Wheeling tourney pairings set

Pairings for the 31st annual Wheeling Hardwood Classic boys basketball tournament were released Thursday afternoon.

Three-time defending tournament champion Loyola begins play at 2 p.m. on Dec. 22 against Vernon Hills. Also in the upper bracket are North Chicago, which was the runner-up last year and hasn't won the tourney since 1981, Prospect, which has never won the tourney, and Stevenson.

Kicking off play in the lower bracket will be a local matchup between Wheeling and St. Viator at 3:45 p.m. Viator could have a second-round matchup against East Suburban Catholic Conference rival Notre Dame.

Naperville Central and Northwestern-bound Drew Crawford are also in the bottom half of the bracket.

The tournament runs Dec. 22-23 and 26-27 with the championship game scheduled for 8:45 p.m. on Dec. 27.

First-round pairings: Deerfield vs. Stevenson, 9 a.m.; Niles North vs. North Chicago, 10:30 a.m.; Carmel vs. Prospect, 12:15 p.m.; Vernon Hills vs. Loyola, 2 p.m.; Wheeling vs. St. Viator, 3:45 p.m.; Streamwood vs. Notre Dame, 5:30 p.m.; Maine West vs. Naperville Central, 7:15 p.m.; Libertyville vs. Lake Park, 8:45 p.m.