Stars come out in force for McDonald's Shootout
The Wheeling and Montini girls basketball teams are looking forward to taking the big stage of the 18th Annual McDonald's Shootout, which takes place today, Saturday and Monday at Willowbrook High School in Villa Park.
"It's a great opportunity for our kids," said Montini coach Jason Nichols, whose team is 13-6 and ranked second in Class 3A. "I'm excited about that."
Wheeling (18-3) is ranked No. 10 in the most recent Class 4A state poll.
The Wheeling-Montini matchup on Monday is one of 16 games in the event. The shootout features many of the top teams in Illinois as well as a handful from Indiana and Ohio.
"It's the best of what's out there this year," Shootout promoter Jim O'Boye said. "Up and down, the teams are pretty strong. There's no really great super team in Chicago this year it looks like so obviously South Bend (Ind.) Washington appears to be the class of the field."
Washington is the No. 1 in the Hoosier state, according the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Top 20 Poll. The Panthers are ranked No. 22 in the country by USA Today.
Washington is led by 5-foot-9 guard Skylar Diggins, who's regarded as one of the top five juniors in the nation. Recently paid a visit by Tennessee coach Pat Summit when the Lady Vols were in town to play Notre Dame, Diggins is averaging 27.6 points, 4.4 assists and 3.8 steals.
"All the big-time schools across the country are after her," O'Boye said.
Washington, which won the Indiana's Class 4A state championship last season, takes on Fenwick at 8:30 tonight and Buffalo Grove at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Fans will see a number of other future Division I players from Indiana. North Central of Indianapolis is led by Tennessee-bound Briana Bass, a 5-3 senior point guard who is averaging 18.5 points and 4.5 assists. Her Panthers are ranked No. 4 in the state.
Indiana's leading scorer will be present in Lebanon's Maggie Boyer, a 6-foot senior guard who's averaging 28.5 points. She's headed to Purdue, where she'll join recently committed Wheeling standout Ashley Wilson.
"She's a protégé of Rick Mount," O'Boye said. "Rick Mount has been her personal shooting coach for the last seven, eight years. He claims she's the best girls basketball shooter he's ever seen."
Washington is ranked No. 1 in Indiana for a reason. Beside Diggins, the Panthers' backcourt also contains 5-4 senior point guard Emily Phillips, who'll play for Penn State.
Illinois' best will be well represented. The Shootout contains seven of the top 10 teams in the Associated Press Class 4A poll -- No. 1 Buffalo Grove (ranked 14th in the nation by USA Today), No. 3 Fenwick, No. 4 Warren, No. 6 Bolingbrook, No. 8 Hinsdale Central, No. 9 Schaumburg and No. 10 Wheeling.
Hinsdale Central and its all-area sophomore point guard Toni Kokenis take on North Central at 10 a.m. Monday.
"It should be an interesting point guard matchup between Kokenis and Bass," O'Boye said. "That's the reason I put that together."
Six-foot-4 junior forward Samantha Arnold, fresh off verbally committing to Michigan earlier this week, will lead Lake Park into its game against Marist at 2:30 p.m. Monday.
"Samantha Arnold's a really nice player, so I wanted to get her in the event," O'Boye said.
When Montini, which is ranked No. 3 in the Associated Press Class 3A poll, meets Wheeling at 5:30 p.m. Monday, the contest will see a battle of 6-3 centers: Montini sophomore Michala Johnson and Wheeling senior Lana Rukavina, an Illinois recruit.
Nichols knows all about the Wildcats.
"They're big, they're physical, they're strong, they're active and they're good," he said. "They're going to have some advantage against us. Hopefully our advantages will win out, but that's an ultimate challenge. We really need that in the second half here to see where we're at going in the state playoffs."
Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for students, and $3 for senior citizens and grade-school kids.
18th annual McDonald's Shootout
At Willowbrook
Friday's games
Grant vs. Willowbrook, 5:30 p.m.
Kokomo (Ind.) vs. Warren, 7 p.m.
South Bend (Ind.) Washington vs. Fenwick, 8:30 p.m.
Saturday's games
St. Ignatius vs. Kokomo (Ind.), 11:30 a.m.
Resurrection vs. Bolingbrook, 1 p.m.
Lebanon (Ind.) vs. Sandburg, 2:30 p.m.
Loyola vs. Pickerington (Ohio) North, 4 p.m.
New Trier vs. Indianapolis North Central, 5:30 p.m.
Buffalo Grove vs. South Bend (Ind.) Washington, 7 p.m.
Monday's games
Indianapolis North Central vs. Hinsdale Central, 10 a.m.
Pickerington (Ohio) North vs. Maine South, 11:30 a.m.
DeKalb vs. Hamlet (Ind.) Oregon-Davis, 1 p.m.
Lake Park vs. Marist, 2:30 p.m.
Hillcrest vs. Maine West, 4 p.m.
Wheeling vs. Montini, 5:30 p.m.
Schaumburg vs. Marian Catholic, 7 p.m.