CITY/SUBURBAN HOOPS REPORT
NO. 1
In case you weren’t paying attention during the weekend, Jalen Brunson made a major statement.
The Stevenson guard might not be the No. 1 junior prospect in Illinois — at least according to the national experts — but his 56-point outburst Friday against Lake Forest, followed by a game-controlling 20-point performance Saturday against Simeon spoke louder than individual rankings.
Brunson is a poised 6-2 point guard with strength and savvy to go with his shooting and scoring ability (1,662 career points). But the attribute some overlook is the one all special players have: He’s a flat-out winner.
Players sometimes can be overlooked when mastering subtleties and doing anything necessary to win are their focus. In the last 15 months, Brunson has won 54 games at Stevenson, including back-to-back North Suburban Conference championships and a state runnerup finish as a sophomore. And there’s a very real opportunity for another eight victories and a state title in March.
NO. 2
Forgive Larkin coach Deryn Carter if he felt a little more at ease last week — at least for a few days.
Carter’s 23-victory team already has clinched the Upstate Eight River title, giv- ing the Royals back-to-back outright conference crowns. Larkin was awarded the No. 1 seed in its regional, is fresh off a victory against state-ranked North Chicago and is putting in quality work in practice during a rare 12 days between games.
But what Carter should feel a little more comfortable about is his talented, seasoned and interchangeable backcourt. The show belongs to the senior duo of Kendale McCullum and Derrick Streety, both of whom are three-year varsity performers who have been solid all season. They have great chemistry and put pressure on opponents at both ends of the floor.
‘‘There are a lot of good backcourts out there, but these guys do it at both ends,’’ Carter said of McCullum and Streety, who combine to average more than 25 points. ‘‘It starts with their defense, but we’ve seen just how well they play together and off of one another. They are interchangeable and unselfish.’’
NO. 3
The IHSA released the Class 3A and Class 4A sectional seeds and state-tournament brackets last week. Here is a sneak peek at the brackets if the seeds and state rankings hold up in regional, sectional and supersectional play:
Class 4A state semifinals: Curie vs. Stevenson and Marian Catholic vs. Benet.
Class 3A state semifinals: Bartonville Limestone vs. Springfield Lanphier and Bogan vs. Orr.