Holiday tournaments lacked fun finishes as private schools dominate and the Public League struggles
The holiday tournaments are a treasure in Illinois for high school basketball fans and the communities that host them. With a long history and a spotlight shining, the stakes feel and are higher in these late December tournaments.
Typically, drama unfolds with heroic performances, overtimes and down-to-the-wire finishes. A year ago we were spoiled.
In last year’s championship games alone? DePaul Prep beat Benet by three at Pontiac, Warren won the Proviso West title game 59-58, Evanston lost by one at the buzzer to Centralia, and Hinsdale Central won its own tournament, beating Brother Rice 52-51.
There was the Kenwood 87-84 semifinal classic over Rich at the Big Dipper, Benet’s dramatic 67-66 overtime win over Simeon in the Pontiac semis, and Vince Buzelis scored 40 and hit game-winning free throws in the final seconds of Hinsdale Central’s 78-77 semifinal overtime win over Niles North.
But this year was arguably the most anti-climatic holiday hoops season — ever.
Among what is considered to be the 11 biggest and best holiday tournaments in the state — from Centralia to Elgin and all the tournaments in between — there were 22 semifinal and 11 title games featuring Illinois teams. Among those 33 games played there was just a single one-possession game among them.
Deerfield’s 52-49 win over Stevenson in the semifinals of the Wheeling Hardwood Classic was the lone one-possession game. Among the 33 biggest holiday tournament games, a whopping 21 of those semifinal and title games were decided by 10-plus points.
Private schools dominate holidays
High school sports fans miffed at the fact private schools won state titles in the five largest classes in football this past fall saw similar results in the biggest holiday tournaments across the state.
The Pontiac Holiday Tournament, York’s Jack Tosh Holiday Classic and the Hinsdale Central Holiday Tournament all featured two private schools in the championship game. In addition, Marist won the Centralia Holiday Tournament and Benet won at Jacobs.
Public League struggles
The holiday tournaments left you wondering what to make of the Chicago Public League.
There was certainly some good mixed in with what was a whole lot of bad. But let's get to the bad as the city’s heavyweights — all ranked heading into the holidays — walk into January with a limp.
In a highly-anticipated semifinal matchup with Benet at Pontiac, Curie, the No. 2 ranked team at the time, lost by a whopping 33 points.
Young and Kenwood were both pummeled by Warren at the Big Dipper, losing by 21 and 34 points, respectively.
Simeon, the No. 1 seed at Pekin, came home from its first Pekin appearance with three losses in four games.
And while Hyde Park did make it to the title game at the downtrodden Proviso West Holiday Tournament, East St. Louis blew the Thunderbirds out by 23 points in the championship.
There were a few positives from the next wave of city teams, including both Morgan Park and Perspectives-Leadership making surprising runs in their respective holiday tournaments.
Morgan Park turned in one of the bigger holiday upsets, taking down ranked Oswego East and star Mason Lockett to reach the semifinals of the Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic. And what a tournament it was for Jaque Lewis, who averaged 17.5 points a game and hit the game-winning three at the buzzer to beat Oswego East.
In an eye-opening score, Perspectives-Leadership’s resounding 63-38 win over Lyons, followed by an upset victory over Glenbard North, propelled the Warriors to the semifinals at York. Coach Justin Rhymes’ team, led by all-tournament performers Jayden Taylor and Morgan Travis, settled for a fourth-place finish in the 32-team event.