Basketball: Week 5 MVPs
Daily Herald report
Bartlett senior guard/forward Kristin Conniff and Metea Valley senior guard Kenny Obendorf have been selected MVPs for their performances over the holiday tournaments.
Conniff led her Bartlett teammates to the championship at the Dundee-Crown Charger Classic, and Obendorf paved the way for Metea Valley to win Hinsdale South's inaugural tournament.
Girls MVPKristin Conniff, Bartlett: The Hawks' 6-foot senior guard/forward had a breakout week in leading her team to its first championship at the Dundee-Crown Charger Classic. Conniff scored 87 points in the four games, including a career-high 32 in a 70-60 semifinal win over Fremd and 24 in the 76-66 title game victory over New Trier. She also pulled down 28 rebounds and made 10 3-pointers as Bartlett moved to 18-0 on the season.
Girls runners-upJoanna Guhl, Grayslake North: An achy ankle wasn't going to stop the 5-foot-10 junior center, who instead pained opponents in the Northern Illinois Holiday Classic. Her 14 points and 18 rebounds led the Knights to a 46-31 win over Marengo in the championship game. On Tuesday, she had 13 points and 11 rebounds in a 43-36 win over Hampshire.
Ashley McConnell, Fremd: McConnell was a scoring machine in the Charger Classic at Dundee-Crown. The junior guard averaged 21 points, including a career-high 32 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds and 4 steals against Fenwick and 22 points with five 3-pointers against Bartlett in the semifinals.
Claire Monroe, West Chicago: The Wildcats' senior guard averaged 20 points over four games in leading her team to the Oswego East tournament title. Monroe poured in 27 points in a second-round win over Plainfield Central and 19 against South Elgin in the championship game. She made a dozen 3s at a 38 percent rate and averaged 3.5 rebounds and 2 steals a game.
Alexis Nelson, West Aurora: For the second straight year, West Aurora put together an excellent week of basketball at the Wheaton North Falcon Classic. After winning the consolation title in 2010, the Blackhawks finished even better this year in third place. Nelson, an all-tournament pick, led the way averaging 11 points in the four games on 66 percent shooting from the field, 60 percent from 3-point range while averaging 3 steals, 4 assists and 2.5 rebounds a game.
Boys MVPKenny Obendorf, Metea Valley: Leading the Mustangs to the title of Hinsdale South's inaugural holiday tournament, the 6-foot-2 senior guard's MVP selection was a no-brainer. Shooting 72 percent from the floor, Obendorf averaged 23.5 points and 3 rebounds. He began the tourney with 27 points against Eisenhower and finished with 24 against Schaumburg.
Boys runners-upLuke Comerouski, Christian Liberty: Comerouski and Christian Liberty had a grand time in the school's first holiday tournament appearance. The senior guard surpassed 1,000 career points and averaged 11 points a game as the Chargers went 4-0 to win the Alden-Hebron crown.
Jared Helmich, Grant: Fat numbers for Jared, who feasted. The 6-foot-2 senior forward scored 27 points in helping the Bulldogs overcome a 22-point deficit in the third quarter to stun Lakes 65-62 and capture Grant's holiday tournament. Two nights earlier, he poured in a season-high 29 points in an 80-68 win over Johnsburg.
Ray Hunnicutt, Burlington Central: This 5-foot-11 senior was the model of consistency throughout Burlington Central's 3-2 showing at the Plano Christmas Classic. In 5 games, Hunnicutt averaged 19.6 points on 37-of-83 shooting (44.6 percent) and grabbed 8.6 rebounds. He finished third in the tournament in overall scoring (96 points), fourth in rebounds (41) and seventh in steals (12).
Alex Theisen, Marmion: A constant presence for the Cadets' run to runner-up status at DeKalb's Chuck Dayton Tournament, the 6-foot-1 junior guard averaged 14.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.4 steals to earn all-tourney honors. Theisen scored 23 points with 5 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists in a 59-52 win over Sterling.