New Trier has pieces in place
Despite loss to Simeon, Trevians primed for run behind Munro, Fiegen
No. 1
New Trier lost to eventual Pontiac Holiday Tournament champ Simeon in overtime in a semifinal thriller. But the Trevians can play with and beat anyone in the state.
If you watched New Trier at the end of last season and this past summer, it shouldn’t come as a surprise.
When New Trier lost to conference foe Glenbrook South by 20 points in December, it played without its head coach and point guard. Coach Scott Fricke missed the entire week of practice with an illness leading up to the game against GBS, which split the season series with New Trier last year.
Senior big man Jackson Munro and junior shooter Jake Fiegen are the Trevians’ big names, but point guard Peter Kanellos showed in the loss to Simeon how vitally important he is to the team.
New Trier has experience, depth, size and shooting. Munro, a Dartmouth recruit, and Fiegen can be difference-makers — the 6-8 Munro as an inside presence, and Fiegen as a sniper from the perimeter.
No. 2
When the season began, there were some obvious stars to spotlight as player of the year candidates.
Glenbard West’s Braden Huff, Yorkville Christian’s Jaden Schutt, Thornton’s Ty Rodgers and Young’s AJ Casey topped the list.
But Glenbrook South’s Nick Martinelli shouldn’t be forgotten in the POY race. He might not be flashy or have the high-major recruiting recognition, but that doesn’t matter in this race.
The highly productive Martinelli has helped lead his team to a 13-1 record, with the lone loss coming against No. 1 Glenbard West.
In addition to playing for a team ranked No. 4, the Elon recruit continues to put up significant numbers while playing very few fourth-quarter minutes because of blowout victories.
The 6-6 Martinelli is averaging 23.2 points per game while shooting a remarkable 67% from the field. He also is averaging seven rebounds and three assists a game.
Glenbrook South is destined for a long March run with a big platform in the second half of the season to showcase Martinell’s POY candidacy. The Titans will face ranked teams in Simeon, Evanston, Rolling Meadows and New Trier in the next two months.
No. 3
Chicago-area high school basketball fans commonly ask this question: Which team outside the area is the best?
Normal (14-1) might be the answer after winning the State Farm Classic last week. The Ironmen pounded North Lawndale by 20, handed Wheaton South its first loss and beat talented East St. Louis for the second time this season.
With the jolt of confidence provided by its holiday tournament success, along with the presence of all-state-caliber senior Zach Cleveland, the Ironmen look like they could be headed for a special run.
Normal has a three-year point guard in senior Trey Redd and additional size in 6-6 senior Famious French and 6-8 Jaheem Webber, one of the top prospects in the state in the sophomore class.
Coach Dave Witzig has guided two teams to the state finals in the last decade, finishing fourth in 2011 and second in 2015. This could be Witzig’s third Normal team to be playing for a trophy in March.