Your winners in this weekend's boys basketball tourney
Just because the IHSA abandoned tradition doesn't mean it's a four-gone conclusion the Daily Herald will do the same.
Expansion from two to four classes might seem to be the perfect time for contraction of an annual staple.
Instead, we will press on with our attempt to forecast the winners in this weekend's boys basketball state tournament. After years of prognosticating, Bob Frisk has passed the baton to me.
And I feel like the kid in the stretch of a 400-meter leg where every muscle is locking up. In this case, it's my brain.
Will it be easier with two classes? Semifinals, third-place and title games times two? It will probably take a few years of doing this to find out.
Anyone who has seen my various conference picks in football, basketball and baseball through the years probably figures they're in for more laughs.
But here's one more full disclosure caveat:
Nearly 20 years ago, when I was working in Peoria we picked about 30 football games every week. Big schools to the smallest we hardly knew anything about.
One week one of my colleagues and I picked one of those small schools on our schedule to win. The only problem was the school was no longer even open.
And late Saturday night, it will likely be open season on these predictions.
Class 4A Semifinals
Evanston (29-3) vs. Zion-Benton (31-3), 6:30 p.m.: They met in the first game of the season in the Lane Tech Thanksgiving tournament.
Now they're meeting again in the second-to-last game of the season in Peoria.
A starless Evanston team will try to avenge a 63-53 loss against a Zion-Benton team hoping to shine in its first appearance on the state's biggest stage.
The Wildkits are deep, balanced and athletic as they try to duplicate the state title won by their 1968 powerhouse. Six-foot-3 senior guard Zachary Morton, the Central Suburban South player of the year, is the leader of a balanced crew at 9.5 points a game.
And their 1-2-2 pressure defense dropping into a 3-2 zone can be tough to crack with the long arms of 6-2 sophomore Ryan Frazier-Chambers (9 ppg), 6-4 seniors Sean Croegaert-Key, Stephen Rudnicki (9.8 ppg) and Travis Clark (9.2 ppg) and 6-5 Danny Farr.
Zion-Benton has finally made it to the state tourney after three supersectional stumbles since 1998. But this team is talented and has been tested much more than the others of veteran coach Don Kloth.
And fans at the Barrington sectional saw the Zee-Bees can win scoring a lot of points (88-67 over Buffalo Grove in the semifinal) or giving up very few (54-41 over Schaumburg for the title).
Guards Rodney Clinkscales and Ronald Steward set the tone offensively and defensively. Six-foot-3 sophomore Lenzelle Smith (13.6 ppg) can score from anywhere and drew DePaul coach Jerry Wainwright and Illinois assistant Jay Price to Barrington last Friday.
Junior Quintrell Love (12.5 ppg) is a potent offensive force off the bench. If 6-7 junior Markus Yarbrough comes to play in the middle the Zee-Bees are tough to beat.
The pick: Evanston's zone can be confounding but Smith will find and hit enough shots to push Zion into the title game with a 65-61 victory.
Richards (28-4) vs. Lockport (24-6), 8:15 p.m.: This is the south suburban version of the first semifinal -- a Lockport team trying to win its first title since 1978 against first-timer Richards.
Richards has been synonymous with football success but will get its first boys basketball trophy after a 63-42 supersectional romp over Neuqua Valley.
The Bulldogs' leader has been 6-5 senior Carl Richard. The dynamic forward averages 16 points, 7½ rebounds and 2 blocks a game and figures to be a nice addition for Palatine grad Kevin McKenna in his second year at Indiana State.
But it's probably fitting a couple of football players have a big impact. Shaun Pratl, a 6-8, 230-pound junior who is getting Division I interest in both sports, averages 13.4 points and 5 rebounds.
And guard Tommie Thomas, a Purdue football recruit who will room with Palatine standout Monroe Brooks, averages 12½ points a game and fuels the Bulldogs' various pressure defenses.
Lockport has succeeded rather quietly with three straight sectional titles for the first time in school history. Leading the way is senior Brian Bradley (17 ppg), whose 3-pointer at the buzzer in the supersectional beat O'Fallon 50-47.
Bradley is the only returning starter from last year's team that lost to O'Fallon 48-45 in the AA quarterfinals in Peoria. But 6-6 Justin Jarosz (11.5 ppg) and Derrell Williams (11.8 ppg) won't be overwhelmed by the state experience after seeing significant time last year.
The pick: Lockport won't be intimidated, but Richards' combination of pressure defense, skill and size will lead to a 55-47 victory.
Third place, 6:30 p.m. Saturday: Will it be tougher or easier to play a third place game with a day of rest?
Teams should be in better shape physically without such a quick turnover after the semifinals. But how will they respond mentally with 24 hours to consider the end of state title dreams?
Evanston's depth will pay off as it tops Lockport 61-54 for third place.
Championship, 8:15 p.m. Saturday: A perfect ending for the first four-class tourney. Two teams -- Richards and Zion-Benton -- that have never even been to the state tourney trying to bring home the biggest trophy.
One of the positives of the new system is no longer do teams have to come back from a semifinal hours later for a championship. Players get more rest and coaches get more preparation time.
And it should make for an exciting, up-tempo final between teams with solid guards and size.
In Zion-Benton's previous supersectional trips, it was clear the records were padded by a weaker schedule. But this team has shown its composure in the tournament.
Late Saturday night, the Zee-Bees' fans can finally check the final box on the back of their "It's Our Time" T-shirts. The one with state champs after a 77-70 victory brings the first boys basketball title trophy back to Lake County.
Class 3A Semifinals
Washington (25-3) vs. Marshall (30-4), noon: The last time Washington reached the state tournament it was in 1962 under Dick Van Scyoc, the winningest coach in state history.
Now the school just a few miles east of Peoria is back with 6-3 senior Matt Roth, the best 3-point shooter in state history.
Roth is committed to Indiana -- although that was before the Kelvin Sampson mess -- and is averaging 22 points a game with 126 3s. But he's hardly a one-man show for the Panthers, whose first loss was to Hersey at the Pekin Holiday Tournament.
Junior Dyricus Simms-Edwards crossed the river from Peoria Central to average 17 points a game. Six-foot Brian Tigue is crucial against bigger players in the post since Roth is the Panthers' tallest player.
Marshall had issues before its season started as Lamont Bryant, who led third-place AA teams the last two years, was fired. Players contemplated a boycott.
Courtney Hargrays walked into the tumultuous situation. Even last week, Hargrays suspended standout Ryan Hare, guard Adarius Simmons and key reserve Davaris Davis for its sectional semifinal win.
But through it all, the Commandos made it back to Peoria and hope to win it all for the first time since 1960. Running with them is a risky proposition -- which North Chicago found out in an 84-54 supersectional loss.
The 6-4 Hare (20 ppg, 9 rpg) is the driving force. Junior point guard Darius Smith is a potential quadruple-double with averages of 16 points, 8 rebounds, 7 steals and 6 assists and Simmons averages 12 points and 9 assists.
The pick: Washington will have to control the tempo, hang tough on the boards and get Roth enough open looks behind the arc. But Marshall's skill, size and experience will prevail 74-58.
Champaign Central (24-7) vs. Simeon (28-3), 1:45 p.m.: Champaign teams had a tough time getting to the state tourney in the last 25-plus years it was at Illinois' Assembly Hall. Centennial (1984) was the only one from 1969-95.
Few expected Champaign Central to make the breakthrough to the state finals. This was supposed to be a high-powered semifinal between top-ranked Decatur Eisenhower and two-time defending AA champion Simeon.
But Champaign Central stunned undefeated Eisenhower 65-63 on Donald Stewart's 12-foot fadeaway with 1.8 seconds left in the sectional final. There was no letdown in ending Mount Vernon's Cinderella run in the supersectional.
Central is led by one of the nation's top point guards in Verdell Jones III, who hasn't picked a college home yet but will find one with averages of 20 points, 6.5 assists and 5 rebounds. Stewart is another big threat at 16 ppg.
Simeon doesn't have Derrick Rose, Bryant Orange and Tim Flowers to pummel the rest of the state anymore.
But the Wolverines, who will try to join East St. Louis Lincoln (1987-89) and Peoria Manual (1994-97) as the only teams in state history to win three straight titles, do have three Division-I players.
Illinois-bound Stan Simpson, a 6-9 center who averages 16 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks, transferred in after three years at Leo. Illinois State-bound guard Kenyon Smith and Ball State-bound Pierre Sneed combine for nearly 20 points a game.
The pick: Jones keeps Central in it but Simpson gives Illini fans some hope for the future and Simeon's reign as champions isn't over yet with a 62-54 victory.
Third place, 11 a.m. Saturday: Two of the state's best players -- Roth and Jones -- get one final chance to put on a show.
But Washington gets a little extra motivation with a big crowd that makes the short trek and it tops Central 58-55 for third.
Championship, 12:45 p.m. Saturday: This is why the Chicago Public League opted to send more than just its tournament champion into the state finals.
It's a showcase of the best of the Public League -- and the last two years Simeon has gotten the best of Marshall in the AA semifinals.
Simeon also beat Marshall 58-43 in January. But all the tough times the Commandos have endured are finally worth it in a debut season for Hargrays that would make for an incredible book.
The final chapter has the boys joining the girls team as state champions. A 67-61 victory is a fitting cap to the 50-year anniversary of Marshall becoming the first team from Chicago to win a title.