Scouting boys basketball: Northwest supersectionals
Hoffman Estates supersectionals
at Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates
CLASS 4A
Who: Jacobs (30-1) vs. Fremd (30-0)
Time: 7:30 p.m.
How they got here: Jacobs defeated Streamwood 47-30, St. Charles North 55-39, Hononegah 60-55 and Larkin 62-39. Fremd defeated Schaumburg 52-40, Hersey 56-41, Grant 53-24 and Conant 43-42.
Common opponents: Jacobs defeated Rolling Meadows 55-37, Palatine 55-35, Deerfield 54-40 and Bartlett 64-49. Fremd defeated Rolling Meadows 48-31, Palatine 56-42 and 46-32, Deerfield 54-41 and beat Bartlett 76-48.
Super appearances: Jacobs (1st), Fremd won in 1993
Advancement: Winner plays the winner of Chicago State supersectional (Evanston-Whitney Young) Friday in the state semifinals in Peoria at 5:30 p.m.
Streaks: Jacobs has won 16 in a row, Fremd is unbeaten. Jacobs was 23-7 last season and Fremd was 22-7.
Top performances in sectional final: Jacobs' Cam Krutwig is coming off a performance for the ages. The Loyola-bound standout scored 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting with 23 rebounds, 11 blocks and 9 assists. Pressure certainly doesn't bother Fremd's Kyle Sliwa - his game-winning 3 over a 6-foot-9 defender in the sectional final will be remembered for a long time.
Quotes: Jacobs coach Jimmy Roberts:
"The word that comes to mind (on Fremd) is solid. Just very, very solid. Solid offensively, solid defensively. They don't beat themselves. They do what they do and they do it very well. It's just a very, very solid group. They get their shots. From what I've seen they don't let teams dictate to them and take them out of what they want to do. We've been talking about this (advancing) since the beginning of the year. When you put stuff out there, lofty goals, to be able to go out and achieve those things is incredible. Like Fremd, people didn't know what they were going to be and, poof, out of nowhere here they come. So when those expectations are out there, to meet them and even exceed them is pretty special."
Fremd coach Bob Widlowski: "(Cam) Krutwig is a very nice player but they are more than Krutwig. The have some very nice pieces around him. It makes Krutwig harder to guard because they have players on the wings that you have to guard. We have to defend and rebound. Defend them in the half court and rebound on both ends of the court. Jacobs is very similar to Conant with big guys on the post and shooters on the wings. I think our schedule has helped us throughout the season and for the playoffs. Playing a team like Conant will help you prepare for anybody. They just don't make mistakes. We just have to be ready to play. Our team GPA (3.6) has been a key for us this season. The guys came in right away, wanted to know the game plan and want to be ready to take it right to the floor."
Outlook: These two teams have kept an eye on each other from neighboring counties all season in the hopes they would eventually meet. Jacobs is having the best season in school history and the Golden Eagles want that string to continue. Krutwig has received most of the accolades, but Ryan Phillips, who had 20 points on Friday, is averaging 11 points and is shooting 35 percent from outside the arc. Cooper Schwartz (7.6 ppg), Mason Materna (7.5 ppg) and Nikolas Balkcom (5.6 ppg) have also come up big when needed for the Eagles. Fremd became the second-largest school in the last 20 years to advance to the supers undefeated. The Vikings will be looking to make their first trip downstate since 1993, when they finished fourth in Class AA. Along with Sliwa, Fremd starts three other seniors in Shaan Patel, Brian Dompke and Luke Schoffstall. Ryan Martin, who is a junior, has been the team's top defender all season. Fremd doesn't have a player over 6-foot-5 and likes to play man-to-man on defense, so it will be interesting to see how they'll try to hold off Krutwig.
Fun fact: Jacobs coach Jimmy Roberts, who was a standout at Lake Zurich in his high school days, was coached by Fremd coach Bob Widlowski on the LZ freshman football team. "I was a sterling freshman quarterback," Roberts said. "So I've known him for a long time and have had a good relationship with him over the years." In fact, the two were emailing just a few weeks ago: "We said good luck to each other and we both said the same thing, that it would be a lot of fun if we saw each other in the super," Roberts said. "I think I said 'I'll sign up for that right now.'"
CLASS 3A
Who: St. Viator (15-16) vs. Fenwick (28-4)
Time: 6 p.m.
How they got here: Viator d. Vernon Hills 70-42, Payton 70-34, Foreman 68-33 and North Chicago 76-74; Fenwick d. Noble Trading 64-28, Noble-UIC 81-52, Westinghouse 75-40 beat North Lawndale 60-46.
Common opponents: Viator defeated Benet 53-37, defeated Marian Catholic 70-69, lost to Loyola 53-38. Fenwick lost to Benet 63-60, defeated Marian Catholic 52-50, defeated Loyola 46-37 and 49-47.
Super appearances: Viator lost in 2010, Fenwick won in 1998
Advancement: Winner plays the winner of DeKalb supersectional (Marengo-Bloomington) Friday in state semifinals in Peoria at 11 a.m.
Streaks: Viator has won five in a row. The Lions have won regional titles in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017. Fenwick has won 15 games in a row this season.
Top performance in the sectional final: Marc Clark scored 20 points off the bench after scoring 18 in the sectional semifinal. DJ Steward, a freshman guard, led Fenwick with 21 points.
Quotes: St. Viator coach Quin Hayes:
"The schedule we play prepares us. It has been so important to us. We have seen everything and the gauntlet has been thrown at us. We felt good that we have prepared for it. Fenwick is a very good basketball team. They are well-balanced and it is going to be a tough task. Any team coached by Rick Malnati is a well prepared team. Our kids are excited and are really amped up. Our goal all season was to be here. We spoke all season about looking to the big picture and it is all paying off. I am proud of what we have accomplished so far this season. We are coming together at the perfect time. When you are playing for each other, you can achieve anything."
Fenwick coach Rick Malnati, who when coaching at New Trier, had his team under .500 and advanced to the supersectionals before losing to Crane:
"I have been in their shoes before. You can throw records out at this time of the year. My team is playing very well right now. Viator runs a ton of stuff and with just two days to prepare, it can be very tough. It should be a fun game and a great atmosphere."
Outlook: St. Viator continues to show it belongs in the Elite Eight and is looking to make school history as the first team to advance to the state finals. The Lions are battle-tested have played a schedule that includes 12 teams that were ranked in the state, seven regional winners and nine teams that won 20-game winners. Clark, who was injured most of the season, has returned to give leadership to young team that starts just one senior. Sophomores Jeremiah Hernandez and J.R. Cison have grown up tremendously while juniors Peter Lambesis and Matt Doersching have provided some spark. Senior Addison Lubert (6-foot-8) has also played well down the stretch along with Daniel Morton, Tom Majerus and Andrew Soukup. Fenwick was stunned in the sectional final a year ago by St. Joseph, and the Friars have been on a mission since. They won the Catholic League tournament and rolled over a pair of solid Public League teams in the sectionals this year. The Friars are led by Steward, junior guard AJ Nixon, along with Jamal Nixon, Mike O'Laughlin and Thomas Reyes.
- Dick Quagliano and Jerry Fitzpatrick