Here we go, one of the biggest days of the high school basketball season is underway.
And things are very different here at UIC’s Credit Union One Arena on the West Side. There’s a shot clock (likely for the first time in the history of Chicago high school basketball). UIC doesn’t have the high school three-point line on the court either, so they are using the college three-point line.
Today’s lineup:
No. 23 Hyde Park 58, U-High 34: Jurrell Baldwin, a 6-6 junior, scored 22 for the Thunderbirds. The H-F transfer has had an excellent start to the season.
No. 18 Mount Carmel 72, North Lawndale 48: Senior DeAndre Craig has led Mount Carmel’s basketball revival over the past few years. The high-scoring guard has elevated the Caravan’s profile and made them a fixture in the Super 25. Expectations are high this year, but Mount Carmel isn’t going to need Craig to score 20 points in every game this season.
“A little pressure has definitely been taken off me,” Craig said. “Our whole team can score.”
Junior Angelo Ciaravino emerged as a scoring threat last season and is now an even bigger threat. He scored 29 points to lead the Caravan to the win.
Craig scored 20 and Lee Marks, a 6-5 transfer from Homewood-Flossmoor, added 17 points and 13 rebounds.
Senior guard Jemarje Windfield led the Phoenix with 18 points and junior Davarus Spann added 10.
Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) 77, No. 8 St. Ignatius 59: The Wolfpack was able to hang with the national powerhouse for about a half. I haven’t looked it up but it feels like Gonzaga comes to the CEC and beats one of our local teams every season. Junior Reggie Ray led St. Ignatius with 19 and senior Jackson Kotecki added 12.
Kendall Gill and Will Perdue were sitting in the front row to watch Gill’s son Phoenix, a promising sophomore at St. Ignatius.
No. 10 Curie vs. St. Louis Vashon, 4:30
No. 5 Young vs. National Christian (Maryland), 6
No. 1 Simeon vs. No. 4 St. Rita, 7:30
No. 3 Kenwood vs. No. 2 Joliet West, 9