Chicago Sports

With five teams on pace to win 20-plus games and all five of those teams either unbeaten or with one loss in conference play, the Catholic League’s Blue Division is ready to heat up.

The next big matchup to help sort things comes next week when St. Rita and Mount Carmel, both 5-0 in league play, square off.

But looking long term in this 2022-23 season, the potential for the league to make major headlines is there for the taking.

The top six Catholic League teams, five of which are or have been ranked among the Super 25, are spread out in five different sectionals and in three separate classes.

While Public League power Kenwood will be the team to beat in the sectional, St. Rita will host the Class 4A sectional where league rival Brother Rice will join them.

A re-charged Loyola has won eight of its last nine, including a recent rivalry win over St. Ignatius, and will be a sleeper in the 4A New Trier Sectional.

Mount Carmel has a smooth path to a potential sectional title game matchup with Simeon in a Class 3A sectional at Glenbard South.

St. Ignatius will be favored in the 3A De La Salle Sectional while DePaul Prep is again a major threat to advance deep in the Class 2A tournament.

Cam Cerese opening eyes

Lake Park’s Cam Cerese is this season’s biggest scorer with the least amount of fanfare and name recognition.

The 6-2 Cerese has time to garner more attention as he’s one of this season’s breakout juniors. He scored 40 points in a December win over Wheaton North and is averaging 23 points a game in helping the Lancers to an 11-7 record.

While Cerese was a starter as a sophomore for a 22-win team last season, no one fully expected an offensive explosion quite like this as a junior. He scores it in multiple ways, including an advanced mid-range game. Cerese is quick in transition, capable of attacking the rim and continues to become more of a threat from the three-point line (18 of 58).

Plus, Cerese is an outstanding two-way player. Lake Park coach Billy Pitcher assigns him to guard the opposing team’s best player, no matter the size or position.

Appreciating Mekhi Lowery

Oswego East is 17-4, on its way to another Southwest Prairie West and fresh off a significant road win over Joliet West.

There is no better time to appreciate the talents of its best player: Mekhi Lowery.

The do-everything Lowery is among the City/Suburban Hoops Report’s top 20 prospects in the senior class, yet the absolute complete nature of his game, both on offense and defense, is different from other top players. He impacts so many facets of the game.

Defensively he’s game-changing with countless steals and deflections, blocks and contested shots. While leading the Wolves in scoring, he’s also capable of facilitating the offense as a 6-6 point-forward, setting up teammates and making the often unnoticed extra pass.

There is the obvious size, physical ability and versatility that immediately stands out. Then there is the stat-sheet stuffing Lowery provides. He averages 12 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block.

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PARIS – The cool morning Paris weather made the team photo shoot at the Eiffel Tower a bit unpleasant.

The nice thing about it was it included injured point guard Lonzo Ball.

Don’t get too comfortable with that idea, however. That photo might be as close as he gets to being in the picture this season.

After Ball made a rare media interview on Monday and took an optimistic approach to trying to return at some point in the 2022-23 campaign, coach Billy Donovan was much more guarded on that process and insisted that the idea of just dropping him into the playoffs if that’s when he’s ready, was really not on the table.

“No, without him being able to have some kind of … I don’t think we’re talking about five days,” Donovan said of when Ball was even cleared. “I think this is going to be weeks for him to get himself back. And then it’s going to be, ‘OK, he had a hard workout and got up and down. Can he come back and do it the next day?’ Or is it, ‘He’s had three really good days but he needs an off day.’ All those things are going to have to be managed. Because nobody really knows outside of his rehab and him and the medical, what does this look like during contact? And how does he feel the next day after contact? I think all those things will be variables for his return to play.”

What has changed in Ball’s recovery from two left knee surgeries in less than a year, was the idea of him starting to be around the team a bit more. If his rehab allows it the organization would want to take Ball on more future road trips and keep him engaged with teammates and practices.

Where it will get interesting is will the organization and Ball be on the same page when it is time for him to ramp up contact and start preparing for games? The last scenario the Bulls need is rushing him back for the playoffs and then having setbacks that carry into next season.

Ball’s mindset was he’s a high-IQ player, and once he’s cleared can be thrown in no matter the magnitude of the games – regular season or playoffs.

“Yeah, I mean I know how to play basketball, so it’s really just about me being comfortable enough to get out there and feel safe, and once I get back to that point I’ll be back in the gym,” Ball said.

Sleepwalkers

Because the Bulls took a red eye to Paris on Sunday, and were still trying to get used to the time change, Donovan was doing his best to make sure everyone was on a better schedule as Thursday’s Paris Game against the Pistons was approaching.

“I just look at what I’ve been through and I’m not even playing,” Donovan said. “I was up [Tuesday] at 3:30 or 4 am and couldn’t go back to sleep. There is a seven-hour time change and red-eye flight that you’re dealing with. I would sit there and say it would be hard to categorize everybody in the same boat. But I’m sure there are some guys that it’s been challenging for physically and with their sleep. It is so different.”

Full go

Injured forward DeMar DeRozan was a full participant in the Wednesday practice, as unless there was a setback in his right quadriceps in the next 24 hours, he was expected to return to the starting lineup after missing the last three games.

“He went through everything [Wednesday],” Donovan said. “A lot of it will depend on how he responds off [the practice] because we competed and scrimmaged and went up and down and that’s the first we’ve been able to see him do that.”

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Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy was named head coach of one of the Senior Bowl teams Wednesday.

Getsy will coach the American Team on Feb. 4 in Mobile, Ala. Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham will coach the National Team.

“It is a privilege to be able to work alongside my peers from around the league and to be able to lead this special group of men that are the future of the NFL,” Getsy said in a statement.

Getsy will run practices and will get an up-close look at some of the nation’s most intriguing draft prospects. However, many of the prospects projected to be available when the Bears pick — whether that’s No. 1 overall or, after a trade, likely in the top 10 of the draft — will not be there.

Getsy, though, could get a good look at a backup quarterback for Justin Fields. TCU’s Max Duggan, Fresno State’s Jake Haener and BYU’s Jaren Hall are among the quarterbacks who have accepted invitations to the game.

More than 40 percent of the players drafted the past two seasons have played in the game.

For the first time in the 74-year history of the Senior Bowl, full NFL staffs will not coach the game. Instead, NFL Football Operations took nominations from all non-playoff teams. Senior Bowl leadership and NFL executives chose them from among the nominees.

Three other Bears staffers will also head to Mobile: linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi, assistant special teams coach Carlos Polk and assistant tight ends coach Tim Zetts.

Getsy just finished his first year as the Bears offensive coordinator. He interviewed for the Broncos head coaching job last offseason but has not been booked for an interview during this cycle.

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PARIS – There’s been plenty of time to drink the Parisian wines and partake in the fine cheeses.

Alex Caruso was all for that since the Bulls landed in Paris on Monday.

But Wednesday?

The guard made it very clear to his teammates that Wednesday was the start of business from here on out, and that needed to be understood by the starting five all the way down to the 15th man on the roster on this Paris Games trip.

“That’s just part of the responsibility of being a professional athlete,” Caruso said after the team’s practice at the Paalais des sports Marcel-Cerdan. “If you can’t have fun and then come back and focus, get ready to do your job – this is a job at the end of the day – then you probably shouldn’t be here.

“So for me it’s a pretty easy situation. Have your fun on the days you can have fun, and then [Thursday] you’re playing a basketball game that counts on our schedule, counts on our record.”

And could count in helping the front office to start making decisions on being buyers or sellers as the Feb. 9 trade deadline looms.

At 20-24 and sitting in the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference, Caruso & Co. know that there’s been far too many disappointing nights and reasons for executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas to have his doubts about this team.

By all accounts, however, he hasn’t yet. The next few weeks could go a long way in reiterating his beliefs, and the players know that.

“We’ve won a lot of games that we thought we could and lost games that we shouldn’t have,” two-time All-Star Zach LaVine said. “It’s frustrating that we couldn’t play at that level consistently each game. But obviously, there’s a lot of season left and time to turn it around. We have great players. We all like each other. And we understand what’s at stake. You keep playing like this, you’re not going to be in the position you want to. So better start racking them up.

“The more you win, everybody is happy. If you lose, everybody is pointing fingers and looking over their shoulder. Obviously, we don’t want that. And the front office doesn’t want that. We can continue this winning streak in Paris and keep it going and see what happens. Obviously, they have to do their job and we have to do ours.”

If they don’t, there’s really not a safe player on the entire Bulls roster. LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic could all be discussed in trade scenarios and realistically be elsewhere when the deadline comes and goes.

Even small pieces like a Coby White or Derrick Jones Jr. could be sent out if Karnisovas was looking for a small tweak to the roster dynamics.

According to a source, Caruso could be the one untouchable just because of how valuable he is defensively and in the plus/minus category, but all that remained to be seen.

First things first were beating the Pistons on Thursday, and then getting back to the states for a huge stretch of winnable games.

“It’s on the level of we want to win,” Caruso said. “We think we’re a good team. And we want to be a good team. I don’t think anybody’s motivation is don’t get guys traded or don’t make moves. I think it’s more so of let’s play to our potential and be the team we’re capable of being.

“I think the coaching staff has done a good job of putting us in positions to do that. I think it more so falls on the players. Step up and win games. Professional sports, you win games and everything goes away. Winning solves everything. At the end of the day, you gotta show up and do your job.”

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Kevin Mulvaney watched with a beatific smile as several of us surveyed a high-end pontoon with a blue theme at the Chicago Boat Show.

It started an orgy of three outdoors shows in less than 24 hours for me. After nearly three years interrupted by Covid pandemic impacts, I began with the Boat Show Friday evening at McCormick Place, then did the Chicago Travel & Adventure Show at the Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont and the Spring Lake Izaak Walton Outdoor Show in Hobart, Indiana.

I needed the human contact, others milling around with mutual interests.

Years ago big go-fast boats put on the glitz at the Boat Show, now pontoons dominate. With good reason, they have changed remarkably.

Ryan Kloppe in boatingindustry.com noted, “In 2021, pontoon boats made up 22% of total marine units registered that year, outperforming others in the main powerboat segment.”

“We were laughing today about how it used to be where the pontoons were in the basement,” Mulvaney said. “Now the average pontoon does 40 to 50 mph anymore and they are turning. It’s like a living room that goes fast. That’s why all the old performance guys started to do pontoon boats.”

With the blue-themed pontoon, I could see why. He said it can go 60 mph and consistently does 53-58. The speaker system was Roswell designed.

Mulvaney, who has the good looks of a beach bum who’s weathered the decades, has worked around boats for 30 years.

As to working the show, he said, “Beats working as a greeter at Walmart.”

Human contact comes in many forms.

My main goal at the Chicago Travel & Adventure Show was learning about the Anthony Bourdain Food Trail in New Jersey.

But my biggest surprise came at the Premier Baseball Vacations booth. Doug Lawson, who has been to all the current MLB stadiums except for the Rangers’ new Globe Life Field, does baseball tours with good seats and good hotels. It’s smarter than the way I would love to do it on the cheap.

“People can knock out [up to] six stadiums in one week,” said Lawson, who learned serious traveling while a piano player with “The Lettermen.”

The Heartland Tour, for example, goes from Cincinnati to Toronto with stops at Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Detroit. The Hall of Fame Tour includes the Yankees, Red Sox and Cooperstown.

Tour information is at grandslambaseballtours.com.

I dreamed on baseball before flowing back into the crowd.

Human connections make life livable.

Indiana Chinook survey

The Indiana DNR’s survey on stocking Chinook has multiple options. The one that would eliminate stocking at East Chicago and split stockings between Trail Creek and the Little Calumet has anglers, understandably, riled. Those with an Indiana fishing license in the last two years should receive an email with the survey (mine arrived Tuesday), otherwise, it should be accessible this week at facebook.com/INdnr.

Stray cast

History will rate the Do-Nothing Worm far higher than the 2023-24 House of Representatives.

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Seth Jones had been craving a big night.

On Tuesday, his hunger fueled exactly that kind of performance. The star defenseman looked like a star indeed, taking over in the third period and overtime to lift the Blackhawks to a 4-3 victory over the Sabres at the United Center.

“Seth led the way,” coach Luke Richardson said. “When there were times for him to join the rush when we were chasing the game, he joined. He was really excellent offensively. But defensively, he covers ground, and he’s got a heavy stick and [used it] when we needed a guy pinned in the zone. I thought he was on, all over.”

Jones celebrated as if he’d just clinched a playoff spot when his point shot slipped through a perfect net-front screen by Tyler Johnson and past Sabres goalie Craig Anderson to tie the game with 55 seconds left in regulation.

The crowd of 16,363 celebrated again when Jones knocked in a pass from Johnson for the overtime winner, doubling his season goal total in a four-minute span. It was his ninth shot attempt of the game, tied for his most as a Hawk.

“I’ve been trying to shoot a lot more as of late,” Jones said. “I had some chances in the second period, [including] a grade-A chance at the circle [where] I missed the net. I broke a stick on the bench there and wasn’t happy with myself. It’s kind of been that way, so it’s nice to see a few go in.”

Philipp Kurashev was also fantastic, tallying three points. Together with linemates Jonathan Toews and Taylor Raddysh, he continually gave the Hawks possession, momentum and life while the other forward lines struggled in the first and second periods.

The Hawks have now won four of five, finishing their seven-game homestand 4-3-0.

Athanasiou seeking a spark

Andreas Athanasiou’s production has come at a consistent rate. He scored three goals for the Hawks in October, three in November, two in December and has one halfway through January.

But he and the Hawks both wish that consistent rate was a bit higher. He has had a few too many nights in which his ridiculous speed and decent nose for the net have created opportunities, only for his hands and decision-making to let him down.

“A lot of times, he’s around the net and guys are chasing him, and [they] get their stick in there,” Richardson said. “He has had so many breaks this year — almost clear-cut breakaways, but not quite — where he has been . . . disrupted.”

Athanasiou’s name almost certainly will be tossed around as the trade deadline nears. He could be attractive to contenders as a relatively inexpensive addition whose speed could make more of a difference alongside better finishers.

That was precisely the Hawks’ idea when they signed him. Athanasiou knew that, too. He’s on a one-year contract for the third time in five years, so he’s already familiar with the annual routine.

“I don’t really think about [trade rumors] at all, to be honest,” Athanasiou said. “It’s part of the business. It happens every year: People get traded. But you can’t really control that.”

And if the Hawks end up showing interest in re-signing him, he wouldn’t be opposed in the slightest.

“I love it [here],” he said. “Obviously, it’s a stage where we’re learning as a team, but there’s . . . a lot of good things to look forward to in the future.”

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The Cubs continue to tinker with their pitching staff as spring training approaches, on Tuesday claiming right-hander Julian Merryweather off waivers from the Blue Jays.

To clear room for him on the 40-man roster, the Cubs designated reliever Manuel Rodr?guez for assignment.

Merryweather has appeared in 47 major-league games over the course of the past three seasons. This past year, he missed almost three months last season with a left abdominal strain and posted a 6.75 ERA in 26 relief appearances and one start.

Merryweather, 31, has spent his major-league career with Toronto but was drafted by Cleveland in the fifth round of the 2014 Draft, when Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins worked in their player development department.

Rodr?guez, 26, was also limited by injury last season. He returned from a right elbow strain in August, recording a 3.29 ERA in 14 games. He still could remain with the organization if he clears waivers.

Cubs pitchers and catchers report to spring training in less than a month.

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Brother Rice senior guard Ahmad Henderson just couldn’t get the TikTok video right. He made a few attempts, but the fan’s phone wouldn’t cooperate.

It was odd watching him struggle with a common task after he made taking over a high school basketball game look so effortless.

The Battle of Pulaski was raging, with Crusaders fans screaming and Marist fans chanting. The RedHawks held a nine-point lead with 3:30 left, and their supporters could smell an upset over their rivals.

Henderson ended all that. First there was a gorgeous drive and elevation over all the defenders to score. Then there was an odd moment in the post where he almost lost the ball but somehow turned the mistake into an acrobatic bucket. There were two more drives to the basket for scores before a drive into the lane for a fadeaway jumper.

The ball hit the rim and bounced in, erasing No. 24 Marist’s lead for good. The RedHawks had two shots to win it on their next possession, but neither fell, and No. 7 Brother Rice won 49-48.

”I knew it was coming all game,” Henderson said. ”When it is winning time, I have to step up. My teammates needed me, and I had to deliver in that moment.”

Henderson scored a game-high 18 points.

Crowds have been excellent all around the area this season, but fans seem quieter since COVID. That wasn’t the case in the Battle of Pulaski. It was hot, loud and intense.

”That was so refreshing,” Henderson said. ”The last couple of years things haven’t been the same, so that felt special. It was great to play in front of that crowd.”

Junior guard Cale Cosme scored five points for the Crusaders and has emerged as a crucial second ballhandler. Khalil Ross, a 6-7 senior, had nine points and four rebounds, and 6-7 junior Zavier Fitch added nine points and a game-high eight rebounds for Brother Rice (19-2).

Henderson’s first drive and basket on the game-winning run seemed to signal that something special was about to happen. Ross knew exactly what was coming.

”I usually try to crash the glass when he’s going like that, in case he might miss it,” Ross said. ”But in this game I tried to clear it out for him. There were smaller players around. He converted every time.”

Sophomore Keshaun Vaval led Marist (17-5) with 13 points, and 6-4 sophomore Marquis Vance added 10 points and six rebounds. Senior guard Kaden White also scored 10 points for the RedHawks.

”When they scored, it was deafening; when we scored, it was deafening,” Ross said. ”Just back and forth every time. The gym was rocking. That’s as loud as I’ve ever heard it in my life.”

Because Brother Rice coach Conte Stamas is a coach, the defensive stop at the end was the first thing on his mind, not Henderson’s offensive heroics.

”We were a little sloppy handling the ball,” Stamas said. ”Maybe it was the atmosphere. But it came down to the one defensive stop that we needed, and the guys really hung in there and got it.”

It’s an extremely challenging week for the Crusaders. They host No. 25 Loyola on Friday and face No. 6 Rolling Meadows on Saturday at Benet.

”This was like a sectional final,” Stamas said. ”It’s my first experience with this, and it really was unbelievable. We knew this was going to be a big week for us, so it is nice to get this going back into the league against Loyola.”

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The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has released a mock draft that shows the Bears trading down in the 2023 draft.

Many fans were happy when the #1 overall pick fell into the arms of the Chicago Bears. While the season was full of anguish, there was finally a stroke of luck when the Texans lost out on the #1 pick in the final week.

The reason for so much excitement with this pick is because of the trade potential. The Bears don’t need a QB or at least it would not be worth it to draft another QB especially at number one. Therefore the Bears could expedite their rebuild with a team desperate for a good QB like Bryce Young where said desperate team would give up plenty of draft capital to secure the QB.

Dane Brugler has taken a guess at what may take place in the draft showing that the Bears will trade down with the Colts to the number 4 pick. In fact he states the picks the Bears would receive from the Colts. Pick number 1 for picks 4, 35 and a 2024 first round pick. While is seems light in comparison to what many expect, Brugler makes a solid point on why that is:

“For Bears fans screaming that the return in this trade scenario (this pick, No. 35 and a future first) isn’t enough, there would be added value in trading back with the Colts, as opposed to the Raiders (No. 7 overall), Panthers (No. 9 overall) or another team. The opportunity to stay within striking distance of the two “elite” defensive prospects in this draft should give the Colts a hypothetical advantage if the Bears have multiple offers to consider.”

It is a tough position to be in for Bears GM Ryan Poles but if it’s played right everyone can come out of this happy. Interesting enough Brugler states in his article that Colts GM Chris Ballard was a scout with Chicago and is very familiar with Poles as they were members of the Chiefs front office for four years.

The “elite”defensive prospect Brugler has the Bears taking at no. 4 is Jalen Carter. Elite is a fitting word for Carter as he was incredibly dominant alongside Jordan Davis for his first national title. He continued his dominance again this past season adding a second national title to his resume. A scouting report was recently done on Jalen Carter which goes more in depth on who he is as a player. Carter would be a great fit and a pivotal starting point to rebuilding Chicago’s defensive line.

We don’t know what will take place in April. For all we know the combine will change evaluations and pro days will make others look better than they actually are. As for now it may help to limit the expectation that the Bears will hold the number one pick for ransom and collect every draft pick imaginable.

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Before the 2019 season, the Bears had a celebration for the 100th season of the NFL. It was fitting for the charter franchise of the league to throw a giant party. During the celebration George McCaskey announced the team would be wearing throwback jerseys modeled after ones the team wore in 1936. There was only one problem, those uniforms debuted during a period where the NFL was excluding Black players from playing the game.

Chicago sports historian Jack Silverstein wrote an incredibly researched piece examining what role, if any, George Halas played in this era of segregation. At a time when the Bears wanted to celebrate their past, they were being haunted by it. It was a humiliating moment for the franchise.

McCaskey took action doing something that people in power often talk about, but rarely do: actually listen to others. The Bears had a social justice committee of players work through the issue with McCaskey. The result was positive conversations where the Bears chairman did more listening than talking. Then the team produced a video with McCaskey explaining what was a dark time in team, family, and league history.

“This Sunday against the Vikings, our players will wear the 1936 classic jersey,” said McCaskey. “That was from a time when, unfortunately, African Americans were not included on the Bears or other NFL rosters. Integration of the NFL and the Bears was too long in coming. But we’re proud that this year’s Bears will be the first African Americans to wear this jersey.”

I don’t know if this was a catalyst for change in the Bears organization overall, but it sure seems like it. McCaskey is privileged and quirky. Two factors that allow us to take jabs at him, but it seems clear that since then, he’s been more open to looking at the experience of his players through a different lens. The Bears are better off because of it.

In the middle of the pandemic, where issues of social justice were becoming too big to ignore, McCaskey again sat down with players to learn from their experience. Former linebacker Sam Acho and McCaskey had numerous conversations about the subject and put out a video explaining how the Bears would again take action.

Since then, we’ve heard McCaskey talk about the influence of people like: Lamar Campbell and Tanesha Wade. I admit that I feared that this was the Bears using high ranking Black executives as shield for failure, but McCaskey elevated their profiles during the process that led to Ryan Poles’ hiring. For a franchise that often operated like a mom & pop store, the Bears started to look less insular.

Now three of the most powerful people inside Halas Hall are Black. Justin Fields has become a fan favorite and a symbol of hope. The football operation is run by Poles who’s been tasked with bringing the Bears back to glory. He’s armed with the most cap space in the league and the number one pick in the draft.

On Tuesday, the Bears introduced new President and CEO, Kevin Warren. When news of Warren’s interest leaked out, it seemed like a perfect pairing. The resume speaks for itself. He has NFL experience, including being the point-person on the building of US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Considering the Bears have their own parcel of land to build on, his experience will be invaluable. Coupled with the rights deal Warren brokered for the Big Ten, it’s hard to think of anyone who was more qualified to take over for Ted Phillips.

It’s quite the turnaround for McCaskey and the Bears. Three years ago they were embarrassing themselves on the public stage when it came to issues of race and inclusion. Now they’re one of the most progressive franchises in the entire league. That doesn’t happen without the powerful really examining their successes and failures. McCaskey deserves credit for that.

I don’t know if any of this is going to work, but I do know that the Bears have become easier to root for. They are acting like a company worth billions of dollars should — finding the best people no matter what. The change has been seismic. This isn’t your grandfather’s franchise anymore and that’s a win for us all.

You can hear Laurence Holmes talk Chicago sports Monday to Friday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on 670 The Score with Dan Bernstein.

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