Well-rested basketball teams getting a little antsy

So how did you spend your holiday vacation?

If you're a boys basketball player, the answer may be mixed.

While the bulk of teams endured a flurry of tournament activity immediately before and after Christmas, it's been awfully quiet in the dog days since.

The New Year has begun with somewhat of a whimper.

"I didn't want to stop playing," said Naperville Central coach Pete Kramer, whose team won the championship at the Wheeling Hardwood Classic on Dec. 27.

"We were playing so well, we would have been fine just to keep playing."

In the midst of a title chase in the DuPage Valley Conference, the Redhawks are slated for a game tonight against Glenbard North. That means they'll have endured a 13-day layoff between games.

But that's nothing.

Benet, which faces Carmel tonight, hasn't played since finishing the Plainfield North tournament on Dec. 20. That's 19 days off, folks.

In fact first-year Redwings coach Gene Heidkamp noted that during the last three weeks his team practiced as many times as it did during the preseason.

Certainly not ideal circumstances, but benefits are abundant.

For one thing, it's given standout sophomore Dave Sobolewski extra time to heal the partially torn MCL he suffered in November. Sobolewski came back on Dec. 12 against Nazareth and went on to earn all-tournament honors at Plainfield North.

With the initial burst of action behind him, Sobolewski's had some time to recover along with the rest of the team.

"Practice is what we needed, so I think the break came at a good time," Heidkamp said. "We were playing better at Plainfield North, which was a positive for us. Hopefully, we can pick up where we left off."

Benet, though, is just one of the many teams that fell into a winter hibernation.

Before Tuesday's loss to West Chicago, Wheaton Academy hadn't played since Dec. 19 - a 17-day break. After beating Aurora Christian three weeks ago, Warriors coach Paul Ferguson gave his team 10 days off before returning to practice.

Even though the Warriors didn't compete in a holiday tournament, they'll make up for it next week when they travel to California for a pair of games during the school's Winterim break.

Ferguson's scheduling motives are clear.

"I think it's good for the guys," he said. "I want them to spend time with their families over the Christmas holiday and focus on the meaning behind it. Just get some good family time together."

Similarly, Kramer took advantage of the time off by organizing team-building activities during the layoff. The squad, for example, enjoyed a trip to Milwaukee to attend a Marquette college basketball game.

The Redhawks also had a father-son free-throw shooting contest, a prelude to Mom's Night and Dad's Night later in the season.

"I kind of keep adding something each year," Kramer said. "It's such a long season, we just try to keep everyone involved."

For most teams this weekend is going to be quite a shock to the system.

The DVC and Suburban Catholic Conference play on Friday and Saturday. Benet and several other DuPage County teams face the same doubleheader grind.

Welcome back, fellas.

"It's going to test us, there's no doubt about it," Heidkamp said. "But we're very anxious to get back on the court."

kschmit@dailyherald.com