A short list for a long weekend
With the Martin Luther King holiday weekend upon us, we offer an extended forecast that extends into Monday. A look at the weekend’s biggest games:
Buffalo Grove (14-4) at Rolling Meadows (11-4), 7:30 p.m. Friday
While Buffalo Grove is led by high-scoring sophomore Kam Craft, teammate Matt Brunelli has been smoking-hot. The senior guard hit a school record 10 three-pointers and scored 33 points last week in a win against Elk Grove. He followed that up with five more three-pointers and 24 points in a win against Glenbrook North. Craft is the catalyst but Brunelli must be accounted for.
Rolling Meadows junior Max Christie is at an entirely different level as a junior in terms of how he’s impacting games, doing so in all facets and at a higher level.
Hoops Report pick: Rolling Meadows, 64-58.
North Lawndale (12-5) at No. 8 Young (10-6), 6:30 p.m. Friday
In recent years, Young tends to have a hiccup in league play. Lincoln Park has beaten them in each of the last two seasons. North Lawndale beat the Dolphins three years ago.
North Lawndale has three talented scoring guards who reach double-figures: Senior Daveon Rogers, a 5-8 scoring spark plug who averages 11.2 points, get-to-the-basket leading scorer Jamar Wilkins (14.9 ppg), and junior Daequan Davis (13.8 ppg).
DJ Steward, though, inspires confidence in any game he plays. Steward, fresh off a monster showing last weekend at the Highland Shootout where he scored 40 points, senior guard Tyler Beard and the Dolphins get it done at home.
Hoops Report pick: Young, 73-64.
No. 16 Glenbrook South (15-2) vs. No. 18 Mundelein (14-2) at Lake Zurich, 2:30 p.m. Saturday
Figuring out a way to limit Dom Martinelli’s impact on a game will test any Glenbrook South opponent. Even when game-planning for the impactful Martinelli, the highly-productive 6-4 forward finds a way.
Junior-dominated Mundelein has the 1-2 punch of guard Conor Enright and 6-8 Scottie Ebube. The latter gives Mundelein a huge advantage.
Hoops Report pick: Mundelein, 60-58.
No. 19 Loyola (18-1) vs. No. 5 Homewood-Flossmoor (13-2) at New Trier, 3 p.m. Saturday
Homewood-Flossmoor makes the trip to the North Shore for the annual War on the Shore at New Trier. Fresh off a stinging loss to Thornton earlier this week, H-F hopes to regroup against a tough, feisty Loyola team that hasn’t lost to a team from Illinois.
R.J. Ogom is a versatile threat with his size, strength and athleticism around the basket and an ability to take defenders out to the three-point line with his shooting. Josiah Palmer has been a steady scorer and efficient shooter for the Vikings. Loyola hasn’t allowed 40 points in a game since early December. No one has scored more than 50 points all season against the Ramblers. This is a disciplined defensive team that’s clearly bought in to the style and culture of the program.
Hoops Report pick: Loyola, 52-48.
No. 10 Lincoln Park (15-3) vs. No. 13 Joliet West (16-2) at Hyde Park, 6:30 p.m. Monday
Joliet’s Jamere Hill, with his length and athleticism as a 6-3 combo guard, facing off with Ismail Habib, an electric 6-0 junior guard, is an added bonus to this ranked showdown.
Hill receives great scoring support from junior Jaiden Lee, but he’s filling the stat sheet while averaging 20 points. Habib is red-hot. He nearly has doubled his average from 10 points a game a year ago to close to 20 points a game this season.
Hoops Report pick: Joliet West, 68-66.