Improving Elgin invades Larkin's gym
The Elgin boys basketball team has shown signs of improvement in winning 2 of its last 3 games since an 0-3 start.
Whether or not the Maroons have improved enough to halt rival Larkin, which has beaten them six straight, will be determined when the rivals meet at Larkin on Friday at 7:15 p.m.
Elgin (2-4, 0-1 Upstate Eight River) takes on the 4-3 Royals, whose losses came against quality opponents Rockford Auburn, St. Charles East and defending Class 3A champion Morgan Park.
The Maroons defeated Streamwood by 14 last Friday and dropped a close one at West Chicago on Saturday.
"We knew we could play a lot better than we did at Thanksgiving," Elgin coach Mike Sitter said. "At Thanksgiving, we were looking for ourselves, finding our identity. We played 11, 12 guys each game to get their feet wet and so we could see who could do what. Now we're down to an eight- or nine-man rotation, Some guys have played their way out of the rotation and others have earned more minutes."
Sitter said he has been pleased with the play of senior Chaquille Bennett and junior Jakub Zajac, wings who guard the ball, take charges, rebound and help on defense.
Larkin is more imposing from a height standpoint than the guard-heavy team Elgin faced last season. The Royals start sophomore Christian Negron (6-6), senior Tanner Gardon (6-7) and Daniel McFadden (6-5). Senior Juwan Stewart (6-4), a transfer from Dundee-Crown, brings length off the bench.
"It's a different Larkin team than in the past," Sitter said. "They're post-oriented but they're still athletic. They run more set plays than in the past, but sometimes their best offense is a missed shot."
Larkin lost back-to-back homes games last weekend, but the Royals learned a valuable lesson in the intensity level it takes to win conference championships. They enter Friday's rivalry game in a good frame of mind, according to coach Deryn Carter, a Larkin graduate who prioritizes winning against Elgin.
"As long as I coach here winning this game will always be a big deal," he said. "No matter how many championships you've won, Elgin-Larkin games define seasons. Elgin is playing their best basketball the last couple of games and coach Sitter and his coaching staff do a great job, so we know those guys will be prepared."
Elgin leads the all-time series 79-46.
Flu 8, Hampshire 0: Hampshire's 6-1 start is even more impressive in light of what the Whip-Purs have overcome from a health standpoint.
"We've had eight guys on our team who have had the flu, including myself," said coach Bob Barnett, who was forced to miss a game recently.
The Whip-Purs defeated Cary-Grove 64-57 in overtime on Tuesday despite the absence of 6-foot-5 junior forward Luke Tuttle (flu) and the second-quarter loss of 6-foot-6 center Daniel Duchaj to a knee injury. Four players scored in double digits: Drew Doran (16 points), Jake Tuttle (15), Matt Bridges (14) and Austin Spaeth (14).
Hampshire has the weekend to get healthy. The Whips are idle until Tuesday, when they host Crystal Lake Central in the Fox Valley Conference Fox Division opener.
"We're just trying to survive," Barnett said. "Being 6-1, it's a testament to how deep we are, which is good. It's a great luxury to have."
Injuries mount for Storm: South Elgin's run to a Class 4A sectional final appearance last March left fans hopeful the young, returning nucleus could maintain the program's forward momentum.
But any carry over effect has been negated by a series of injuries that have left coach Matt Petersen without most of his projected starting lineup.
Returning starter Jake Amrhein was lost before the season began when the junior forward injured his knee playing quarterback. Junior Tyler Hankins (6-10) is wearing a boot after tearing ankle ligaments in the final game of the Fenton Thanksgiving Tournament. He is expected to miss four to six weeks.
Also sporting a boot is junior guard Matty Smith, who on Friday rolled his ankle in the first quarter of a loss to Glenbard East. The Storm's leading scorer could be shelved for two to four weeks, according to his coach.
Players who were expected to fill reserve roles have been forced into the starting lineup.
"We're playing with one legitimate varsity level starter in Justin Howard," Petersen said. "Everyone else was not penciled in to be a starter, but now they are starters and they carry a lot of responsibility for us. But it's hard to take a role player and turn them into your go-to guys in one season.
"The positive is that a lot of guys are getting more experience, so when we eventually do get healthy we should be a better team overall," Petersen said.