Deerfield back to being a contender
Here is this week’s threepointer:
No. 1
Deerfield’s best days in basketball were fueled by high- level superstars.
In the mid- 1990s, Ryan Hogan — who went on to play at Kentucky and Iowa — was one of the highestscoring players in the state. He led the Warriors to a school- record 28 victories in 1996 and back- to- back sectional championships under coach Steve Pappas.
Duje Dukan, a versatile 6- 8 forward who played at Wisconsin, was an all- stater in 2009- 10 and led Deerfield to a 23- 3 record and a regional championship.
This season, the Warriors are flourishing without the services of a high- major player or even a Division I recruit. Coach Dan McKendrick’s team is 23- 3 and has locked up the Central Suburban League North. Even with four new starters joining returning point guard Jordan Baum, Deerfield is on track to be a top- four sectional seed.
Seniors Jordan Sherman and Jeremy Sernick might be undersized, but they’re versatile for their positions and productive. Junior Ben Bizar has been a defensive stalwart, and sophomore Alex Casieri has stepped up as a serious threat from outside.
But it’s Baum who is steering the Warriors. Baum, who will play at the University of Chicago, is making everyone around him better while leading the team in scoring.
‘‘ He’s such a good passer and createswide-open looks,’’ McKendrick said. ‘‘ He gives everyone confidence.’’
Thanks to encouragement from McKendrick, Baum has been more assertive offensively this season.
‘‘ We told him there are times he needs to take the ball and go make a play,’’ McKendrick said.
No. 2
Simeon’s Zach Norvell has been a somewhat forgotten senior.
It seems odd that Norvell, who leads the Wolverines in scoring, is headed to Gonzaga and is among the top five prospects in the senior class, could be overlooked.
That’s what has happened, though, as a result of endless talk about Morgan Park’s Charlie Moore as the front- runner for player of the year, St. Joseph’s Nick Rakocevic as the best uncommitted prospect in the Class of 2016 and breakout seniors Mike Smith of Fenwick and Justin Pierce of GlenbardWest.
Norvell has starred for a Simeon team that is 21- 3 and surely will be a threat to win the Class 4A state title next month. The 6- 5 guard has been a rock for coach Robert Smith, a strong, physical and consistent player who competes the right way.
No. 3
There will be some surprise conference champions across the Chicago area, but none will be a bigger surprise than Batavia.
When coaches in the Upstate Eight River sent their conference predictions to the City/ Suburban Hoops Report before the season, no one picked the Bulldogs to finish among the top three. The common choice was Larkin, followed by Geneva and St. Charles East.
Batavia, which is led by sharpshooter Canaan Coffey and already has clinched the league title, is 11- 2 in 2016. Coach Jim Nazos’ team is on the verge of the program’s first 20- victory season since 2008 and has its sights set on winning its first regional championship in 10 years.