Fremd proves it can play with MSL's big boys
Seven wins in nine games has made Fremd more than just a team no one wants to play right now.
It's put the Vikings (7-9, 3-2) right in a four-team Mid-Suburban West boys basketball race as the second half of league play begins with 7:30 p.m. Saturday games.
They are tied for third with Conant (11-5, 3-2), which hosts co-leader Schaumburg (15-3, 4-1) in a big showdown. Fremd hosts Barrington (3-15, 1-4) and co-leader Hoffman Estates (14-5, 4-1) hosts Palatine (2-15, 0-5).
Beating Barrington 57-50 in overtime put an end to the Vikings' 0-7 start against an unforgiving schedule. Then they showed they could beat one of the big boys when they took care of Schaumburg 62-52 on Jan. 9.
"That was a big confidence booster for us," said sophomore Zach Monaghan, who is averaging 10.7 points with 24 3-pointers in 10 games since he was called up to the varsity.
"We definitely knew we were playing good going to Schaumburg, but we didn't know how we ranked up against a top team," said Fremd junior Chris Klimek, the team's leading scorer at 12.9 ppg. "We came out hard like every other game. When we noticed we could play with them we took off and never really looked back from there."
Monaghan has progressed quickly and averaged 14.4 points with 16 3s in his last five games. He also had 4 assists in Tuesday's 72-51 win over Larkin.
"The team has done a nice job of letting me in and treating me like I was there from the beginning," Monaghan said.
"We knew Zach was a competitor and we knew he could play," said Klimek, who was on the varsity all of last season. "His brothers (Daily Herald All-Area guards Pat and Matt) could play and he can play. We know the future looks good with him in a Fremd uniform."
The same is true with the other sophomore callup, guard Quinton Brown, and 6-foot-5 junior Charlie Rosenberg, who is averaging 3.8 points off the bench.
But it also looks bright right now for seniors such as returning All-Area guard Dan Bruno (11.8 ppg), 6-5 Will Reising, guard Joe Depaolis and reserves Tim Kubis, Alex Weis and Jamieson Gray.
Fremd's last MSL division title was in the North in 1997-98, a year before East-West realignment. The Vikings will have to go on the road to try and avenge losses to Conant and Hoffman the next two Fridays.
"It's a real-hard working group and we're going to fight for them," Klimek said.
"We're focusing on right now and what we have to do," Monaghan said. "The seniors have put in a lot of work."
Two-time defending MSL champion Conant will try to avenge a 62-43 loss to Schaumburg on Dec. 19.
The Cougars will need to get the complete game they've been looking for after racing to a 22-point halftime lead in a 53-39 win over Barrington at the Sears Centre last Saturday.
"We have to learn to bear down if we want to win anything," said Conant senior guard Tony Rizzo.
"We get too happy with what we've got," said Conant senior scoring leader Tim Gilhooly. "We've got to learn to push it and push it."
Wichmann keeps BG in it: Buffalo Grove (12-5, 4-1) visits rival Hersey (5-11, 1-4) on Saturday can't afford any slip-ups to have a shot at a third straight MSL East title.
BG senior guard Dan Wichmann scored 7 of his 10 points in a 67-60 fourth-quarter comeback win over Elk Grove last Saturday.
"'Wick' had an impact on both ends of the floor," said BG coach Ryan O'Connor after his team got 19 points off 20 Elk Grove turnovers. "If we're going to get to where we want to get to he has to do that.
"We see it in practice all the time. He's no longer a (junior) role player, he has to be one of our leaders."
It was the first double-figure scoring game for Wichmann since he scored 12 twice in BG's Thanksgiving tourney.
"That was one of the better games I've played in awhile," Wichmann said. "The main issue for me is confidence in games."
Prospect (11-5, 5-0) hosts Rolling Meadows (8-9, 3-2) and Wheeling (6-10, 2-3) is at Elk Grove (5-13, 0-5) in the other East games.
Long shots: A 44-point first-half outburst by Fremd on Tuesday carried over into halftime when basketball and football assistant Jason Hogrefe nailed a half-court shot as part of a free hot dog promotion - Fremd is going to Crystal Lake Central's Thanksgiving tournament next year, which is expanding from six to eight teams. The Vikings will be in a different pool than Hoffman - Hoffman also visits Barrington at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in an MSL West game - Buffalo Grove faces Lindblom at 3 p.m. Sunday at Loyola's Gentile Center - Because of a schedule conflict, Schaumburg will now host Glenbrook South on Feb. 14 instead of playing Feb. 8 at Loyola.