Here’s the strong among the week
What’s Thanksgiving tournament time without any leftovers?
◆ Bolingbrook star guard Tyler Cochran, a Northern Illinois recruit, is out with a finger injury he suffered the day before the opener. Despite his absence, the Raiders are unbeaten, scoring at least 90 points in three games en route to winning the Decatur tournament.
Coach Rob Brost’s team stunned Class 3A power Springfield Southeast 90-88 in the title game. Kameron Leonard’s buzzer-beating layup capped a rally from 15 points down in the fourth quarter.
Joseph Yesufu, a Drake recruit, scored 32 points, and Anthony Thompson, a transfer from Montini, had 21. Junior Darius Burford averaged 17 points in the three victories.
Cochran, a do-it-all 6-3 guard, is expected to be out three to four weeks.
◆ Southern Illinois recruit Lance Jones and sophomore shooter Blake Peters have received more fanfare, but Jaylin Gibson is arguably Evanston’s most important player.
The 6-4 sophomore starred in Evanston’s first big test, a 72-63 victory against St. Viator. While his 17 points led the Wildkits, Gibson also contributes in other ways. He rebounds and defends, and his vision, passing and ability to facilitate have improved.
◆ While senior point guard Artese Stapleton makes Kenwood go, the team can reach a higher level if Seryee Lewis can make a significant jump.
The 6-8 big man is one of the top 12 prospects in the junior class, and he showed he might be ready to take a big step forward. Lewis had 18 points and six rebounds in a victory against St. Rita. He averaged 13.5 points in the Broncos’ first four games.
◆ Myles Baker of Young will be one of the more attractive uncommitted seniors. He burst out of the gate, leading the Dolphins with 32 points in a season-opening win over Elkins (Texas). The 6-2 Baker added five rebounds and five assists.
If the first week of the season is any indication, the excitement over coach Porter Moser’s recruiting class at Loyola is only going to increase as the season plays out. The tandem of Marquise Kennedy of Brother Rice and Tom Welch of Naperville North, both of whom signed with the Ramblers this month, were brilliant in their first four games.
Kennedy, a 6-1 point guard with speed and athleticism, averaged 27.5 points in helping the Crusaders to a 4-0 start. The versatile 6-8 Welch is averaging 25.5 points and 10.3 rebounds for the Huskies.
With Naperville Central off to a surprising 0-4 start and Naperville North being very Welch-dependent, Waubonsie Valley is the team to beat in the shrunken five-team DuPage Valley Conference.
The Warriors, led by senior guard Eric Cannon, went 4-0 in the Batavia tournament. While the competition wasn’t stiff, they did win by an average of 32 points.