Scouting the Waukegan sectional
Waukegan Class 4A sectional semifinals
No. 1 Lake Forest (23-4) vs. No. 4 Warren (22-5)
When: 7:30 p.m. today
TV: Live on Comcast Digital Channel 100
Radio: 1220 AM-WKRS
Road to the sectional: Lake Forest defeated: Barrington, 67-46 and Stevenson, 55-43. Warren defeated Rolling Meadows, 70-47 and Lake Zurich, 69-62.
Probable starting lineups
Lake Forest Warren
Player Ht. Yr. Pos. Player Ht. Yr.
Kevin Berardini 6-1 Sr. G Aaron Montgomery 5-8 Sr.
Matt Vogrich 6-4 Sr. G David Duncan 5-11 Sr.
Jonathan Sobinsky 6-2 Sr. G Brandon Paul 6-3 Sr.
Mitch Hopfinger 6-4 Jr. F Jake Anderson 6-3 Sr.
Tommy Rees 6-3 Jr. F James Poliquin 6-4 Sr.
Previous meetings: Lake Forest and Warren split this year, each winning on the other's home court. Both games went to overtime no less. Warren won the first game way back in early December, 70-62 and Lake Forest won on Jan. 23, 66-64.
Scouting report: This has all the makings of an "Instant Classic." It's a grudge match, it's a star-studded affair, all rolled into one. Each team would like to settle the score after splitting a pair of overtime games earlier this season. And they'll ride their superstars to do it. Guards Matt Vogrich of Lake Forest (22.3 ppg) and Brandon Paul of Warren (20.3 ppg) are two of the best in Illinois, and will be continuing their rivalry long after this game. Vogrich will be playing at Michigan while Paul is off to Illinois. Stopping either player is likely out of the question. Vogrich racked up a combined 74 points against Warren this season, while Paul had a total of 58 points against Lake Forest. Both teams can only hope to slow the superstars and then firmly contain the others. ... Warren must defend against the Scouts' penetration. In their earlier loss to Lake Forest, the Blue Devils were a step slow and paid for it. Lake Forest constantly drove to the basket and got Warren into foul trouble. The Blue Devils had three players foul out and Lake Forest shot 31 free throws to Warren's 19. ... "They're the No. 1 seed for a reason," Warren coach Chuck Ramsey said of Lake Forest. "They've been the most consistent, toughest team from start to finish. It will be a real challenge for us."... In Warren's previous win, rebounding was a struggle for Lake Forest. The Blue Devils racked up plenty of second-chance opportunities on the offensive glass. ... "Every possession is going to count against a team like Warren," Lake Forest coach Phil LaScala said. "They're physical, they rebound well and they're starting five seniors who all have a sense of urgency about them. That can be a huge benefit this time of year."... Two of Warren's seniors are averaging double figures. Guard David Duncan, a three-point specialist, is at 11 points per game while big, strong forward James Poliquin, an offensive lineman for the football team, is averaging 10.8 points per game. ... Beside Vogrich, Lake Forest's only other double-figure scorer is forward Mitch Hopfinger, who is at 13 points per game.
No. 2 Waukegan (22-4) vs. No. 3 Zion-Benton (25-6)
When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday
TV: Live on Comcast Digital Channel 100
Radio: 1220 AM-WKRS
Road to the sectional: Waukegan defeated: Mundelein, 102-71 and Fremd, 80-50. Zion-Benton defeated: Deerfield, 71-51 and Conant, 66-54.
Probable starting lineups
Waukegan Zion-Benton
Player Ht. Yr. Pos. Player Ht. Yr.
Mike Springs 6-0 Jr. G Ronald Steward 5-10 Sr.
Aaron Johnson 5-10 Soph. G Lenzelle Smith 6-4 Jr.
Jereme Richmond 6-7 Jr. F Quintrell Love 6-0 Sr.
Quan Conner 6-2 Jr. G/F Owen Worthington 6-5 Soph.
Colin Nickerson 6-3 Sr. G/C Markus Yarbrough 6-8 Sr.
Previous meeting: In a high-octane affair from start to finish on Feb. 10, Zion-Benton outlasted Waukegan, 95-86.
Scouting report: When Waukegan star forward Jereme Richmond hung on the rim after a dunk attempt last Friday against Fremd and was tagged with his second technical, the road to the sectional title game seemingly opened up a bit for Zion-Benton. The 6-foot-7 Richmond, who was ejected, was to serve an automatic one-game suspension per IHSA rules, which meant he would miss this game...But, hold the phone! In a dramatic twist, the IHSA ruled late Monday that Richmond will in fact be eligible for the game. After requesting and then reviewing a video clip from the Fremd game, the IHSA determined that Richmond's rim hanging was not done in an unsportsmanlike manner. So, scratch the technical and scratch the suspension. Richmond is in. "We're very pleased with the situation as it's unfolded," Waukegan coach Ron Ashlaw said. "It brings the storyline back to the game as opposed to on Jereme. And this game, between two rivals, is what people around here have been starving for."...The reinstatement of Richmond, who is just a junior but has already committed to Illinois and scored 28 points against Zion-Benton earlier this season, is huge for Waukegan. But Zion-Benton coach Don Kloth cautions that Waukegan would have been dangerous even without Richmond in the lineup. "If people think Waukegan is all Jereme Richmond then they don't know Waukegan," Kloth said. "There are a lot of very good players on that team who can hurt you."... Indeed, Waukegan guard Colin Nickerson is one of the best guards in the state. In fact, the Bulldogs have a roster full of talented guards. What they're short on - literally - is size - and Zion-Benton has plenty of that. Junior guard Lenzelle Smith (16 ppg), who has already committed to Ohio State, is 6-foot-4 and gives the Zee-Bees a big presence on the perimeter. That's matched by the imposing inside presence of center Markus Yarbrough (14 ppg) and forward Owen Worthington, who check in at 6-feet-8 and 6-5, respectively. Waukegan's tallest starter besides Richmond is 6-3. ... "Waukegan likes to run the ball and I bet they're really going to do that in this game," Kloth said. "They'll be pressing and trapping and trying to make this another fast-paced game."... Look for Zion-Benton point guard Ronald Steward (12 ppg) to be a difference maker in cracking Waukegan's pressure.
Championship game: Winners play at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
TV: Tape delay on Comcast Digital Channel 100 at 10:30 p.m.
Radio: 1220 AM-WKRS
- Patricia Babcock McGraw