Three-Pointer: Bloom answers call, R-B’s eye-opening start, Bryce Hopkins arrives

Joe Henricksen and the City/Suburban Hoops Report’s weekly Three-Pointer …

No. 1

With a load of talent and added experience, Bloom entered the season with a whole lot of hype.

The Blazing Trojans answered the call in the first week of the season in one of the strongest Thanksgiving tournaments in the state. Bloom beat Vocational and Thornwood before knocking off a pair of ranked teams in Hillcrest and Homewood-Flossmoor to capture the title of the Chicago Heights Classic.

“I am pleased with the results but not necessary how we got there,” said Bloom coach Dante Maddox. “We certainly are not clicking yet. The ceiling remains high for this team, but we gutted out a couple of those victories.”

The ballyhooed junior group took turns leading Bloom throughout the opening four games.

Martice Mitchell, a promising 6-9 post player, led the way in the season-opening win with 18 points. The junior backcourt of Donovan Newby and Dante Maddox took care of business in the next two wins, before junior Keshawn Williams pumped in 22 points in leading the Blazing Trojans to the title game win over H-F.

But there are plenty of tests ahead in December for this talented team, starting with Kankakee this Friday night in a key Southland Conference matchup. That will be followed by matchups with West Aurora in the Chicago Elite Classic and showdowns with Morgan Park and H-F before closing out the month at the loaded Pontiac Holiday Tournament.

No. 2

There wasn’t an unranked team that made a bigger statement in the opening week than Riverside-Brookfield.

Coach Mike Reingruber’s Bulldogs went 4-0 and beat two ranked teams along the way –– by a combined 43 points.

Riverside-Brookfield was a team just on the outside looking in at the preseason top 25, so the quick start isn’t a total shock. But lopsided wins over both Oak Park and Kenwood were stunning.

If the first four games are any indication, the Bulldogs have vastly improved defensively. In last year’s 1-3 start to the season the Bulldogs allowed 76 points a game; this year’s 4-0 start has seen R-B limit opponents to an average of just 50 points a game. There is experience with five senior starters and some length with 6-6 Andrew Veon, 6-4 Charles Terry and 6-3 Reggie Loury.

But having a solid and experienced point guard in Zach Vaia and the offensive balance the Bulldogs are blessed with sets the tone offensively.

Riverside-Brookfield has a host of players who will play small college basketball at the next level, starting with Vaia, who is averaging 16.3 points a game. Veon is a versatile big man averaging 15 points a game, while Patrick Hanley (11.4 ppg), Loury (8.3 ppg) and Terry (8 ppg) round out a senior-dominated group that looks as if it’s ready to put together a big run this winter.

No. 3

There will be a number of different breakout players in the sophomore class as this season plays out. But this one is a guarantee: Fenwick’s Bryce Hopkins will be one of them.

The little-known Hopkins played minimal varsity minutes as a freshman last season, yet he’s among the City/Suburban Hoops Report’s top 10 prospects in the Class of 2021.

The 6-5 Hopkins did some heavy lifting during the offseason on the club circuit, gaining interest and offers from Division I programs, and he’s set to blossom during his sophomore season. He’s strong, skilled and has gained a great deal of confidence and a comfort level with his game.

Last week in three games, Hopkins was outstanding in helping Fenwick to a 2-1 start. The versatile wing averaged 19.3 points, eight rebounds and two steals a game while also taking two charges.

With the departure of DJ Steward (transferred to Young) and guard Damari Nixon (transferred to Curie), Hopkins will be carrying a bigger load than expected for the Friars. But with his offensive tools, physique and versatility, the inexperienced Hopkins is primed to be a go-to force sooner than later.

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