We are only in the middle of December, but there are some key early-season conference clashes and several matchups featuring ranked teams, including a lengthy list of games Saturday and Sunday at the Team Rose Shootout at Mount Carmel.
Here is a weekend forecast — with some picks — for the best weekend games.
No. 25 Deerfield (6-2) at No. 10 New Trier (6-1), Friday
Here is another chance for Deerfield to crack into the upper echelon of the Central Suburban League South. They’ve dropped a game to Evanston already. And the Warriors lost to New Trier twice last season, by a combined 32 points.
New Trier features star guard Christopher Kirkpatrick, while 6-7 big man Jake Pollack is off to a sensational start for Deerfield. The 6-8 senior is averaging a double-double while scoring over 20 points a game.
The pick: New Trier 65, Deerfield 58
Palatine (6-0) at Hersey (5-0), Friday
Both of these unbeaten teams are unranked but pushing towards Super 25 status. A win here would help them join fellow MSL West rival Fremd in the rankings. All three are tied atop the league standings.
Hersey boasts a burgeoning star in Charlie Pomis, who fills a stat sheet and has a senior running mate in Logan Luxem.
Palatine has really impressed in the early going with convincing wins over Stevenson and Libertyville. There is great balance between big man Tony Balanganayi, guard Darrin Dick and a blend of size, athleticism and shooting at the forward spots in Abram Williams and Brady May.
This is a true MSL toss-up.
The pick: Hersey 52, Palatine 50
No. 14 Oswego East (6-0) at No. 13 Bolingbrook (5-1), Friday
It will be entertaining watching the stars — DePaul recruit Mason Lockett of Oswego East and Brady Pettigrew of Bolingbrook, arguably the best underclass prospect in the state.
Thanks to Lockett and the continued rise of athletic DShaun Bolden, the Wolves have found ways to win close ones in the early part of the season. Bolingbrook, meanwhile, is anxious to get another crack at a high-profile opponent after licking its wounds following a loss to Homewood-Flossmoor.
The pick: Bolingbrook 70, Oswego East 64
No. 5 Warren (4-1) at No. 11 Waukegan (6-1), Saturday
Although both have dropped early-season games — Warren to Curie and Waukegan to Cary-Grove — it takes nothing away from the importance of this one. Both are highly ranked, the favorites in the North Suburban Conference and will likely be in each other’s way come state tournament time.
Jaxson Davis is the unquestioned star. But how good Warren becomes will depend on the development of the supporting cast. Here is an opportunity to step up.
Waukegan is balanced and very seasoned with point guard Carter Newsome, 6-7 athlete Jaali Love and four-year veteran Simereon Carter. That trio led the Bulldogs to a league title last year while Warren finished second in the state.
The pick: Warren 68, Waukegan 65
Lyons (5-0) at No. 20 Neuqua Valley (5-1), Saturday
There might not be a more potent 1-2 punch in the area from an offensive standpoint than Neuqua Valley’s Cole Kelly and Mason Martin. They are serious lethal weapons from all over the floor, especially from beyond the arc and can turn a game in a hurry.
Led by senior Owen Carroll, junior Timmy Sloan and sophomore Grant Smith, Lyons is the best unranked team in the area. They’ve beaten up on everyone they’ve faced thus far. But a much bigger test awaits here with this road date. We’ll call it a small upset.
The pick: Lyons 64, Neuqua Valley 61
No. 2 Curie (3-0) vs. No. 14 Oswego East (6-0) at Mount Carmel, Saturday
Fresh off an impressive win over Warren last weekend, Curie now gets Mason Lockett and Oswego East. Senior Justin Oliver is destined for an all-state campaign. He started with a bang with a 24-point, stat-sheet-stuffing performance against Warren.
The long, lanky combination of 6-5 Mason Lockett and 6-5 DShaun Bolden is one to watch. Lockett is as versatile as they come, while Bolden is averaging 22 points a game. The two combined to score 46 points in Tuesday’s win.
The pick: Curie 63, Oswego East 55
No. 9 Loyola (6-1) vs. No. 18 Kenwood (5-0) at Mount Carmel, Sunday
A super intriguing Sunday matinee with this Catholic League-Public League tussle.
A pair of juniors, Damari Stephens and the lesser-known Osiris Bell, both showed great promise and progress over the summer. They’ve continued that into the season with Stephens averaging 16 points and seven rebounds a game and Bell putting up 19 points and five assists a game.
Will Kenwood be ready stylistically for what Loyola brings to the table? The Broncos will want to turn this game into an up-and-down one that favors them. But keep in mind Loyola is averaging over 60 points a game thus far.
Loyola struggled mightily taking care of the ball in a loss to top-ranked DePaul Prep. That will need to be cleaned up against a quick and athletic Kenwood team. Senior Trey Williams anchors a team with his complete game in the backcourt.
The pick: Loyola 52, Kenwood 48
No. 3 Kankakee (4-0) vs. No. 1 DePaul Prep (6-1) at Mount Carmel, Sunday
There is a lot to get excited about when it comes to the marquee game in this year’s Team Rose Classic at Mount Carmel. While it’s still very early, one could argue this is a battle between the favorites in each of the state’s top two classes — Kankakee in 3A and DePaul in 4A.
The good news is Kankakee’s Lincoln Williams is playing like a Player of the Year. The bad news is the DePaul defense, featuring 6-7 all-stater and defensive extraordinaire Rashaun Porter, tends to make things really difficult for everyone it faces.
The pick: DePaul 58, Kankakee 50