Ratings bonanza in city’s Final 4
Public semifinals have matchups state tourney won’t
A serious case can be made that Wednesday’s Public League semifinals will feature the four best teams in the state. With the Illinois High School Association’s four-class tournament format, it will be the only place those teams will compete against each other.
Top-ranked Simeon, No. 2 Morgan Park, No. 3 Orr and No. 4 Young won quarterfinal games Sunday at Chicago State. Simeon and Young will play in the Class 4A state playoffs. Morgan Park and Orr are in Class 3A.
“We probably have the four best teams here,” Simeon coach Robert Smith said after the Wolverines (22-2) knocked off Red-South rival Bogan 59-49. “It’s probably the best city tournament since we played against [Marshall star] Patrick Beverley and [Crane star] Sherron Collins.”
Simeon senior Kendall Pollard, a strong and fast 6-7 forward, dominated Bogan’s best player, 5-10 sophomore Luwane Pipkins, who scored 14 points but hit just 2 of 16 shots.
“He’s our best defensive player,” Smith said. “We just wanted to take [Pipkins] out of the game. That’s our motto: Make other guys beat you.”
Pollard also was the Wolverines’ leading scorer with 14. Jabari Parker scored 13 and grabbed 14 rebounds. Russell Woods had a double-double with 11 and 10, and Kendrick Nunn added 12 points.
Senior Juwan Henry led Bogan (16-7) with 15 points.
Simeon has beaten Morgan Park and Young this year. The Wolverines will face Morgan Park in the semifinals, with a possible rematch against Young in the championship game Friday. In other quarterfinals:
Orr (23-2), a team Simeon has not played, stands in the way of that rematch. The Spartans’ roster is loaded with Division I talent. Tyquone Greer, Marlon Jones and Louis Adams have college coaches trailing them all over the Midwest.
They all chipped in Sunday in a 49-42 victory against Farragut (11-9). Sire Carroll, a 6-7 junior, led the Admirals with nine points and seven rebounds.
Billy Garrett Jr. scored 15 and Kyle Davis 14 to help Morgan Park (25-2) to a 60-58 victory over No. 11 Curie (17-7).
Paul White (21 points), Miles Reynolds (16) and Jahlil Okafor (15) powered Young (21-3) to a 72-41 victory against Foreman (15-5).