This is no time for vacation
Christmas vacation?
Boys basketball teams will hit it hard the next two weeks at holiday tournaments.
At the 34th Elgin Holiday Tournament, Neuqua Valley has a history with Monday's first-round foe. After beating Highland Park for the title in its 2006 Elgin debut, Neuqua lost to the Giants last year in the second round.
This year's possible barriers include defending titlist Batavia, Glenbard East, Rockford Auburn and, in the lower bracket, Buffalo Grove, Dundee-Crown and unbeaten Hoffman Estates. Wheaton North and Downers Grove North won't go away quietly.
"There's so many different styles, and coaching styles, it just makes it exciting," said Neuqua coach Todd Sutton.
In a sense it could be more of the same at Waubonsie Valley. The 25th Matt Laurich Memorial Warrior Christmas Classic offers 8-0 Aurora Central, hoping to enter unbeaten as it did last season.
"They're a good program right now," said Waubonsie coach Steve Weemer, "so my vote as the favorite to win would be them."
ACC's three-headed monster of Mike Adams, Anthony Kelley and Nick Czaja - averaging 13, 21 and 12 points, respectively - are a tall task for all-tourney forward Jelani Johnson and defending titlist Waubonsie.
It's otherwise an open field. Chicagoans Al Raby, at 6-3, head a group including Naperville North, Hinsdale Central, Glenbard North and Marmion hovering near .500.
At Glenbard West's Holiday Classic, heavy graduation losses have made for slow starts among St. Francis, Fenton, Nazareth and the host.
Timothy Christian started 6-1 then lost to 2-5 Nazareth. Still, the Trojans and pool-mates St. Francis and Addison Trail will see if Amundsen is as good as its 8-2 record.
West Chicago may be playing the best ball of all teams here. The 2004 Classic winners open Saturday against the three-time defending champion Hilltoppers.
At the Wheeling Hardwood Classic, Naperville Central looks to redeem itself after bowing out in double overtime in last year's second round.
It won't be easy, however, to match the 1999 title the Redhawks won. Even though they enter the weekend with a 7-1 record, several heavy hitters loom in the field.
North Chicago, last year's runner-up, Prospect and Notre Dame represent the other top seeds. And don't count out three-time defending champion Loyola.
Led by Northwestern-bound Drew Crawford, the Redhawks are still aiming for the title. Other local flavor comes from Lake Park, a three-time Wheeling champion.
"Obviously it's a tough tournament," said Redhawks coach Pete Kramer. "But our goal is to win the thing."
York's Jack Tosh Holiday Classic again features a handful of local teams, including Wheaton Warrenville South and the host Dukes.
Seeded area teams are No. 5 Downers Grove South, led by 6-foot-4 Malcolm Herron, No. 6 Glenbard South, on the heels of last week's upset win at Batavia, and No. 8 Willowbrook.
The surprising No. 1 seed is unbeaten South Elgin. St. Ignatius, Riverside-Brookfield and Conant represent the other top seeds.
"We're probably a small fish in a big pond," said Glenbard South coach Wade Hardtke. "South Elgin is extremely athletic, and St. Ignatius is always tough. We hope to be competitive there."
Defending Lemont Classic champion Hinsdale South returns a much different - and younger - lineup in a "big school" bracket highlighted by Romeoville and Sandburg.
Leading the "small school" group is Providence-St. Mel, Chicago Christian and Walther Lutheran. Lisle and Montini also make a return trip to Lemont.
"We're done talking about last year," said Hinsdale South coach Vince Doran. "This will just be a good chance to get better as a team."