Scouting the Waukegan sectional
Waukegan Class 4A sectional semifinals
No. 1 Lake Forest (23-4) vs. No. 4 Warren (22-5)
When: 7:30 p.m. today
TV: Live on Comcast Digital Channel 100
Radio: 1220 AM-WKRS
Road to the sectional: Lake Forest defeated: Barrington, 67-46 and Stevenson, 55-43. Warren defeated Rolling Meadows, 70-47 and Lake Zurich, 69-62.
Probable starting lineups
Lake Forest Warren
Player Ht. Yr. Pos. Player Ht. Yr.
Kevin Berardini 6-1 Sr. G Aaron Montgomery 5-8 Sr.
Matt Vogrich 6-4 Sr. G David Duncan 5-11 Sr.
Jonathan Sobinsky 6-2 Sr. G Brandon Paul 6-3 Sr.
Mitch Hopfinger 6-4 Jr. F Jake Anderson 6-3 Sr.
Tommy Rees 6-3 Jr. F James Poliquin 6-4 Sr.
Previous meetings: Lake Forest and Warren split this year, each winning on the other's home court. Both games went to overtime no less. Warren won the first game way back in early December, 70-62 and Lake Forest won on Jan. 23, 66-64.
Scouting report: This has all the makings of an "Instant Classic." It's a grudge match, it's a star-studded affair, all rolled into one. Each team would like to settle the score after splitting a pair of overtime games earlier this season. And they'll ride their superstars to do it. Guards Matt Vogrich of Lake Forest (22.3 ppg) and Brandon Paul of Warren (20.3 ppg) are two of the best in Illinois, and will be continuing their rivalry long after this game. Vogrich will be playing at Michigan while Paul is off to Illinois. Stopping either player is likely out of the question. Vogrich racked up a combined 74 points against Warren this season, while Paul had a total of 58 points against Lake Forest. Both teams can only hope to slow the superstars and then firmly contain the others. ... Warren must defend against the Scouts' penetration. In their earlier loss to Lake Forest, the Blue Devils were a step slow and paid for it. Lake Forest constantly drove to the basket and got Warren into foul trouble. The Blue Devils had three players foul out and Lake Forest shot 31 free throws to Warren's 19. ... "They're the No. 1 seed for a reason," Warren coach Chuck Ramsey said of Lake Forest. "They've been the most consistent, toughest team from start to finish. It will be a real challenge for us."... In Warren's previous win, rebounding was a struggle for Lake Forest. The Blue Devils racked up plenty of second-chance opportunities on the offensive glass. ... "Every possession is going to count against a team like Warren," Lake Forest coach Phil LaScala said. "They're physical, they rebound well and they're starting five seniors who all have a sense of urgency about them. That can be a huge benefit this time of year."... Two of Warren's seniors are averaging double figures. Guard David Duncan, a three-point specialist, is at 11 points per game while big, strong forward James Poliquin, an offensive lineman for the football team, is averaging 10.8 points per game. ... Beside Vogrich, Lake Forest's only other double-figure scorer is forward Mitch Hopfinger, who is at 13 points per game.
No. 2 Waukegan (22-4) vs. No. 3 Zion-Benton (25-6)
When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday
TV: Live on Comcast Digital Channel 100
Radio: 1220 AM-WKRS
Road to the sectional: Waukegan defeated: Mundelein, 102-71 and Fremd, 80-50. Zion-Benton defeated: Deerfield, 71-51 and Conant, 66-54.
Probable starting lineups
Waukegan Zion-Benton
Player Ht. Yr. Pos. Player Ht. Yr.
Mike Springs 6-0 Jr. G Ronald Steward 5-10 Sr.
Aaron Johnson 5-10 Soph. G Lenzelle Smith 6-4 Jr.
MarQuone Edmonds 6-3 Sr. F Quintrell Love 6-0 Sr.
Quan Conner 6-2 Jr. G/F Owen Worthington 6-5 Soph.
Colin Nickerson 6-3 Sr. G/C Markus Yarbrough 6-8 Sr.
Previous meeting: In a high-octane affair from start to finish on Feb. 10, Zion-Benton outlasted Waukegan, 95-86.
Scouting report: When Waukegan star Jereme Richmond hung on the rim after a dunk attempt last Friday against Fremd and was tagged with his second technical, the road to the sectional title game opened up a bit for Zion-Benton. Richmond, who was ejected, must serve an automatic one-game suspension per IHSA rules. ... But just because the Bulldogs will be without the 6-foot-7 Richmond, who has committed to Illinois, doesn't mean Zion-Benton is preparing for a cakewalk. "At this stage of the year, our players aren't going into anything being overconfident," said Zion-Benton coach Don Kloth, who watched Richmond ring up 28 points on his team last month. "If people think Waukegan is all Jereme Richmond then they don't know Waukegan. There are a lot of very good players on that team who can hurt you."... Indeed, Waukegan guard Colin Nickerson is one of the best guards in the state. In fact, the Bulldogs have a roster full of talented guards. What they'll be missing with Richmond out is size - and Zion-Benton has plenty of that. Junior guard Lenzelle Smith (16 ppg), who has already committed to Ohio State, is 6-foot-4 and gives the Zee-Bees a big presence on the perimeter. That's matched by the imposing inside presence of center Markus Yarbrough (14 ppg) and forward Owen Worthington, who check in at 6-feet-8 and 6-5, respectively. Waukegan's tallest starter is 6-3. ... "Waukegan likes to run the ball and I bet they're really going to do that in this game," Kloth said. "They'll be pressing and trapping and trying to make this another fast-paced game."... Look for Zion-Benton point guard Ronald Steward (12 ppg) to be a difference maker in cracking Waukegan's pressure.
Championship game: Winners play at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
TV: Tape delay on Comcast Digital Channel 100 at 10:30 p.m.
Radio: 1220 AM-WKRS
- Patricia Babcock McGraw