One hot MSL West matchup
Playing on a Thursday night with temperatures outside well below zero doesn't figure to keep too many people away from arguably the Mid-Suburban League's biggest game of the boys basketball season.
Hoffman Estates (13-1, 4-0) hosts Schaumburg (14-2, 3-1) at 7:30 p.m. today in a battle between the best in the West and teams ranked 10th and eighth respectively in the Class 4A Associated Press state poll.
"I was pushing the game (tonight)," Hoffman coach Bill Wandro said of incoming freshman parent night Wednesday. "I'd like to see a lot of people there.
"But I don't care if five guys show up. I'm sure Bob's (Schaumburg coach Williams) kids and our kids will be ready to go at it."
Especially after one of the most dramatic games in the history of the rivalry last February when Schaumburg edged Hoffman 67-66 in a regional semifinal.
It also featured a memorable duel where Hoffman's Luke Mead had 25 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds and Schaumburg's Cully Payne scored half of his 24 points in the final 61/2 minutes.
"It's a great game for the players and one they look forward to every year," Wandro said, "and one they remember for many years no matter what happens."
What's happened so far for Hoffman is an ability to pull away late in games. Only two - a 54-53 win over South Elgin and its lone loss of 50-48 in overtime to Glenbrook South - have been decided by less than 7 points.
But only three of its wins have been by more than 15 points.
"I attribute part of that to hitting free throws (78 percent as a team), sometimes getting lucky and wearing people down," Wandro said. "We're not an overpowering team and we've all got to play together."
Which the Hawks have done with Mead (16.4 ppg) and seniors Chris Hall (10.8), Kemill Long (9.6) and workhorse Tom Dombrowski. Guard Kevin Tiongson, Brandon Fischer and big men Lance Vesper and Colin Conway have stepped in as juniors to provide a solid eight-man rotation.
Schaumburg is looking to rebound after getting knocked out of the West lead with a 62-52 loss to Fremd.
"It's an interesting week and a great task ahead of us," Schaumburg coach Bob Williams said of facing Hoffman and then Jacobs in the 6:30 p.m. game of Saturday's 12th annual "High School Hoops Showdown" at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates.
"The thing we learned from losing to Fremd, which coach pounded into us, is you've got to work before you get paid," Payne said at Wednesday's Hoops Showdown news conference of the Saxons' third straight loss to Fremd and second at home. "We came out as one of the top five-six teams in the state thinking things would be handed to us.
"I had kind of the wrong mindset going out there and we needed a loss like that to bring us down."
Hoffman will also have to stay up through its weekend trip for four games at Rockton Hononegah starting with a 9:30 a.m. game Saturday with third-ranked Neuqua Valley. The Hawks also face highly regarded Rockton Hononegah and Normal Community.
"I don't think any of our guys are really happy with where we're at right now, with where our expectations are," said Wandro, whose team lost to Schaumburg and then went 0-4 at Hononegah last year. "This weekend will be a really good learning experience for all of us and a good test of where we're at halfway through the season."
Rivalry game at Sears Centre: One of the things promoter Bob Rylko wanted to do with the 12th annual "High School Hoops Showdown" at the Sears Centre was put a pair of conference rivals together.
So, Barrington (3-14, 1-3) gave up its home game to take on Conant (10-5, 2-2) in their MSL West meeting at 4:30 p.m. to kick off the triple-header followed by Schaumburg-Jacobs and North Lawndale-St. Joseph.
"For us, giving up a home game was a no-brainer," said Barrington coach Marty Dello.
"It sounded like a really neat thing," said Conant coach Tom McCormack.
No matter where Conant plays, it needs to end a three-game losing streak since winning York's Jack Tosh Holiday Classic tournament title to stay in the hunt for a third straight West title.
"We're all really excited to play there, but we really need this win in conference to keep our standing up and I'm sure they (Barrington) do, too," said Conant senior guard Tony Rizzo. "Against Buffalo Grove (50-48 loss) the one thing we didn't do at all was we didn't make any hustle plays.
"I don't think we've been too far off (losses to Hoffman and Warren last weekend) but we need to get the details down to really beat great teams like that."
Barrington hopes playing at the Sears Centre is a continued boost after beating Palatine 47-45 last week. The Broncos have lost 4 overtime games and fell by only 5 points to 13-1 Moline, which is tied for fifth with Naperville Central in the 4A state rankings.
"We've faced a lot of adversity this year but the guys have kept their heads up and I'm proud of that fact," said 6-foot-8, Princeton-bound Mack Darrow. "It's not a bad locker room to be in and everyone still gets along. I still feel like everyone comes to work every day and that's all you can ask.
"Right now we feel we are coming together a little bit. The seniors realize this is it and we've got to make the most of our last 10 games."
And there is one nice benefit to being the opener of the triple-header where tickets for the entire evening are $13 for adults and $11 for students.
"I'm glad we're playing first so we can stick around and watch the other games and everyone bang heads," said McCormack, whose team hosts Schaumburg on Jan. 24 and St. Joseph on Feb. 14.
"Ping" looks to ring in 827: There were plenty of plaudits passed on from fellow coaches to St. Joseph's Gene Pingatore at Wednesday's Hoops Showdown news conference.
Pingatore can win his 827th career game at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Carmel and pass Dick Van Scyoc, best known for his work at Peoria Manual, as the state's winningest boys basketball coach.
"I've always admired the work he's done at St. Joe's," said North Lawndale coach Lewis Thorpe, whose defending 2A state champs will face the Chargers in Saturday's Sears Centre finale.
"I hope he doesn't pick up another one on that day," joked Conant coach Tom McCormack of St. Joseph's visit Feb. 14.
But the main focus for the Chargers, who are led by 6-8 UIC recruit Louis Green and just got DeAndre McCamey back last weekend from a torn ACL, is staying unbeaten in the East Suburban Catholic Conference going into next Friday's visit by St. Patrick.
"We don't even think about that stuff," Pingatore said of how his players have handled the hoopla surrounding his record chase. "We're just talking about we need to win Friday and we need to be undefeated when Pat's comes in."
The chase to pass Van Scyoc, who retired after a 1995 AA state title win, also includes Rockford Boylan's Steve Goers, who is at 825 wins after his team lost to Rockford Auburn last Saturday.
Nothing for Granted: One of the rallying points for Schaumburg has been senior Grant Grossman, who returned home Monday after a pair of surgeries for ulcerative colitis.
Grossman scored 10 points in the Saxons' opener and played in their first 6 games before his health problems began to surface.
"He's my next-door neighbor and when he got real sick it brought us together as a team and gave us something to play for," said senior teammate Cully Payne. "Grant's fighting for his life, so when we go on the court why can't we give everything we've got."
Battling Mustangs: Rolling Meadows finally broke out of a tough stretch of five straight losses and seven in eight games with a 55-34 win Tuesday over Maine West.
But even the last game of the losing streak - 52-45 at Lake Zurich last Saturday - didn't have Meadows coach Kevin Katovich discouraged.
"I feel like every game we've gotten better," Katovich said of a team that plays four juniors - including scoring leader Richie Kemph - and freshman Brian Nelms in its top eight. "At the beginning of the season we probably lose this (Lake Zurich) game by 25 or 30.
"Collectively this might be the nicest and hardest-working group I've had. They never get down, they've stuck together.
"I told them if you keep working at this and do what you're supposed to do the wins will follow."
Bear of a schedule: Lake Zurich has a 7-7 record with nearly all of its losses to teams in or receiving state-ranking consideration such as Warren, Zion-Benton, Lake Forest, Bartonville Limestone and Rockton Hononegah.
"We've played everybody but the Boston Celtics, that's the way we feel," joked Lake Zurich coach John Zarr. "It's amazing. I think in the long run it's going to pay off for us at tournament time."
It doesn't get easier this weekend with games against Stevenson and Warren followed by a trip to Zion on Jan. 23.
"The past few years I've been in this program," said 6-6 senior Brandon Kunz, "we've had tough starts but we played real tough teams and come February, we start playing and play with those good teams."
The Bears' biggest lost was 68-52 to Limestone at Pekin.
Warriors pick up a win: Maine West lost at Meadows on Tuesday but also picked up a win.
A 55-42 loss to Lake Park in the second round of Wheeling's Hardwood Classic became a forfeit victory. Maine West coach Erik McNeill said the Lancers used a player who was ejected in the tournament opener but coach Cray Allen and no one at the scorer's table was notified.
IHSA rules require athletes who are ejected to sit out the next contest. The Warriors are now 4-13 overall.
Maine West needs tourney teams: Maine West coach Erik McNeill is putting together a Thanksgiving tournament for next year and is looking for at least one team. Wheeling and Northside Prep are currently in the field.
For more information, contact the Maine West athletic department at (847) 803-5905 or McNeill at emcneill@maine207.org or (847) 827-7109.
Tip-ins: Schaumburg coach Bob Williams said he expects third-year varsity senior Blake Mueller to return to practice Jan. 30 from a torn ACL -Fremd is 5-7 against Schaumburg since winning their 2003 regional final - North Lawndale's bump up to 3A this year puts it in the same sectional with St. Joseph.