No resolutions, but plenty of prep basketball thoughts for the new year
Most of the time I file my New Year’s resolutions with the dusty treadmill in the garage.
This year I’m hedging my bets.
Instead of offering high school basketball resolutions, I’m throwing out some random thoughts for 2024.
I can tell already, it’s going to be quite a season.
Bring it home
Since the four-class system for the IHSA boys basketball playoffs began in 2008, teams from the Daily Herald coverage area have won the Class 4A title only twice.
Stevenson and Jalen Brunson did it in 2015 and, in 2022, Glenbard West rolled with one of the most dominant performances in state history.
Can Herald City claim another crown this season? Based on the results of the holiday tournaments, it’s certainly possible.
Warren’s championship at the Proviso West tournament opened a bunch of eyes, especially through the MVP performance of freshman Jaxson Davis (more on him later).
Hosting a regional and playing in the Rockford Guilford sectional will be an edge for the Blue Devils (15-1), who then would face the winner of the Elgin sectional for a spot in the 4A semifinals. Rolling Meadows (12-2), Palatine (12-5), Lake Zurich (11-4) or any number of teams in a balanced field could await if the Blue Devils keep winning.
Warren’s lone loss was to Mt. Carmel, another 4A title contender that won the Pekin tournament.
Is this the season Benet (14-1) breaks through? The Redwings finished second in 4A in 2014, 2016 and last year, falling to Moline in the title game.
If Benet survives the East Aurora sectional, it’ll face a different route than normal to Champaign against the winner of the Pekin sectional.
The Redwings’ lone loss came to Curie in the final of the Pontiac tournament.
Looking for some area darkhorses? Check out Downers Grove North (12-2), which last year finished fourth in 4A, and Lake Park (13-3), which was second at Pekin.
Running the table
Only one girls basketball team since 2012 finished the season unbeaten, Maine West in 2019.
Let’s look south this season. Well, not too far south.
Maine South is unbeaten through 18 games, an impressive feat punctuated by a victory over Stevenson, another state title contender, in the Komaromy Classic at Dundee-Crown.
Meegan Fahy is one of several players returning from last year’s team that fell in the supersectional. Unbeaten or not, this group is hungry for another shot.
Can the Hawks run the table?
It won’t be easy. In fact, Maine South faces Stevenson in a rematch Saturday at Hinsdale Central.
Baby New Year
Let’s get back to Jaxson Davis for a second.
The 6-foot-1 guard has created quite the buzz at Warren, which wasn’t on the preseason radar of too many experts. And while much was expected of Davis heading into his freshman campaign, a 36-point performance in the Proviso West title game was stunning.
Davis was just offered by Illinois, but an avalanche of offers is surely coming.
Another young player making a name for himself is Benet sophomore Gabe Sularski, a 6-7 wing. Dazzling so far for the Redwings, he boasts offers from Illinois, Michigan State, Purdue and others.
There are many more area youngsters to track this year and beyond. Fremd sophomore Jordan Williams and Wheaton Academy freshman Hayden Schroeder are just a couple that come to mind.
Davis and Sularski, though, are must-see.