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.
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| 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 2nd
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.
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| 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 3rd 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.
