When you piece together and then implement a high-profile shootout for a dozen or so years, inevitably the question asked as the years go on is, “Was that the best one?”
This year’s When Sides Collide Shootout, which the City/Suburban Hoops Report helps organize, was just that. And for many reasons.
The matchups brought together the state’s elite teams. The games featuring eight state-ranked teams were terrific. The star players shined. The crowds filled the gym and the atmosphere was for everyone to enjoy.
A lot has to come together to squeeze everything you can out of an eight-team, four-game shootout, including some luck. But it all came together and delivered in a way that truly shined a spotlight on the sport.
You don’t get many of these environments anymore. Traditional high school gyms with standing-room only crowds and a constant buzz is a breath of fresh air for the high school basketball enthusiast.
Here are several takeaways from what was a pretty special day of high school basketball at Saturday’s annual When Sides Collide.
The best game
Jeremy Fears Jr. and Cameron Christie were star attractions who dazzled and looked the part of future high-major impact players in the opening two games.
The Benet crowd not only put a buzz and an endless roar in the gym but also helped fuel a Redwings upset over Kenwood in the finale.
But the best game of the bunch was the Simeon-Moline showdown. Behind the future Iowa Hawkeyes tandem of 6-10 Owen Freeman and point guard Brock Harding, Moline nearly pulled off the upset. But thanks to Wesley Rubin’s game-saving blocked shot at the buzzer, Simeon survived, holding off Moline for a 67-66 win.
Moline brought a solid fan contingent to Lisle. They made the two-hour drive, arrived early and made plenty of noise while watching their Maroons match up with basketball giant Simeon.
Those that made the trip were able to take in a high-level, heavyweight battle between Class 4A and Class 3A state-ranked title contenders. Coach Sean Taylor’s Maroons came to the Chicago area and impressed, going toe-to-toe with a perennial state power and earning a lot of respect along the way.
While sectional titles have become just a little nuisance Simeon must get past on its way to the State Finals, Moline is in search of its first sectional championship in 19 years.
The stars, the hype, the delivery
The high school basketball shootout is often star-driven. It’s a chance for basketball fans to see the state’s best talent.
Over the years the When Sides Collide Shootout has brought out the stars and big names. This year’s edition was no different. Those star players then delivered on one of the brightest stages of the season.
In the opening game of the event, Cameron Christe sparkled in scoring 31 points. Fans came out to see the future Minnesota Golden Gopher and were able to watch live the high-level shot-making ability the versatile 6-6 guard displays. Christie does things offensively others just can’t do which is why he’s headed to the Big Ten.
While Christie showcased his offensive arsenal, Brother Rice’s Ahmad Henderson, a top 20 prospect in the senior class, did what he’s so comfortable doing: playing big when it matters most.
The 5-9 point guard scored 10 consecutive points during a pivotal stretch of the fourth quarter. In propelling the Crusaders to their 20th win of the season, he finished with 20 points in the 64-59 win.
Fears, Jr., was a force in Joliet West’s win over Young. The Michigan State-bound point guard is an absolute bull with his physicality and powerful athleticism. He plays with a bravado that exudes a driven confidence. He made threes, dunked, attacked defenders and got to the line en route to 28 points.
And the Moline duo headed to Iowa? All eyes were on Freeman and Harding and they didn’t disappoint.
While Harding was instrumental in Moline’s second half comeback with key threes, some table-setting for teammates and scoring 16 points, it was Freeman who was a constant difference-maker against Simeon.
Freeman boasts the type of mobility and body that college coaches love to work with. He finished with dunks, dropped in a left-handed jump-hook, played with assertiveness and continues to show he’s not a finished product while still producing — to the tune of 25 points.
Underrated star and unsung hero
For a team ranked No. 2 in late January and fresh off a win over the previously No. 1 ranked team, Benet’s personnel is still a relative unknown to the general high school basketball fan base. In that sense, the Redwings remain a rather nameless group.
I’ve talked to more than one coach that’s played Benet this season, each talking about the team in glowing terms, but also unable to name a player. They can only reference the player by his uniform number.
Niko Abusara, the highly-athletic 6-4 senior, is a Division I player. He’s headed to Dartmouth and has been one of the cornerstone players in this 22-1 start. Abusara gives coach Gene Heidkamp parts of a team he desperately needs: size and length, athleticism, rebounding and a secondary ballhandler as he can slide over and play point guard minutes.
But beyond Abusara there is an underrated star and, in the win over Kenwood, an unsung hero.
It’s been stated here before that Brayden Fagbemi is the state’s most underrated star. Yes, he’s a star — just without the monster numbers.
With elite ball-handling ability, Fagbemi is a wizard with the ball in his hands, which bodes well when the state’s best teams continue to throw constant pressure Benet’s way. But his impact on games as a poised playmaker is immeasurable. He’s adept at reading defenses and not only setting up teammates but defenders with misdirection and a change of pace. Plus, he will knock down shots.
But on Saturday night on his home floor, before a full house in the finale of When Sides Collide, it was an unsung player, Brady Kunka, who had the game of his life.
Kunka is a competitive 6-2 wing who plays with an understated tenacity. He brings a physicality to the floor and goes about his business in a mature, professional manner.
Typically he supports the leading roles Abusara and Fagbemi play while still producing in his own way. In the win over Kenwood he was terrific, scoring a game-high 26 points while knocking down five three-pointers.
This Joliet West team is a legitimate state threat
Joliet West is a team that began the season in the top 10. The Tigers remain in the top 10 with some marquee wins on the résumé. But it’s a team that’s had a hiccup or two in solidifying itself as a true state contender.
And with its double-digit home loss to Oswego East last week, it also appeared the gap between Joliet West and the rest of the pack in the Bolingbrook Sectional had closed. Having watched Joliet West in its Friday win over Yorkville the day before the When Sides Collide Shootout — even in victory — that appeared to be more true than ever.
When watching the top teams play over the course of the season, you’re always searching for how high the ceiling is when the team plays at its highest level. How good are they in their peak performances?
The Joliet West team that played Saturday and beat Young is one that can play and beat anyone in the state. In the five or six times I’ve watched Joliet West this season, it was by far the best and most complete game it’s played.
Fears Jr., is the unquestioned go-to player while his younger brother Jeremiah Fears is a pretty dynamic sidekick. But the play this past weekend of junior Justus McNair provides a major boost for coach Jeremy Kreiger’s Tigers.
McNair scored 17 points and shot it well from three in a win over Yorkville on Friday. He followed it up with 17 points and 10 rebounds — and one resounding follow-up dunk — in beating Young on Saturday.
The rest of the When Sides Collide rundown
■ Following a Friday night loss to Loyola, Brother Rice came in ranked in the top 10 but badly in need of a bounce-back win. And what an important bounce-back win and performance it was for the Crusaders.
For a team that continues to prep for what will be a rugged sectional, Saturday’s effort and result was the perfect recipe for reclaiming season momentum quickly. The star, Ahmad Henderson, came through, but the play and progress of 6-7 junior Zavier Fitch was a big positive. Fitch, always an underclassman with a high upside, played assertive and finished with 12 points.
■ The array of games Kenwood played in succession over the course of three straight nights was a pretty incredible experience for their players. Yes, the Broncos went 0-3. But coach Mike Irvin said in the locker room Saturday night he wouldn’t change a thing. And he shouldn’t have.
Kenwood’s players were able to take on a neighborhood rival in a thriller Thursday night, losing to Hyde Park in overtime.
They then played on the campus of DePaul and faced one of the top teams in the country and arguably the best player in the nation, DJ Wagner, Friday night.
The Broncos then had the opportunity to play Saturday night at Benet in what was one of those unique, once-in-a-lifetime environments. It was electric and raucous all night long and will surely make them better going forward.
■ Simeon’s Jalen Griffith continues to be a true catalyst for coach Robert Smith; the diminutive point guard scored 16 points in the win over Moline. And Griffith continues to show he is deserving of more college interest.
Small guards will scare off some at the college level, but Griffith is tough for defenders to keep in front of them. He constantly putting pressure on opposing defenses in a controlled manner. He’s a quick decision-maker on the break and thrives in transition. But he’s made his biggest improvement in the hallfcourt. There is a spot somewhere for Griffith at the low-major Division I level.
■ The continued production and confidence growth for sophomore Antonio Munoz is encouraging for Young. The athletic 6-6 Munoz started fast and finished with a team-high 15 points in the loss to Joliet West. Munoz is without a doubt one of the top players in the Class of 2025.
■ Benet continues to put its best foot forward in hosting the annual When Sides Collide Shootout. The organization, hospitableness and attention to detail stands out.
