Boys basketball: Northwest holiday preview

30th annual Wheeling Wildcat Hardwood Classic

When: Dec. 26-29

Who: Deerfield, Notre Dame, Loyola, Vernon Hills, Libertyville, St. Viator, Naperville Central, Niles North, Wheeling, Streamwood, Stevenson, Maine West, North Chicago, Lake Park, Prospect, Carmel

Favorite: Loyola

Darkhorse: Wheeling

Players to watch: Max Burgess (Deerfield), Zach Abraham (Notre Dame), Rob Belcore (Loyola), Kenny Rideout (Vernon Hills), Joey Aiello (Libertyville), Richard McLoughlin (St. Viator), Drew Crawford (Naperville Central), Josh Evans (Niles North), Chris McClellan and Al Chery (Wheeling), Tem Esikiel and T.J. Enno (Streamwood), Kevin Stineman and Dylan Richter (Stevenson), Jimmy Orlowski and Adis Kadiric (Maine West), DeShawn Chambliss and Keith Ford (North Chicago), Michael Pavone (Lake Park), Jeff Heiden and Kevin Reed (Prospect), David Venegoni (Carmel)

Outlook: The show, albeit without the sideshow that drew big numbers everywhere, has gone on for two-time defending champion Loyola minus the Jordans - with Jeff a freshman at Illinois and Marcus transferred to Whitney Young. But the Ramblers won 8 of their first 10 behind the Penn-bound Belcore and off the bench have 6-6 sophomore Robert Wennington, the son of ex-Bull and current radio analyst Bill Wennington. The big challenge in the top half of the bracket could be Naperville Central, which has struggled after a 4-0 start and Fenton tourney title. North Chicago could be a threat to the tourney scoring record of 328 points by Stevenson in 1991. The Warhawks' 99 points last Saturday was their fourth straight game and fifth in a 7-1 start with at least 90 points as Chambliss and Ford try and lead them to their first Hardwood title since 1981. They could get an ultimate pace test in a semifinal against patient Stevenson, which has UIC-bound Stineman battling through knee trouble but gave Buffalo Grove its only loss and beat Warren and Lake Forest last weekend. Could this be what jumpstarts a struggling but talented Wheeling team led by Lewis-bound free-throw marksman McClellan? Prospect has size in Reed and Alex Toth and a shooter in Heiden and improved Streamwood has a dangerous scoring duo in Esikiel and Enno. Maine West also has two snipers in Orlowski and Kadiric and St. Viator hopes to get its offense going more consistently.

33rd annual Elgin Holiday Tournament

When: Dec. 26-29

Who: Neuqua Valley, Waukegan, Highland Park, Downers Grove North, Wheaton North, Bronzeville, Hoffman Estates, Rolling Meadows, Rockford Auburn, Glenbrook South, Buffalo Grove, Fremd, Elgin, Dundee-Crown, Batavia, Larkin

Favorite: Waukegan

Darkhorse: Rolling Meadows

Players to watch: Danny Pawelski (Neuqua), Jereme Richmond (Waukegan), Chris Wroblewski (Highland Park), John Bagge (Wheaton North), Luke Mead (Hoffman), Kyle Gaedele and Ty Kirk (Meadows), Jack Cooley (Glenbrook South), Brian DeSimone and Mike Ricciardi (BG), Dan Bruno and Chris Klimek (Fremd), Armani Williams and Jeremy Granger (Elgin), Jeff Beck (D-C), David Bryant (Batavia), Nick Bee (Larkin)

Outlook: One of the most balanced fields in tourney history took an interesting turn as top-seed Batavia will be without four-year starter and Northwestern-bound Nick Fruendt (mono). Only four teams come in with losing records and defending champ Neuqua Valley didn't get an easy start with Waukegan, which lost its first three with Illinois-bound sophomore Richmond suspended but won five in a row before losing to Peoria Manual at Illinois on Saturday. Highland Park has another senior-dominated crew that is undefeated and Wheaton North is led by the 6-8 Bagge. The last game of the top bracket has an intriguing Mid-Suburban League matchup with Hoffman and Meadows -- both of which are capable of making a run. BG's small but talented crew led by DeSimone also has an MSL opener with Fremd. Elgin is one of the most potent teams in the field with the guard duo of Williams and Granger an Batavia, which suffered its first loss Friday to Geneva without Fruendt, still has talent led by Bryant.

Jacobs Golden Eagle Classic

When: Dec. 22, 26-29

Who: Crystal Lake South, Wauconda, Mundelein, Crystal Lake Central, Cary-Grove, Johnsburg, Barrington, Elk Grove, St. Charles North, Prairie Ridge, Bartlett, St. Edward, Marian Central, Woodstock, Jacobs, Lindblom

Favorite: Jacobs

Darkhorse: Bartlett

Players to watch: Eric Wilde (CL South), Connor Dimick (Wauconda), Navjot Singh and Ben Brust (Mundelein), Carson Sterchi (CL Central), Paul Tometich and Mark Tometich (Cary-Grove), C.J. Fiedorowicz (Johnsburg), Mack Darrow (Barrington), Billy Hubly (Elk Grove), Jonathan DeMoss (St. Charles North), Mike Ungari (Prairie Ridge), Kamil Janton and Cory Hrynyk (Bartlett), Brett Manning (St. Edward), Ben Wetherbee (Woodstock), John Moran and Conrad Krutwig (Jacobs), Sedric Ferguson (Lindblom)

Outlook: The five-day, pool-play event is expected to have the hosts repeat as champions in their new fieldhouse. Jacobs only loss was a wild finish at Quincy behind Northern Iowa-bound Moran, who became the school's career scoring leader, and Krutwig. But there are solid challengers in high-scoring Mundelein, which lost its last two, and Bartlett with 6-9 Eastern Michigan-bound Janton and Hrynyk. The Tometich brothers are a tough scoring duo for Cary-Grove and Crystal Lake Central has shooters to go with size. Barrington and Elk Grove, who meet on Wednesday, look to get rolling in the right direction.

34th annual York/Jack Tosh Holiday Classic

When: Dec. 26-29

Who: St. Ignatius, Riverside-Brookfield, Brother Rice, Glenbard South, Palatine, Willowbrook, Lyons, Eisenhower, St. Charles East, Downers Grove South, Conant, Maine South, Wheaton Warrenville South, Oswego, York, South Elgin

Favorite: Lyons

Darkhorse: York

Players to watch: Keith Smith (St. Ignatius), Billy VandeMerkt (R-B), Sean O'Reilly (Brother Rice), Will Hill (Glenbard South), Monroe Brooks (Palatine), Milton Colbert and Kyler Market (Willowbrook), Jeff Adams (Lyons), Collin Pryor (St. Charles East), Billy Dillon (DG South), Tommy Sotos and Chris Hoffman (Conant), Joe Kozak (Maine South), Byron Given and Kendrick Perry (WW South), Andrew Galow (Oswego), Steve Ganser and Roger Coffin (York), Adam Hodge (South Elgin)

Outlook: Most of the cast that led Conant to last year's tourney title has graduated -- including MVP Geoff McCammon at Loyola. But the Cougars have pressed on successfully with a balanced crew that includes shooters such as Sotos and decent size in Hoffman. They'll open with a Maine South team led by the 6-4 Kozak that will use a variety of defenses. Lyons is off to a perfect start behind Adams and a crew of successful football players and opens with an Eisenhower team that just lost scoring leader Kaleb Wright for the season (academically ineligible). Willowbrook is coming off its first win at Proviso East in more than 30 years and opens with a Palatine team that hopes to get jumpstarted here. The top half of the bracket also has a pair of Catholic League teams that can give teams fits in St. Ignatius and the dynamic smith and Brother Rice and long-range bomber O'Reilly. WW South and York , which beat Oak Park and has size in the 6-8 Coffin, are bottom-bracket threats.

43rd annual Pekin Insurance Holiday Tournament

When: Dec. 27-29

Who: Moline, Peoria Richwoods, Quincy, Tazewell Morton, Hersey, Thornridge, Freeport, Tazewell Washington, Mt. Carmel, Geneseo, Pekin, Lake Zurich, Bartonville Limestone, Springfield Lanphier, Normal West, Rockford Boylan

Favorite: Washington

Darkhorse: Springfield Lanphier

Players to watch: Isiah Nunn (Moline), Jontell Lindsay (Richwoods), Luke Fabrizius and Griffin Dwyer (Hersey), Anthony Grant (Thornridge), Matt Roth and Dyricus Simms-Edwards (Washington), Russell Robinson and Steve Filer (Mt. Carmel), Tyler Storm (Geneseo), Jamie King (Pekin), Connor Mooney (Lake Zurich), Ryan Connolly (Lanphier), Phil Riggs and Zach Opheim (Boylan)

Outlook: How tough and balanced is the field? Going into Wednesday, only two teams had losing records and they were a game from being .500. Downstate Washington is unbeaten behind Indiana-bound Roth, who is now second on the school's all-time scoring list between former Purdue players Doug Lee and Todd Foster. The Panthers have become more formidable with the addition of scoring threat Simms-Edwards, who transferred from Peoria Central. They're a potential second-round matchup for Hersey and returning all-tourney pick Fabrizius if they can get past Thornridge. Two Western Big Six teams hoping to make some noise in the upper bracket are Moline and the high-scoring Nunn and Quincy. Boylan is also off to a perfect start despite losing Tori Boyd from last year's Elite Eight qualifier to UIC. Lanphier could be a big threat with 6-8 Connolly, who had a 37-point, 18-rebound game against Peoria Notre Dame on Saturday. Another intriguing first-round matchup is Mt. Carmel and Notre Dame-bound football star Filer against Geneseo and 6-6 NIU hoops signee Storm.

77th annual Pontiac Holiday Tournament

When: Dec. 27-29

Who: Curie, East Moline United, West Aurora, Danville, Schaumburg, Peoria Manual, Lockport, Jacksonville, Joliet, Bloomington, Simeon, Niles West, Warren, Pontiac, Oak Park, Plainfield North

Favorite: Simeon

Darkhorse: Oak Park

Players to watch: Wayne Blackshear and Donovan Foster (Curie), Tyler Thompson and Markus Cocroft (West Aurora), Cully Payne and Brandon Bolger (Schaumburg), Paris Gulley (Manual, Brian Bradley and Justin Jarosz (Lockport), Keyon Smith, Stephen Walker and Stan Simpson (Simeon), Nik Garcia (Niles West), Brandon Paul (Warren), Iman Shumpert (Oak Park), Chris McMath (Plainfield North)

Outlook: Derrick Rose and the leaders of consecutive Class AA state titles are gone, but Simeon is still a force to be reckoned with behind its D-I trio of 6-9 Simpson (Illinois), Walker (NIU) and Smith (ISU). The Wolverines open one of the state's oldest and best tournaments with Niles West and D-I prospect Garcia, while their half of the bracket includes Warren, which has lost 3 straight after a 5-0 start behind Illinois recruit and junior Paul. Oak Park has also struggled at times with Georgia Tech-bound Shumpert. Schaumburg recovered from a first-round loss last year to edge Peoria Manual on the way to the consolation championship. This time, the Saxons with Payne and Bolger hope to stay in the winner's bracket in a rematch with Manual, which lost 3 games by 5 points or less and just ended Waukegan's 5-game winning streak. A Schaumburg win could set up a second-round meeting with Lockport, which has Bradley back from last year's Elite Eight qualifier. West Aurora has rebounded from last year's uncharacteristic 14-13 season with a perfect start behind the Quincy-bound Thompson and Curie has Detroit-bound Foster and one of the state's best freshmen in the 6-4 Blackshear.

Grant Holiday Tournament

When: Dec. 22, 27-29

Who: Leyden, Grant, Grayslake North, Lakes, Round Lake, Northridge Prep, Kaneland, Richmond-Burton

Favorite: Lakes

Darkhorse: Kaneland

Players to watch: Deron Guyton (Leyden), Mike Shields (Grant), Clay Henricksen (Grayslake North), Kevin Guirand and Trey Williams (Lakes), Jerome Brown (Round Lake), Jack Whalen (Northridge Prep), Dave Dudzinski (Kaneland),

Outlook: Lakes has recovered from a 1-4 start with 4 straight wins -- including 76-64 over Grant -- and has the ability to light up scoreboards with 92 points in an OT loss to Elgin and 86 in a loss to North Chicago. Shields has put up big numbers all year for the hosts of this tourney for the second straight year. Leyden has had a tough start for first-year coach Bill Heisler but has a bona-fide threat in Guyton (18 ppg) and has played solid teams tough -- including an OT loss last weekend to Downers Grove South.