Review: Chicago Elite Classic

The inaugural Chicago Elite Classic showcased numerous highly regarded players while featuring top Chicago area teams against nationally recognized programs from across the United States. Fans at the University of Illinois-Chicago Pavilion were treated to some stellar performances, unfortunately only one of the five match-ups turned into a competitive game. 

Dominant Performances

Whitney Young and their top ranked center, Jahlil Okafor (2014) dominated their match-up with Dematha in a 72-58 victory. Okafor easily won his showdown with senior big-man Beejay Anya to the tune of 34 points and 8 rebounds. Okafor didn’t waste any time and started the game off with a quick basket and foul while leading Whitney Young to a 31-22 halftime lead. Okafor’s go-to move is his left to right spin move in the low post which was on display against Anya in the first quarter. He also showed off a great set of hands (similar to Sean May) and a soft touch on his mid-range jump shots. Overall, Okafor could not have asked for a better way to start his junior season. With the maturity of Young along with his other well-known junior teammate Paul Young and transfer L.J. Peak, this Whitney Young team will challenge Simeon for the Chicago Public School and state crowns. 

Jahlil Okafor - Top big man in the country

Lone Peak (Utah) faced off against the Illinois 2012 state runner-ups in Proviso East. Despite the fact that Proviso East was missing their top player, Sterling Brown, the casual observer still expected a competitive game. This was the case for the first quarter as Lone Peak led 16-14, but it got ugly quickly for the hometown squad starting in the second quarter. Lone Peak showed why they might be the best high school team to ever come out of Utah with a dazzlingly display of outside shooting mixed with bruising interior play. Senior big man Eric Mika (2013) dominated down low, while guards T.J. Haws (2014) and Nick Emery (2013) led the way from the perimeter with 24 and 19 points, respectively. All three will be playing at BYU in the near future. Lone Peak won 84-46 against a Proviso East team that lost to Simeon in last year’s state championship game 50-48. Needless to say, everybody in the arena was clamoring for a Lone Peak vs. Simeon match-up.

Random Tidbits

Simeon dominated an over-matched Milton squad 56-35 in the tournaments last game of the night. Star wing Jabari Parker made a surprising return to the court and finished with six points. Parker hurt his foot in June and it will take him several weeks at least to work his way into basketball shape. While Parker was obviously a bit rusty, the other Simeon stars came to play. Point guard Jaylon Tate had several pin-point passes to big man Russell Woods along with his future Illinois teammate, Kendrick Nunn. Nunn was passive in the early going and content to shoot threes, but regained his normal aggressiveness in the 2^nd half and finished with 11 points and 6 rebounds. Simeon will rely all year on a strong senior class, but sophomore D.J. Williams showed that he is skilled enough to contribute this year while taking over the torch from the Simeon senior class. Williams had 12 points and 8 rebounds while showing off his impressive mid-range game. 

Elijah Brown

Mater Dei cruised to a 65-55 victory over St. Joe’s giving famed coach Gary McKnight another victory to put on his resume. Mater Dei was led by guard Elijah Brown, the son of former Laker coach Mike Brown. Brown finished with 26 points which were scored in a variety of ways. Brown was best at attacking the basket, but also showed off an improved outside shot from his junior year.

Stanley Johnson, a powerful forward from Mater Dei looked out of place on a high-school court with his physicality. Johnson will dominate opponents over the next two years with his strength and quickness and will be a nightmare match-up on both the offensive and defensive end. 

In the one competitive game, St. Vincent / St. Mary’s defeated University High 68-65. The Ohio led squad was led junior guard Jalen Hudson and freshman wing V.J. King. Both players recently left the east coast and found a home at Lebron James’ former high school. Hudson led the way from the outside while V.J. King showed off his athleticism attacking the basket. The future Ohio State Buckeye, Keita Bates-Diop led the way in a losing effort with 23 points which featured countless feathery jump shots in the 3^rd quarter. Bates-Diop had a three point attempt to tie the game fall just short as the buzzer sounded. 

Future VCU Ram, Jairus Lyles had a strong performance for Dematha in a losing effort. Lyles had 18 points and got to the free throw line a lot. Lyles immediately became a fan favorite with his free throw routine which featured a full body shimmy shake. 

The first ever Chicago Elite Classic provided a glimpse at all of the outstanding talent in the Chicago area along with an early glimpse of top teams throughout the country. The top Chicago teams in Whitney Young and Simeon dominated their competition in the primetime games, but it was the squad from Lone Peak that came away with the most respect.