Here are all things super as sectional champions shift their focus to Monday’s supersectionals across the state.
The super first-timers
New Trier captured its 16th sectional title, Simeon won its 15th and Hillcrest its 10th.
For others, it’s been awhile.
Libertyville is supersectional bound for the first time since 1994. Marmion was last in a supersectional 47 years ago and for Downers Grove North it’s been 24 years.
A year after winning their first-ever sectional championship, both St. Ignatius and Kenwood are back again with a repeat title.
But this is all new for a few schools. Here are three schools celebrating their first sectional championship in program history.
Oswego East
All this program has done of late is win.
Oswego East won 33 games last year but suffered a gut-wrenching 52-51 loss to Bolingbrook in the sectional championship.
This year the Wolves have won 29 more games, took out Bolingbrook in overtime in a sectional rematch and then knocked out heavily-hyped Joliet West and the Fears brothers –– for the second time this season –– in Friday’s Class 4A sectional championship.
Now Oswego East and coach Ryan Velasquez, who has guided the Wolves to a 136-32 record over the past six seasons, have their first-ever sectional championship.
They will travel to Illinois State Monday for a showdown with Moline.
Grayslake Central
Breaking a school record for wins, capturing a Northern Lake County championship and winning back-to-back regional titles wasn’t a surprise for Grayslake Central.
Coach Brian Centella returned four key players, including three starters, from last year’s 22-win regional championship team. Dennis Estepp was a steady and impactful presence at point guard, while big man Jake Gibson and wing Michael Monahan were experienced veterans.
Throw in the emergence of 6-2 senior shooting guard Sam Cooper over the course of the season and the Rams were primed and ready for a big 2022-23 season.
But there weren’t many who anticipated Grayslake Central winning the program’s first sectional championship. No, not when meeting Grayslake Central’s kryptonite, Lake Forest, in the title game.
Lake Forest ended Grayslake Central’s season a year ago, walloping the Rams 48-27 in the sectional semis.
Then in a mid-January non-conference game this season, Lake Forest again beat up on the Rams with a lopsided 55-34 win.
But behind Cooper, Grayslake Central broke through, beating Lake Forest 46-43 to make a little history.
Now with 29 wins and the program’s first sectional championship, it’s the greatest basketball season in school history.
Perspectives-Leadership
The school hasn’t been around too long; the first varsity basketball season was 2008-09.
But remember, this Perspectives-Leadership team was a preseason Super 25 team when the season began. While the majority of people around the state aren’t familiar with the school or basketball program, there were some big expectations for this team.
The addition of several transfers, including a pair of point guards in Gianni Cobb (from Bloom) and Jakeem Cole (from Leo), bolstered a team that has won 24 games. And you better believe playing in the state’s toughest conference, the Public League’s Red-South/Central, has most certainly prepared the Warriors for Class 2A basketball.
This was just the second regional title in program history and the first sectional championship.
The super stories
Catholic League
While the Catholic League still couldn’t squeeze through a team beyond the sectional in the state’s largest class –– neither Brother Rice or St. Rita could get it done in the sectional –– the 15-team league will have four of its members playing in a super-sectional Monday.
Mount Carmel, Brother Rice and Fenwick all fell in sectional title games. But St. Francis De Sales (1A), DePaul Prep (2A), St. Ignatius (3A) and Marmion (3A) are all still alive and one win from playing in Champaign.
Marmion
Staying in the Catholic League, the Marmion story is worth noting as the run from Marmion is absolutely improbable from a historical perspective. So let’s go ahead and try to put this in perspective.
Marmion last won a sectional championship in 1976 and a regional championship in 1977. The Cadets haven’t even won 20 games since.
Before coach Joe Piekarz took over at the start of the 2021-22 season, Marmion had gone a combined 31-95 in the previous five seasons. Those postseason droughts and the recent won-loss records are some futile numbers.
Now Marmion has the most wins in 47 years and will be playing in a super-sectional for the first time since the 1975-76 team reached Champaign and the Elite Eight in Class A.
Could the Public League win four state titles?
It’s been talked about all season long: Simeon and Kenwood would be state title contenders when March rolled around. They are both right there –– Simeon in 3A and Kenwood in 4A –– and three wins away from claiming state championships. The Wolverines and Broncos are arguably the two favorites in their respective classes.
What may have gone unnoticed by many is the fact the two smaller classes have Chicago Public League schools in position to join the two city powers in Champaign.
Marshall will play in a Class 1A super-sectional, facing Scales Mound in DeKalb. And a new face on the scene, Perspectives-Leadership, will square off with DePaul Prep in a Class 2A super-sectional.
It’s not far-fetched to think both of these schools could win three more games and state title.
Robert Smith
No matter how tired some likely are in hearing about the Smith Farewell Tour, there is no denying the interest of when a legendary coaching tenure will come to an end.
To many, Simeon is to high school basketball what the New York Yankees, New England Patriots, Notre Dame or SEC football are to fans in their respective sports. The winning and constant headlines often results in everything from jealousy to inciting fan rage.
But Smith’s Wolverines remain No. 1 and are one win from reaching the State Finals for the 11th time in Smith’s two-decade long run as coach at Simeon.
Jake Fiegen
Anyone who happened to catch a clip of New Trier’s thrilling win (and Glenbrook North’s heartbreaking loss) in the sectional championship might have seen one of the ultimate examples of sportsmanship, support and respect for an opponent.
Can we all agree that’s awfully difficult to find in today’s sports world?
In the closing seconds of a sectional final game Glenbrook North led most of the way, star Ryan Cohen dribbled up the floor with his team trailing by one point. His lean-in, mid-range jumper did everything but go in as the buzzer sounded. Cohen immediately fell to the floor, overwhelmed with emotion as a dream season came to an end in crushing fashion.
As the miss set off a wild and well-deserved Trevians celebration, New Trier’s All-Area player, Jake Fiegen, stayed back to help Cohen off the floor and gave him a quick, respectful hug as his teammates celebrated at the other end of the floor.
The superstars
Advancement in state tournament play comes in a variety of forms. Whether it’s chemistry and confidence, coaching and teamwork or just a little luck, something magical often comes together over the three weeks of the postseason.
But you know what also helps? Star players. We’re talking bonafide, difference-making, high-level talents who must be game-planned for and, even then, can still be game-wreckers.
Here are seven to watch in Monday’s supersectional games across the state.
Dai Dai Ames, Kenwood
An electric scoring guard and two-time All-Area selection, Ames is headed to play at Kansas State next season. The senior is averaging 21.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.4 steals a game.
Ames has evolved from a dynamic scorer to a stat-sheet-stuffing force –– as shown by his two sectional game performances where he combined for 32 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in the two wins.
Brock Harding and Owen Freeman, Moline
In the sectional final alone, the two senior stars showed why they’re headed to the Big Ten. Freeman altered and blocked shots at the basket while scoring 22 points. Harding finished with 16 points and dished off for 10 assists.
In a dominating win over Rolling Meadows earlier this season, Harding (26 points, 8 assists) and Freeman (25 points, 11 rebounds) put on a show.
Macaleab Rich, East St. Louis
The Kansas State recruit propelled the Flyers to a super-sectional with 23 points and 10 rebounds in a sectional final win over Triad.
And after sitting out nearly 10 minutes of the first half of the sectional semifinal win over Centralia due to foul trouble, Rich dominated in the second half. He finished with 19 points in 22 minutes of action, including a stretch in the second half where he scored 13 of 15 points to put the game away.
Rich is a physical and athletic specimen. He’s averaging 19.9 points, nine rebounds and 3.3 assists a game on the season and has put up 22.3 points a game in the last three postseason wins.
Zack Hawkinson, Sacred Heart-Griffin
The athletic, rugged and tenacious 6-5 forward is the type of player who imposes his will on a game. He’s a dominant figure, especially around the basket, who is fresh off a 20-20 performance.
The uncommitted Hawkinson scored 25 points and pulled down 20 rebounds in the sectional title game win over Decatur MacArthur. In two sectional wins, Hawkinson combined for 44 points and 33 rebounds.
Miles and Wes Rubin, Simeon
First, the combination of 6-10 Miles Rubin, who is headed to Loyola, and 6-9 Wesley Rubin, who has signed with Northern Iowa, makes it uncomfortable and tough for any team to get anything around the basket.
Second, how the Rubin brothers complement one another on the offensive end –– Wes’ skill and face-up shooting capability to go with Miles’ bounce, length, activity level and finishing at the rim –– can make it such a difficult cover for opposing defenses.
The superheroes
The drama-filled sectional games of the past week included a surplus of memorable finishes.
Here are several super ice-in-the-veins moments from clutch players who helped keep their team’s season alive. Their dramatic shots propelled teams to sectional championships.
Evan Kanellos, New Trier
This little point guard is on cloud nine –– and so are all the Trevians, thanks to the last-second heroics of the tough, gritty Kanellos.
How do you follow up a dramatic buzzer-beating shot in a sectional semifinal win over Glenbrook South? How about by draining the go-ahead free-throw with 5.1 seconds remaining in the sectional championship?
Kanellos first took down Glenbrook South in the sectional semifinals. Then he drove the lane and drew a foul with the score tied in the closing seconds against Glenbrook North. The pressure exacerbated when Kanellos missed the first free-throw attempt. But he sank the second to give New Trier a 47-46 win.
Aidyn Boone, Libertyville
The Wildcats don’t live up to their No. 1 seed without Boone. He’s not only been ultra-productive in the postseason, but his buzzer-beater in the sectional semifinal win over Barrington has proven to be the biggest moment thus far in this 29-win season.
With the game tied 47-47, Boone, who scored 25 points, hit a step-back three as the buzzer sounded to give Libertyville a 50-47 victory.
And thanks to Boone’s game-high 18 points, Libertyville went on to take care of Prospect to win its first sectional championship since 1994.
Jehvion Starwood, Oswego East
Down two points in the closing seconds of overtime, Starwood calmly sank a three-pointer from the top of the key with 2.9 seconds left for a stunning 62-61 sectional semifinal win over Bolingbrook.
The win sent the Wolves to a sectional championship where it beat Joliet West.
Calvin Robins Jr., Kenwood
With the ball in the star’s hands in the closing seconds of a tie game with Bloom in a sectional semifinal, Kenwood junior Calvin Robins simply positioned himself to be in the right place at the right time.
Dai Dai Ames was nudged by a Bloom defender as he drove to the basket, started to fall to the ground and threw up a prayer towards the basket. The shot attempt bounced directly off the glass and Robins was there for the game-winning putback with two seconds to play.
Thanks to Robins, Kenwood stayed alive and held off Bloom’s upset bid with a 51-49 win.
Brayden Fagbemi, Benet
On the cusp of what would have been a shocking upset loss, Benet point guard thwarted the Geneva stunner with a put-back basket with 1.3 seconds to play for a 35-34 win in the Bartlett Sectional final.
Collin Wainscott, Marmion
Without Wainscott’s corner three with 10 seconds remaining in a thrilling win over Crystal Lake South, Marmion isn’t advancing beyond the sectional semifinal. Trailing 58-57, Wainscott’s clutch bucket propelled Marmion to the sectional title game where it then took care of Burlington Central.
The super underrated
Brady Kunka, Benet
Benet has thrived all season with a trio of seniors producing and gobbling up headlines and awards.
There is Niko Abusara, the Dartmouth recruit, East Suburban Catholic Conference Player of the Year and All-Area selection.
There is Brayden Fagbemi, the consummate and steady point guard. He hit the game-winning shot in the sectional championship game and has been one of the breakout seniors in the state.
But it’s Kunka who probably deserves more credit than he receives. Anyone who watches Benet knows the impact the 6-2 senior has provided, both with his production as a scorer and rebounder, and the way he goes about his business with unselfishness and as a relentless competitor.
Kunka makes winning plays. He thrives without some of the physical tools others are blessed with and does so in an easy-to-appreciate way.
Ryan Johnson, Oswego East
When Oswego East elevates itself and plays at a higher level, it’s often because Johnson, the versatile 6-6 senior, has done just that with his own play.
Mekhi Lowery, the jack-of-all-trades 6-6 senior, is the Division I recruit and all-area player. But it’s Johnson’s play that can put Oswego East on a different plane.
Johnson has become more assertive and is beaming with confidence as the Wolves have marched their way to a super-sectional appearance.
There is a reason the unsung Johnson is a highly coveted small college prospect. He offers size and sneaky athleticism. He’s an efficient catch-and-shoot threat from the three-point line with his length and release point, and he’s capable of scoring tough, difficult points, both in the paint and from mid-range.
Tyler Smith, Kenwood
Yes, Dai Dai Ames is the star and headed to Kansas State. The junior big men, Calvin Robins, Chris Riddle and Jaden Smith, are garnering all types of Division I interest and are bonafide names in the junior class.
Then there is Smith, the unassuming senior guard who has really stepped up in the postseason.
Smith scored 30 points in the regional championship win over Oak Lawn. He went for 10 points, four rebounds, five assists and four steals in helping beat Bloom in the sectional semis. He then led Kenwood with 18 points in the sectional title game victory over Brother Rice.
Bryce Tillery, Hillcrest
You just find dependability and comfort in four-year varsity players, particularly those who play with the ball in their hands in the backcourt. That’s what Bryce Tillery provides Hillcrest and coach Don Houston.
Tillery may not be the biggest name or biggest player in stature –– 6-9 Darrion Baker is the Division I player headed to Akron and was named to the All-Area team. Quenten Heady has shined as a senior and is actually leading the Hawks in scoring with 16.4 points a game.
But the heart and soul of this sectional champion is Tillery, a pesky defender who plays with toughness, facilitates and chips in 14.1 points a game.
Jack Stanton, Downers Grove North
While more and more are finally starting to take notice, Stanton remains overlooked and under-appreciated. But he’s underrated in a different way than others on this list.
The others? Underrated in the truest sense as players who don’t receive a whole lot of hype; Stanton is the team’s leading scorer and borderline all-area performer as a junior, thus making him more of an “underrated star.”
Stanton, who scored 20 points in a sectional semifinal upset over Young, is an elite shooter. His stop-on-a-dime, quick release perimeter jumper is a true weapon –– and will garner him scholarship offers this spring and summer.
