Dec. 06--For a brief moment, Evanston had Charlie Moore sped up and out of control.
It looked that way anyhow, until Jamal Burton came out of nowhere to throw down a highlight-film alley-oop.
Moore, a Memphis recruit and the top-ranked player in Illinois' senior class, controlled the ball most of the night, and the unheralded Burton was everywhere.
Morgan Park's Chicago Elite Classic debut was an unqualified success as the No. 2 Mustangs defeated No. 7 Evanston 71-59 on Saturday at the UIC Pavilion. Burton had 18 points, 10 rebounds and five steals, and Moore added 14 points and four assists.
"Jamal was locked in, rebounding at a high level, slashing, just playing Jamal basketball," Moore said. "He came out here with a mind-set that he was going to prove everybody wrong. He did that tonight."
"Jamal basketball" meant toughness, hustle and defense to last year's Morgan Park team, but the 6-foot-2 senior returned this season as a skilled offensive player.
He defended Nojel Eastern well despite the Evanston star's game-high 19 points, and Burton shot 6-for-11 and made all four of his free throws and both his 3-point attempts.
A deep 3 by Burton gave Morgan Park (2-0) a 62-49 lead and ended a 10-2 run by Evanston (4-1).
"Jamal Burton is a bad boy," Morgan Park coach Nick Irvin said. "I've been telling everybody he is the glue to the team. If he is on his game, I don't think anybody in the world can beat us."
"I've put a lot of long hours in the gym," said Burton, who is hearing from Loyola and St. Louis but does not have a Division I offer. "I wasn't mentioned in any rankings or anything so I have a statement to make."
Mike Helfgot is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
Player of the game: Jamal Burton, Morgan Park, 18 points, 10 rebounds, 5 steals.
Key performers: Morgan Park -- Charlie Moore, 14 points, 4 assists; Jarrin Randall, 14 points; Ayo Dosunmu, 8 points, 6 steals. Evanston -- Nojel Eastern, 19 points.
