Who had the area’s top holiday basketball tournament performances?
Now that we’ve had a chance to exhale, it’s time to look back on the furious action from the high school basketball holiday tournaments.
The titles won by area teams are too many to recount, but a special shoutout to Benet’s boys team for winning the prestigious Pontiac Holiday Tournament for the first time.
This edition of the High Five honors the area’s top performances from the last two weeks of holiday tournament action.
5. Bryce Wegrzyn, Libertyville
Wegrzyn is the lone member of the list to not win a holiday tournament title, but his effort at the 47th Wheeling Hardcourt Classic was too good to ignore.
The 6-foot-9 senior, committed to Winona State, shattered the tournament record by scoring 133 points in four games for a per-game average of 33.5 points. No one else in this year’s tournament scored more than 80 points.
Wegrzyn also averaged 8.8 rebounds for the Wildcats, who lost to eventual tournament champion Fremd in the second round.
4. Danyella Mporokoso, Waubonsie Valley
Behind Mporokoso, the Warriors stayed unbeaten on the season after rolling to the championship at the Bill Neibch Holiday Classic at Wheaton North.
The senior guard, committed to Illinois State University, was named the MVP at Wheaton North after a 70-40 title game victory over Glenbrook South. After scoring 26 points in a semifinal win over Hinsdale Central, Mporokoso tallied 11 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in the final.
3. Jordan Williams, Fremd
Williams, also committed to Illinois State, earned MVP honors at the Wheeling Hardwood Classic after scoring 26 points and grabbing 5 rebounds in the Vikings’ 58-36 win over Deerfield in the title game.
The 6-6 wing averaged 19.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in four victories while connecting on 59% of his shots from the field.
2. Trinity Jones, Naperville Central
The Clemson recruit returned from a knee injury just in time to lead the Redhawks to the title at the 42nd Komaromy Classic tournament at Dundee-Crown.
Playing her first game in nearly three weeks, Jones scored 21 points in a 49-39 semifinal win over Lake Park. Jones then exploded for 40 points on 58% shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds in a 77-74 win over Maine South in the championship game.
With her team trailing by 12 points after three quarters, Jones sparked a 25-10 run and scored 35 second-half points to lead the comeback.
1. Jaxson Davis, Warren
After claiming back-to-back MVP awards at the Proviso West tournament his freshman and sophomore years, Davis earned the same honor at this season’s Big Dipper Classic at Rich Township High School.
Davis, whose college offers include numerous Big Ten schools, capped the tournament with a career-high 51 points in an 88-54 win over Kenwood in the final.
The junior guard averaged 31 points over the course of the four-game event.