'Tis the season … to go to the hoop

Gifts will be hard to come by this holiday season -- at the 33rd annual Elgin Holiday Tournament.

Boasting a field deep enough to offer 7-2 Neuqua Valley as a No. 6 seed, those who fill Chesbrough Fieldhouse will see one of the most competitive boys basketball holiday tournaments in the state, let alone the area.

"We start with Waukegan (5-4 with Illinois commit Jereme Richmond), who might be the best team there," said Neuqua Valley coach Todd Sutton. "If we win we play undefeated Highland Park (8-0 through Tuesday).

"If we win two, we play the best team in the Western suburbs (7-1 Wheaton North), and if we win three we play the No. 1 seed in the entire tourney (7-1 Batavia)," Sutton said.

"It is loaded again. That is why we went there. We want to improve by playing great teams."

Neuqua's opponents could be saying the same thing. The Wildcats are retooling after a 25-6 season that ended in the Lockport sectional final.

Sutton, whose team beat Highland Park for the 2006 Elgin title, said they could use greater consistency from a bench that goes six-deep in support of quality starters Danny Pawelski, T.J. Jordan, Anton Wilkins and Derek Raridon.

Last year was Neuqua's first appearance at Elgin after switching from the Lemont tournament and leaving that field less lustrous.

Second-seed Wheaton North, which opens against Bronzeville, hasn't lost a first-round game at Elgin since the 2003-04 season.

The Falcons are thriving behind an inside-out attack with Hillsdale College-bound big man John Bagge and 6-foot-8 Tom Fitzpatrick plus guards Kristian Rosenberger, Dave Pilalis and Steve Pierotti.

Wheaton North could make a case for being the best team in the entire Daily Herald coverage area -- provided the Falcons make hay at Elgin with Batavia's Nick Fruendt out with mononucleosis. Geneva dealt the Bulldogs their first loss last Friday with Fruendt absent. Last season at Elgin, Batavia beat the Falcons in the third-place game.

"We've done well up there, but it's a very good field this year," said Wheaton North coach Jim Nazos. "The good thing about this tournament is we'll get to play teams we normally don't see."

In addition to No. 4 seed Buffalo Grove (8-1), there's Hoffman Estates (6-2) -- Wheaton North's possible second-round opponent --plus quick guard Kenny Williams and Elgin (5-2).

Downers Grove North (5-3) was unbeaten through four games under former Wheaton North Falcon Jim Thomas, but the Trojans have lost three of their last four and face Highland Park in a tough opener.

"The Elgin tourney is loaded this year," Sutton confirmed.

York is formidable, too. A good Willowbrook (6-2) team is the No. 8 seed at the Jack Tosh Holiday Classic.

"When that's your eight seed in a tournament, you've got a pretty good tournament," said coach Al Biancalana of No. 7 seed York (6-2).

Last year's champion, Conant (6-2), returns as the No. 3 seed. Along with 3-point shooters Brother Rice, pesky St. Ignatius and first-time entrant Glenbard South (4-4), Wheaton Warrenville South (6-2) enters as the second seed, Downers Grove South (5-3) as the sixth seed. The top seed is Lyons Twp. (8-0).

WW South, which in 2006 failed to win a York first-round game for the only time under coach Mike Healy, is trying to maintain its tough defense while reducing turnovers amid a turbulent stretch.

Guard Dan Phillip and forwards Derek Babb and Byron Given all missed practices last week due to illness or injury, perhaps reflected in the Tigers' 44-37 loss to Glenbard East.

"I think Lyons is the team to beat, but there are literally eight or nine other teams that could win it. It'll be a challenge no matter what game you're playing," Healy said.

"If we want to compete there, we need to get some general consistency going."

Waubonsie Valley, which is favored to win its 24th annual Matt Laurich Christmas Classic, lost for just the second time last Saturday, to Lyons.

The Lions, who feature 6-4 Ed Viliunas, 6-8, 270-pound Jeff Adams, 6-6 Matt Hirt plus several effective guards, held Waubonsie to a season-low in points with a 46-41 decision.

"I think they'll be hard to beat because they're so physical and they play so hard and can come at you in so many different ways," said Waubonsie Valley coach Steve Weemer.

Other tourney notes:

• Immaculate Conception makes its debut at Plainfield North after bolting from Luther North. The tournament started Wednesday (see story on Page 9).

• Glenbard West (4-4) aims to win its own tournament for the fourth time in six years. This season St. Francis is in the same pool as the Hilltoppers, so it's Nazareth (6-2) favored to come out of the other pool, pushed by Fenton (3-6).

• At Waubonsie Valley, see if 10-0 Aurora Central is for real when the host Warriors (9-2) play the Chargers in the last game of opening day on Dec. 26.

A true contrast -- Waubonsie offers guards Josh Daniels, Justin Peaster and Kevin VandenBerg while ACC brings in 6-6 Nick Czaja and 6-3 brothers Mark and Mike Adams.

Morton left the Warrior Classic for the Proviso West Tournament, which muddles the other side of the bracket. Naperville North and Hinsdale Central will be challenged by Marmion and Chicago school Al Raby.

"I think there will be a lot of parity in the tournament," Weemer said. "I think any one of four, five teams can win it."

• Driscoll (7-2), which placed fifth as the fifth seed at the 2006 State Farm Holiday Classic in Bloomington, is the third seed in the Class 1A-2A bracket this season.

Should the Highlanders make it past the likes of Stanford Olympia and Peoria Christian, they'd likely face the top seed -- Bloomington Central Catholic, which Driscoll defeated 48-24 on the football field in the Class 4A state championship.

• With 2003 and 2004 Wheeling tournament winner Lake Park graduating its best team in school history last season and two-time defending tourney champ Loyola losing Marcus Jordan to Whitney Young on transfer, the field for the 30th annual Hardwood Classic is wide open.

Naperville Central, off to an uneven start at 5-4, could run into 2007 Elite Eight team Stevenson (7-2).

• Yes, Glenbard East (7-2) graduated two-time Lemont Christmas Classic MVP Mike Capocci, who led the Rams to Lemont titles in 2005 and 2006.

Despite returning only one starter, guard Derak Stanback, shouldn't the Rams get a better opener than 8:45 a.m. the day after Christmas?

Chances are good the Rams, who beat WW South and Downers South last weekend, will reach the large-school finals against either Hinsdale South (5-3) or Sandburg (4-4).

Seven-time Lemont finalist Lisle is down this year and Montini has yet to jell, so Walther Lutheran (5-2) should vie with Westmont (6-3) and Chicago Christian (6-3) in the small-school bracket.

Glenbard East, 11-1 in three trips to Lemont, has retooled behind Stanback, third-year varsity player Tom Seagraves and hard-working senior guard Ben Trefilek.

Behind that trio, the Rams are thinking Lemont three-peat. It's there for the taking.

"I don't think there's a dominant team in there, which makes it different this season," said Glenbard East coach Scott Miller.

"The kids are really starting to believe. I'm sure they're thinking they can win this thing again. Something has clicked with these guys."