Chicago Sports

There is not much to be hopeful for these days if you are a baseball fan. The lockout is still in place, with little progress being made between the player’s association and the league owners. They have agreed on a universal DH and a few other subjects but that is the gist of it.

Nonetheless, Baseball Prospectus still released their unofficial PECOTA projections for 2022. If you are a White Sox fan, you are happy with the projections for the team and for key players on the team.

With free agency still incomplete, and some key holes in a few positions for the White Sox, Baseball Prospectus still has the White Sox as the clear AL Central favorites with.a record of 94 wins and 68 losses.

Players like Jose Abreu, Yoan Moncada, and Luis Robert had slightly above average expectations.

José Abreu (.815 OPS, 28 HR, 8.4% BB, 22.3% K, 115 DRC+, 2.3 WARP)
Yoán Moncada (.808 OPS, 20 HR, 12.2% BB, 25.5% K, 113 DRC+, 2.9 WARP)
Luis Robert (.834 OPS, 22 HR, 6.4% BB, 24.5% K, 118 DRC+, 3.8 WARP)

Other key players on the team that have fans excited from their respective projections included Yasmani Grandal, Aaron Bummer, Liam Hendriks, and Dylan Cease. Their projections are below:

Yasmani Grandal (Median Projection: .867 OPS, 22 HR, 20.0% BB, 22.2% K 131 DRC+, 5.2 WARP)
Aaron Bummer (48 1⁄3 IP, 2.75 ERA, 11.33 K/9, 4.02 BB/9, 0.9 WARP)
Liam Hendriks (Median Projection: 53 1⁄3 IP, 2.22 ERA, 13.22 K/9, 1.87 BB/9, 1.2 WARP)
Dylan Cease (140 1⁄3 IP, 3.54 ERA, 10.8 K/9, 4.0 BB/9, 2.0 WARP)

Of course that number looks pretty on paper, but in the end all it is are projections. There are always many underlying variables going into a season. In 2021, injuries were a huge problem for the White Sox and it ia always unpredictable to predict when they will happen.

Based on the roster as is currently, a healthy 2022 White Sox can definitely hit these expectations. For comparison, 2021 PECOTA projections had the White Sox at 83 wins and 79 losses. Despite all the injuries, they still surpassed those projections.

With the lockout still going on, spring training and opening day being delayed looms large, but Baseball Prospectus PECOTA projections are certainly a nice thing to look at in order to get an idea of what to expect for the season.

Read More

The city and state mask and proof of vaccination mandates for entry to nearly all venues, restaurants and stores may be history come Monday, but that doesn’t mean all of Chicago’s live theater houses will be dropping them.

Currently, theatergoers are required to show proof of vaccination for entry and wear masks for the duration of all indoor performances. The policies were put in place over the course of the past year by show producers and venue operators to comply with city and state mandates, and where applicable, the safety protocols of Actors Equity, the labor union representing those who work in live theatrical performance.

The end of the mandates does not mean a particular bar, restaurant, cultural center or theater must do away with its current safety protocols. The Sun-Times reported that starting Feb. 28, the city will stop requiring patrons of restaurants, bars and gyms to wear masks and show vaccine cards, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady announced at a City Hall news conference Tuesday.

“Many residents may continue to wear masks in public spaces for a variety of reasons –even if they are vaccinated or as more mandates and advisories fade. … Also, some venues may continue to impose their own mitigation efforts to keep their clients and customers safe. That is their right. And we must respect it,” Lightfoot said.

The League of Chicago Theatres, which advocates for more than 200 Chicago-area theaters, sent a letter to its membership stating that the majority of its member theaters will continue with current mandatory mask/proof of vaccination policies, citing recent surveys indicating “this is what our audiences want and some artists and their representatives have said they would like this policy to continue as well.” The league’s “unified COVID-19 protections plan,” in place since the fall of 2021, will remain in effect “until further notice” but would be “reviewed regularly based on the needs and comfort of our patrons, staff and artists” and could be relaxed at any time.

A quick check Tuesday of some area theaters seemed to indicate that current protocols would remain in place for patrons regardless of the Feb. 28 lift.

Broadway in Chicago (BIC), the city’s largest producer of musicals operating in the Loop’s biggest live theater venues including the Cadillac Palace Theatre and the Nederlander Theatre, is keeping its policy of mandatory masks and proof of vaccination in place “for the time being,” a spokesperson said late Tuesday. Currently there are three BIC productions that would be affected: “The Play that Goes Wrong” at the Broadway Playhouse, “The Simon & Garfunkel Story” at the CIBC Theatre and Teatro ZinZanni at the Spiegeltent ZaZou on the 14th floor of the Cambria Hotel.

Black Ensemble Theater, which returns to live performances in March, noted in a news release for its upcoming production of “It’s Just Like Coming to Church” that it is “proceeding slowly, cautiously, and carefully.” Its mainstage shows will run 90 minutes, without intermission, and no food or drinks will be served. Masks will remain mandatory.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra will “not be changing audience protocols at this time,” a spokesperson confirmed, citing its alignment with the League of Chicago Theatres’ statement and “the larger coalition of performing arts organizations who continue to meet regularly and monitor the changing situation with COVID.”

The Lyric Opera will also keep in place its policy requiring proof of full vaccination in order to enter the theater. Masks will continue to be mandatory at all performances.

Hell in a Handbag Productions will still require proof of vaccinations and masking for its current production of “The Drag Seed.”

The Chicago area’s theaters were hit hard by mandatory shutdowns in place since 2020, forcing many shows to be canceled or rescheduled to 2022 or beyond. Safety protocols such as socially distanced seating and proof of masks/vaccination were instituted since the fall of 2021 to effectively allow for the return of in-person performances.

More to come…

Read More

Investigators have yet to determine the cause of a fire that tore through a block of Albany Park early Monday, but city officials said it’s unlikely that unsafe conditions at an apartment building that burned played any role.

The fire knocked down the roof and west wall of the building that housed Twisted Hippo Brewery and Ultimate Ninjas Chicago, and it will likely need to be demolished, Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office said in a statement Tuesday.

The apartment building across a gangway could be renovated, depending what an independent structural engineer’s report finds, the statement said.

The conditions of both buildings are considered unsafe and have delayed an investigation into the cause of the fire. Investigators need heavy equipment to sift through the rubble, and several people still need to be interviewed, a Fire Department spokesman said.

The owner of the apartment building in the 4300 block of North Richmond Street had been taken to court last year for unsafe conditions, but city officials said those issues likely did not contribute to the fire.

The lawsuit cited owner Gary Carlson with a range of code violations, from electrical issues and no smoke detectors in an outdoor common stairwell to gang graffiti and inadequate hot water.

Public records show Carlson got a permit in January to fix the electrical issues, but it was unclear if the work was completed.A Feb. 7 inspection was delayed until March because of scheduling issues, a city spokesman said.

In its statement, the city noted that Carlson is named in dozens of lawsuits filed by the city against his properties. Carlson has 72 active housing court cases against him stemming from city inspections at 77 of his buildings, the city said.

Those cases are all ongoing. Even so, the city said none of Carlson’s properties were on Chicago’s building code scofflaw list when it was last updated in September. The list includes buildings with “serious and chronic building code violations.”

Reached Tuesday, Carlson said he hasn’t decided whether to rehab the damaged building on Richmond, but has hired a public adjuster to analyze the cost. “If he calls me and we’re in agreement about what should be done, I would be following his directive,” he said.

Carlson said the city has waged a “revenge” campaign against him, targeting his buildings with citations, after a firefighter was shot in one of his buildings in 2020.

“If you go into the court records, you’re going to find my name as far as building code violations more than any single person whose ever lived in Chicago,” Carlson said. “It’s a complete revenge.”

Carlson said he does his best to correct issues but “there’s no way for me to take care of them all.”

In Monday’s blaze, fire crews were called around 3:45 a.m. and the alarm was quickly raised to a 3-11 as the fire burned through the apartment building, the brewery and the gym. Officials said all the residents were able to escape, but a 60-year-old man was taken in serious condition to Swedish Hospital with smoke inhalation.

Twisted Hippo opened in January of 2019 at a site where three other breweries had opened and quickly closed.

Read More

MESA, Ariz. – Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer stood up the third baseline chatting with third base coach Willie Harris. Shifting his feet, Harris tossed the ball back to quality assurance coach Mike Napoli, the rhythm of their game of catch matching the laidback air around the first day of minicamp on Tuesday.

In between the lines, prospects took turns hitting off a pitching machine and shagging balls in the field.

“I’ve been smiling ear to ear all day,” Cubs vice president of player development Jared Banner said Tuesday in a conversation with the Sun-Times, “just being out here with all these guys, seeing them and just the joy they’ve had on the field. It’s pretty amazing.”

For the first time in two years, minor league camp is shaping up to be normal. The COVID-19 pandemic wiped out their 2020 season, and last year health and safety concerns pushed back spring training for Double-A and Single-A players.

On the major-league side, however, this spring is anything but normal. Big-league players were conspicuously absent from the Cubs’ Mesa facilities on Tuesday, and members of the 40-man roster will remain barred from spring training until the league ends the lockout that it imposed on Dec. 2, when its Collective Bargaining Agreement with the players association expired.

MLB announced last week that spring training games would be postponed until at least March 5. But the start date hinges on a series of meetings in Juniper, Florida this week. Tuesday marked the second consecutive day of bargaining sessions between Major League Baseball and the MLBPA.

The meetings so far have produced only marginal movement toward an agreement. According to multiple reports, the league on Monday raised its pre-arbitration bonus pool offer by $5 million and increased its amateur draft lottery proposal to include four clubs.

The players union had been proposing that eight clubs enter the draft lottery. On Tuesday, they reportedly lowered it to seven. They also lowered their proposal for early arbitration from 80 percent of players to 75 percent, while making some increases to their minimum salary offer.

In the meantime, minor-league camp carries on.

“Right now, we’re just focused on the guys that are here,” Banner said. “And we’re excited to help them get a little bit better every day, give them all the resources they need, prepare them for the season. … Can’t control the things that we can’t control.”

While some of that is by necessity – MLB has instructed team personnel not to contact or discuss 40-man roster players – for the Cubs, there is plenty to get excited about. Along with prospects additions from the amateur draft and international signing periods, trades over the past year have swapped established players for young talent.

About 70 prospects are at Cubs minicamp, not including the expected big-league non-roster invitees, who can mix into workouts as well. The players broke out into groups across the complex Tuesday, working with coaches from both the major- and minor-league sides.

Shortstop Ed Howard, the Cubs’ 2020 first-round draft pick, could be spotted among infielders taking ground balls off a machine. Later, Cristian Hernanadez, a top international signee last year, and Owen Caissie, one of the prospects the Cubs acquired in a trade for Yu Darvish a year ago, drew eyes to their hitting group.

To finish up, players gathered in the bleachers to watch part of a simulated game. Outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, who the Cubs acquired at the deadline in the Javy Baez trade, was among those who stepped in the batter’s box against live pitching.

Those are just a few of the Cubs’ Top 10 prospects, as ranked by mlb.com, to start minicamp. As camp continues, and players show off their offseason progress, more will establish themselves as names Cubs fans need to know.

Read More

Following an up-and-down 2021 campaign, the Chicago Bears have plenty of questions to answer as free agency looms in a couple weeks. The biggest of these questions may very well be whether or not wide receiver Allen Robinson returns to the blue and orange in 2022.

A consensus Top 10 free agent in the 2022 class, Robinson wrapped up his fourth season in Chicago with his worst stat line of the year: 38 receptions for 410 yards and a touchdown. Regardless of the production this past season, Pro Football Focus projects Robinson to sign for 3 years and $48 million. On a per-year average, that comes down to just $16 million — $1.88 million less than the Bears paid Robinson under the franchise tag last season.

While there wasn’t much to write home about in 2021, Robinson put up stellar numbers in the previous two seasons with the Bears totaling 2,397 yards and 13 touchdowns. As for his faltered production last season? There’s been plenty of rumblings about sabotage from the coaching staff from numerous current and former Bears including Mitchell Trubisky and Anthony Miller. Robinson hinted at that same instance happening to him pointing out a blatant drop in the targets per game he received in 2021.

670 The Score’s Chris Emma reported earlier this week that the odds of a second franchise tag being applied to the 28-year old wide receiver were slim, even with the old front office regime no longer in town.

So with Robinson hitting free agency, the Bears’ wide receiver room looks just a tad bare. Under contract for 2022 at the position are Darnell Mooney, Dazz Newsome, Isaiah Coulter, and Nsimba Webster. Needless to say, the Bears will have to do SOMETHING at the position before the season kicks off. Whether or not its through free agency or the draft is yet to be seen.

Join the Bears conversation on the ChiCitySports forums and talk Chicago football 24/7!

Read More

Spring training is on hold while owners and locked out players try to hammer out a labor agreement that would open summer camps around major league baseball and get ready for the regular season. For the White Sox, Opening Day is March 31 against the Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field.

For baseball-starved fans, some teams opened minicamps for top prospects to media at their spring training complexes this week. The White Sox are not, but they are allowing peeks into what’s going on via pictures, videos and zoom interviews, starting with assistant general manager and director of player development Chris Getz on Tuesday.

“Today was a good day,” Getz said.

Of course it was. There was baseball, somewhere, and while Luis Robert, Tim Anderson and Jose Abreu were nowhere to be seen, some 60 prospects in Sox colors were hitting and throwing baseballs under the watchful eye of Sox staff, including manager Tony La Russa.

“These guys are hungry to prepare for their seasons,” Getz said.

Fans are hungry for news about major league players preparing for their seasons, but until the gates are unlocked for players on the 40-man roster, they’ll have to settle for a little less.

Only a few years ago, while the Sox were in the midst of their rebuild, prospect news carried the day. The Sox had one of the top-rated farm systems with prospects like Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert, Yoan Moncada, Dylan Cease, Michael Kopech, Lucas Giolito, Nick Madrigal et al.

That supply of prospects, acquired in trades, drafting and international signings, has been tapped and was used to field two consecutive postseason teams. Today, the pipeline is trickling, and the Sox’ farm system ranks dead last by Baseball America and other publications.

“The ultimate goal here is to supplement our major league club,” Getz said. “We we very fortunate to have players step up last year, whether it be Gavin Sheets, Jake Burger, Romy Gonzalez, obviously Andrew Vaughn with perhaps a little bit higher profile. Even Seby Zavala and Zack Collins, Ryan Burr, Yermin Mercedes. Not all of those guys were high profile in the sense of top of these rankings, but they certainly were able to contribute on our major league club with the injuries that we had, with the adversity that we were faced with. And that’s the ultimate goal when you’re managing the minor league system, is being able to provide players for your major league club when the need arises.”

The Sox have no top 100 prospects after boasting five or six at a time after the rebuild began. Their top prospects, in order according to MLB Pipeline, are shortstop Colson Montgomery, outfielder Yoelqui Cespedes, third baseman Jake Burger, third baseman Wes Kath and right-hander Jared Kelley. Baseball America includes right-hander Norge Vera and shortstop Jose Rodriguez in its top five. Highly regarded Cuban outfielder Oscar Colas, who is expected to arrive at the facility Arizona next week — he has trained at the Sox’ Dominican academy since signing in January — will probably fit into the next top five ranking.

“The system is a little bit different than perhaps it was in the past couple of years, but we’ve got some really young talent that has some ceiling,” Getz said. “The expectations don’t change. The standards don’t change in regards to how we teach the game and the demands we put on our players. We believe in our development. We believe in our instructors.”

NOTE: The White Sox’ requirement for all employees to be up to date on COVID-19 boosters, which extends to minor league players, has gone seamlessly, Getz said.

“For the health and safety of our staff and our players and also just to be productive and not have distractions and miss time .. just to be able to go out there and focus on playing baseball,” Getz said. “Once I was able to convey that message to both players and staff, it really hasn’t been much of a conversation. It really hasn’t.”

Read More

Young’s AJ Casey was the city’s lightning rod over the past several years. Being Chicago’s premier high school basketball talent is a difficult load for a kid to handle.

Through all the ups and downs, Casey was an exemplary person. Those that know him best were thrilled to watch him overcome all the drama and lead the Dolphins to the city title.

“He’s dealt with it like few people could have,” Young coach Tyrone Slaughter said. “Everyone in the school loves him because he is not consumed with himself. He’s a team-first guy.”

Casey started high school at Simeon, then went to Tinley Park and spent his final two years at Young. For whatever reason, transferring always works up some fans.

“He’s a phenomenal young man and some of the negatives heaped upon him are not fair,” Slaughter said. “Families make decisions about where they want their kids to go to school.”

The Miami recruit is a basketball fan. Casey was spotted watching games all over the area this season, often at events Young wasn’t even going to play in. Sometimes he’s watching friends and sometimes he just wants to check out certain teams.

All of that accumulated knowledge will come in handy during the state playoffs. Casey’s goal is to win the city and state championships. Quentin Richardson’s 1998 team was the only one from Young to pull that off.

“We had some bumps in the road but we always come out and get the job done,” Casey said during the city playoffs. “People can say what they want to say but we’ve remained focused on our goals.”

Casey leads the All-City First Team, where he is joined by teammate Xavier Amos, a NIU recruit.

The Class of 2022 is generally considered the weakest in Public League basketball history. The overall talent level is significantly lower than an average year and several of the city’s best players are currently in the Catholic League.

That showed on the All-City selections. The Catholic League is clearly closing the gap on the Public League. Aside from Amos and Casey, the only Public League senior signed with a Division 1 school is Kenwood’s Trey Pettigrew. And he transferred into the Public League for this season.

Check out all of the players nominated for the All-City team, along with their season statistical averages, right here:

Players on teams in the Chicago city limits are eligible for All-City. The All-Area team, comprised of players in the Sun-Times’ entire coverage area, will be released next week.

2022 Chicago Sun-Times All-City Team

First Team

Darrin Ames, Kenwood, G, 6-2, Jr.

Xavier Amos, Young, 6-8, Sr.

AJ Casey, Young, 6-8, Sr.

DeAndre Craig, Mount Carmel, 6-1, Jr.

Ahmad Henderson, Brother Rice, 5-10, Jr.

Second Team

JaKeem Cole, Leo, 6-0, Jr.

Jaylen Drane, Simeon, 6-3, Sr.

Davontae Hall, Hyde Park, 6-1, Sr.

Jeremy Harrington, Curie,6-5, Jr.

Trey Pettigrew, Kenwood, 6-4, Sr.

Third Team

Dylan Arnett, DePaul Prep, 6-9, Sr.

Richard Barron, St. Ignatius, 6-5, Jr.

Cam Cleveland, Leo, 6-3, Sr.

Morez Johnson, St. Rita, 6-9, So.

Lidell Miller, Morgan Park, 6-7, Sr.

Fourth Team

Mikell Jones, Clark, 6-4, Sr.

Terrance Jones, Longwood, 6-2, Sr.

Cam Lawin, Orr, 6-2, Sr.

Aviyon Morris, Simeon, 5-7, Sr.

DJ Bates, De La Salle, 6-1, Sr.

Honorable Mention

James Brown, St. Rita

Timaris Brown, St. Patrick

Phoenix Bullock, Curie

Dalen Davis, Young

Jalen Griffith, Simeon

Chris Hammonds, Lincoln Park

Caleb Hannah, Orr

Carlos Harris, Curie

Malik Jenkins, Hyde Park

Donovan Jones, Solorio

Davius Loury, Kenwood

Vincent Mayes, North Lawndale

Chikere Nwosu, Lincoln Park

Chikasi Ofoma, Curie

JaQwon Payton, Perspectives-Lead

AJ Redd, St. Ignatius

Miles Rubin, Simeon

Wes Rubin, Simeon

Lonell Strickland, Fenger

Josh West, Westinghouse

LOOKING BACK:

2021 All-City Team

2020 All-City Team

2019 All-City Team

2018 All-City Team

2017 All-City Team

2016 All-City Team

2015 All-City Team

Read More

Many Blackhawks players are reluctant or unwilling to publicly acknowledge trade rumors.

But Brandon Hagel, in his first time through the rumor cycle, isn’t trying to hide from the chatter — which he made clear after practice Tuesday.

“Yeah, I’ve seen it all, obviously,” he said openly. “It has been going on for a little bit. My name has been popping up. It’s one of those things [that shows hockey is] a business. It is what it is. I can’t change what happens. I can’t change what people are going to offer. I can’t do anything about it.”

Hagel’s calmness about the subject is admirable considering how surprising, from an outside perspective, it has been to see his name appearing so frequently on trade lists.

He played his second career NHL game only 13 months ago and he’s still far from well-known outside of Chicago, even though his world-class work ethic and impressive results so far have quickly wooed Hawks fans.

He’s also still 23 years old, still in the first year of the three-year contract — with an extremely affordable $1.5 million salary cap hit — he signed last summer and still, until he plays Friday against the Devils, below 100 career games.

But then again, those are some of the reasons he’d be so attractive to so many other teams. And with the Hawks entering a rebuild in desperate need of draft picks and prospects, it makes sense they’d gauge the market for just about everyone on the current roster.

Despite that market-measuring, sources say Hagel is as close to off the table as someone on the table can be — he’s unlikely to be traded. That could change depending on who is named the Hawks’ permanent general manager, but that’s where things seemingly stand under interim GM Kyle Davidson.

Plus, the Hawks’ current asking price for Hagel might be a package of a first-round pick and highly rated prospect, per a report by Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli earlier this month, which would be an extremely steep price for a contender to pay.

Even Hagel, yet again proving his refreshing willingness to openly discuss rumors, was blown away by that.

“Seeing what they want for me, you’ve got to take it as a compliment, no?” he said, chuckling. “I was a sixth-rounder brought in as a 20-year-old, just this kid who came and played, and they want that? I’ll take that any day.”

Hawks interim coach Derek King, who has made his fondness for Hagel’s attitude and playing style clear throughout his tenure, was equally upfront when discussing the situation Tuesday — and he made his feelings clear again.

“He better not be [traded],” King said. “Hagel has to stay here. That’s [my opinion]. You’ve got to do what’s right for the organization and the team, but Hagel is a big part of this organization.

“It doesn’t matter how good your team is, he’s a guy that you want in the lineup. So it’d be nice if we keep him here and build from there.”

Hagel has slipped into a minor slump lately with just one point, four shots on goal and a 40.6% scoring-chance ratio in his last five games.

That hardly diminishes the impressiveness of his season overall, however, as he’s still producing at a prorated 48-point pace on this mess of a team while ranking fifth in scoring-chance ratio. And it certainly doesn’t seem like the rumors are distracting him.

“I don’t think you have to worry too much about him,” King said. “There might be some other guys over the years that you’d have to pull aside and say, ‘It’s OK, don’t worry about it.’ But he’s pretty humble. Mentally, it doesn’t bug him.”

Note: Defenseman Jake McCabe, who left Sunday’s game injured, is day-to-day with lower back soreness. He missed practice Tuesday but will likely return Wednesday.

Read More

The Chicago Cubs made the decision to rebuild last season by trading away players that were once considered their core in Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Javier Baez. With the team now in that rebuilding mode, it will be interesting to see how they handle free agency once the lock out is over with. Whenever that happens.

But when free agency does begin, the Cubs may have an intriguing target to replace Rizzo at first base.

According to Buster Olney, there is growing buzz that Freddie Freeman will NOT return to the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves and instead head to free agency where he shouldn’t be available long:

The presumption among a lot of rival executives last year was that Freeman and the Braves would eventually work out a deal. But Freeman was not among the stars who signed a pre-lockout contract — even after the Braves won the World Series and the franchise operated with the championship glow (and cash injection). So the industry view has shifted; there is a growing belief that Freeman will land somewhere outside of Atlanta because of the standoff in his negotiations. The Braves offered $135 million over five years, sources say, and Freeman is looking for a six-year deal.

Freeman would be a perfect fit for just about any lineup, especially with the universal designated hitter likely to be used in the National League in 2022. Even a team with an established first baseman could envision Freeman splitting time between DH and first base.

Olney did mention a few teams but the Cubs were not one of them. Instead, he mentioned the Yankees and Dodgers as suitors. However, if the Cubs do want to make a splash that’s not Carlos Correra, then Freeman would be an ideal candidate.

Read More

The 2020 state tournament was abruptly canceled in the heart of March Madness with the arrival of a global pandemic.

The 2021 state tournament never even started.

But, thankfully, we are on our way to crowning state champions for the first time in three years.

Here are several postseason questions we will look to see answered as this 2022 state tournament plays out over the next three weeks.

1. Can Glenbard West go wire to wire at No. 1?

Glenbard West was the preseason No. 1 team, hasn’t lost to a single in-state opponent and has been the top-ranked team every week of the season.

Yes, we have a true, legitimate Class 4A favorite as the Hilltoppers begin their journey in what would be the first state championship in school history. Normally, even a sectional title would be massive news for a program that’s had little to no postseason success.

But this team, this group of players, want it all. And after dismantling Simeon last week it’s easy to call the Hilltoppers a heavy favorite. They’ve ascended to a tier all its own.

Running the table against all Illinois opponents — the only loss came at the buzzer to Sierra Canyon out of California — would be a distinctly alluring achievement.

The team’s two stars, Braden Huff and Caden Pierce, are now a combined 71-2 since June in both high school and AAU play as they teamed up together with the Illinois Wolves. But a state championship is the ultimate goal and would trump anything they’ve accomplished up to this point, both team wise and individually.

The community is fully on board and ready to fill gyms for what should be a lengthy and exciting ride over these next three weeks.

2. Can Simeon, Robert Smith extend their record-breaking numbers?

No program in the state has more state championship hardware in the trophy case than Simeon.

The Wolverines have won seven state titles with the most recent coming 2013. Peoria Manual is next with five.

Then there is the Robert Smith coaching legacy that he’s been building since taking over for Robert Hambric in 2004. Smith has six state championships and has won nine state trophies overall.

Forget the recent losses, which includes three of the last four games in the regular season, Simeon is the favorite and top-ranked team in Class 3A. Now Simeon and Smith have an opportunity to extend their respective all-time state title lead even further.

3. Which teams can win their first sectional title?

There are a number of programs who have been waiting 12 months for the start of this postseason. But those who are new to the chance of winning big in the postseason are especially anxious for state tournament play to begin.

There are an abnormal amount of top seeds in this year’s Class 4A and Class 3A sectionals looking to hoist their first sectional plaque this March.

Glenbrook South, Lake Forest, Kenwood, Oswego East, Burlington Central, and Wauconda have never won a sectional championship in program history. All are in a position to do so in the next two weeks.

Let’s go ahead and rank these seven teams by best chance to capture their first sectional title.

1. Burlington Central: They’ve been building towards this season with this group and the time is now to take advantage of the opportunity. The No. 1 seed in the sub-sectional has a likely road of Rockford Boylan and either Wauconda or St. Francis in sectional play.

2. Lake Forest: The Scouts hope to make the most of their move from Class 4A to Class 3A. The sectional doesn’t have a ranked team, so top-seeded Lake Forest is primed and ready. The biggest roadblock appears to St. Patrick, the No. 2 seed with a 18-10 record, while Notre Dame, Deerfield and Carmel will be the other threats.

3. Oswego East: The Wolfpack, the top seed in the Oswego Sectional, will have their fans in abundance in the sectional to create a definite home court advantage. Oswego East has shown a penchant for winning close games during its 30-1 season, which is never a bad thing at this time of the year.

4. Glenbrook South: There is a lot going for the Titans. First, this is the best team on this list. Second, the sectional will be on its home floor. But playing in what is arguably the state’s toughest sectional prevents this team from being higher on this list.

While the Titans can certainly win it, there are familiar rivals waiting for them. Glenbrook South may have to beat Evanston a third time, while New Trier, which beat the Titans the last time they met, could be the sectional final opponent.

5. Kenwood: This won’t be easy. The Broncos haven’t exactly been playing their best basketball down the stretch. Plus, there are plenty of teams in this sectional, including H-F, Brother Rice, Bloom and St. Rita, that could turn this sectional upside down.

6. Wauconda: When everything shut down in March of 2020, coach Scott Luetschwager’s team was set to play in a sectional championship. They didn’t get that chance after winning its first regional title in five decades. Here is another shot.

A sub-sectional top seed in the Crystal Lake South Sectional, Wauconda will have its hands full. The Bulldogs will have to likely beat favored Burlington Central in the sectional final. The first go-around against a Fox Valley Conference team, Huntley, didn’t go well. Wauconda lost 59-43 back in November. Burlington Central went 18-0 in the Fox Valley.

4. Which team can take advantage of a great Class 2A opportunity?

Leo and DePaul Prep have been battling their way through the rugged Catholic League and played rugged non-conference schedules.

Orr and Clark have grinded their way for two-plus months in the Public League’s Red-West/North.

These four have played a more rigorous schedule than any Class 2A schools in the state. Now they embark on what is a very winnable Class 2A state tournament.

So starting this week all eyes should be on the road through the Joliet Central Supersectional. That’s where the winners of the Julian and North Lawndale sectionals will collide.

The state’s top two Class 2A ranked teams, Leo and DePaul Prep, No. 4 ranked Clark, No. 7 ranked Perspectives-Leadership and No. 10 ranked Orr will all be working their way through Joliet Central.

With half of the top 10 Class 2A ranked teams all feeding into Joliet Central, the last team standing in two weeks will likely be favored heading to Champaign. And they’ll be well prepared to finish it off once reaching the state semifinals.

5. Will the suburbs continue its 2021-22 dominance over the city?

The suburban powers played the city powers this past season at a rate we probably haven’t seen before.

While there is no question the traditional city powers are down in comparison to past years, the suburban powers could care less. They went out and took care of business against the best the city has to offer in this 2021-22 season.

Among the true state contenders, Glenbard West pummeled Young and Simeon by a combined 43 points while Glenbrook South beat Simeon by three and Curie by 24. Thornton went to Kenwood and won last week in overtime.

The lone big city victory among powers was Simeon beating New Trier. That came in overtime and in a dramatic, come-from-behind fashion at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament.

6. Now the question is can they do it again when it matters most?

Everyone expects some sort of suburban-city clash to eventually transpire along the tournament trail. Glenbard West is a heavy favorite to reach Champaign. The expectation is either Glenbrook South or New Trier will join them.

Also, it would be surprising if either Young, Kenwood or Curie were not in Champaign playing in a Class 4A semifinal.

In Class 3A, both Simeon and Thornton could meet in a super-sectional.

So there are all kinds of potential head-to-head matchups deeper in tournament play among the best of the best in the city and suburbs.

7. Is Yorkville Christian really a heavy Class 1A favorite with just 17 regular-season wins?

Yes.

That was simple.

Now that the season has played out, check out this scheduling factoid: Yorkville Christian has played 10 teams in Class 4A or Class 3A that have been ranked at some point this season. That includes current No. 1 Glenbard West, No. 2 Glenbrook South, No. 7 Kenwood, No. 9 New Trier and No. 11 Oswego East.

Then there were the heavyweights from outside Illinois, including a pair of highly-ranked Missouri teams from St. Louis — Vashon and Chaminade.

With all due respect to current AP No. 1 Scales Mound, this is Yorkville Christian’s state title to lose in Class 1A.

While there were plenty of losses to those top teams all season long — there were 13 in the loss column — the Jaden Schutt-led Mustangs are well prepared for this specific moment.

There will be a significant difference in the speed, size, athleticism and overall talent Yorkville Christian will face in coming weeks than what it saw all season long. Everything should slow down considerably for the Mustangs against the likes of Scales Mound, Liberty, Fulton, Flanagan, Fenger and whoever else they might play.

There will be some blowout wins along the way. And while it would be a major upset if Yorkville Christian were to go down, don’t expect it to be a total walk in the park.

Remember, the aforementioned Scales Mound played highly-ranked Leo late in the season and held its own, losing 55-50.

Yorkville Christian would not meet Scales Mound until the state championship game.

8. What downstate teams will we be hearing from?

Normal and Moline are the only two Class 4A teams in the AP state rankings.

Normal, though, with its sparkling 30-1 record is the cream of the crop. The Ironmen haven’t lost since early December to Champaign Centennial, 61-59. They pounded Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin, the No. 4 ranked team in Class 3A, in the season finale, 54-33.

Zach Cleveland, one of the top 15 prospects in the state who is headed to Liberty, is an all-state caliber star.

Normal could face Moline (26-4) and standout point guard Brock Harding in the sectional semifinal. Normal beat Moline 60-47 two weeks ago.

Keep an eye on East St. Louis, Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin, Lincoln and Centralia in Class 3A. Led by standout junior Macaleab Rich (19 ppg) and Missouri recruit Christian Jones (15 ppg), East St. Louis (23-5) is the best of the bunch.

The only in-state losses for the Flyers came in a pair of defeats to 4A power Normal.

Read More