Scouting DuPage County holiday tournaments
The girls basketball holiday tournament season already has gotten under way with the Benet/Naperville North Holiday Tournament, won by the Redwings, and Marian Catholic Invite, won by Montini. But most of the action won't begin until next week.
These are the tournaments where the 29 DuPage County teams will test their mettle before heading into the new year.
Montini: Dec. 27-30
The field: Batavia, Benet, Evanston, Geneva, Hersey, Huntley, Lake Zurich, Lyons Twp., Marian Catholic, Marist, Montini, Mother McAuley, Nazareth, Oak Park-River Forest, Proviso East, St. Joseph.
The defending champion: Montini.
The favorite: Montini.
The scoop: If you're looking for the best talent and the best teams in one place in Illinois, look no further. This is a power tournament. And remember, just because a team doesn't win this tournament doesn't mean it won't win the Class 4A championship. Geneva and Benet, the last two state champs, didn't win the Montini title. This tournament is that loaded. So loaded that last year it attracted recruiters from 48 colleges. So loaded that it attracts big crowds. Montini, which has yet to lose to an Illinois team, gets the top seed, followed by undefeated Geneva and Benet. Benet is coming off a championship in its own tournament that it splits with Naperville North, and it's riding a 14-game winning streak. But the Redwings again will be without University of Denver-bound shooting guard Tsimba Malonga, who is out 4-6 weeks with a knee injury. Fourth-seeded Nazareth, led by Providence recruit Alyssa Geary, is an up-and-coming team that should not be overlooked, even if it is in Class 3A. Mother McAuley is no slouch, and Proviso East is good enough to upset Benet in a quarterfinal if the seeds hold. Not many tournaments have one-loss teams as the No. 7 seed, but that's Marian Catholic. Oak Park and Marist are athletic, skilled and well-coached to the point that they could surprise any teams that have a post-Christmas lull.
Quotable: "From Day 2 on you get big crowds, and I think that's awesome for these girls," Montini coach Jason Nichols said.
Wheaton North: Dec. 26-29
The field: Bartlett, Downers Grove North, Elgin, Elk Grove, Glenbard North, Glenbard South, Glenbrook South, Hinsdale Central, Jacobs, Palatine, St. Charles East, Schaumburg, Waubonsie Valley, West Aurora, Wheaton North, Willowbrook.
The defending champion: Wheaton North.
The favorite: Wheaton North.
The scoop: After winning their first holiday tournament in 26 years, the Falcons open this year's version as the top seed. Palatine is an improved team this year. Glenbard South sits at No. 3, having lost only to defending state champion Geneva in the season opener. The Raiders only have eight players on the roster, but they've been together for a few years and play very well together. It's hard to think of Glenbrook South as a dark horse, as well as it's done in this tournament over the years, but the Titans, one of the most well-coached teams in the tournament, will be playing from the fourth seed. Bartlett, led by Kayla Hare, could make waves out of the sixth spot also, joining the field at Wheaton North after years at Dundee-Crown's tournament. No. 5 West Aurora, in its 22nd straight year in the tournament, is very athletic, and Downers Grove North shouldn't be forgotten as the seventh seed. Waubonsie Valley didn't earn one of the top eight seeds, but the Warriors have been improving and could be ready pull a surprise or two here. As Wheaton North coach Dave Eaton points out, his Falcons came from the seventh seed to win last year's tournament. This tournament is up for grabs. If a team gets hot at the right time, it could go all the way, as the Falcons did last year.
Quotable: "This year's team is going to make their own mark. Last year's team did what they needed to do. We're not defending anything. ... Now it's up to this year's group to do what they're going to do." Wheaton North coach Dave Eaton.
Lisle: Dec. 27-30
The field: Addison Trail, Antioch, Chicago Christian, Coal City, Harvest Christian, Illiana Christian, Latin, Lisle, Reed-Custer, Rosary, St. Edward, St. Francis, Timothy Christian, Walther Christian, Westmont, Wheaton Academy.
The defending champion: St. Edward.
The favorite: Walther Christian.
The scoop: The host Lions went from a top seed to unseeded in one night when they lost starting guards Natalie Takahashi and McKenzie Weaver to injury Dec. 7. Weaver and Takahashi returned to action Friday night and each scored in double digits, though they might still have some rust to shake off. Unfortunately for the Lions, they open with No. 3 seed St. Edward, no easy task. Last year St. Edward defeated Illiana Christian in the tournament championship, then the two teams met again in a Class 2A supersectional, which St. Edward also won. St. Francis will be a factor as long as Antwainette Walker remains healthy. The Spartans might have been seeded higher than fourth had Walker been healthy early in the season. The Arkansas-Little Rock recruit is perhaps the best player in the tournament. Walther Christian is the top seed in the tournament, and Harvest Christian makes its Lisle debut as the second seed. Harvest Christian sports returning all-stater Alyssa Iverson, who also is getting healthy after early-season injuries.
Quotable: "I think there's a good balance. Then when you get away from those top six teams there's still a lot of competitive games even for teams at the end of the bracket," said Lisle coach Nick Balaban.
Riverside-Brookfield: Dec. 27-30
The field: Argo, DeLaSalle, Glenbard East, Glenbard West, Hope, Jones, Morton, Niles North, Riverside-Brookfield, Shepard, Taft, York.
The defending champion: Glenbard West.
The favorite: Glenbard West.
The scoop: Glenbard West rolled to the championship last year with a series of blowout victories. The Hilltoppers could be even better this year. Katelyn Heller has developed into a reliable go-to scorer in the backcourt, and fellow junior Jamiyah Thomas has become a force in the low post. Senior guards Cameron Kruse and Sammy Harris provide leadership, defense and steady ballhandling. York and Riverside-Brookfield seem most likely to challenge the Hilltoppers. Danielle Dennis and Caylin Rufus are the engine for the Dukes.
Dundee-Crown, Dec. 27-30
The field: Barrington, Buffalo Grove, Dundee-Crown, Fenwick, Hampshire, Hononegah, Maine South, Maine West, Naperville Central, New Trier, Prospect, Resurrection, St. Charles North, South Elgin, Stevenson, Trinity.
The favorite: Maine West.
The scoop: Naperville Central should be competitive in this tournament, but the path to the final won't be easy. It starts with Buffalo Grove, with Stevenson likely to follow. Penn recruit Mia Lakstigala remains the Redhawks' leader in almost every facet of the game, but Lucy Schmid can't be overlooked down low, and freshman Gabi Melby is making a name for herself. Maine West has shown itself to be one of the best teams in the Chicago area this season, and Fenwick also is good. Throw in Maine South, New Trier and Hononegah and you have a fun field to watch.
The Classic at Bloomington-Normal, Dec. 27-30
Large-school bracket
The field: Bloomington, Canton, Chatham Glenwood, Geneseo, Mahomet-Seymour, Morton, Normal Community, Normal U-High, Normal West, North Lawndale, Peoria Richwoods, Rochester, Simeon, Springfield, St. Ignatius, Wheaton Warrenville South.
The defending champion: Rock Island.
The favorite: Morton.
The scoop: The tournament is wide open now without Rock Island in it. WW South opens with a tough game against Chatham Glenwood. The Tigers should do well if they play their usual solid defense. The Tigers also rarely allow more than 30 points a game.
Small-school bracket
The field: Annawan, Bishop McNamara, Bloomington Central Catholic, Brimfield, Camp Point Central, Danville Schlarman, El Paso-Gridley, Fairbury Prairie Central, IC Catholic Prep, LeRoy, Peoria Christian, Rock Falls, Rockford Lutheran, Rock Island Alleman, St. Joseph-Ogden, St. Thomas More.
The defending champion: Camp Point Central.
The favorite: Camp Point Central.
The scoop: IC Catholic Prep has been struggling lately, but the Knights could get a boost next week with the return from injury of Kiersten King. Claire Gibler probably won't return from injury until January.
Oswego East: Dec. 26-29
The field: Aurora Central Catholic, Catalyst Maria, Downers Grove South, East Aurora, Joliet Central, Harlem, Lemont, Lincoln-Way West, Lockport, Metea Valley, Oswego, Oswego East, Plainfield Central, Sycamore, West Chicago.
Collins Academy: Dec. 26-29
The field: Al Raby, Austin, Bulls Academy, Butler Prep, Collins, Crane, Dunbar, Fenton, Gary Comer, Orr, Prosser, Rockford Auburn, Roosevelt, Solario, TF North, Westinghouse.