The focus of this January’s When Sides Collide, organized by the City/Suburban Hoops Report, remains the same as others in recent years.
The sheer quality of teams, coaches and top teams, along with the smaller venue that plays a role in amplifying the atmosphere, continues to make the annual high school basketball event a mainstay on the prep hoops calendar.
The history of the event continues to grow since Stevenson’s Jalen Brunson squared off with Marian Catholic’s Tyler Ulis in 2014. This year’s When Sides Collide, which will again be played at Benet, will add to past headline games. The field includes multiple defending state champs and the biggest individual names in the sport.
The matchups are set for the four-game slate that will be played Jan. 24.
Benet vs. Warren
This one offers a small chance at redemption for Warren. It’s a rematch of last year’s Class 4A state championship game. And it could prove to be the main course of this event.
The state’s best player, Warren junior Jaxson Davis, will be the must-watch player this season. Davis continues to raise his level of play and will lead a team that also returns guard Braylon Walker.
Benet welcomes back two Division I prospects in 7-footer Colin Stack and Eastern Illinois recruit Jayden Wright in the backcourt. Plus, 6-8 junior Edward Stasys is fresh off a big offseason after providing valuable minutes a year ago.
DePaul Prep vs. Marist
A pair of teams expected to be ranked among the top five in the preseason playing one another in a primetime event is an easy sell. Interestingly, both will be in the revamped Chicago Catholic League next season.
But this year’s matchup features two teams with 4A state title aspirations and a pair of exciting seniors with size: DePaul’s 6-7 Rashaun Porter, who has been a part of three straight state titles, and Marist’s 6-7 athletic marvel Stephen Brown. There is plenty of experience surrounding them both.
Bolingbrook vs. Neuqua Valley
While Warren’s Davis is the state’s premier player, Bolingbrook’s Brady Pettigrew and Neuqua Valley’s Cole Kelly just might be the next two.
The pair of sophomores sport high-major offers and rank 1-2 in the sophomore class in Illinois. In a recent Rivals rankings, Pettigrew was the 19th ranked player in the country while Kelly checked in at No. 43.
New Trier vs. Oswego East
The obvious attraction is the marquee matchup between two of the best guards in the state and top five prospects in the Class of 2026.
Mason Lockett of Oswego East, who is headed to DePaul, is as versatile as they come as a do-it-all 6-5 point guard. The Princeton-bound Christopher Kirkpatrick of New Trier is a fun one to watch with his high-scoring, shot-making ways.