This Weekend Forecast’s focus gets back to some old-school tradition: rivalries and conference showdowns.
Here is a look at some of the best games of the weekend and some picks to go with it.
Last Week: 6-2
Season: 12-4
St. Ignatius (14-4) at Loyola (15-5), Friday
While St. Ignatius has played in marquee games and received plenty of headlines this season, Loyola is quietly laying in the weeds as one of the best unranked teams in the area.
This is always a fun one as the Jesuit Cup means a lot for these two programs and fan bases. But while Ignatius has been ranked all season and reached Champaign a year ago, bringing home a third-place trophy in Class 3A, it’s Loyola that’s had Ignatius’ number in this rivalry game. The Ramblers have won eight of the last nine Jesuit Cup showdowns.
The good news for St. Ignatius? The Wolfpack won 37-24 last year. And it will continue to be a tall task for Loyola this year.
The always stingy and disciplined Loyola defense will have to deal with Richard Barron. The George Mason recruit is averaging 14.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists for Ignatius. Plus, he has a penchant for scoring when it matters. Jackson Kotecki, a 6-9 senior headed to Miami-Ohio, adds 10.3 points and eight rebounds.
Why St. Ignatius is as good — or better — than a year ago is the rapid impact of junior Reggie Ray (11.3 ppg) and sophomore Phoenix Gill (10.9 ppg).
Loyola’s Miles Boland is an under-the-radar junior who is having a rock-solid season averaging 14 points a game. Senior point guard Alex Engro teams up with Boland to form a nice perimeter attack.
A pair of proud basketball programs will once again play it close, likely in a low-scoring affair; these two split two games last year with Loyola winning one 51-49 and Ignatius capturing the regular-season Jesuit Cup matchup 37-24.
The pick: St. Ignatius 46, Loyola 42
Oswego East (16-4) at Joliet West (15-4), Friday
This one has been circled since the Southwest Prairie basketball schedule came out. Both are unbeaten in their respective divisions of the conference.
But this is about two ranked teams with a lot more on their basketball agendas, including a potential No. 1 sectional seed. These two, along with Lincoln-Way East and Bolingbrook, are currently in a fight for the top seeds in the Bolingbrook Sectional. A win here would go a long way in earning that top seed.
Over the past two seasons, Oswego East is a combined 49-6. That’s impressive. Coach Ryan Velasquez has retooled behind returning star Mekhi Lowery, the quintessential Swiss Army knife who fills a stat sheet.
The balance of the Wolves has been a key with the 6-6 Lowery (12 ppg), 6-6 Ryan Johnson (11 ppg) and guards Jehvion Starwood (10 ppg) and Bryce Shoto (9 ppg) all regular double-figure scorers.
With Jeremy Fears, Jr. and Jeremiah Fears, along with junior Justus McNair and big man Matt Moore, Joliet West simply has more firepower — and will be at home in what will surely be a jumping Joliet gym. With so many high-profile shootout dates on the schedule, this is the biggest home game of the season for the Tigers.
The pick: Joliet West 68, Oswego East 62
Barrington (13-1) at Palatine (12-5), Friday
With a win, Barrington will take full control of the Mid-Suburban League West. A Palatine win and the two would be tied through one round of league play.
How Barrington is 13-1 on the year is one of the season’s big surprises. The Broncos lost all five starters from last year’s Class 4A fourth-place finisher.
A new group has stepped in and hasn’t missed a beat, including Donovan Nichols, Dillon Schmidt and Alec Schmidts.
Palatine has stepped up nicely the past two months while playing without the injured Grant Dersnah, a 6-5 all-MSL performer a year ago. He still isn’t expected back for a few more weeks.
But seniors Tyler Swierczek (14.7 ppg) and Sam Millstone (7.9 ppg) have provided a steady presence while 6-6 Connor May has been one of the breakout juniors this season. May is a major scoring threat with his shooting ability and is putting up 18.5 points a game.
Look for the MSL West race to tighten up with a tight Palatine win.
The pick: Palatine 52, Barrington 48
Libertyville (14-3) at Stevenson (13-2), Saturday
A conference showdown featuring two rivals who are both unbeaten in league play in the middle of January. It doesn’t get much better than that in the North Suburban Conference.
Well, at least not until maybe these two collide again Feb. 10 with everything on the line.
Libertyville has been one of the area’s pleasant surprises, though maybe it shouldn’t be as coach Brian Zyrkowski did have several key veterans back from a year ago.
The Wildcats started the season 6-3 but played without injured Will Buchert. They are a different offensive team with Buchert in the backcourt. All the 6-0 senior has done is help the Wildcats to a Wheeling Hardwood Classic championship where Buchert was named tournament MVP.
Libertyville is red-hot, riding an 11-game win streak, and brimming with confidence after taking down ranked Glenbrook North.
Jack Huber, a 6-3 senior, joins Buchert on the perimeter while senior Aidyn Boone has made a nice jump in providing an inside-outside threat at 6-7. With Boone and 6-6 Cole Bonder the Wildcats have size, strength and get on the glass.
Meanwhile, Stevenson is … well, typical Stevenson. Well-coached. Defensive-focused. And just wins games.
Christian Uremovich is a 6-6 junior who leads the Patriots in scoring, while sophomore Aidan Bardic has done a nice job settling in at point guard.
This is a toss-up featuring two extremely balanced teams that share the ball. Stevenson gets the mild upset win at home.
The pick: Stevenson 48, Libertyville 46
Evanston (14-4) at Rolling Meadows (17-2), Saturday
Expect a rejuvenated Rolling Meadows following an emotional loss to Joliet West last week. The Mustangs did smack around Schaumburg earlier in the week, but Evanston, a perennial power, will get the juices flowing.
And it’s a whole lot easier to regroup when there are so many ways the Mustangs can beat opponents, though it does start with star Cameron Christie.
But whether it’s the dynamic scoring of Christie, the matchup nightmare 6-8 Mark Nikolich-Wilson presents or the game-changing three-point shooting of Tsvet Sotirov, coach Kevin Katovich has an offensive arsenal at his disposal.
Evanston will do everything it can to get Rolling Meadows out of its comfort zone. With their athleticism and length, the Wildkits are capable of doing so.
Senior Prince Adams is finishing his career with a bang. He’s been a regular double-double for coach Mike Ellis and was an all-tournament performer, along with Jonah Ross, over the holidays at Centralia.
This is a big weekend for Evanston. The Wildkits get CSL South foe Glenbrook South on Friday night followed by Christie and highly-ranked Rolling Meadows on Saturday.
These two met a year ago in Evanston with Rolling Meadows winning 61-50. Expect a little more of the same.
The pick: Rolling Meadows 67, Evanston 61
