Young-Glenbard W. tops shootout
A sense of normalcy is expected to return to high school basketball this winter, and with that is the return of high-profile events, including the annual When Sides Collide Shootout.
The event, presented each year by the City/Suburban Hoops Report, moves to Benet on Jan. 22. Once again, it features a loaded field with many of the top teams and players in the state, including the top three seniors in the state.
The headliner is Young vs. Glenbard West. Both programs will be vying for the preseason No. 1 ranking. They boast several Division I players, including a pair of high-major talents and two of the top players in the state in Glenbard West’s 6-10 Braden Huff and Young’s 6-8 AJ Casey.
Perennial power Simeon will face Glenbrook South, a team that returns seniors Nick Martinelli (Elon commit) and Cooper Noard (Army) and has gone 69-16 over the last three years.
Upstart New Trier, with emerging big man Jackson Munro and a ton of returning talent, will face Yorkville Christian and Jaden Schutt. Yorkville Christian is arguably the best team in Class 1A, and Schutt is among the top 100 players in the country.
St. Ignatius, which is expected to have a high ranking when the season begins, will face Benet.
Ben VanderWal picks Furman
Just over two months ago, Timothy Christian 6-6 senior Ben VanderWal didn’t have a single Division I offer.
“I was definitely frustrated,” said VanderWal, who averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds as a junior. “Every kid wants their offers and believes with all the work they put in that they deserve them. I just believed that I would keep working my butt off until it happened.”
He parlayed a strong weekend with Timothy Christian during a live period in late June, along with some stellar play with his Breakaway club team in July, into a bevy of offers. By the end of July, he had 15 Division I offers.
After each phone call he had with Furman coach Bob Richey and his staff, VanderWal said “his mind would be rolling about Furman.” They established a connection, and it was cemented on VanderWal’s official visit Sunday, when he gave Furman an oral commitment.
“That family feel,” VanderWal said of the difference he felt with Furman. “The whole program felt like one big family. And that feel extended to everyone — from the players to the coaches to the support staff, strength and conditioning people. There was this great connection between everyone in the program.”
Team Rose Classic matchups
The Team Rose Classic has become the best two-day high school basketball event in the area over the last decade. The matchups this season carry on the tradition. Curie coach Mike Oliver assembled a schedule with a mix of city, suburban and private schools to face off at Mount Carmel.
The event is one of the few high school basketball events that still attracts a large number of college coaches. It’s loaded with college prospects and top-ranked teams. There are six games scheduled for each day.
Saturday: Riverside-Brookfield vs. Romeoville, Westinghouse vs. Oak Forest, Lincoln-Way East vs. North Lawndale, Evanston vs. Bloom, Hyde Park vs. Yorkville Christian and Glenbard West vs. Hillcrest.
Sunday: Mount Carmel vs. Lane, Leo vs. Tinley Park, De La Salle vs. Farragut, Orr vs. Joliet West, Brother Rice vs. Curie and Notre Dame vs. Clark.