Thanksgiving play a peek at season ahead
Uplift’s Jacobs proves he’s a player to watch
We’re just one week into the season, but here are four takeaways from Thanksgiving tournament play:
1. Uplift still will be a Class 2A threat.
There were plenty of people who had ruled out the idea of defending Class 2A champs Uplift being a major player in the conference again this season. Understandable. After all, the Titans lost all five starters from a year ago.
But the player in the program with the most upside last year was just a sophomore — Demarius Jacobs — who blossomed this offseason and flourished in the opening week of the season.
The 6-3 junior guard averaged 23 points a game to lead coach David Taylor’s team to a 5-0 start and a Mundelein Thanksgiving Tournament title. Jacobs, whom the City/Suburban Hoops Report pegged as one of the breakout players this season, was named tournament MVP.
2. Cameron Krutwig of Jacobs demands your attention.
Maybe it will take some time. But eventually Jacobs’ big man Cameron Krutwig is going to be considered among the best high school players in Illinois, regardless of his class, where he plays and at what position.
Yes, Algonquin is a good 45 miles from the city. Yes, the Golden Eagles play in the Fox Valley Conference, which Krutwig is likely to tear apart over the next two seasons. Yes, he’s overlooked on the club circuit scene. But he’s big, skilled and crafty. More importantly, the 6-8 Krutwig is extremely productive, and he ultimately will be coveted by more college programs. Krutwig, who averaged 20.3 points, 15.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.8 blocks in four games this past week, has been underappreciated by far too many.
3. There is another serious player in the ESCC.
Notre Dame and Marian Catholic won’t be alone in battling for the top spot in the East Suburban Catholic Conference. No, not after watching Benet roll through the Loyola/New Trier Thanksgiving Tournament with four wins. The Redwings beat Lake Forest, St. Ignatius and Glenbrook South — all by double digits — and took care of upstart Lincoln Park in the final.
There wasn’t an unranked team in the preseason that opened more eyes than Benet. Coach Gene Heidkamp doesn’t have a star, but he has offensive balance and perimeter shooting to go along with his team’s typical disciplined approach at both ends of the floor.
4. Public League impresses.
Many of the heavy hitters in the city don’t play in a Thanksgiving tournament. While the highly ranked quartet of Simeon, Morgan Park, Curie and Kenwood didn’t, Bogan, Hyde Park and the aforementioned Uplift did — and fared very well.
While neither Rock Island nor West Aurora, two perennial basketball powerhouses, are what those teams have been in recent years, Bogan still can feel awfully good about what it accomplished at the Rock Island Thanksgiving Tournament. The highly regarded Bengals came home with 25-plus point wins over both Rock Island and West Aurora.
Hyde Park enjoyed a four-game sweep at the Rockford Thanksgiving Tournament. The Thunderbirds were fueled by a talented senior — Tajuan Agee — who has been kept under wraps. The 6-7 multifaceted forward averaged 18 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks a game and is one of the best-kept secrets in the city.