Pontiac Holiday Tournament preview!!!!

Oldest holiday tournament in the United States. 94th edition. It's smack dab in Central Illinois. Great tradition and atmoshphere. DePaul College Prep (Chicago) won last year in their first appearence. Benet Academy (Lisle) has finished second for three consecutive years. Can they break through this year? Homewood Flossmoor is in it for the first time replacing long time participant Simeon Career Academy (Chicago). Deepest tournament in the state. Here we go:

FAVORITE: DePaul College Prep (Chicago): #1 team in Chicago Area. Three time defending state champs are in Class 4A this year. This is a good test for them trying to defend their tournament title. Experience with Seniors Toledo commit big man Rashuan Porter, and guards Brown commit Rykan Woo, and Michigan Tech commit AJ Chambers. Senior Zion Lee and junior Gus Johnson give them size they havven't had previously. Watch for sophomore guard Blake Choice.

SECOND FAVORITE: Curie (Chicago): #2 team in Chicago Area. Experienced team. Gritty, grimy, will get down and defend you hard. Lots of two end talents. No Division one prospects on the team, but they play well in Coach Mike Oliver's system. Best players are seniors Justin Oliver, Kendall Holliday, and Michael Oliver Jr. Senior guard Saquan Cummings is very underrated. Plays 10 players most of the time running them in an out. Wears you down with their intensity. Have outside shooters, attackers to the rim, and crashes the glass.

DARK HORSE: Benet Academy (Lisle): #8 team in Chicago Area. Would not be a darkhorse in most holiday tournaments. Defending Class 4A State Champ will try to FINALLY win a Pontiac title after finishing second the last three years. Good size with 7 foot senior North Dakota State commit Colin Stack. Pair him with junior Edvardas Stasys and you have an intimidating pair in the paint. Senior Eastern Illinois commit Jayden Wright runs the show. More distributor so far this season but can hit threes from the parking lot. Just won the Hinkle Holiday Classic at Jacobs (Algonquin) in dominating fashion.

SECOND DARK HORSE: Homewood Flossmoor: #6 team in Chicago Area making their debut in the event. Young team but have had some impressive wins in the early season. Undefeated with new coach Brandin Brown. Top players are senior Marvin Douglas, and sophomore Darrius Hawkins Jr who's had some big scoring games so far. Junior Danny Ruffin is a scapy player who plays bigger than his size. Sophomore John Brown IV is a tall lanky wing who can fill it up from the perimeter. Junior Jeffrey Cade is an explosive athletic King of Bounce who does a little bit of everything.

OTHER TOP PLAYERS:

George Gray, Oak Park River Forest (junior)

Cameron Woods, Oak Park River Forest

Amir Shannon, West (Joliet)

Cooper Mellican, North (St Charles)

Jake Love, North (St Charles)

Chris Kirkpatrick, New Trier (Winnetka) (Princeton commit)

Danny Houlihan, New Trier (Winnetka) (High Point commit)

Travis Brown Jr, West Aurora (junior)

Jordan Weeks, West Aurora (junior)

Cameron Dunson-Riggs, Bloomington (junior)

Dallas Marshall Jr, Bloomington (freshman)

Carson Miller, North (Plainfield) (junior)

Josh Humbles, Manual (Peoria)

Keiwon Gulley, Bloom Township (Chicago Heights) (freshman)

Kaden McClellan, Bloom Township (Chicago Heights) (freshman)

Nedas Venckus, Lockport Township (junior)

Nojus Venckus, Lockport Township (junior)

Amir Beasley, Danville (sophomore)

Liam Reilly, Pontiac

Cayden Masching, Pontiac