Lake County boys basketball notes: Warren, Wauconda lead respective conference races heading into home stretch

There is no slowing down for the Warren Township boys basketball team.

The Blue Devils started the week 21-2 overall and were leading the North Suburban Conference at 9-0. Warren, which has won 4 in a row, was ranked fifth in a recent Class 4A Associated Press state poll.

That 4-game winning streak included a 76-35 win over Chicago Perspectives, an 85-77 win over Wisconsin Lutheran and league wins over Zion (76-47) and Waukegan (72-59).

Two-time Daily Herald Lake County All-Area Captain Jaxson Davis is averaging 25 points a game and 5.6 assists, while Braylon Walker leads the team in rebounding at 5.9 per game.

Coach Zack Ryan noted Avonn King is back and healthy, averaging 7.8 points and 3.5 rebounds since his return. Ryan also has been thrilled with the play of Cashius Collins and Lebron Massey. “Cashius and Lebron are giving us great rebounding and defense off the bench,” he said.

Antioch update: Since the holiday break, senior Chance Parsons is leading Antioch (5-19, 1-8 Northern Lake County), averaging 10 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists.

Senior Zach Kavich also has been a key contributor. He had 5 steals in a recent contest. “Zach brings great energy off the bench and plays his role, usually guarding the other team’s best player and hustling on defense,” Antioch coach Sean Connor said.

Connor, whose team recently beat Rochelle Zell out of Deerfield 56-28, noted the Sequoits are scoring at a higher clip since the holidays and had more wins in January than they did the first month-and-a-half of the season. Antioch also is shooting 70% from the free-throw line.

Carmel Catholic update: Ethan Matz leads the Corsairs (8-17, 2-5 East Suburban Catholic) in scoring at 17 points, while also averaging 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. Junior Jackson Stavros averages 10 points. “Jackson gives us a second scoring option,” Carmel coach Mike Wasielewski said. “He was injured for about half the season, which really hurt us.”

Sophomore Jameer Miles, a Division I football recruit with offers from a host of Big Ten teams, is now part of the varsity squad. “Jameer is 6-3 and 190 pounds and guards the biggest guy on the other team,” Wasielewski said.

Wasielewski pointed out Carmel went 2-9 in January. “January was rough for us with a really tough schedule,” he said.

Grayslake Central update: The Rams are riding a 3-game winning streak after a Tuesday win against Vernon Hills in overtime. The victory pushed Central to 18-7 overall. The Rams sit 1 game behind Northern Lake County Conference leader Wauconda at 8-1.

Carson Woods, Alex Granville and Cole Halverson all average double digits in scoring for the Rams, while Cordell Johnson is the team’s leading rebounder. Granville is tops in steals, while Woods leads in assists.

Coach Brian Centella noted Johnson has been great all season controlling the paint with his rebounding and defense, while Halverson “is a matchup nightmare for teams because he is so versatile scoring in the post or on the perimeter,” he said.

Centella, who has been impressed with his team’s defense this season, also lauded the efforts of Aidan Bechard and Owen Perez. “Aidan does all the little things and defends at such a high level,” he said. “Owen has been terrific off the bench.”

Grayslake North update: In his first season as a starter, Knights coach Josh Feinzimer pointed out Rees Jorden has rebounded at an incredible pace. Feinzimer added Jorden has a chance to set the school single-season record in that category, needing to stay on his current 8 boards-per-game pace to do that. Jorden’s success comes on the heels of a breakout football season where he was named the Knights’ team MVP.

Uros Mitrovic leads North (9-14, 2-7 Northern Lake County) in scoring at 15 points per game, while senior Ethan Miller, who has started about three-quarters of the Knights’ games, also was praised for his efforts.

“While Ethan’s statistics don’t stand out, he knows our offense and defense inside out and always brings his best every day,” Feinzimer said. “He is also a standout in the classroom.”

Feinzimer noted North is in the heart of the team’s toughest stretch of season currently, “but we feel there are wins out there for us to get in this final 6-game stretch heading into the playoffs,” he said.

Lakes update: Aidan Hopkins leads the Eagles in rebounding at 6 per game. “Aidan has been a rebounding machine for us,” Lakes coach Chris Snyder said. “At 6-1, he is not afraid to go in and battle with the big guys for boards. He is consistently our leading rebounder.”

Hopkins has a pair of 12-rebound ballgames to his credit.

Ben Newcomb and Carter Martin each are averaging 15 points per game for the Eagles (12-9, 6-3 Northern Lake County), while Dorian Pullen averages a robust 6.5 assists per game. Martin shot 5-for-9 from 3 in a recent game against Grayslake North and has drained 52 threes this season.

Snyder added Lakes has benefited from the efforts of the scout team, which includes Nico Rosado, Cal Bradley, James Moormann, Jaylen Pinkard and Tony Loyola.

“Our entire scout team has had a huge impact on our team,” Snyder said. “These are the guys who do the little things we need to succeed.”

Lake Zurich update: The Bears (10-13, 3-6 North Suburban) started the week on a 2-game winning streak, including a victory over Glenbrook North (51-42). Lake Zurich also beat Lake Forest (39-23) in a NSC contest.

“Defensively, we have really performed well,” Lake Zurich coach Terry Coughlin said. “We are giving up 41 points over our last 10 games. Our defensive performances are giving us a chance to compete in every game.”

Kain Kretschmar is averaging 12 points and 5 rebounds per game for the Bears, while Adrian Riep is right there as well at 11.5 points and 5 rebounds. Zach Bonelli-Schultz recently registered a career-high 10 points against Lake Forest. “Zach had a great weekend (this past weekend),” Coughlin said. “He is defending and rebounding at a super-high level and is playing his role to perfection.”

Lake Zurich also has been bolstered by the return of Evan Peterson from injury. “Evan makes a huge difference in our team,” Coughlin explained. “Since he came back from injury, we are above .500 and his leadership at this point guard position is irreplaceable for us as a group. Evan makes winning plays that don’t necessarily show up in the box score.”

Coughlin also shouted out seniors Brian Bennett and Jacob Hempfling. “Brian and Jacob don’t get a ton of recognition, but they are selfless leaders by example that keep our team together and focused at all times.”

Mundelein update: The Mustangs were 6-18 through their first 24 games and 2-6 in North Suburban Conference play. Mundelein scored a recent conference win against Zion.

Junior varsity coach Matt Belito noted sophomore Jack Maresh had a big third quarter, burying multiple 3s to help Mundelein down Zion in front of the home crowd. Junior Spencer Thomas and junior Will Passolt hit key free throws down the stretch.

Round Lake update: Ryder Haynes has been an unsung hero for the Panthers (9-12, 1-8 Northern Lake County) since starting center DJ Billups was injured.

Haynes is averaging double digits in scoring and 8 rebounds per game over a recent 6-game span “and has been one of the main reasons we have been competitive being an undersized team,” coach Jack Hansa said.

Jaquan Jamerson leads Round Lake in scoring at 17 points per game, while Devin Powell averages 5 assists. Jamerson is also the team’s leading rebounder (6 per game) and is tied for the top spot in steals at 3 per game along with Powell.

Stevenson update: The Patriots also are one of the county’s hottest teams, winners of 6 of their last 7 to start the week. Stevenson (17-6, 6-2 North Suburban) downed Mundelein (65-34) in Lincolnshire and picked up a key 77-75 road league win at Waukegan.

“We are trying to continue to get better every week as we try and improve our resume for sectional voting,” Stevenson coach Will Benson said.

Benson noted Cohen Ottaviano probably leads Stevenson in zero categories, “but is a very steady player for us,” he said. “We always have him throw the ball in for us at the end of games because we trust his intelligence and poise. He does a ton of little things for us that go unnoticed.”

Donny Williams leads Stevenson in scoring (18.2 points per game), assists (3 per game) and steals (2 per game), while Aidan Albrecht is the team’s top rebounder (7 per game). Albrecht and Quentin Frakes were cited for strong rebounding. “Aidan and Quentin continue to do a good job on the glass for us,” Benson said.

Vernon Hills update: Some high praise from Cougars coach Matt McCarty on the recent 33-point, 10-assist game Jeremy Zamost had against Grayslake North. “That was about as complete a game from the point-guard position as we have ever had in program history,” he said.

Vernon Hills started the week 18-8 overall and was 7-1 in Central Suburban North play. The Cougars recently enjoyed a 5-game winning streak with all triumphs coming away from home.

The Cougars downed Maine West (59-50) and Grayslake North (64-44) in recent action and also dropped a 61-56 game in overtime Monday to Grayslake Central.

Daniel Odhiambo leads the team in scoring at 14.5 points per game, while Jeremy Zamost is at 13.7 points and Brady Larsen averages 11.8 points.

Odhiambo had a season-high 13 rebounds to go with 17 points in the Grayslake North win. He’s averaging 8.7 rebounds per game.

McCarty explained Odhiambo returned to action against Hoffman Estates after missing an extended stretch with an injury. Vernon Hills lost that game 60-58, but “Daniel is certainly our most important player for rim protection,” McCarty said.

Senior guard Nico Robles also has played a key role this season for the Cougars. “Nico is a player who comes off the bench and gives us another weapon for 3-point shooting. He hit a huge 3 for us late in the game against Maine West to get us over the hump. He is also involved in a lot of school activities, which we love.”

Wauconda update: The Bulldogs hit the 20-win barrier after a 67-51 win over Grayslake North Tuesday (their 11th win in a row). Wauconda also beat Woodstock North 85-49 on Monday. In addition to a 20-6 overall mark, the Bulldogs are atop the Northern Lake County Conference at 9-0.

Wauconda is averaging 66.6 points per game, 32.4 points in the paint and 19.5 points off turnovers, while averaging 24.9 deflections and steals a game. Coach Ty Weidner also noted in addition to those key team markers, it also stresses the importance of shots taken per game, which the Bulldogs sit at 67.9 per game in that category (52.9 field goals attempted and 15 free throws attempted a contest).

Senior Alex Ortega is averaging 18 points and shooting 60.6% from 2-point range, while senior Tony Salemi averages 16.9 points, 5 rebounds and is shooting 57.1% from 2. Junior Austin Carlson is at 14.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.3 blocks, while Leo Brinias, a junior, averages 9.5 points, 3.2 assists, 2.4 steals and has a 2.26 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Brinias also leads the team in the Value Point System rating at 1.74. The VPS was created by basketball coach Danny Miles and measures a player’s overall game efficiency, balancing positive actions (points, rebounds, steals and assists) against negative ones (misses, turnovers, fouls). A score of 1 is average, while 1.5 and higher is considered excellent.

“Everyone knows about Alex Ortega by now, I’m sure, but our other guard who doesn’t get a lot of attention is Leo,” Weidner said. “He does so much stuff for us that goes unnoticed. His defensive rotations and consistent ball pressure on the wing has been incredible, especially in comparison to his sophomore season. The improvement has been tremendous and what was one of Leo’s goals in our preseason meeting to have more consistency and not take plays off on the defensive end and he is definitely living up to that standard. He leads us in assists, steals and assist/turnover ratio, meaning he values the basketball, something our program stresses daily, which can be hard given our playing style.”

For those curious, the VPS formula is calculated by adding points, rebounds (2 X assists) and (2 X recoveries) and dividing by missed field goals, plus missed free throws plus (2 X fouls) plus (2X turnovers).

Weidner noted Salemi and Carlsen have done a much better job playing in the post “and not being so perimeter oriented as the season has progressed, which has allowed for our offense to be more efficient in the half court,” he explained. “Both Tony and Austin are our main source of rebounding as well, and with their unique skill sets allow us to get out and run.”

Weidner added getting an unexpected and healthy Khalil Roberson back from knee surgery will be huge in lengthening Wauconda’s rotation. “Khalil is an extremely versatile player because he can play anywhere in our matchup defense and gives us more toughness and grit with his football background.”

Salemi had 22 points and Carlsen added 19 in the win against Grayslake North.