Kudos to the players, coaches and fans of North Lawndale and Farragut for handling tonight well. What could have been another stain on the reputation of Public League basketball turned into a hopeful sign that this year could be smoother on the West Side.
The Admirals were very impressive in the first half and then fell apart in the second. Wolf Nelson has a challenge on his hands this season. He needs his starters to get in better shape or find out a way to get more from his bench. Keep an eye on 6-4 sophomore twins Mikell and Mikqwon Jones. They are already excellent players.
Tonight was my first look at North Lawndale’s highly-regarded freshman Ronald Chambers.
“He’s solid,” North Lawndale coach Carlos Toliver said. “I plan on giving him the ball when [Jamar] Wilkins leaves. We are getting him out there now and living with his mistakes. He’s a freshman. He has a lot of Division I schools looking at him already. I just want to help build him up to be a good basketball player.”
Wednesday’s top games
Lane 54, Marshall 51: First an impressive performance in the Chicago Elite Classic and then a nice win against Marshall. It’s been a solid December so far for Lane. Aaron McQueen scored 13 and Eric Stemper added 12 points, five assists and four rebounds.
Glenbard West 35, Wheaton-Warrenville South 33: Easy to tell who won the battle of tempo but the Hilltoppers won the war. Braden Huff and Paxton Warden each scored 10.
St. Ignatius 59, Montini 42: Senior Daniel Florey led all scorers with 23 points and junior John Digenan added 13 points. The Wolfpack are 5-2.
No. 10 Lincoln Park 64, No. 12 Orr 59: This is a massive win for the Lions. Junior guard Julio Montes scored 18 points and Ismail Habib added16 points and six assists. Sophomore guard Chikere Nwosu chipped in with seven points and 13 boards.
Cary-Grove 39, Crystal Lake South 37: Belmont recruit Frank Jakubicek won it with a steal and score in the final seconds.
Legal Prep 93, Perspectives 92 OT: Jonathan Oden posted 27 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Wildcats to a tough White-West win.
Senn 60, Disney 36: David Edaghese dominated with 23 points and 10 assists. Kevin Tagbe added 13 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.
Wells 58, Ogden 41: Donald Aguirre scored 16 and Kiwane Scott added 14.
Austin 100, Manley 31: The Tigers are 3-0 in conference. Kevin Gentry poured in 22 points, 18 assists and 14 steals. That’s a stat line. Andrew McClain scored 42 and made nine threes.
