Jan. 08--Undefeated is not a basketball concept.
The best programs go out of their way to schedule one another these days. The smart ones are more concerned about getting better than padding their records. Some like taking losses.
Illinois has not crowned an undefeated state champion since Seneca went 35-0 en route to the 2006 Class A title, and Sonny Cox's 1993 King team (32-0) was the last big school to do it.
Undefeated is a football concept. Glenbard West is a football school.
The Hilltoppers themselves have to know a loss is coming at some point. Friday night, though, would be a particularly good time not to lose.
The owner of Chicagoland's longest winning streak, Glenbard West can match its state-championship-winning football team's 14-0 record in perhaps its toughest test to date at Oak Park.
There may not be a more talented -- and battle-tested -- team in the West Suburban Conference than OPRF.
The Huskies are 6-6 but have been through the ringer with losses to No. 4 Fenwick, No. 11 Riverside-Brookfield, No. 16 Benet and state-power Peoria Manual.
Oak Park also lost to Hinsdale Central in its Silver opener but appears to have already benefited from its tough early schedule.
The Huskies beat a pretty good Proviso West team 67-53 on Tuesday night behind 30 points from junior Cam Gross.
The 6-foot-4 Gross, 6-5 junior Jared Scott and 6-2 senior Breshawn Wilkerson are probably a better trio than any Glenbard West has seen to date.
Then again, it's unlikely that anybody on some of the good teams Oak Park has faced is playing any better than Glenbard West's Justin Pierce.
The 6-6 Pierce, a William Mary recruit, opened the season with consecutive 36-point outbursts and has delivered every single game.
He came through with 28 points on Tuesday night as the Hilltoppers tipped off a challenging week with a 55-52 victory at St. Charles East.
Somebody is going to beat Glenbard West sooner or later, but going 1-0 on Friday night would be another indication that a special season is afoot.
Mike Helfgot is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
