Neuqua hoping to smooth out Waubonsie's edge

The rivalry between Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley has come a long way from its 1998-99 origins.

Waubonsie won that inaugural meeting 72-38.

As Todd Sutton's Neuqua program has matured it's more likely been a close game, last season's 68-51 Wildcats win notwithstanding.

"I will assume it will come down to the last minute of the game just like most of the games against them," Sutton stated ahead of Friday's Upstate Eight Conference contest at Waubonsie Valley.

Including holiday, regular season and postseason play Waubonsie Valley holds a 12-9 edge in the series. Neuqua Valley started 0-5 against the Warriors before a 44-43 conference win in the 2001-02 season.

"Typically when we play (Neuqua) we don't have to give a lot of motivational talks to them," said Waubonsie coach Steve Weemer of his players. "Typically the kids are pretty fired up. You've got to calm them down, some games."

This season on paper Neuqua Valley is the obvious favorite. The 12-1 Wildcats have forwards Dwayne Evans and Kyle Pembrook, guard Rahjan Muhammad and center Kareem Amedu all averaging between 11.1 and 18.5 points. All-Area returnees Evans and Amedu pull down 10.5 and 5.8 rebounds on average, respectively.

Neuqua Valley is shooting 54.3 percent as a team - nearly equaling its 57.6 free throw percentage - and averages less than 11 turnovers.

Weemer emphasized Neuqua's rebounding, and the 5-10 Warriors will counter Amedu and St. Louis University-bound Evans with 6-foot-7 Tyler Edmondson, brawny post Mark Szott and 6-3 Nick Lisauskas and Josh Lynn.

Weemer generally runs a three-guard outfit headed by leading scorer Tyler Perkins - who beat Elgin on a basket in the last three seconds left to give Waubonsie three wins in its last four games - Jakobi Johnson and Alex Edmondson.

"We have to keep them off the glass and limit their opportunities for second-chance points," Weemer said.

The precedent is set for an entertaining contest.

"The Waubonsie game is always fun, even when they beat us," Sutton said.

The long good Saturday: Downers Grove North's Winter Classic is getting a makeover.

The day-long shootout always has enjoyed a West Suburban Conference and DuPage Valley Conference feel to it, but this year it's moving closer to official "challenge" status.

Saturday's marathon showdown between the two leagues is no accident.

"It's two great conferences, and I thought it'd be good to get a challenge going," said Downers North coach Jim Thomas. "It'll be a lot of fun."

A Wheaton North graduate, Thomas has a vested interest in both conferences. Morning, noon and night on Saturday, bragging rights will be on the line.

Seven games loom on the schedule, beginning with a 10:30 a.m. matchup between Hinsdale South and West Chicago. Two games aren't "challenge" affairs - the noon game between Downers North and Hinsdale South, the lone girls game of the Classic, and the 1:30 p.m. boys game between Proviso East and Waubonsie Valley.

Starting at 3 p.m., the final four games feature a WSC team against a DVC team.

Hinsdale Central faces Glenbard North at 3 p.m., followed by Downers South against Wheaton Warrenville South and Wheaton North against Downers North. A long day of competition wraps up with a 7:30 p.m. game between York and Glenbard East.

As always, the Winter Classic boasts plenty of good games. The extra edge of a WSC-DVC challenge simply adds to the energy.

"It should be a good day of hoops," Thomas said. "You've got a great field of teams out there."

No fear: Midway through the fourth quarter of last Friday's cross-town game, Naperville Central junior David Niggins turned the momentum when he flew in from the wing to slam home a putback of a missed shot. Taking a 37-35 lead at that point, the Redhawks held on for a 45-41 victory over visiting Naperville North.

Niggins' electric play looked eerily similar to a dunk he attempted a couple weeks earlier. That one, however, didn't end so well.

In Naperville Central's Dec. 18 loss at Glenbard East, he attempted to soar over a Rams player for a one-handed putback dunk. Instead of the slam, though, Niggins flipped over the Glenbard East player and landed hard on his back.

After laying on the ground for a couple minutes, the 6-foot-6 forward walked off the court under his own power. Niggins suffered a concussion, forcing him to sit out the next three games.

A scare like that might cause other players to shy away from similarly dangerous plays, but not Niggins. He showed no fear against Naperville North.

"It doesn't stop me from playing hard, obviously," Niggins said of the concussion. "We were just going nuts after that."

Turning the corner: Considering Glenbard West entered its holiday tournament without a win, it's way too early to declare the Hilltoppers' season turned around.

The signs look good, though.

After posting two wins over the holidays, last Tuesday the Hilltoppers went to Bolingbrook and beat the Raiders 57-52. Glenbard West (3-10) aims to keep the momentum going this weekend against York and St. Charles East.

"It's pretty easy to get down about how your season's going," said Hilltoppers coach Tim Hoder. "But we know we've got some opportunities the second half of the season."

The Hilltoppers' run to the Class 7A state title football game delayed the basketball season for several players, including leading scorer Tyler Warden. Even with everyone back in the fold now, the Hilltoppers feature three maturing sophomores in the starting lineup - Matthew and Michael Mache and Tommy Schutt.

Warden leads the team with 21 points and 7 rebounds per game. Michael Mache is averaging 15 points and 6 boards while converting on 85 percent of his 73 free-throw attempts.

"We're at a point in our schedule where we'll really see where we're at," Hoder said. "This is a big weekend for us."

Meet the author: As part of their Winterim class, the members of Wheaton Academy's boys basketball team read "Beyond Belief: Finding the Strength to Come Back."

It's the autobiography of the Texas Rangers' Josh Hamilton, who went from being the No. 1 pick in the 1999 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft to being out of baseball entirely from 2004-06 with drug and alcohol problems. He's since recovered, and was voted onto the 2008 and 2009 American League All-Star teams.

Through Wheaton Academy coach Paul Ferguson's connections, while on their Winterim trip in December the Warriors were to meet Hamilton's father-in-law in the ballplayer's hometown of Raleigh, N.C. They got even better news.

"Josh happened to be home on vacation and wanted to meet with us because he heard we all read his biography," Ferguson said.

"In his message he told our team how a bad decision one night led him down a destructive path toward drug and alcohol addiction," Ferguson said. "It has only been through his Christian faith that he has found the strength to fight his addictions, restore his relationship with his wife and kids and return to baseball."