This should be an interesting final four. Some notes:
Jaxson Davis plays in Champaign: Sophomore senstional point guard is one of the best players in the nation in his class. The entire state will get to see his talent up close and personal.
Head Coach Lou Adams of Rich Township (Richton Park) looking for his fourth (should be fifth) state title. He won three Class 2A titles (6 state trophies) at Orr Academy (Chicago) on the West Side. Took a team to the final four in 2020 before COVID cancelled everything. He was poised to win his fourth straight title. Now he's looking for one at a sleeping giant that is Rich Township. A lot of talent in that community and a program called the Junior Raptors just started.
Head Coach Gene Heidkamp of Benet Academy (Lisle) is looking for his first state title. Teams have been runners-up three times (2014,2016,2023). Looking to break through with a title.
Evanston Township is in it's third state finals in last secen years. Came in third (2018), second 2019), was in Sectional Final in 2020 and would have been poised to win the title in 2021 before COVID robbed them of the chance.
Lat time two North Suburban teams made it this far was 2008 Evanston Township vs Zion Benton. Zion Benton won on a half court last second bank shot. Zion Benton went on to finsih second in the state to Richards (Oak Lawn).
Game 1:
Evanston Township (30-5) vs Benet Academy (Lisle) (31-5) 6:00 pm Friday:
Evanston beat Benet 59-55 at War On The Shore at Loyola Academy (WIlmette) on February 1st, 2025. Tight game most of it. Senior Theo Rocca had 18 points and Kaidan Chatham had 12 points and 8 rebounds. Truman State commit Blake Fagbemi shot 7 for 18 from the floor and had 18 points and 5 assists in game. Colin Stack had 13 points 8 rebounds and 4 blocks in game. Evanston will have to slow down both those players and can't allow Southern Illinois Carbondale commit Daniel Pauliukonis get hot from three point range. They held him down well the first matchup with 6 points.
Evanston Township starters:
Senior Ian Peters (5'10" point guard)
Senior Kaidan Chatham (6'3" point guard)
Senior Theo Rocca (6'5" wing) (Washington University St Louis commit)
Sophomore Vito Rocca (6'5" forward)
Senior George Richardson (6'7" forward)
Key reserves:
Senior Jayden Rodriguez (6'3" combo guard)
Freshman Ben Ojala (6'1" combo guard)
Junior Timi Ogunsanya (6'2" combo guard)
Benet Acaemy (Lisle) starters:
Senior Blake Fagbemi (6'0" point guard) (Truman State commit)
Junior Jayden Wright (6'0" point guard)
Senior Mac Doyle (5'11" combo guard)
Senior Daniel Pauliukonis (6'9" wing) (Southern Illinois Carbonadale commit)
Junior Colin Stack (7'2"center)
Key reserves:
Junior Ryan Walsh (6'3" shooting guard)
Keys to the game:
Evanston Township :
Goes about 8 deep and key will be not being afraid to attack Stack at the rim, being judicious with their three point shooting, not fall in love with the shot. Peters has to put pressure on Fagbemi or Wright and make it tough on them to get anywhere off the dribble. Play good team defense on the interior and control Fagbemi's drives to the rim. Can't let Pauliukonis get hot and keep him in check like they did the last time they met. Vito Rocca will have to stay out of foul trouble. Chatham will have to control the tempo knowing when to penetrate and when to pass out to shooters. Ojala comes off the bench and lights it up from three.
Benet Academy (Lisle):
Contest three pointers from Evanston specifically Theo Rocca and Ojala coming off the bench. Pauliukonis has to be on his game shooting the three and hitting the glass. Fagbemi has to be effective getting into the lane and finishing at the rim or dropping it off to Stack. Wright will have to hit some threes and get some penetration and drop offs to Stack.
Game 2:
Warren Township (Gurnee) (26-10) vs Rich Township (Richton Park) (25-8) 7:45 pm Friday:
Jaxson Davis of Warren's floor generalship will be seen by the rest of the state. The defense of junior guard's Jayden Williams and Jamson Coulter Jr on Davis will be key. Can Warren and center Zach Ashburn keep Al Brooks jr of Rich Township from going wild on the offensive glass?
Warren Township (Gurnee) starters:
Sophomore Jaxson Davis (6'1" point guard)
Senior Andrew Watson (6'0" combo guard)
Junior Braylon Walker (6'0" combo guard)
Senior Jack Wolf (6'4" combo guard)
Senior Zach Ashburn (6'8" center)
Key reserves:
Senior Javerion Banks (6'2" combo guard)
Senior Owen Squires (6'1" combo guard)
Rich Township (Richton Park) starters:
Junior Jayden Willaims (6'3" combo guard)
Junior Jamson Coulter Jr (6'3"combo guard)
Senior Ikee Brooks (6'0" point guard)
Senior Nyshawn Turner (6'6" forward)
Senior Al Brooks Jr (6'7" forward)
Key reserves:
Senior Kavon Ammons (6'2" combo guard)
Junior Troy Garner (6'4" forward)
Senior Kobe Johnson (6'2" combo guard)
Freshman Jermemiah Weatherford (6'1" combo guard)
Keys to the game:
Warren Township (Gurnee):
Davis will have to control the game like he usually does, pressuring the ball, geting teammates involved , scoring from all three levels. Walker has to stay aggressive offensively looking for his shots .Watson provides good defense. Banks has been coming off the bench since coming off surgery being instant offense. Ashburn will have to be at least even on the glass with Brooks Jr. He's been a doulbe/double machine over the last month of the season. Wolf has to provide defense and shooting from three and in the paint hitting the glass.
Rich Township (Richton Park):
Brooks Jr will have to rule the glass and keep Ashburn off the glass. Williams and Coulter Jr will have to keep attacking offensively and getting in people's shirt defensively. Can't be too aggressive defensivly as they tend to call the game tighter downstate. Turner is a rebounding machine who foes the dirty work. Rich has the deepest bench of the four teams here. Ammons and Johnson are big on both ends off the bench. Weatherford brings good physical defense to the table. Garner is a physical wing who crashes the glass.
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