Chicago Sports

The Chicago Bulls stood back at the NBA trade deadline this year and didn’t make a move, but in a weird way, things might have improved for them in the process.

The Nets blew it up, sending Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns and Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks. That should remove one team in front of the Bulls, at the moment, who sit at the number nine seed in the East.

Although, this roster doesn’t exactly scream “playoff contender,” right now. Chicago could still sneak in, but is that a real reason to celebrate?

One player that might end up helping Chicago to the postseason? Russell Westbrook, who was recently acquired by the Utah Jazz in a 3-team deal and request a buyout. If Westbrook were to request a buyout, believe it or not, the Bulls are one of two frontrunners to land him. It’s between Chicago and the Miami Heat, as of right now.

What good would signing Russell Westbrook do the Chicago Bulls at this point?

For those who are stat heads, Westbrook is currently averaging 15.9 points, 7.5 assists and 6.2 rebounds per game in roughly 28 minutes played.

He’s now best suited off the bench, but plays a good chunk of time nonetheless. He’s a fairly efficient player, overall, still. Although he isn’t as prolific a scorer as he once was, Westbrook can still run an offense and get his teammates involved.

The Bulls are missing a true facilitator on this team, and have been since Lonzo Ball went down. At the very least, Westbrook could fill in the gaps in that realm.

But, here’s another stat for you: on the season, Westbrook has just 0.5 win shares, according to Basketball Reference. That’s not a whole lot. It’s not all that impressive, and is by far the lowest number of his career.

Should the Bulls sign Westbrook, it feels like a move that would get them just a little closer to being a solidified playoff team. But, in the end, it’s not a move that would get this roster out of the first round.

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Cubs players already have begun to descend upon Mesa, Arizona, and pitchers and catchers are set for their first official spring-training workout Wednesday. The first full-squad workout is the following week.

The Cubs still could add supplemental pieces to their roster, but most of the offseason work is done.

“This team is going to be really competitive,” left fielder Ian Happ said during the Cubs Convention last month. “Everybody says that at this time of year, but you can see a way that we can win a lot of baseball games.

“This team can pitch it. There’s a lot of defense there. And I think there’s underrated bats — I really do.”

Happ’s glowing review won’t truly be tested until the regular season, but this spring will provide the first glimpses of a new-look Cubs squad. Between the abundance of players hoping to make an impression and MLB’s partnership with the World Baseball Classic, there’s plenty of promise for plenty of players.

The Cubs extended 32 big-league camp invitations to non-roster players, including standout prospects Matt Mervis and Pete Crow-Armstrong. Familiar faces such as David Bote, Mark Leiter Jr. and Manuel Rodriguez also return as non-roster invitees.

Approaching spring training, the Cubs aren’t the favorite in the National League Central — the Cardinals still hold that distinction. But four months after finishing the 2022 season with a 74-88 record, they at least look like a team that could challenge for a playoff spot.

Most improved: Defense

The Cubs’ most notable acquisitions are geared toward run prevention, especially strengthening the defense up the middle.

Shortstop Dansby Swanson, the biggest signing (seven years, $177 million), won a Gold Glove last year. With the addition of Swanson, Nico Hoerner moves from shortstop to second base after proving himself at both positions.

The Cubs added former MVP Cody Bellinger — who was tied for third among NL center fielders in outs above average (six) — on a pillow contract. They also fortified the rotation with right-hander Jameson Taillon.

For good measure, they added veteran catcher Tucker Barnhart to pair with fellow defense-first catcher Yan Gomes.

“It’s not the coolest, most highlight-reel thing to see every day, but pitching and defense wins games,” Barnhart said in his introductory news conference, adding that the Cubs’ emphasis on those aspects of the game attracted him in free agency.

Work in progress: Bullpen

The Cubs have gone through a familiar process this winter, signing relievers mostly to short-term contracts or minor-league deals with spring-training invites, then turning them over to the pitching infrastructure with the faith that several of them will perform above projections. During the rebuild, the Cubs would then trade those players around midseason, helping to strengthen their farm system.

Recent years have provided proof that the formula works. But that doesn’t mean they want to keep repeating it.

The Cubs’ most notable bullpen additions this offseason have been right-handers Brad Boxberger and Michael Fulmer (whose deal is pending a physical). They help fill holes left from the trade deadline last year. On the 40-man roster, homegrown pitcher Brandon Hughes is the only left-handed reliever. If the Cubs play well enough in the first half of the season, they could be buyers come late July.

“My hope is that over the next two or three years, those guys are all coming out of our [farm] system,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said last month when asked about the back end of the bullpen. “That’s the real goal, to provide great stuff in the bullpen that’s also coming, and young guys with options that are a little less expensive.”

Uncertain: Offense

New hitting coach Dustin Kelly won’t be easing in, with the Cubs hoping to climb into contention in his first year on the job.

This offseason, they signed a trio of offensive bounce-back candidates: Bellinger, Trey Mancini and Eric Hosmer. Their responses to a change of scenery could swing the Cubs’ potential either way — proving or disproving Happ’s claim of the team’s “underrated bats.”

Swanson is expected to provide a boost. Development from Seiya Suzuki and Chris-topher Morel, each entering his second MLB season, also could make a difference. But the Cubs also lost one of their best hitters, Willson Contreras. There’s no guarantee of significant year-over-year improvement at the plate. But it’s not out of the question.

“It’s an exciting team, but experience was lacking a bit,” Mancini said of last season. “And especially with the signings we made this offseason and experience that was added, when you have a lot of exciting young talent matched with some of the right veteran guys, that can be a great mix.”

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If forward Tyler Johnson had been fully healthy last season, he would have played his 50th game as a member of the Blackhawks on Feb. 17, 2022.

Instead, Johnson made his 50th appearance for the Hawks on Friday against the Coyotes — the team’s 50th game of his second season in Chicago.

That shows how hampered by injuries Johnson, 32, has been since coming to the Hawks. Physically, things have not gone well. He hasn’t played more than eight consecutive games at any point during these two seasons.

Mentally, however, things have gone relatively well. Johnson has displayed an impressive ability to fend off discouragement in spite of his unfortunate injury luck.

”I always try to be a positive person,” Johnson said. ”I don’t think being negative helps at all, regardless of what’s going on individually or as a team.”

Added Hawks coach Luke Richardson: ”He just makes us a better team, and . . . he just makes players better around him. Those [types of] hockey players are hard to find.”

One reason for Johnson’s optimism stems from the fact that the biggest chunk of games he missed — 46, from Oct. 30 to Feb. 27 of last season — came after he decided to have artificial disc-replacement surgery. That operation turned out to be extremely effective, eliminating neck pain Johnson had been dealing with for years.

Even later last season, however, Johnson missed seven games (March 15-26) with something initially deemed a concussion — although he recently clarified that was ”not really” what it was — then three games (April 10-14) as a healthy scratch.

This season, he missed 20 games (Oct. 27-Dec. 9) with a sprained left ankle, came back for two, then missed two more (Dec. 16-18) after aggravating it. After that, he played six games, missed one (Jan. 3) because of illness, played eight more, then suffered a ”different but related” ankle injury that cost him three games (Jan. 24-28).

Johnson caught a break with the timing of the Hawks’ bye week, which enabled him to return Tuesday against the Ducks and log 19 minutes, 44 seconds of ice time — the second-highest of his Hawks tenure to date.

”Of all the bad luck, I guess we got a little good luck there,” he said. ”There’s nothing I’m worried about or, in the future, that I have to worry about.

”The ankle is more of a nuisance than anything. It can be really good or it can be really bad, but hopefully now we’re over that hurdle. It feels good. I just have to keep on going.”

Still, maintaining a rhythm through his absences has proved difficult.

”It’s just that hockey touch of being in the right spot, having your timing down and making the right plays [that gets lost],” Johnson said. ”You’re working out, so your body’s there. And in your mind, you’re always thinking about the game. But it’s just about that timing of everything. You don’t quite get that at practice because it’s not quite up to full speed.”

That makes his respectable productivity this season all the more impressive. With 15 points in 24 games, he leads all regular Hawks with a rate of 2.45 points per 60 minutes. (Max Domi ranks second at 2.30.)

And early in the third period Tuesday, Johnson was covering for pinching defenseman Seth Jones when the puck was cleared delicately down the ice, putting him in a race with Ducks forward Frank Vatrano back into the Hawks’ defensive zone.

Richardson watched Johnson ”put the burners on,” get to the puck first and calmly pass it to Jones, who hit Patrick Kane in stride to start another attack.

”To me, that showed he’s healthy again and he’s feeling good,” Richardson said.

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University of Arizona assistant baseball coach Trip Couch has a simple solution whenever a select group of players complains.

Couch simply shows them the chilly temperature in Chicago on a phone app before walking outside of his Hi Corbett Field office and placing a telephone call while wearing his Wildcats shorts.

“Casey Hintz gets tired of me doing that,” Couch quipped.

Hintz and fellow freshman pitcher Tony Pluta from St. Viator High School are two of five Chicago-area players who migrated to Tucson to play for an Arizona team that should make its third consecutive NCAA tournament appearance.

And with Couch, in his second year as the Wildcats’ -national recruiting coordinator, more area players will be under consideration.

“I have a lot of connections in the Midwest, and I feel like the Midwest is a fertile recruiting ground,” said Couch, whose 10 years as a scout for the Diamondbacks are sandwiched by 25 years of coaching experience at Louisiana-Lafayette, Houston, Texas, South Carolina and Arizona.

Among the latest signings is Mahomet-Seymour High School pitcher Blake Wolters, who struck out 115 in 58 2/3 innings as a junior last spring.

But more essential is that head coach Chip Hale, associate head coach Dave Lawn and Couch have identified recruits who displayed the toughness of playing through inclement weather and possess plenty of upside that has yet to crystallize because of late and shortened high school seasons.

The temptation to pursue a pro career wasn’t enough to sway former Young High School star outfielder Brendan Summerhill, who believes he’ll prosper for three years -under Hale and Couch, who have pro experience.

“They made it clear to me this is a place I needed to be because of the support and runway I get, how much they let you make mistakes, make you grow up and have time to mature,” said Summerhill, whose rising stock last spring worried the Wildcats’ staff before he went undrafted.

“In pro ball, it’s one of those things that you’re on your own, and you’re on your own fast.”

Sophomore left-hander Eric Orloff signed with Arizona well before head coach Jay Johnson departed to LSU after the 2021 season. But any concerns about his role were quelled gradually. Orloff made the most appearances (23) of any Wildcat freshman pitcher and appeared twice in the NCAA Coral Gables Regional.

“Our arms are fresher,” said Orloff, a former Glenbrook North standout. “In the winter, you’re forced to shut down for two months or throwing bullpens inside but can’t play long toss. You throw into a net, but it isn’t the same. It gives our arms more rest than in the West Coast, where you’re playing year-round.”

Arizona’s interest in Orloff didn’t spike until he threw at a Prep Baseball Report Pro Case, but he committed after a telephone chat and Zoom call during a four-day span.

Orloff was roughed up in his two NCAA tournament appearances, but he earned the chance to pitch in more key situations after striking out four and not allowing an earned run in 3 1/3 innings at Grand Canyon for his first win March 29.

Orloff admitted he wasn’t expecting to pitch much because of the competition. But after throwing 39 1/3 innings, “it makes me happy and want to work harder to get more work, especially with how competitive it is,” he said.

Of the five Chicago-area players, perhaps no one is more eager to make his Wildcats debut than redshirt freshman left-hander Jackson Kent from Lake Park High School.

Originally, Kent committed to Wisconsin-Milwaukee, only to decommit on the advice of a friend. But three weeks passed until Couch invited him and his father to visit the Tucson campus.

The trip went smoothly, and Kent committed to the Wildcats a week later.

But Kent redshirted last spring and was relegated to throwing bullpens and participating in practices but not traveling with the team. He credited the coaching staff with maintaining his sanity and keeping him on track for the 2023 season.

“We have that connection, that Midwest blood,” Kent said. “It’s a good thing to have when everyone is getting recruited from California and Arizona. It’s great to see we’re -together and getting along well.”

Couch emphasizes, based on his years as an amateur scout, that it’s ominous for high school kids who receive less than a $1 million signing bonus to reach the majors.

“I told these kids, ‘Most of you guys need to go to college, just to learn life and understand taking care of your body, being on time, having a routine, having all the things you need to give you a chance to play in the big leagues,’ ” Couch said.

“That’s why the number of major-leaguers that come from colleges is exponentially higher than the high school kids, because they do have a foundation.”

And there’s some freedom. Hintz will pitch this spring for the Wildcats because of need, but he will play the infield in the Prospect League this summer before determining where he’ll stay.

Meanwhile, Summerhill’s left-handed bat fits well in a predominantly right-handed lineup, provided he can find a spot in a talented outfield that includes potential second-round pick Chase Davis.

Arizona opens the 2023 season Friday against No. 2 Tennessee and top college pitcher Chase Dollander at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, Arizona. But Summerhill reinforced his desire to improve over the next three seasons against top competition and pave the way for more Chicago high school kids to pursue their dream of playing on a larger stage.

“It would mean a lot,” said Summerhill, who was recruited by Tennessee shortly after de-committing from Kentucky in the summer of 2021 before signing with Arizona. “When you think about Chicago baseball, you think about mostly southwest suburbs of Chicago. There’s good baseball down there, but you never hear about the city of Chicago.

“I think there are a lot of really talented athletes in the city of Chicago who play baseball, like at Lane Tech, Kenwood, Whitey Young, Morgan Park, Simeon. It would show that kids don’t go to city schools just to play basketball or football.”

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PHOENIX — Andy Reid’s wife, Tammy, grew up in Arizona. The Chiefs coach has been coming to the Phoenix area for more than half his life to visit her family.

“I remember driving from Los Angeles, and I-10 stopped right by where the stadium is,” Reid said this week. “You’d get off and drive through a bunch of fields there to get to Glendale. It’s grown and grown and grown.”

Built 16 years ago for $455 million, State Farm Stadium is the spaceship-shaped symbol of the Valley’s suburban sprawl. An economic ecosystem has developed around it — an arena and a nearby mall with bars and restaurants that fans flock to on game day.

It sounds a lot like what the Bears want to build in Arlington Heights, doesn’t it?

The Bears are in escrow on the 326-acre former Arlington International Racecourse property and hope to close in the next few months. The complex, if built, is expected to feature a domed stadium with hotels, restaurants and shopping. Outgoing Bears president/CEO Ted Phillips said the team wants a “wonderfully 365-day-a-year entertainment district.”

Phillips’ replacement, former Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren, has a soft spot for games in the Phoenix area. He grew up there and gets to see his family when his teams play at State Farm Stadium. But although he’s a self-professed stadium nerd, he didn’t exactly sing the stadium’s praises last month.

“It’s held up,” he said. “But the issue is the location, that it’s kind of . . . it’s far out.”

Far out? The site of Sunday’s Super Bowl is about 13 miles northwest of downtown Phoenix. Arlington Heights is about 30 miles northwest of downtown Chicago.

The distance is less of an issue than it was when State Farm Stadium was built, said Kevin Phelps, Glendale’s city manager. Some projections show that two out of three newcomers to the Phoenix area will live in the West Valley.

“If [the Bears] develop the 326 acres as they envision and they create a sense of place, I think they can be very successful,” Phelps said. “People won’t even think about the time it takes to drive there.”

That’s what the Bears hope — although fans in the city are already arguing otherwise.

If they construct their dome in Arlington Heights, the Bears hope to land a Super Bowl. And they’d likely get one, too, as a make-good by the NFL for building a stadium, the way Minnesota and the New York area have received Super Bowls in the last decade. But like those other cold-weather cities, Arlington Heights likely would be left out of the NFL’s permanent rotation. The Super Bowl will be held in Las Vegas next year and New Orleans in 2025.

The Bears also could host NCAA basketball Final Fours on a regular basis. Glendale will hold its second next year.

The last time Glendale hosted a Super Bowl, it had about 800 hotel rooms near the stadium. By next year, that number will be 3,000. The city has found that most people spend money on dinner and shopping within two miles of their hotel. But a new development has to deliver.

“You have to have a ‘there’ there,” Phelps said. “I don’t care how good your advertising is. If we told everyone to come to Glendale and they got here and there was an ice cream shop and a Denny’s and that’s all there is, you’d never get them back again.”

The Bears are hoping to build more than a Denny’s. They don’t plan to do what the Cardinals are most known for, though. They want a fixed-roof dome, not a retractable one. The Cardinals grow grass outside State Farm Stadium and slide it into place for games. The Bears likely would opt for artificial turf, Phillips said, and have talked to the NFL about advancements in the product.

If the Bears build their new home, it will undoubtedly look different than the Glendale spaceship. The surrounding development, on the other hand, could look awfully familiar.

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The Blackhawks’ 4-3 overtime win Friday over the Coyotes made Jaxson Stauber the first goalie in franchise history to start his career 3-0-0.

“You just take it one day at a time,” Stauber said. “And, for me, one period at a time each game I play in. We didn’t get off to a great start tonight, but guys battled and played really well the last two periods.”

After the Hawks rallied from down 2-0 early to take a late 3-2 lead, Stauber allowed a rather soft tying goal with 2:27 left.

He recovered in overtime, however, making the second of his two huge pad stops in his United Center debut. He finished with 24 saves total, dealing the Coyotes a remarkable 17th consecutive road loss.

“He’s pretty composed back there,” Caleb Jones said. “He plays the puck well for a young guy. He’s not afraid of the moment. It doesn’t look like he’s getting too nervous.”

Jones enjoyed a bit of a redemption arc of his own.

The Hawks were pinning in the Coyotes and holding all the momentum in the second period when Jones got “antsy,” in coach Luke Richardson’s words, and shot a puck prematurely. It was blocked the other direction and led to Jones committing a momentum-killing penalty, his second of the game.

But he also made up for it in overtime, tracking down a loose puck after Andreas Athanasiou was dropped on a breakaway and beating Coyotes goalie Connor Ingram through the five-hole.

“After that first period, we came in and regrouped and started working and moving,” said Athanasiou, who tied career highs with three points and eight shots on goal. “When we start doing that, a lot of good things happen. We had a lot of shifts where we got rolling in the ‘O’-zone, and that’s a fun way to play.”

Katchouk clicks

Boris Katchouk has struggled to stay in the Hawks’ lineup this season, but he discovered a formula Friday that could lead to more success moving forward.

The 24-year-old forward’s physicality is his defining attribute, and using it responsibly has been a challenge — he has committed the most penalties per 60 minutes on the Hawks this season. On Friday, however, he used it in a smart way, forcing turnovers and pushing Coyotes across the blue line.

He also got involved offensively. He earned an assist when he drew a delayed penalty on a first-period breakaway, and Seth Jones scored seconds later. He drove the net on a couple of other attacking situations, too.

With six points in 26 appearances this season, Katchouk has a long way to go to prove he has found a sustainable rhythm. But he at least might have something to build on.

Nazar debuts

Hawks prospect Frank Nazar made his college debut in Michigan’s 4-2 victory Friday against Michigan State. He was eased back into action, centering their third line.

Nazar, the 13th overall pick in the 2022 draft, had missed the entire season up to this point while recovering from hip surgery, but his return came a little earlier than expected.

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The Illinois High School Association released the state playoff brackets on Friday afternoon. Most teams were on the bus heading to a game or already in the gym preparing to play.

It can be hard to stay focused on the task at hand when the road to the state championship has finally been revealed. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t faze No. 2 Benet, which knocked off No. 19 Marist 60-53 on Friday in Chicago.

The Redwings (27-1, 15-0 East Suburban Catholic) are the only top-level team in the area that hasn’t had a letdown this season. Even after knocking off Kenwood in late January, Benet remained locked in and didn’t suffer an upset.

“We made sure not to get inflated heads,” Redwings point guard Brayden Fagbemi said. “We stayed level-headed and used the momentum from that game to ride as far as we could. It’s important to keep getting better every day. Just because we beat Kenwood it doesn’t mean we are the best team in the state.”

Marist (23-6, 12-3) never let Benet build a big lead. The RedHawks led early and the game was tied when Benet closed the third quarter with a 9-2 run.

“They are really tough to guard,” Redwings coach Gene Heidkamp said. “They run great stuff and have five scoring options on the floor. We had to grind it out and come up with some stops down the stretch.”

The RedHawks have beaten some good teams this season, but they rely on several very talented young players and have repeatedly come up just short against the area’s best teams.

“We are out there with a lot of 14 year olds and it just comes down to a shot or two that we can’t get to pull out the win,” Marist coach Brian Hynes said. “I just want the kids to get that feeling that we are getting over the hump.”

Niko Abusara led Benet with 13 points and eight rebounds and Fagbemi scored 14 points. Junior Parker Sulaver provided a big lift in the first half and finished with 10 points for the Redwings.

“The guys have done a good job of focusing on what’s in front of them,” Heidkamp said. “We are not going to overpower anybody with our size and athleticism. We have to play every time we step out on the floor.”

Senior Justin Lang scored 15 for Marist and freshman Adoni Vassilakis added 14. Sophomore Marquis Vance was ferocious in the post, finishing with eight points and 10 rebounds.

The future is bright for the young RedHawks, who picked up the No. 4 seed in the St. Rita sectional.

Benet is the top seed in the Bartlett sectional. The Redwings would be the favorite in every game all the way to the Class 4A state championship in Champaign.

“We have a pretty good idea of what we have to do,” Heidkamp said. “You have to go in to the playoffs playing your best basketball. We’ve done a pretty good job so far but there’s so much left to do.”

Watch the final minute of Benet at Marist:

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Friday, February 10, 2023

BIG NORTHERN

Dixon at Rockford Christian, 7:00

Genoa-Kingston at Rock Falls, 7:00

Stillman Valley at Byron, 7:00

Winnebago at Rockford Lutheran, 7:00

CATHOLIC LEAGUE – BLUE

DePaul at Brother Rice, 7:00

Leo at Fenwick, 7:00

Loyola at St. Rita, 7:00

Mount Carmel at St. Ignatius, 7:00

CATHOLIC LEAGUE – WHITE

Marmion at Providence, 7:00

Providence-St. Mel at De La Salle, 7:00

St. Laurence at Montini, 7:00

CENTRAL SUBURBAN – NORTH

Maine East at Deerfield, 7:00

Maine West at Vernon Hills, 7:00

Niles North at Highland Park, 7:00

CENTRAL SUBURBAN – SOUTH

Glenbrook North at New Trier, 7:00

Maine South at Glenbrook South, 7:00

DU KANE

Geneva at Wheaton North, 7:15

Glenbard North at St. Charles North, 7:00

St. Charles East at Batavia, 7:00

Wheaton-Warr. South at Lake Park, 7:00

DU PAGE VALLEY

DeKalb at Naperville Central, 7:00

Metea Valley at Naperville North, 7:00

Neuqua Valley at Waubonsie Valley, 7:00

EAST SUBURBAN CATHOLIC

Benet at Marist, 7:00

Carmel at St. Patrick, 7:00

Joliet Catholic at St. Viator, 7:00

Marian Catholic at Notre Dame, 7:00

FOX VALLEY

Cary-Grove at Prairie Ridge, 7:30

Crystal Lake South at Burlington Central, 7:30

Hampshire at Jacobs, 7:30

Huntley at Crystal Lake Central, 7:30

McHenry at Dundee-Crown, 7:30

ILLINOIS CENTRAL EIGHT

Coal City at Reed-Custer, 6:45

Peotone at Manteno, 7:00

Streator at Herscher, 7:00

Wilmington at Lisle, 6:45

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

Morgan Park Academy at North Shore, 4:30

Northridge at Latin, 6:00

INTERSTATE EIGHT

Kaneland at Sycamore, 7:00

LaSalle-Peru at Ottawa, 7:00

Plano at Morris, 7:00

Rochelle at Sandwich, 7:00

KISHWAUKEE RIVER

Harvard at Richmond-Burton, 7:15

Johnsburg at Woodstock North, 7:00

Marengo at Woodstock, 7:00

LITTLE TEN

Hinckley-Big Rock at Newark, 7:00

Indian Creek at LaMoille, 5:30

Leland at IMSA, 5:30

Serena at Hiawatha, 7:00

Somonauk at Earlville, 7:00

METRO SUBURBAN – BLUE

Aurora Christian at Chicago Christian, 7:00

Timothy Christian at Riverside-Brookfield, 7:00

Wheaton Academy at IC Catholic, 7:30

METRO SUBURBAN – RED

Elmwood Park at Aurora Central, 7:30

Ridgewood at McNamara, 7:30

St. Edward at Westmont, 7:30

MID-SUBURBAN – EAST

Prospect at Hersey, 6:00

Rolling Meadows at Elk Grove, 7:30

Wheeling at Buffalo Grove, 7:30

MID-SUBURBAN – WEST

Barrington at Hoffman Estates, 7:30

Fremd at Palatine, 7:30

NIC – 10

Freeport at Boylan, 7:15

Guilford at Belvidere North, 7:30

Harlem at Rockford East, 7:30

Hononegah at Belvidere, 7:00

Jefferson at Auburn, 7:30

NORTH SUBURBAN

Mundelein at Lake Forest, 7:00

Stevenson at Libertyville, 7:00

Warren at Zion-Benton, 7:00

Waukegan at Lake Zurich, 7:00

NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY

Antioch at Wauconda, 7:00

Lakes at Grayslake North, 7:00

North Chicago at Grayslake Central, 7:00

Round Lake at Grant, 7:00

SOUTH SUBURBAN – BLUE

Bremen at Lemont, 7:00

SOUTH SUBURBAN – RED

Evergreen Park at Shepard, 6:30

Richards at Argo, 7:00

SOUTH SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Eisenhower at Thornton Fr. South, 7:00

Oak Lawn at Tinley Park, 6:30

Reavis at Oak Forest, 6:30

SOUTHLAND

Bloom at Rich, 6:30

Thornwood at Thornton, 6:30

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – EAST

Plainfield East at Plainfield South, 6:30

Romeoville at Plainfield Central, 6:30

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – WEST

Oswego East at Oswego, 6:30

Plainfield North at West Aurora, 6:30

Yorkville at Minooka, 6:30

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN – BLUE

Homewood-Flossmoor at Lincoln-Way East, 6:30

Lockport at Bolingbrook, 7:00

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN – RED

Lincoln-Way Central at Stagg, 6:00

Lincoln-Way West at Bradley-Bourbonnais, 7:00

TRI-COUNTY

Dwight at Seneca, 7:00

Henry-Senachwine at Putnam County, 7:00

Marquette at Woodland, 7:00

Midland at Lowpoint-Washburn, 7:30

UPSTATE EIGHT

Bartlett at Larkin, 7:00

East Aurora at South Elgin, 7:00

Elgin at Glenbard East, 7:00

Fenton at West Chicago, 7:00

Streamwood at Glenbard South, 7:00

WEST SUBURBAN – GOLD

Downers Grove South at Leyden, 7:30

Morton at Addison Trail, 7:30

Willowbrook at Proviso East, 6:00

WEST SUBURBAN – SILVER

Downers Grove North at Glenbard West, 7:30

Hinsdale Central at Proviso West, 6:00

Oak Park-River Forest at Lyons, 6:30

NON CONFERENCE

Alcott at Little Village, 5:00

Brooks at Urban Prep-Bronzeville, 6:30

Clemente at North Lawndale, 5:00

Comer at Kennedy, 7:00

Douglass at Raby, 6:00

Hancock at Kennedy, 7:00

Intrinsic-Belmont at Mather, 6:30

Islamic Foundation at Muchin, 7:00

ITW-Speer at Sullivan, 5:00

Legal Prep at South Shore, 5:00

Northtown at Niles West. 7:00

Orr at Schurz, 5:00

Roanoke-Benson at Flanagan-Cornell, 7:00

Southland at Andrew, 6:30

Unity Christian at Universal, 6:00

LAKE SHORE ATHLETIC TOURNAMENT

Championship

Intrinsic-Downtown vs. Christian Heritage, 6:30

NORTHEASTERN ATHLETIC TOURNAMENT

at Schaumburg Christian

Christian Life vs. Mooseheart, 5:30

South Beloit vs. Schaumburg Christian, 5:30

Alden-Hebron vs. Westminster Christian, 7:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE PLAYOFFS – BLUE

at DePaul McGrath-Phillips

Championship

Manley vs. Carver, 5:00

RIVER VALLEY TOURNAMENT

Illinois Lutheran at Donovan, 7:00

Gardner-So. Wilmington at Momence, 7:00

Grant Park at Beecher, 7:00

St. Anne at Clifton Central, 7:00

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Russell Westbrook to the Chicago Bulls is starting to pick up momentum…

The Chicago Bulls stayed put at the 2023 NBA trade deadline, being one of two teams not to make a trade this season. Instead, Bulls brass believes this team has enough to make a run and opted not to ‘blow it up’ and trade pieces away.

And now, they could be in the market for a veteran point guard.

With Lonzo Ball likely not returning this season, the Bulls are looking at the buyout market to add a veteran point guard to come in and run the offense. There aren’t a lot of options but one player that is being connected to them is Russell Westbrook.

After being traded from Los Angeles to Utah in a three-team deal, Westbrook is expected to be bought out and can sign with any team. If he does hit the buyout market, NBA analyst Adrian Wojnarowski mentions the Bulls as a team to keep an eye on:

“If he gets out into the buyout market, there is significant interest in Westbrook,” said Woj, via Real GM. “I think one team you got to watch and I think will be a frontrunner are the Chicago Bulls. Billy Donovan certainly coached Westbrook in Oklahoma City. If you go further down his bench, Mo Cheeks, Josh Longstaff… There is a staff of former OKC assistants who all had good relationships and worked well with Westbrook with the Bulls. And you could see how he fits just bringing some energy and fire to that team’s bench.”

Westbrook and Billy Donovan have a past going back to Oklahoma City, so it does make sense.

Is Russell Westbrook the best option for the Chicago Bulls?

Add in that we’ve seen this team already with Ayo Dosunmu, Coby White, Goran Dragic and Alex Caruso at the guard position, and the Bulls may look at Westbrook as the other option to at least try.

After-all, it might not be that bad?

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PHOENIX — Aaron Rodgers is about to spend four full days in a dark room while he contemplates his future. From a football standpoint, though, he might never emerge into the light.

Upon reflection — and maybe hallucination — Rodgers could choose to return to a Packers team with whom he’s frustrated. He could retire or meet an even worse fate — having to play for the Jets.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has replaced him as the NFL’s shining light. When he won the NFL MVP on Thursday night– his second in only five seasons as a starter — he became one of seven players ever to claim more than one trophy. Only 27, Mahomes has a decade or more to chase down Peyton Manning’s record of five. Or Rodgers’ four.

“There’s so many greats that have won that award,” Rodgers said this week. “To be part of that history is amazing.”

The passing of passing prowess from the 39-year-old Rodgers to Mahomes presents a different kind of torture for Bears fans. Rodgers was a twice-yearly reminder that he owned the Bears. His dominance was as steady as it was painful — Rodgers won the MVP in 2011, 2014, 2020 and 2021. He went 25-5 against the teams, turning the best rivalry in the NFL to not much of one.

The Bears don’t have to face Mahomes twice each season. But when the world gets to see him on the biggest stage, Bears fans are left to wonder what-if.

Again.

Mahomes’ otherworldly career is a reminder that the Bears could have had him.

Mahomes said this week that he thought he was the Bears’ first choice at quarterback during the 2017 draft — but that he was told general manager Ryan Pace likely wouldn’t pick one. Instead, Pace traded up for quarterback Mitch Trubisky, whom the Bears let walk after four years.

The newly retired Tom Brady wasn’t picked until the sixth round of the 2000 draft. The entire NFL should share the pain — everyone passed on the Greatest Of All Time, over and over again, until the Patriots took a chance on him. With Mahomes, though, the Bears are in rarer company — one of nine who could have had the quarterback without trading up. Most of those teams didn’t need a quarterback. The Bears did.

The Chiefs loved Mahomes during the predraft process. Matt Nagy, then the Chiefs’ coordinator, gave Mahomes advance notice of what head coach Andy Reid would quiz him about the next day. Nagy wanted him to ace the test.

The Chiefs traded up to take Mahomes 10th. That number stuck with Mahomes — in 2019, he counted to 10 on his fingers after scoring against the Bears.

His career has been, and will remain, one of the great what-ifs in Chicago sports — like Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan, but in reverse. But if we were a Bear, would Mahomes be nearly as successful? Or would he have been Trubisky?

The quarterback himself credited his success to the place he landed.

“I understand how lucky I am to be in this organization with this coach and these players around me — and coach Reid,” he said. “If I didn’t come to the Chiefs I don’t think I’d be in this spot. He got the best out of me.

“I had to sit for an entire season. He never had any doubts of who I was going to become. He kept getting me better and better as the season went.”

He hasn’t stopped.

When he takes the field against the Eagles on Sunday, Mahomes will become the youngest quarterback to start three Super Bowls. When Brady did it, he was 39 days older.

Mahomes did it this year without the league’s leading receiver. The Chiefs traded Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins last offseason, leaving their quarterback to prove his greatness all over again.

“His talent level goes far beyond his ability to instinctually go out there,” Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce said. “He’s playing a step ahead, moreso this year than any other year we’ve played, knowing the pieces were a little bit different in terms of the weapons he has.

“And the scrutiny — everyone was looking to see how he was going to take his game to the next level. He’s got three of four moves already in his pocket, depending on what the defense does. That’s what’s going to make him the greatest to ever go down.”

His talent is unmistakable, but Reid is perhaps the greatest offensive head coach of all time. Where did Mahomes’ skillset end and his development begin? The Bears never got a chance to find out.

“You’ve got Pat Mahomes as a quarterback,” Reid said, “That’s a special thing.”

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