Great start to the 24-25 high school basketball season with the opening games of the Battle of Bridge Thanksgiving Tournament at DePaul Prep.
DePaul Prep 69, Niles North 63.
The DePaul Prep come into the season ranked #3 in the Sun-Times Super 25. Several other analysts have the Rams ranked #1 but it’s a pre-season ranking that matters little. Frankly, who wants to be ranked #1 in pre-season. One can only go down from there. No one disputes the Rams are a top team. Back-to-back state champs with three returning starters and a top transfer, the Rams will win a lot of games.
The Rams came out in a four guard line-up against Niles North on Monday. Center Lashaun “Shaun” Porter, guards, Makai Kvamme, A.J. Chambers, Rob Walls and new-comer Rykan Woo, the aforementioned top transfer from Whitney Young. This is a bit of a change from Tom Kleinshmidt’s typical two bigman, wing and two guard line-up but not much of a change. There have been plenty of times when the Rams played four guards at a time. And Rob Walls was grabbing boards like Dennis Rodman on Monday, so it’s not like the Rams surrender the paint.
Frankly, the Rams struggled a little in the first quarter to get the ball to fall. Usually, the Rams grab an early lead and hold it until the half. It was a little different Monday. They trailed in the first and rallied in the second quarter.
It was the third quarter where the Rams turned the game. They outscored Niles North 10-2 in the first half of the third quarter. They grabbed the lead and held it.
In typical fashion of a Kleinschmidt team, the Rams got a second half lead and held it with excellent ball handling and clutch free throw shooting.
By no means was it easy. Niles North head coach Glenn Olson, his family and the rest of his Vikings play basketball like it’s life or death. I have seen them play many time in recent years. It feels more like a boxing match than a basketball game. One feels lucky to be upright when it’s over. I get tired just watching.
The Vikings are especially good this year, ranked #10. Glenn Olson’s son Reid is the point guard. He is tougher than this father and a great shooter. Senior forward Hunter Gawron is a force and a high regarding player in the area. Let’s not forget senior guard Dylan Lam who poured in twelve points.
The should feel glad just have the win, and that the game is over. It was a nice win and a good preview of what is in store for us this season.
One of the DePaul Prep students was wearing a Tom Kleinschmidt Gordon Tech #34 jersey. How cool is that? It should be in a museum someplace. Next time I see him I will have to tell him to leave it to the school or to the Chicago History Museum in his will.
Lane 70, Phillips 54.
Lane played angry, especially Penn commit senior center Dalton Scantlebury, and handled Phillips in the first game of the tournament.
I didn’t hear Scantlebury say “Gimme the damn ball” but that’s how he played. 23 points and no doubt that he is serious.
And it wasn’t just him. Senior forward Zach Mazanowski had a monster duck that was picturesque to write the least. Even with the graduation of Shaheed Solebo, the Champions may well be better than last year. Stay tuned for that.
Great start to the season.
And great to see college basketball star Raheem Anthony in the Tom Winiecki Gym. For those who may not recall Raheem was the engine of the DePaul Prep’s first state finals run in 2019. That team had other top players, like Perry Cowen, TY Johnson and Pavle Pantovic, but Raheem was the key—at least according to me.
But, best of all, new lights in the Tom Winiecki Gym. White light and lots of it. I have had my setting dialed in for some years in that gym but now I have to redo it all. I boosted the shutter speed, probably a little to high, resulting in a high ISO. I am going to dial it back a little. The photos came out a too grainy even with the AI processing. Give me a few tries and I will have it dialed in. Kind of like the Rams and their new four guard offense.
I hope you like the photos.
