CONFERENCE RACES HEAT UP
Catholic Blue, CSL South, SW Suburban Blue titles up for grabs
After major midweek upsets, including St. Charles East over Wheaton-Warrenville South, Prairie Ridge over Burlington Central and Marmion over Mount Carmel, what will the weekend bring?
There are several compelling conference matchups that will heat up the Weekend Forecast across the area.
No. 9 Mount Carmel (21-3) at No. 8 Brother Rice (23-3), Friday
For starters, how does Mount Carmel rebound from a shocking loss to Marmion earlier in the week?
There is also the heavyweight battle at point guard: DeAndre Craig vs. Ahmad Henderson. They are two of the best, most productive players in the state.
And most importantly, the conference race. Mount Carmel is tied with Loyola on top of the Catholic League Blue at 9-1. Brother Rice is hanging in there with a 9-2 mark.
This won’t be easy, but Craig, Anthony and Angelo Ciaravino and the Caravan go on the road and get back on track.
The pick: Mount Carmel 60, Brother Rice 57
No. 17 Lincoln-Way East (21-3) at No. 12 Bolingbrook (20-6), Friday
Bolingbrook has won or shared a Southwest Suburban Blue title in each of the last four seasons. The Raiders are on the verge of a fifth straight championship.
Lincoln-Way East is in the midst of a record-breaking season. The Griffins have their third 20-pluswin season in program history and are just three wins away from winning
the most games in a season. But the only way Lincoln-Way East can grab at least a share of its first Southwest Suburban Blue championship is with a win at Bolingbrook.
Can a balanced Lincoln-Way East, led by George Bellevue, Tylon Tolliver and Kyle Olagbegi, make a little history?
Bolingbrook again will have the best, most dynamic player on the floor in point guard Mekhi Cooper. The Miami (Ohio) recruit is averaging 19.5 points.
The Raiders won the first matchup between these two, and they’ll win again while locking up another conference championship along the way.
The pick: Bolingbrook 65, Lincoln-Way East 58
No. 16 New Trier (23-4) at Evanston (19-6), Friday
How much fun would it be for Evanston to knock rival New Trier out of first place in the Central Suburban League South?
The last battle between these two was a low-scoring dogfight in which New Trier grinded out a 42-36 win. But the return to Evanston will be a huge test because it’s never easy to win a New Trier-Evanston battle in Beardsley Gymnasium.
Evanston’s Prince Adams has put together an outstanding season, averaging a double-double of 14.3 points and 10.8 rebounds. But New Trier held him in check in the first game, limiting the 6-7 senior to just two points.
Jake Fiegen has been terrific for the Trevians. He puts up 20 points a game and provides a toughness others feed off. That toughness, along with the perimeter shooting capability of Fiegen, Ian Brown and Colby Smith, will thwart any upset bid in E-Town. But this will be a back-and-forth barn burner and, if they shoot well, a Trevians win. New Trier will find a way to get it done on the road.
The pick: New Trier 55, Evanston 52