Part II: Conant host BG
Buffalo Grove is back to try and prevent Conant from back-to-back Mid-Suburban League boys basketball titles.
That's the backdrop for the annual MSL title game at 7:30 p.m. today at Perry Gymnasium in Hoffman Estates. East division co-champion BG (18-7) and West champ Conant (18-6) face off in just the third title-game rematch in league history.
Prospect and Hersey split the first two title games in 1971-72. Arlington won twice before losing to Prospect from 1982-84.
"This time we've got to beat them," said BG senior Mike Ricciardi of last year's 67-58 loss to the Cougars.
"They got the best of us last year," said senior guard Chris Timberg of BG falling to 4-3 in title games. "We know they've got a hostile crowd and they'll be going crazy, but it will be a fun atmosphere.
"It's fun playing for the championship and it was a blast last year. Hopefully we'll be able to get them this year."
BG is trying for its fifth title but first since 1981. Conant is looking for its third in four years to match the title-game mark of six by Prospect.
The Cougars have no returning points from last year's title game. But they have made their point by allowing an MSL-best 42.1 a game with a sticky man-to-man defense and patient offense.
"We expected nothing less," Conant senior point guard Jeff Keegan said of a return to the title game after clinching the division on Feb. 8. "We set our goals high.
"People were calling us the replacements, but that gave us extra fire and desire to prove we could come out and do this."
Keegan (6.3 points per game) has the most experience from last year's supersectional qualifier.
Senior Tommy Sotos (11.8 points per game, 56 3s) and junior Tony Rizzo (8.5 ppg) lead the balanced attack. Seniors Chris Hoffman (6.9), the game's tallest regular at 6-foot-5, and Tom Mahr (4.2) do their share of dirty work inside and screening for shooters.
And Conant has gone nine deep with juniors Tim Gilhooly (6.3 ppg, 22 3s), David Trinco and Cameron Leavitt and senior Bill Charvat.
"The personnel is different but the execution and method to success is the same," said BG coach Ryan O'Connor of Conant. "They're very fundamentally sound, they don't make many mistakes and they play great defense."
Which makes for an interesting challenge against the second-best offense in the MSL at 59.2 points a game.
"It's two pretty contrasting styles," said Conant coach Tom McCormack. "They like to get up and down the floor and shoot 3s. The big difference is they have six or seven guys who can shoot the 3 on you and actually make it."
Making things happen for the Bison is fourth-year varsity point guard Brian DeSimone (16.4 ppg, 49 3s). Senior Paul Timko (9.1, 35 3s) is also in his fourth varsity season but missed last year's title game because of injury.
The 6-2 Ricciardi (11 ppg) is the Bison's main inside threat but he also has 11 3s. Timberg missed the first 18 games with a fractured bone in his foot but in the last 3 games is averaging 14.3 points with 14 3s.
"You know you're not going to have to worry about nerves with those guys," Timko said.
Sophomore Kevin Mulligan (7.6, 16 3s), senior Federico Iudica (5.1, 12 3s) and junior James Hurley (3.7) are also long-range threats. Guards Matt Pettit and Dan Wickman provide depth to pick up the tempo at both ends.
Something Conant will try to avoid as it allowed 53 and 59 points in consecutive losses where it couldn't hold fourth-quarter leads against Warren and Schaumburg. It didn't allow more than 49 points in winning its first 8 games of 2008.
"We need to get back on track with what we were doing," McCormack said. "In both games we let it get away from us. That's something we want to get on top of because we've been pretty good at finishing games out in the fourth quarter."