Weekend Forecast: Previewing and predicting the top games

We are moving into the final days of the typical year, which indicates point out tournament time is right about the corner. Soon we will be previewing regional and sectional championship game titles, but 1st we have some conference-deciding matchups to appreciate this weekend. 

We’ll start with the major game of the weekend: Kenwood vs. Simeon.

In this article is the Weekend Forecast. 

Very last 7 days: 5-2

Time: 29-15

Simeon vs. Kenwood at UIC, Saturday

They satisfy all over again. 

In what was deemed at the time to be the most significant frequent-season sport of the yr back in early January, Kenwood went into Simeon and received a clunky 46-43 dogfight. 

The stakes have now been raised as the two city powers satisfy in Saturday’s Chicago General public League championship. 

Kenwood and coach Mike Irvin are new to the social gathering. They are on the lookout for their 1st-at any time town championship. 

This will be Simeon’s Simeon’s 17th look in the Chicago General public League title activity. The Wolverines have gained 10 city championships, with legendary mentor Robert Smith, who is set to retire at the conclude of the period, acquiring won seven of his have. The Wolverines would appreciate to send Smith off with one more. 

Simeon is fresh new off a remarkable 4 overtime marathon acquire over Curie in the metropolis semifinals. Now it ought to keep on being fresh new against a group that will utilize strain and press the tempo. The Wolverines have a place guard in Jalen Griffith who has been rock regular all period very long to go with a frontline of 6-10 Miles Rubin and 6-9 Wesley Rubin. 

Griffith was great once more in the metropolis semifinal acquire in excess of Curie, scoring 21 points and including 4 steals. Then there is the defensive presence the Rubin brothers have presented all season with their measurement and potential to alter and block photographs. 

The good information for Kenwood is the young frontline parts, namely juniors Calvin Robins, a 6-5 uber-athlete, and 6-10 Jaden Smith, have progressed in excess of the program of the period. 

Smith, in certain, took a large stage Thursday night in the 56-42 semifinal victory above Perspectives-Management. Smith was successful and took edge of his opportunities as he was 7-of-7 from the field and scored 14 details. He added eight rebounds and a few blocks

Kenwood’s Dai Dai Ames, however, is the star. The Kansas Point out recruit was the distinction in the initial showdown with Simeon as he scored a sport-substantial 20 details and produced two clutch absolutely free throws in the closing seconds. 

Simeon is a what you see is what you get. And which is been fairly very good taking into consideration the Wolverines are ranked No. 1 and 25-3 participating in the routine they’ve faced. Additionally, Smith has ready for and performed in a great number of big online games in excess of the previous two many years.

Kenwood’s broad sum of talent and depth presents Irvin lots of options. The Broncos can go major or compact and dictate game titles with matchups. 

No matter the outcome in this 1, each and every staff involved will still arise with reputations intact, which means each are condition title contenders in their respective courses –– Simeon in 3A and Kenwood in 4A. But a metropolis title and condition title? You can not claim the two without having having this 1 very first. 

The decide: Simeon 58, Kenwood 56 

Glenbrook North (24-3) at New Trier (25-4), Friday

A person of the most effective conferences in the condition will come down to this. 

With a earn, New Trier clinches the Central Suburban League South. A Glenbrook North get and the two teams will be tied at the best. They are also the major two seeds in the New Trier Sectional, so there may perhaps be an even larger matchup continue to to arrive. 

They fulfilled back again in January with Glenbrook North successful 53-44 in Northbrook, the place the Spartans have been unbeatable. 

GBN is fresh new off a massive acquire about Rolling Meadows, but it did so even though dropping junior place guard Josh Fridman to harm. He’s the engine of this team and his standing continues to be uncertain heading into Friday. A great deal will be on the shoulders of Mr. Regular, senior guard Ryan Cohen. 

New Trier, led by Jake Fiegen and the stability scoring that supports him, will get it finished at property. 

The select: New Trier 56, Glenbrook North 51

Loyola (21-8) at St. Rita (17-10), Friday

For all the ups and downs and the constant investigation of St. Rita basketball this time, a win Friday night time would shift the Mustangs a single phase closer to successful 1 of the ideal conferences in the state.

Pesky Loyola, however, is in placement to genuinely jumble up the Catholic League Blue. St. Rita is in the direct with a 9-1 document. But Brother Rice, Mount Carmel and Loyola are all sitting appropriate behind them at 10-2.

Can the Ramblers cope with the inside measurement of 6-9 James Brown and 6-8 Morez Johnson, along with the quickness and athleticism St. Rita possesses? That’s a tall undertaking for a Loyola team that’s misplaced to Bolingbrook, De La Salle, Mount Carmel, Taft and Evanston.

The select: St. Rita 44, Loyola 38

Benet (26-1) at Marist (23-5), Friday

Whilst Benet has climbed the rankings and manufactured headlines all season with signature wins and a glitzy history, Marist has been 1 of the nice surprises of the period. 

Benet is in handle of the East Suburban Catholic Meeting. But a massive residence acquire for Marist in this article would do wonders heading into condition tournament perform in what will be a rugged Course 4A St. Rita Sectional. 

Benet has its comprehensive enhance of players and proceeds to be led by the trio of position guard Brayden Fagbemi, Niko Abusara and Brady Kunka. 

Marist, which dropped at Benet 57-47 in early January, has performed with the top rated groups on its routine, losing to Evanston by two and to Brother Rice by one particular. Can the RedHawks get more than the hump here? They’ve won the most online games since the 2017-18 year powering a incredibly balanced assault. 

No matter whether it’s been the senior veterans, Kaden White, Mason Ross and Justin Lang, or the promising children in sophomore Keshaun Vaval and freshmen Stephen Brown and Adoni Vassilakis, distinct gamers have stepped up all time extensive for mentor Brian Hynes.

The choose: Benet 57, Marist 50

Stevenson (20-5) at Libertyville (22-5), Friday

Both equally groups have carried out their work in getting to this issue, which is a tie atop the North Suburban Conference with a meeting title on the line. 

Libertyville defeat Stevenson 62-53 back again in early January. The variance was 1-2 punch of Will Buchert (20 factors) and the incredibly hot capturing of Aidyn Boone, who put the sport away with four 3-ideas in the second fifty percent to complete with 18 points. Cole Bonder has stepped up in the next 50 {f5ac61d6de3ce41dbc84aacfdb352f5c66627c6ee4a1c88b0642321258bd5462} of the time. 

Libertyville is wanting to get back a minor bit of its mojo right after previous week’s 69-43 slaughter to Rolling Meadows.

Stevenson has some young pieces that continue on to enhance. The Patriots’ depth and equilibrium, that includes sophomore position guard Aidan Bardic, 6-6 junior Christian Uremovich and 6-5 Jack Jack Dabbs, has been such a huge as well as. And mentor Pat Ambrose, who lately won his 500th sport, has coached in a good deal of huge games. 

These two very likely won’t be carried out with a single one more soon after Friday night time. They could really well see one particular one more all over again in the Barrington Sectional in a few months. 

The pick: Libertyville 58, Stevenson 55 

Hinsdale Central (25-3) at Lyons (21-4), Saturday

The team with the longest successful streak in the Chicago region will head to LaGrange in lookup of a meeting-clinching title gain. Hinsdale Central hasn’t shed in nearly two months. The present 17-sport get streak contains a 49-41 get more than Lyons past month. 

Coach Nick Latorre’s staff has the most wins in a period at Hinsdale Central in about 25 yrs. The senior-dominated Crimson Devils have snuck up on everyone. Ben Oosterbaan has been the ringleader among the the six seniors that engage in the bulk of the minutes, putting up 20 factors a match to go with seven rebounds and 2.7 helps a game when shooting 41 {f5ac61d6de3ce41dbc84aacfdb352f5c66627c6ee4a1c88b0642321258bd5462} from 3.

With the 6-6 Oosterbaan, 6-4 Emerson Eck, 6-3 Patrick Graham, 6-5 Chase Collignon and 6-4 Billy Cernugel there is sizing and size to go with 5-11 guard Evan Phillips. 

Lyons is also a veteran workforce loaded with seniors, leaning intensely on the duo of Niklas Polonowski and level guard Jackson Niego. The 6-6 Polonowski, who is headed to Penn, can conquer you in a range of means with his dimension, capturing and versatility. 

Lyons will not only have its possess lovers but a great deal from a distance in Downers Grove. They, as well, will be cheering for the Lions as Downers Grove North sits just a person match back powering Hinsdale Central in the West Suburban Silver. 

The pick: Hinsdale Central 50, Lyons 45