07 -0600

Now that the holiday tournaments are over, the dissecting of the talent pool and games can begin in earnest. It's always interesting to see how things shake out after the holidays. Usually, the rankings and opinions of players and teams change after holiday tournament performances, and those opinions may not change until the postseason.
To wit, Montini -- the Broncos played 10 games in 13 days and in that span competed in two holiday tournaments, at Sterling and their own which they won Wednesday night with a 60-45 victory over T.F. North. Montini's tournament proved two things about the Broncos, which coach Jason Nichols pointed out in an e-mail Thursday.
UConn recruit Michala Johnson averaged 18.9 points, 11.7 rebounds and five blocks in two weeks of tournaments.
Notre Dame recruit, junior Whitney Holloway, averaged 12.4 points, 6.3 assists and 3.9 steals.
Nichols also notes that Mallory Sosnovich, Whitney Adams and Alison Seberger all showed that they are some of the best shooters in the area with their performances the past two weeks.
Nichols also noted the following at the end of his e-mail:
"We are looking to  expand our tournament to 16 teams next year and have received a ton of  interest already. Anyone wants in please call. Attendance was great  and we expect this to be the best CHRISTMAS tournament in CHICAGO and  will work hard to makes sure it the version on Proviso West Holiday  tourney on the boys side."
So if you want in, give Nichols a call.

A big roadblock

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:32:59 -0600

At least Fenwick coach Dave Power has a sense of humor.
After learning that star forward Trish Liston -- a Duke recruit who is averaging about 20 points a game and is the Friars' do-everything offensive spark -- has mononucleosis and will miss not only the Dundee-Crown tournament but maybe more games afterwards, he had this to say:
"I'm going to have to go to Borders and buy 'Coaching for Dummies.' "
Liston's father, Brian, said he thought his daughter had a strain of the flu, but doctors confirmed it was mono just 48 hours ago.
This loss will probably make it that much more difficult for the Friars to repeat as Dundee-Crown tournament champions when the tournament kicks off exactly one week from today.

How good is Young without Jenkins?

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:03:21 -0600

Young is really good.
I mean REALLY good, and much better than I thought they'd be with guard Chanise Jenkins out with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
The Dolphins were very impressive Saturday at their own shootout, beating Morgan Park 62-42 and then Detriot King 66-36.
It took them a little while to get started against Morgan Park, but once the Dolphins did they went on a 17-0 run in the second quarter and basically put the game away. You could tell that Young's defense was much better in the second quarter and it remained consistent throughout the rest of the game.
I was really impressed with sophomore Kiana Johnson and freshman Linnae Harper. It was funny, because watching those two I totally forgot that Jenkins wasn't even playing. I didn't remember until assistant coach Hank Hicks mentioned something after the game.
And I think that is a testament to how these kids have picked up the slack so far this season with Jenkins out.

20th anniversary shootout

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:41:49 -0600

It's hard to believe, but the McDonald's Shootout at Willowbrook turns 20 this season. The event, which features games on Jan. 15, 16 and 18, is the largest of its kind in the nation according to shootout director Jim O'Boye.
This week the pairings were released for the three-day event. They are:

Friday, Jan. 15, 2010
Regina Dominican vs. Willowbrook, 5:30 p.m.
Warren vs. TF North, 7
Trinity vs. Lincoln-Way East, 8:30

January 16, 2010 - Saturday
Wheaton North vs. St. Ignatius, 10 a.m.
Prospect vs. Loyola, 11:30
Hillcrest vs. Geneva, 1 p.m.
Oregon-Davis (Hamlet, IN.) vs. Hinckley-Big Rock, 2:30
Morgan Park vs. New Trier, 4
Carmel (IN.) vs. Whitney Young, 5:30
North Central (Indianapolis, IN.) vs. Fenwick, 7

January 18, 2010 - Monday
Kokomo (IN.) vs. Elk Grove, 9 a.m.
Wheeling vs. Carmel (IN.), 10:30
Bogan vs. North Central (Indianapolis, IN.), Noon
Fenwick vs. St. Joseph (St. Louis, MO.), 1:30 p.m.
Bishop McNamara vs. Maine West, 3
Lake Zurich vs. Marist, 4:30
Montini vs. Bolingbrook, 6
Marian Catholic vs. Hinsdale Central, 7:30