STORYLINES AROUND CHICAGOLAND* Defending Illinois Class 4A boys basketball champion
Simeon (Chicago), ranked No. 5 nationally in the
MaxPreps Xcellent 25 boys basketball rankings, extended its unbeaten streak to 17 (including 10-0 this season) with a 108-59 Chicago Public League win Tuesday over Julian. Sophomore star
Jabari Parker scored 20 points. The Wolverines also defeated Warren 58-50 in the title game of the Pontiac Holiday Tournament. The tournament's final day certainly tested the Wolverines' endurance as both the semifinals and finals were held the same day. Parker led Simeon in the title game, scoring 16 points. Parker was also named winner of the tournament's A.C. Williamson Trophy, an annual award voted on by game officials to recognize the MVP and player displaying strong sportsmanship.
* Make that 32 consecutive wins for
Montini's (Lombard) girls basketball team.
Whitney Holloway scored a career-high 28 points in a 72-59 win over Marian Catholic in the Montini Christmas Tournament. The Broncos, defending Class 3A state champs, have won their first 19 games this year. In the last 12 months, their only loss was to Class 4A champ Bolingbrook in January 2010. Montini will face Bolingbrook again this year in the McDonald Shootout on Jan. 17 at Willowbrook High School.
* Meanwhile,
Bolingbrook's girls won their fourth consecutive SouthWest Suburban Blue game Tuesday, defeating Homewood-Flossmoor, 61-40. The Raiders (10-2) are ranked No. 4 in the
MaxPreps Xcellent 25 girls basketball rankings and their only losses came in the Nike Tournament of Champions. They have won two consecutive Illinois 4A championships and have not lost to an Illinois school each of the last two seasons.
* The boys basketball team at Chicago Raby forfeited its game to Chicago Crane on Tuesday because the team did not have enough eligible players to put on the court. "There are some academic issues with the team," Chicago Public Schools Sports Director Calvin Davis told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Paul Bowker, an online and newspaper sports journalist for 25 years and the author of two Major League Baseball books, covers the Chicago area for MaxPreps. He may be reached at bowkerpaul1@aol.com.
