With the Martin Luther King holiday weekend upon us we have an extended Weekend Forecast, starting with a big conference showdown in the Southwest Suburban Blue Friday night and going through some MLK day events on Monday.
Big weekend ahead. Here’s to hoping the snow stays away.
Friday
■ Bolingbrook (12-3) at Homewood-Flossmoor (12-4)
Bolingbrook coach Rob Brost says this is the best schedule his Raiders have played since taking over the program in 2007. And it’s a monster weekend for Bolingbrook.
The Raiders will face H-F, Evanston and Morgan Park in a four-day span –– and then play Simeon next weekend.
But first things first and that’s a conference showdown that could go a long way in deciding the Southwest Suburban Red. A pair of ranked teams for first place in a conference on a Friday night in January is just what you ask for in high school basketball.
Hoops Report pick: Bolingbrook 64, Homewood-Flossmoor 58
■ St. Laurence (18-3) at DePaul Prep (13-4)
Most of the talk in the Catholic League Blue has centered around DePaul. The Rams are talented, led by league POY contender Perry Cowan, are unbeaten in league play and have built a two-game lead over … Surprising St. Laurence.
Jeremiah Williams, the talented 6-4 junior who fills a stat sheet, has received his share of hype from the City/Suburban Hoops Report this season. But this team has multiple scorers, including guards Finn Walsh, Trey Davis and Lance Jackson that have helped the Vikings put up some impressive offensive numbers.
DePaul, however, is a stingy defensive team that should be able to not only control tempo but make things a little difficult with its physical man-to-man.
Hoops Report pick: DePaul Prep 58, St. Laurence 51
■ Glenbrook South (14-4) at Evanston (17-3)
With a December loss to Glenbrook South still fresh in its mind, Evanston will come out with a little extra fire in this key Central Suburban League South matchup. Can Glenbrook South go into Evanston and sweep the Wildkits?
The monstrous junior season Dom Martinelli is putting together for Glenbrook South has been eye-opening, while heady senior point guard Will King will be charged with the task of taking care of the basketball against Evanston’s speed and pressure.
With Lance Jones, Blake Peters and Jaheim Holden there is firepower on the perimeter for Evanston. But the Wildkits can get a little three-ball happy at times and vulnerable if shots aren’t falling.
Hoops Report pick: Evanston 65, Glenbrook South 53
■ Mount Carmel (13-6) at Providence St. Mel (15-4)
A sneaky good game in the Chicago Catholic League as a much improved but still overlooked Caravan and Josh Redic go on the road to face a ranked team. Coach Phil Segroves’ team has a nice win total and has been close to getting a marquee win. And Redic (17 ppg) continues to build his growing reputation. Here’s another chance to for both.
St. Mel has balance and multiple weapons in 6-4 Jason Mason, versatile Deion Jackson, guard Tyriel Nelson, shooter Eric Jordan, point guard Tim Ervin and big man Taeyon Neal.
Hoops Report pick: St. Mel 67, Mount Carmel 61
Saturday
■ New Trier (16-3) vs. DePaul (13-4) at Evanston
A big weekend for coach Tom Kleinschmidt’s DePaul team. A week after playing Morgan Park tough in a loss at home, the Rams will face a couple of ranked teams this weekend, including New Trier at the War on the Shore.
Kleinschmidt is pleased with his team’s overall defensive effort but believes it must improve in defending the rim. The Rams will get that chance to show progress against a frontline that includes 6-9 Ciaran Brayboy and 6-8 Spencer Boehm.
What more can you say about the job senior Perry Cowan has done throughout the first half of his senior season for DePaul?
This should be a good one.
Hoops Report pick: DePaul Prep 54, New Trier 50
■ Loyola (15-5) vs. St. Viator (14-4) at Evanston
While many may be writing off St. Viator due to the injury to Trey Calvin, the Lions still have a star in Jeremiah Hernandez. The versatile 6-4 guard has put together an outstanding senior season.
Loyola is getting its fill of East Suburban Catholic Conference foes. The Ramblers beat highly-ranked Marian Catholic in convincing fashion last week and then lost on the road at Notre Dame Tuesday night. The Loyola defense needs to get back to making opposing offenses feel uncomfortable. That didn’t happen in the loss to Notre Dame.
St. Viator has lost two straight since Calvin went down with a broken hand, and it’s going to have to take quite an effort to avoid a loss here against a Loyola team that’s won nine of its last 10.
Hoops Report pick: Loyola 48, St. Viator 42
■ Evanston (17-3) vs. Bolingbrook (12-3) at Evanston
How much fun will this one be? It’s a couple of highly-ranked teams playing in the finale of the War on the Shore in Evanston.
From a personnel standpoint, it’s a game chock-full of perimeter stars, including Evanston’s Lance Jones, Blake Peters and Jaheim Holden and the Bolingbrook trio of Joseph Yesufu, Tyler Cochran and Darius Burford. There will be speed, pressure and some points scored.
This is a true toss-up in the eyes of the City/Suburban Hoops Report. But it’s going to be a tough task for Bolingbrook to go on the road and beat one of the state’s elite teams.
Hoops Report pick: Evanston 68, Bolingbrook 66
■ Oak Park (11-6) vs. Hillcrest (11-7) at Romeoville
The best of the bunch in a three-game shootout at Romeoville on Saturday afternoon.
Oak Park is feeling good after dismantling York last week and grabbing a share of the lead in the West Suburban Silver.
Hillcrest, meanwhile, has a not-too-shabby 11 wins but seven of those victories are in South Suburban Blue play. Long story short, the talented Hawks need to beat a quality team in non-conference play to restore some of the preseason hype.
Hoops Report pick: Oak Park 63, Hillcrest 57
■ Wheaton-Warrenville South MLK Tournament
This is always a challenge for a team to get out of this 16-team tournament field with four wins, with two games on Saturday and two more on Monday.
The teams to beat are York and Benet. These two met earlier this season with York winning in overtime. A team to watch is Rockford East with a sparkling 19-2 record and with hopes of a run to Peoria in a couple of months. Rockford East is led by high-scoring junior guard Sincere Parker.
Downers Grove North, Plainfield East and Wheaton South are all a threat to make a run.
The biggest storyline here is if Benet and Rockford East were to meet it could very well be a preview of a DeKalb Super-Sectional two months from now.
Monday
MLK City/Suburban Shootout at Fenwick
■ Bolingbrook (12-3) vs. Morgan Park (16-3)
Expect some points to be put on the board. These two will get it and go as they play a similar style in that both the Raiders and Mustangs are always in attack mode with their speed, quickness and athleticism.
Keep an eye on the backcourt matchup. Morgan Park’s junior duo of Adam Miller and Marcus Watson and Bolingbrook’s trio of Joseph Yesufu, Tyler Cochran and Darius Burford are pretty special backcourts.
Hoops Report pick: Morgan Park 73, Bolingbrook 70
■ Simeon (10-9) vs. Fenwick (10-8)
The red-hot Antonio Reeves leads a Simeon team that is starting to feel good. Fenwick senior Solomon Oraegbu has been solid all season in transition and in the open court while sophomore Bryce Hopkins has been a breakout star.
Hoops Report pick: Simeon 65, Fenwick 57