Boys basketball: Lake County all-area team

Joey Aiello, Libertyville

He hit a game-winner in a tournament game shortly after being promoted to the varsity as a sophomore and Aiello has been hitting big shots for Libertyville ever since. The senior sharp-shooting guard put together another magical moment this season when he scored 6 points in about 10 seconds in a win over Mundelein. He hit a 3-pointer, stole an inbounds pass and immediately hit another 3-pointer. "We always knew that Joey could make big plays and be a lights-out shooter," Libertyville coach Scott Bogumil said. "Teams definitely had to gear their defenses to stop him." Aiello averaged a team-high 14 points for the Wildcats. The two-year starter also led the team with 73 three-pointers and 42 steals.

Mike Brumm, Grayslake Central

What's the value of a point guard? While there might not be a dollar figure at the high school level, Grayslake Central coach Tim Bowen says a good measuring stick is wins. "If you don't have a good point guard, you're not going to be nearly the team you'd like to be," Bowen said. "But if you've got a good one, you're going to have a good team. And we don't have just a good one, we've got an exceptional one in Mike Brumm. We'd be close to an average team without him." Brumm started at point guard last year as a sophomore, worked out the kinks during a 9-win season and put together an impressive campaign this season in leading the Rams to the Fox Valley Conference Fox Division title. Brumm averaged 11 points and led the team with 38 three-pointers and 3.5 assists per game. "Mike can handle the ball, he can handle the pressure and he can still shoot and get his teammates involved," Bowen said. "I haven't seen too many better point guards than him."

Ben Brust, Mundelein

Brust was anything but a bust for Mundelein this season. The sophomore guard hadn't even gotten his driver's license yet but revved his engine and shot out of the gates to have one of the best sophomore seasons in school history. Brust averaged 17 points and more than 5 rebounds per game. He also ranked first on the team in made 3-pointers with 60 -- and that's saying something for a Mundelein team that never met a 3-pointer it didn't like. Overall, Brust had 12 games in which he scored 20 or more points, four in which he scored 30 or more and one in which he scored 40. That came against Morton. "A lot of people started out thinking that Ben was just a 3-point shooter, but he's so much more than that," Mundelein coach Dick Knar said. "He can jump, he's fast, he can penetrate and pass. He's a high-energy kid who can do everything."

Connor Dimick, Wauconda

If anything, most coaches are asking their players to work more, not less. But Wauconda coach Rich Wolf found himself in the opposite position when it came to Dimick. "Connor plays 100 percent during every game, every practice, every possession, every drill," Wolf said. "Most of the time, that's good. But sometimes, Connor would almost wear himself out because he was going so hard. I'd have to say, 'Why don't you conserve some energy? You don't need to work so stinkin' hard on every play.' It's not something you'll hear coaches saying that often, but Connor is a special kid." Dimick, a junior guard for the Bulldogs, willed his way to a team-leading 13 points per game. He also led the team with about 3 assists per game and 46 three-pointers. "Connor always shows tremendous hustle on both ends of the floor," Wolf said. "And he's a gamer. He's always there to make the biggest shot, or the biggest steal or rebound."

Kevin Guirand, Lakes

It speaks volumes about Guirand's athleticism that he'll be playing football next year at Ferris State. On the basketball court, he also got the job done in a big way and probably could have continued on there, too. Guirand became the third player in Lakes history to join the 1,000-point club (1,059) by averaging a team-leading 18 points per game in his third varsity campaign. He scored 20 or more points 10 times this season. Guirand also topped the team with 8.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. "In one game against Vernon Hills, Kevin started from the 3-point arc, took one dribble and hit a reverse layup," Lakes coach Brian Phelan said. "He is just so athletic and he moves so well, and he's strong. He's a tough matchup because he can play strong inside but he can also play some guard. Players like Kevin don't come around very often."

Connor Mooney, Lake Zurich

A big reason Lake Zurich went 9-3 in February and knocked off Stevenson in the regional was because Mooney was a "star." He had a couple of 30-point games during the month and also put together some amazing stretches. "Against Rolling Meadows, he scored 14 straight points in the third quarter, including a 3-pointer just before the (halftime) buzzer," Lake Zurich coach John Zarr said. "It was the quickest 14 points I've ever seen." Mooney wound up finishing with a season-high 33 points against Rolling Meadows. On the season, the junior guard averaged a team-leading 17 points. He also topped the team with 67 three-pointers and was second on the team in assists (1.6 apg) and steals (1.3 spg). "Connor can hit the three, take the ball to the basket and he's also really good at pulling up and hitting that 12 to 15-foot mid-range jumper," Zarr said. "Not a lot of players work on that, but Connor's always working on all aspects of his game."

Brandon Paul, Warren

Before even logging significant varsity minutes, Paul made headlines by verbally committing to Illinois. He continued to make headlines this season by proving that the Illini were right to bet on his future. Paul led the Blue Devils in scoring by averaging 20.2 points. He was also the team's top rebounder with 6.6 boards per game and its leader in steals (2.1 spg) and blocks (1.1 bpg). "Brandon got better and better as the season went on," Warren coach Chuck Ramsey said. "Over the last third of the season, he became a machine on offense, a very efficient scorer. He has an uncommon athleticism. He jumps well, he has excellent body control. He's really long and quick. He was the focus of our opponents' defense, but he was always very difficult to guard."

Vernon Randolph, Round Lake

Because of some difficult personal and family circumstances, Randolph got bounced around to several high schools during his career. But he seemed to find a home quickly at Round Lake, where he led the Daily Herald's Lake County circulation area this season with a 23.5 scoring average. Randolph, who also topped his team in assists with 5.2 per game and steals with 2.9 per game, hit 48 percent of his shots and 86 percent of his free throws. "It's not just his scoring that makes him a player people have to watch," Round Lake coach Jeremy Fisher said. "(Vernon) distributes the ball so well, too. When he came to open gym for the first time, one of the first things I noticed was his pass-first mentality. He really does a good job of finding his teammates and creating for them. And on top of that, he can shoot and score himself."

Dylan Richter, Stevenson

Richter played a key role in Stevenson's run downstate last season. But that was just the beginning for the 6-foot-3 forward. "It's like, how do you improve on 'really good?'" Stevenson coach Pat Ambrose asked. "Well, Dylan did it. He elevated his game in every way. He had a few holes in his game and he filled them. He got even better at what he was really good at. He just got better and better." Richter scored a team-leading 19 points per game, but wasn't done there. He also led the Patriots with 9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2 steals and 1 block per game. On top of that, he was the team's top shooter. He nailed 53 percent of his field goals and 77 percent of his free throws. Against Mundelein, Richter exploded for a career-high 34 points and 22 rebounds. Richter will continue his career at Washington University in St. Louis.

Kenny Rideout, Vernon Hills

Not even a near broken nose could keep Rideout out. He kept playing after hurting his nose in a tournament game against North Chicago, which was consistent with the toughness he showed all season. "Kenny just put us on his shoulders all season," Vernon Hills coach Matt McCarty said. "He was real solid and he did everything so well. We always knew he could shoot the ball, but he was really aggressive on the boards and played some really tough defense." In fact, the 6-foot-5 Rideout was a defensive force. He upped his block total from 30 as a junior to 81 (2.9 bpg) this year. Meanwhile, he averaged 8.4 rebounds. "Kenny also did a nice job on the offensive boards," McCarty said. "I remember one game against Round Lake, he scored 25 points and like 6 of his buckets were off of offensive rebounds." Rideout will continue his career at St. Norbert. "We've yet to have a player go on and play four years of college basketball," McCarty said. "We look forward to keeping track of Kenny."

Mike Shields, Grant

Opponents probably felt like shielding their eyes when Shields went to work. The senior guard put up a bundle of points this season to finish fourth on Grant's all-time scoring list with 1,189 points. Shields averaged a team-best 21.2 points per game. His season high of 34 points came against Johnsburg. Shields also topped the team with 5 assists and 2.9 steals each outing. "He's the whole package," Grant coach Phil Ralston said. "His game is up there with anyone I've ever seen in a Grant uniform. His ability to get to the basket is huge. He's just a hard player to defend, one of the toughest in the county to stop. We wouldn't have won 16 games this season if he hadn't performed the way he did."

Navjot Singh, Mundelein

His journey has been impressive. From being a relative unknown even within his own high school, Singh now has coaches all over Lake County "singing" his praises. "It's amazing the amount of work he's put in to get to this point," Mundelein coach Dick Knar said. "He's had one of the best high school years of any kid I've ever coached." Singh, who hit 50 percent of his shots, including 40 percent of his 3-pointers, averaged a double-double -- a team-leading 20 points and 10 rebounds a game. In 15 of the Mustangs' 30 games, he scored more than 20 points. He hit the 30-point plateau twice and pulled down at least 15 rebounds five times. Defensively, he took charge. Literally. Singh tallied a team-high 27 charges on the season. The next closest teammate had 7. He also led the team in blocks and steals. "Nav is a special kid," Knar said. "He can do everything -- pass, shoot, rebound, handle the ball, play defense. His best attribute is his versatility."

Andrew Sipes, Grayslake Central

There was the time when Sipes flipped up a shot behind his head and it went in. And there was the time when he had fallen to the floor, was on bended knee and still found the bottom of the net. "He just makes things happen -- whether he's balanced or not," Grayslake Central coach Tim Bowen said of Sipes. "He has a way of getting to the basket and of getting the ball to go in the basket -- no matter what." Sipes did that quite often this season, just like he did last season when he started as a freshman. This year, he averaged 13 points and 6 rebounds per game. He scored a season-high 24 points against Round Lake. "The great thing is that Andrew is only a sophomore," Bowen said. "He's only going to get better for us."

Kevin Stineman, Stevenson

Stineman was a fixture at Stevenson practices long before he had to be. When his older brother Bobby played for the Patriots, a young Stineman would beg his mother to drop him off at the gym so he could watch practice. Some things never change. "Kevin is still a gym rat," Stevenson coach Pat Ambrose said. "He has no problem putting the time into his game to get better. He loves it." The hard work has paid off. Stineman played a key role for the Patriots in their run downstate last year and he came back even stronger this season. He scored 13.5 points per game and was tops on the team with 28 three-pointers. He hit 73 percent of his free throws and also averaged 2.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals. "Kevin was just the toughness and the guts of our team," Ambrose said. "He just loves the game of basketball and that passion showed all the time."

Trey Williams, Lakes

What a great basketball name Williams has. Trey was definitely good at hitting them. The senior guard led Lakes with 50 three-pointers. "Trey is really good at knocking down the three," Lakes coach Brian Phelan said. "A lot of that is because he practices his shooting a lot. He's the last kid to leave the gym and during the fall, he was in every day shooting. He just has a passion for basketball and not every kid has that." Williams averaged 15.1 points and dropped a season-high 37 points on Grant. He also led the team in assists with 4.5 per game and was the Eagles' top free throw shooter with a 85 percent clip. "Trey is a good floor general and has a good knowledge of the game," Phelan said. "And he's a competitor."