Holiday tournaments are over , kind of a let down as this is the best time of year for boys high school basketball in Illinois. So many great ones out there, I hit four of them over the holidays. Tough choice for new #1 but comfortable with it.
1) Homewood Flossmoor (13-1) (4A): Won Big Dipper over #5 Thornton Township (Harvey) on Columbia commit senior Gianni Cobb runner with 2.4 seconds left in the lane. Junior Bryce Heard was MVP. Has not lost to an Illinois opponent. Saturday at #3 DePaul College Prep (Chicago) Steve Pappas Shootout.
2) Curie (Chicago) (14-1) (4A): Won Pontiac Holiday Tournament with double overtime win over #7 Benet Academy (Lisle). Illinois Chicago commit senior Carlos Harris III wins AC Williamson Award. Has not lost to an Illinois opponent. Wednesday vs St Francis (Wheaton) at Catholic League vs Public League Shootout at St Rita (Chicago).
3) DePaul College Prep (Chicago) (15-0) (3A): Won Hinsdale Central Holiday tournament. Has won 22 straight dating back to last season. Senior forward Jaylan McElroy won tournament MVP. Thursday at St Francis (Wheaton), Saturday hosts #1 Homewood Flossmoor at Steve Pappas Shootout.
4) Mount Carmel (Chicago) (16-2) (3A): Won third straight title at Pekin Holiday Tournament. Northwestern commit Angelo Ciaravino was tournament MVP. Has not lost to an Illinois opponent. Saturday vs #7 Benet Academy (Lisle) at Steve Pappas Shootout at DePaul College Prep (Chicago).
5) Thornton Township (Harvey) (11-2) (3A): Lost at the buzzer in Big dipper Title game. Illinois commit Morez Johnson Jr made all tournament. Friday vs Richmond Heights (OH) in LaPorte, IN. Saturday at Highland (IL) Shootout vs defending Class 3A Champ Metamora.
6) Warren Township (Gurnee) (15-1) (4A): Won Proviso West Holiday Tournament. Freshman Jaxson Davis became first in his class to win tournament MVP. Senior Alex Daniels made all tournament. Have won 13 straight. Friday at Waukegan, Sunday TBA.
7) Benet Academy (Lisle) (14-1) (4A): Lost Pontiac Title game in double overtime, after winning semifinal earlier in the day in double overtime over #22 Bloom Township (Chicago Heights). Sophomores Gabe Sularski, and Jayden Wright made all tournament. Friday at St Viator (Arlington Heights), Saturday vs #4 Mount Carmel (Chicago) at Steve Pappas Shootout at DePaul College Prep (Chicago).
8) Waubonsie Valley (Aurora) (13-0) (4A): Won Hinkle Holiday Classic at Jacobs (Algonquin). Senior Tre Blissett, juniors Tyreek Coleman, and Moses Wilson made all tournament. Friday hosts #17 Neuqua Valley (Naperville).
9) North (Downers Grove) (12-2) (4A): Lost to Metamora in Jack Tosh Semifinals but won third place game against Palatine. Seniors Princeton commit Jack Stanton and Alex Miller made all tournament. Saturday vs Prospect (Mount Prospect) at Addison Trail.
10) Bolingbrook (12-2) (4A): Lost in overtime to Metamora in Jack Tosh Title game. Senior DJ Strong, junior JT Pettigrew, and freshman Davion Thompson made all tournament. Wednesday hosts Romeoville, Friday at Lockport.
11) Brother Rice (Chicago) (15-2) (3A): Lost twice to finish fourth at Hinsdale Central Holiday Tournament. Seniors Lewis commit Cale Cosme and Zavier Fitch made all tournament. Wednesday at Lane Tech (Chicago) in Catholic League vs Public League Shootout, Saturday at Eisenhower (Blue Island).
12) New Trier (Winnetka) (15-2) (4A): Came in third at Pontiac Holiday Tournament. Broke the tournament record for three pointers made as a team. Senior Carnegie Mellon commit Ian Brown and sophomore Chris Kirkpatrick make all tournament. Friday at #18 Glenbrook North (Northbrook).
13) Kenwood Academy (Chicago) (10-3) (4A): Lost to #6 Warren Township (Gurnee), then beat Guilford (Rockford) in third place game. DePaul commit Chris Riddle, and junior Aleks Alston make all tournament. Saturday at Highland Shootout vs Normal Community.
14) Kankakee (13-1) (3A): Makes a big jump winning it's own tournament in title game win over #25 Lindblom Math and Science Academy (Chicago). Senior Larenz Walters was tournament MVP. Sophomore Lincoln Williams makes all tournament. Saturday vs Latin (Chicago) at Hyde Park Academy (Chicago).
15) Romeoville (13-2) (4A): Came in third place at State Farm Holiday Classic. Junior EJ Mosely Jr made all tournament. Wednesday at #10 Bolingbrook, Friday hosts Aurora (West), Sunday vs #2 Curie (Chicago) at TBA.
16) York (Elmhurst) (12-3) (4A): New to the poll. Senior Penn commit AJ Levine makes all tournament at Jack Tosh Holiday Classic at York (Elmhurst). Friday hosts Glenbard West (Glen Ellyn).
17) Neuqua Valley (Naperville) (12-3) (4A): New to the poll. Won Wheeling Hardwood Classic in overtime over #18 Glenbrook North (Northbrook). Senior Luke Kincade won tournament MVP. Friday visits #8 Waubonsie Valley (Aurora).
18) Glenbrook North (Northbrook) (14-2) (4A): Lost in title game of Wheeling Hardwood Classic for second year in a row. Seniors Josh Fridman, Sam Lappin, and Owen Giannoulias make all tournament. Friday hosts #12 New Trier (Winnetka), Saturday vs Loyola Academy (Wilmette) at Steve Pappas Shootout at DePaul College Prep (Chicago).
19) Lincoln Park (Chicago) (12-4) (4A): Lost to #6 Warren Township (Gurnee) in title game at Proviso West Holiday Tournament. Juniors Keshawn Barfield and Chayse Turner made all tournament. Friday vs #21 Riverside Brookfield at Hyde Park Academy (Chicago).
20) Whitney Young (Chicago) (9-6) (4A): Lost to Guilford (Rockford) at Proviso West Holiday Tournament then beat St John (Toldeo,OH) in consolation bracket. Wednesday at Chaminade (St Louis, MO), Saturday vs Vianney (MO) at Highland (IL) Shootout.
21) Riverside Brookfield (13-2) (4A): Lost to Palatine at Jack Tosh Holiday Classic then recovered to beat Lyons (LaGrange) and Conant (Hoffman Estates). Friday vs #19 Lincoln Park (Chicago), Saturday hosts Nazareth Academy (LaGrange Park)
22) Bloom Township (Chicago Heights) (8-5) (4A): Lost Pontiac Holiday Tournament semifinals in double overtime to #7 Benet Academy (Lisle), and then in the third place game to #12 New Trier (Winnetka). Idle this week.
23) Marist (Chicago) (13-3) (4A): Lost to Centralia in title game of Centralia Holiday Tournament. Senior Darshan Thomas made all tournament. Friday hosts Carmel Catholic (Mundelein), Saturday hosts St Rita (Chicago).
24) Glenbrook South (Glenview) (13-3) (4A): Finished fifth at Jack Tosh Holiday Classic at York (Elmhurst). Senior Winona State commit Nick Taylor made all tournament. Friday at Evanston Township, Saturday vs DeKalb at Steve Pappas Shootout at DePaul College Prep (Chicago).
25) Lindblom Math And Science Academy (11-5) (3A): Lost to host Kankakee in Kankakee Holiday Classic Title game. Seniors Cleveland State commit Je'Shawn Stevenson Jr, and Quentin McCoy made all tournament. Saturday vs Nicolet (WI) at Hyde Park Academy (Chicago).
Semaje Howard made the Proviso West All Tournament Team along with Chayse Turner, not Keyshawn Barfield