St. Viator to test Class 3A waters

Crusty traditionalists such as yours truly are never going to warm up to IHSA class expansion's effect on the boys state basketball tournament.

But as the catch phrase of recent years goes, "It is what it is." And what it is for St. Viator this year is a dip into Class 3A as postseason play begins for the big boys Monday night.

It's expected to be a one-time deal as the school's enrollment dropped just enough to become the largest of the 3A schools.

So, when the Lions host a regional next week, the teams won't exactly be household names. None with the familiarity of more traditional neighbors such as Palatine or Maine South.

"We were put into this situation," said senior starting guard Brendan King. "We can't decide how many people come to our school."

King and senior point guard Alan Aboona, a third-year varsity starter, can provide some insight on the differences ahead. They were also starters on the soccer team which dropped to 2A in the three-class soccer tournament and won a state title.

Viator didn't exactly face heavyweights in the early rounds of the tournament. The competition got tougher later on and the Lions did have to beat a perennial state power in Peoria Notre Dame for the title.

"We knew the competition wasn't as good (early)," King said. "Once you get to the Elite Eight games, it doesn't matter who you're playing. Anybody can beat anybody."

That was the tough lesson Viator's soccer team absorbed in previous early exits. It's one that hasn't been forgotten as the top seed in its basketball regional plays Tuesday night against Monday's Senn-Sullivan winner.

"We're not looking past any of the teams," Aboona said. "Two years ago (in soccer) we looked past our first-round game, so we weren't looking past anyone and we're not doing it this year.

"It's all about the mindset. We can't think a lot about playing teams people have never heard of."

That way the Lions hope they can look up at the boys basketball sign in Cahill Gym commemorating success and see 2010 added to 1987 and 2001 in the regional title category.

Then the degree of difficulty would increase significantly for a team that just won 20 games for the fifth time in school history.

In the Vernon Hills sectional, they would get whoever emerges from a rugged regional. North Chicago has won consecutive 3A sectionals and frequently eclipses the century mark for points, Grayslake Central hasn't lost since December and and Vernon Hills is having one of its best years.

Likely to be advancing to the sectional final is Johnsburg, which has suffered its only 2 losses to Grayslake Central, and has 6-foot-7 behemoth and Iowa football recruit C.J. Fiedorowicz.

And if Viator makes a successful run, it will be as one former coach recently said of playing in a weaker 4A regional, a case where "10 years from now no one will remember who you played to win it."

"It's a little different," King said. "During soccer all my friends at the public schools were saying, 'You're not playing anyone and you're not beating anyone.'

"When it comes down to it we won a state championship. You remember a state championship no matter what class it's at."

And St. Viator's boys basketball team knows it can't lose sight of doing what it has to on the court to make this a postseason it won't forget.

mmaciaszek@dailyherald.com