Chicago Sports

Yorkville’s Jason Jakstys has emerged as one of the area’s most intriguing players. The 6-10 junior recently visited Illinois and will likely be the first Division I basketball player the school has ever produced.

Jakstys recently recovered from an ankle injury, so he played sparingly in the Foxes’ 45-39 win against Huntley in Geneva on Monday. But even in limited minutes he flashed his tantalizing potential.

“I’ve always been tall, growing like two or three inches every year,” Jakstys said. “I’ve been hearing from college coaches since the end of the summer. It’s really fun and exciting.”

LeBaron Lee, Yorkville’s other top player, missed the game due to a baseball opportunity. Lee is a talented pitcher and had a chance to workout for the Texas Rangers on Monday morning.

“Basically, most of our rebounds and points were out today,” Foxes coach John Holakovsky said. “So this was a great opportunity for some other guys and a glimpse into our future.”

Junior Bryce Salek came off the bench to lead the Foxes (18-3) with 16 points and nine rebounds. Jory Boley added 12 points and seven rebounds. All nine Yorkville players that got into the game were juniors.

“I kind of like coming off the bench,” Salek said. “It allows me to give the team some energy when we start to get down.”

Huntley (14-5) jumped out to a 10-0 lead and led by four at halftime. Yorkville tied the game at 30 on a post bucket from Salek late in the third quarter and then took control with a 7-1 burst to open the fourth quarter.

The Foxes outrebounded Huntley 35-26, despite playing without their two leading rebounders for nearly the entire game.

“It was really huge to see my teammates step up like that,” said Jakstys. “It shows we have 14 guys that can play. We don’t have to rely on one or two.”

It’s been an interesting season for Holakovsky and Yorkville. Six players (including Boley and Salek) transferred over from Yorkville Christian during the summer. The influx of talent was welcome, but it took awhile for everyone to figure things out.

“Some of the new guys I had talked to before but never actually played with,” Jakstys said. “It wasn’t that big of a deal but at the beginning we were sorted of separated into Yorkville Christian guys and Yorkville, but everyone is together now.”

The Foxes have won eight consecutive games and own victories against several good teams including Dundee-Crown, Burlington Central, West Aurora, Naperville North and Romeoville.

Lucas Crosby led Huntley with 11 points and Ian Ravagnie added 10 points and seven rebounds. The Red Raiders shot 6-for-33 from three-point range.

“We shoot a lot of three pointers, and we usually hit the rim occasionally,” Huntley coach Will Benson joked. “We couldn’t throw it in the ocean. It was just a weird game. They are a good, athletic team and they didn’t have their best players. We lost our poise a little bit, which is what I was most disappointed in. The good thing is we get to play tomorrow.”

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PARIS – Lonzo Ball stood just off of the basketball court of the Palais des sports Marcel-Cerdan on Monday, discussing his future – both immediate and long term.

The Bulls guard would have liked to offer up more details on his left knee rehab. He would have been all for giving a definitive timetable for a return. Heck, in a perfect world, he wouldn’t have been conducting an interview just off to the side of the court, but would have practiced on it with his teammates just minutes earlier.

However, that’s not the space Ball can operate in just yet.

And the unknown remained when?

“Yeah, I would love to play,” Ball said, when asked if a return this season seemed plausible. “I would never count that out. It’s a long year, I feel like we’re hitting our stride right now, so hopefully I can keep getting better, the team will keep getting better and we can meet up.”

It wasn’t the first time Ball spoke to the media this season. He actually met with a few media members at a charity event last month.

It was, however, the first time he spoke since posting videos on his Instagram account last week, in which he ran on a treadmill, dunked, did some obstacle drills, and was boxing.

All great signs for a 25 year old that has undergone three surgeries on the left knee, including two within a year. But there was also a reality with Ball’s return.

“Obviously I want to play, that’s the goal,” Ball said. “Once I feel I’m comfortable enough playing, whether it’s 70, 80, 90, 100% then I’ll be out there.”

It’s that comfort that he seeks.

Ball admitted that the knee was still sore when he does take those steps in the process, and there was real concern that he will run out of runway for a return this season considering it’s already mid-January and he hasn’t played in an NBA game in just over a year.

“I mean naturally, yeah, everything is on a time schedule, but I’m trying to stay positive, keep my hopes up,” he said, when asked if he could run short on time for the 2022-23 campaign.

One road he wouldn’t even look down, let alone head in that direction, was the idea that this knee issue could be career threatening.

“Nah, I don’t have any concern,” Ball said. “I just think it’s time consuming. I’m only 25, so I’m not too worried about it.”

Not that this has been easy for Ball.

As the Bulls prepared for the Thursday game with Detroit in Paris, and received news that veteran DeMar DeRozan (right quadriceps) was set to return this week, it’s just more sitting around and watching practices, shootarounds and workouts for Ball, all along knowing his strengths have proven to be major weaknesses for this roster without him.

There’s a reason the Bulls have underachieved at 20-24 this season.

“I think [executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas] and [general manager] Marc [Eversley] had a good idea of what they wanted the team to look like and that’s why they brought me in to do what I was supposed to do,” Ball said. “Obviously I’m out right now, and that’s the missing piece of the team.

“I mean it’s the longest I’ve ever been out. I’ve been playing basketball my whole life, so for me it’s a lot, especially just watching the guys every night and watching them go on planes and come back and stuff, and I’m always just watching practice I feel like. I’ve just got to stay positive and do what I can to get on the court.”

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LONDON — Premier League club Aston Villa reached an agreement to sign Colombia striker Jhon Dur?n from the Fire for a reported $18 million on Monday.

The 19-year-old Dur?n scored eight goals in 22 appearances for the Fire last season and has played three times for Colombia.

Villa said the deal was subject to Dur?n passing a medical examination, agreeing to personal terms, and obtaining a working visa.

Dur?n will become Villa’s second signing of the January transfer window, after left back Alex Moreno from Real Betis.

Dur?n had also been on the radar of English giants Liverpool and Chelsea.

The Fire acquired via transfer from Colombian club Envigado FC in 2021, becoming the youngest international player signing in MLS history.

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Monday, January 16, 2023

NON CONFERENCE

Agricultural Science at Jones, 6:30

Belvidere at Woodstock, 1:00

Bowen at King, 11:30

Calumet Christian (IN) at Illinois Lutheran, 6:00

Crossroads at Cristo Rey-St. Martin, 7:00

Hansberry at Ellison, 6:30

Hope Academy at Little Village, 1:00

Noble Street vs. Sullivan, 5:00

Our Lady Sacred Heart at Hiawatha, 5:30

St. Charles East at Hersey, 3:00

Sullivan at Noble Academy, 12:00

Vernon Hills at Hoffman Estates, 2:30

Winnebago at Sycamore, 7:00

BURLINGTON CENTRAL

Marian Central vs. Woodstock North, 11:00

DeKalb vs. Neuqua Valley, 12:30

Lyons vs. Burlington Central, 2:00

CRISTO REY

Seventh Place, 2:00

Fifth Place, 3:30

Cristo Rey vs. Goode, 5:00

Noble Street vs. Intrinsic-Downtown, 6:30

DEERFIELD

Foreman vs. Northside, 1:30

Payton vs. Grayslake Central, 12:00

Lemont vs. Boylan, 12:00

Deerfield vs. Lake Forest, 1:30

FENWICK

Hillcrest vs. Curie, 1:00

Riverside-Brookfield vs. Fenwick, 3:00

GENEVA

Hampshire vs. St. Charles North, 8:45a

Elk Grove vs. Belvidere North, 10:15

Yorkville vs. Huntley, 11:45

Stevenson vs. St. Viator, 1:15

West Aurora vs. Palatine, 2:45

Conant vs. Naperville North, 4:15

York vs. Prospect, 5:45

Geneva vs. Prairie Ridge, 7:15

HYDE PARK

Julian vs. Antioch, 10:30

Urbana vs. Vocational, 12:00

Plainfield Central vs. Orr, 1:30

Hammond Central (IN) vs. Dyett, 3:00

Oak Park-River Forest vs. Farragut, 4:30

Hyde Park vs. Lincoln Park, 6:15

JEFFERSON

Jefferson vs. Batavia, 10:00

Thornton Fr. South vs. Hononegah, 11:30

Batavia vs. Thornton Fr. South, 2:30

LAKES

Lakes vs. Highland Park, 10:00

Mundelein vs. Naperville Central, 11:30

Grayslake North vs. Waukegan, 1:00

Fremd vs. Glenbrook North, 2:30

MAINE SOUTH

Maine South vs. Crete-Monee, 10:30

Maine East vs. Englewood STEM, 12:00

MARSHALL

Thornton Fr. North vs. Orr, 1:00

Perspectives-Lead vs. North Chicago, 4:00

Marshall vs. Proviso East, 5:30

MOLINE

Moline vs. Waubonsie Valley, 3:00

NILES NORTH

Niles North vs. Latin, 11:00

Niles West vs. Lake View, 12:30

Latin vs. Niles West, 2:00

Niles North vs. Lake View, 4:00

PECATONICA

Polo vs. Durand, 3:00

Eastland vs. Richmond-Burton, 4:30

Pecatonica vs. Scales Mound, 6:00

Galena vs. Johnsburg, 7:30

SOUTH BELOIT

South Beloit vs. Oregon, 9:00a

Forreston vs. East Dubuque, 10:30

Stillman Valley vs. Harvard, 12:00

Harvest Christian vs. North Boone, 1:30

Seventh Place, 3:00

Fifth Place, 4:30

Third Place, 6:00

Championship, 7:30

STERLING

Rock Falls vs. Christ the King, 10:00

Kankakee vs. Sterling, 11:30

Christ the King vs. Normal West, 1:00

Hinsdale South vs. Rock Falls, 2:30

Normal West vs. Kankakee, 4:00

Hinsdale South vs. Serling, 5:30

UPLIFT

Butler vs. Zion-Benton, 3:00

Wauconda vs. St. Francis de Sales, 4:30

WHEATON-WARR. SOUTH

St. Francis vs. Glenbard North, 9:30

Lake Forest Academy vs. Joliet Central, 9:30

Warren vs. Lindblom, 11:00

Plainfield South vs. Metea Valley, 11:00

Wheaton-Warr. South vs. Normal, 12:30

Rockford East vs. Morton, 2:00

11th Place, 12:30

9th Place, 2:00

7th Place, 3:30

5th Place, 3:30

3rd Place, 5:00

Championship, 6:30

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The Blackhawks were expected to be terrible this season. Halfway through it, they have proven to be exactly that.

After hitting the 41-game midpoint with a fittingly lopsided loss Saturday against the Kraken, the Hawks are not only last in the overall NHL standings — their 26 points barely trail the Blue Jackets (27 points), Ducks (28) and Coyotes (31) — but also in many specific categories.

Their 52-point pace would tie the 2013-14 Sabres as the second-worst team in a full season during the salary-cap era, exceeding only the 2016-17 Avalanche (48 points).

Here’s a breakdown of the Hawks’ team statistics at the halfway mark:

Even strength

For the second consecutive season, the Hawks rank 32nd in goals per 60 minutes at the season’s midpoint.

But their rate of 1.68 is much worse than last season, when they sat at 2.04 at this point. Only the Ducks (1.82) are also below 2.00 right now. Elsewhere around the league, the Avalanche (2.11) are shockingly 29th while the Kraken (3.40) and Devils (3.10) are shockingly first and second, respectively.

Even for a team built to lose, the fact the Hawks also rank last in every major even-strength offensive metric is rather remarkable. Indeed, they’re 32nd in per-60 rates of shot attempts (45.8), shots on goal (24.6), scoring chances (21.5) and expected goals (1.99). The Coyotes are 31st in all four metrics.

Defensively, the Hawks aren’t quite as atrocious, but they’re still bad. They have allowed 3.15 goals per 60 minutes, ranking 29th — ahead of the Ducks, Blue Jackets and Sharks. They’re one of five teams allowing more than 3.00, with the Canucks being the other. The Bruins have the league’s stoutest defense, allowing just 1.81 goals per 60.

The Ducks rank 32nd in all four major defensive metrics, but the Hawks still consistently fall in the bottom five. They rank 30th in per-60 rates of shot attempts allowed (62.0), 30th in shots on goal allowed (33.1), 31st in scoring chances allowed (32.0) and 28th in expected goals allowed (2.84). Surprisingly, the Predators are worse than the Hawks in two of those four metrics.

Combining offensive and defensive performance, the Hawks rank 32nd with a 40.2% overall scoring-chance ratio, putting them on track for their fifth consecutive season in the bottom five.

Special teams

The Hawks’ power play ranks 25th with a 15.8% net conversion rate. They were mired in a rough 5-for-51 stretch in which they had conceded four short-handed goals before finally enjoying a 2-for-2 game Saturday.

Their advanced PP metrics are similar. Per 60 minutes, they rank 26th in shot attempts, 22nd in shots on goal, 30th in scoring chances and 27th in expected goals — while also allowing the most expected goals to opposing penalty kills. Focusing on scoring chances specifically, only the Flyers and Kraken are worse, while the Rangers, Stars and Oilers lead the league.

The Hawks’ penalty kill might be the best part of the team, but that’s relative. They’re 23rd with a 77.2% net kill rate, and their metrics are even more respectable. They’re 13th in shot attempts allowed, 23rd in shots on goal allowed, 16th in scoring chances allowed and 17th in expected goals allowed.

Their cumulative “special teams score” (adding the PP and PK rates together) is 93.0, which ranks 27th.

Goaltending

The Hawks’ goaltending unit hasn’t been their biggest weakness, but it hasn’t been good either, largely because of Petr Mrazek’s struggles.

Collectively, the Hawks’ .889 team save percentage ranks 26th, minus-14.0 GSAA (goals saved above average) also ranks 26th and .796 high-danger save percentage ranks 25th. Hawks goalies spit out the ninth-most rebounds.

The Bruins (.926 team save percentage), Jets (.916) and Stars (.915) have received the best goaltending; the Sharks (.878), Canucks (.878) and Kings (.882) the worst. The NHL’s .905 overall save percentage this year is its lowest since 2006-07.

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Congratulations to Kenwood. For the first time in history, the Broncos are No. 1.

That was a really easy decision. Kenwood beat Simeon at Simeon this week and also knocked off Curie in overtime. The Broncos have split with Young this season and have beaten Proviso East and Bloom.

The Wolverines slide down into the second spot. The other big change this week was Curie leaping up to No. 11. The Condors gave Kenwood all it could handle at Kenwood and did it without lead guard Carlos Harris. Curie’s resume is excellent with wins against New Trier, Joliet West and Oswego East. And the losses are also of the highest quality (Mount Carmel, Brother Rice, Kenwood).

And after that, well, who knows? Parity has arrived and it hit everything hard. Lincoln-Way East beat Bloom. Bloom beat Mount Carmel. Bolingbrook beat Oswego East. Oswego East beat Joliet West. Lyons lost to Glenbard West.

It’s messy in that second tier of teams. It’s possible some of the big matchups this week help clarify all that a bit.

St. Ignatius and Grayslake Central drop out this week. The Wolfpack lost to Loyola and have now lost four of their last five games. The Rams lost to Lake Forest.

Loyola and Marist join the rankings. That was a tough decision, there are a handful of teams creeping around looking to get in but their resumes just aren’t very strong. So I went with the strongest schedules. The RedHawks have been in the rankings most of the season. It’s the season debut for the Ramblers.

Super 25 for Jan. 15, 2023With record and last week’s ranking

1. Kenwood (15-2) 3First time on top

2. Simeon (16-1) 1Lost to Kenwood

3. Young (15-4) 2Faces Joliet West Saturday

4. Benet (19-1) 4Hosts Kenwood Saturday

5. Curie (13-5) 11Challenging the elite

6. Rolling Meadows (19-2) 6Demolished Evanston

7. Brother Rice (18-2) 8Takes on Meadows Saturday

8. Hillcrest (17-2) 10Big test Monday vs. Curie

9. Joliet West (15-5) 5Lost to Oswego East

10. Mount Carmel (17-2) 7Speed bump vs. Bloom

11. Bolingbrook (14-5) 17At Lincoln-Way East Tuesday

12. Proviso East (14-2) 13Hosts Lyons Saturday

13. Lincoln-Way East (16-1) 16Beat Bloom on the road

14. Bloom (13-5) 12Will be tough when healthy

15. Oswego East (17-4) 20Faces Hillcrest Saturday

16. Lyons (16-2) 9Lost to Glenbard West

17. New Trier (17-3) 15At Glenbrook North Friday

18. St. Rita (10-8) 14At De La Salle Tuesday

19. Hinsdale Central (16-3) 18Hosts Lyons Friday

20. Glenbrook South (15-4) 21Beat Evanston

21. Libertyville (15-3) 22Cohesive, talented group

22. Glenbrook North (17-2) 23Big week ahead

23. Hyde Park (15-4) 24Couldn’t hang with Simeon

24. Marist (17-4) NRShowdown with Brother Rice Tuesday

25. Loyola (16-5) NRTook down St. Ignatius

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Bulls center Nikola Vucevic was a man possessed.

Every time the Bulls needed an answer Sunday against the Warriors at the United Center, there he was.

Vucevic produced inside and beyond the three-point arc and exploited the Warriors in one-on-one isolation situations, matching his career high with 43 points to lead the Bulls to a 132-118 victory that ended a three-game losing streak. He added 13 rebounds and four steals for good measure.

It was a positive prelude for the Bulls’ eight-hour flight to Paris, where they will face the Pistons on Thursday.

”We came out and competed from the beginning,” said Vucevic, who was 18-for-31 from the field, including 5-for-10 from three-point range. “Beginning of games have been a big issue for us, and [today] we came out and played really well.”

Vucevic scored 12 points in the first quarter, helping the Bulls open a 17-point lead early. But they gave up that comfortable margin after a second quarter in which they were outscored 42-24.

Aside from those 12 minutes, however, the Bulls played consistent defense. They got into passing lanes, which led to 12 steals and 18 points in transition. And with the help of Vucevic’s career afternoon, the Bulls outscored the Warriors 56-34 in the paint.

”They made runs,” Vucevic said. ”They’re a very good team. We sustained them and were able to finish the game off in a really good way.”

With forward DeMar DeRozan missing his third consecutive game with a strained right quad, the Bulls needed a big performance from Vucevic and a strong showing from guard Zach LaVine.

LaVine’s three-point shot wasn’t falling — he was 1-for-8 from deep — but he was able to get to the rim. He shot 12-for-14 from the free-throw line and finished with 27 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

Vucevic has produced a double-double in every game in January. The one Sunday was his ninth in a row going back to the Bulls’ loss to the Cavaliers on New Year’s Eve. He also had one triple-double during that stretch.

”It’s got to be a team effort to slow [Vucevic] down and connect the game,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. ”It seemed like they had seven or eight stampede fast breaks that ended up in layups or dunks. And that’s because of poor offensive possessions, either on difficult shot attempts or turnovers.”

The Warriors allowed 31 points off 23 turnovers. Klay Thompson led them with 26 points, and Steph Curry added 20.

The Bulls’ game Thursday against the Pistons will mark their third in Paris. They played two preseason games in the French capital in 1997 — in the midst of their second three-peat.

Vucevic, however, declined to compare this Bulls team to those led by Michael Jordan.

”I don’t like to compare the greatest era of basketball to anyone, but it’ll be fun to be back there,” Vucevic said. ”Paris is a great city. Fans really love the game of basketball there. They’re really into the NBA, and I think the Bulls will have a huge following because of the ’90s Bulls.”

The Bulls headed straight to the airport from the United Center, and everyone’s plans for the flight varied.

Coach Billy Donovan answered the question about his plans quickly.

”A lot of film,” he said.

LaVine said he would indulge in some red wine.

After his big game, Vucevic wanted to curl up with a good book.

”Take some melatonin, read my book, and I’m hoping to get a good six or seven hours of sleep so I can wake up refreshed there,” Vucevic said.

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Bloom junior Santana Flowers and sophomore Elijah Lovemore have shared long bus rides all season. There have been countless practices and school days, so many hours to dream of the moment that finally arrived on Sunday at Prairie State College in Chicago Heights.

“Santana and I are really close off the court,” Lovemore said. “We’ve been talking about how our time is going to come for a while now.”

It came in one of the Blazing Trojans’ biggest games of the season. Flowers and Lovemore stepped up in place of three key missing players and led Bloom to a 60-55 win against Mount Carmel.

Jayden Watson, a 6-7 senior, and 6-5 Jaden Clark are both out injured. Blazing Trojans coach Dante Maddox is hoping they return next week. Michael Garner, a 6-7 senior, was away this weekend on a football recruiting visit.

Bloom lost to two ranked teams, Kenwood and Lincoln-Way East, earlier this week. But Flowers and Lovemore teamed up to take down the highly regarded Caravan and end the team’s challenging stretch on a high note.

Flowers, a 6-5 wing, scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

“Santana is a warrior,” Maddox said. We have been talking this last week about guys stepping up and being stars in their role. Santana and Elijah have both embraced that. So, we’ve been able to fight through this situation.”

Lovemore is emerging as one of the area’s best sophomores. He finished with 10 points and seven assists.

“I knew from the beginning of season that for us to be the best we can be Elijah was going to have to take the lead as the point guard at some point in the year,” Maddox said. “We’ll be playing through him for the rest of the year.”

Lovemore, 6-2, transferred from St. Laurence to Bloom over the summer. He says point guard comes naturally to him.

“I love those moments, being the guy to make everybody else succeed,” Lovemore said. “I feel like I was born for that. I’m built for that.”

The Blazing Trojans (13-5) took control with a 16-0 run in the second quarter. Mount Carmel star DeAndre Craig, a Denver recruit, only scored four points in the first half. He threw up twice in the locker room at halftime and apparently felt much better in the second half.

“In the fourth quarter [Craig] tried to take over the game in an unselfish way to help us claw back in the game and give us some spark on offense,” Caravan coach Phil Segroves said.

Craig scored 11 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter as Mount Carmel pulled within four on several occasions and cut the deficit to three in the final 13 seconds.

Bloom shot 8 of 13 from the free-throw line in the final three minutes, good enough to hold on to the win.

“We needed this,” Maddox said. “What we need to get better at has nothing to do with the beginning of the game. It has to do with making free throws and making good decisions at the end. If we do, we can play with anyone in the state with the way we play defense.”

Senior Raeshom Harris and sophomore Payton Edwards each scored nine points for Bloom and Jordan Brown contributed with five points, five rebounds, three steals and three assists.

Senior Anthony Ciaravino led Mount Carmel (17-2) with 19 points and his brother Angelo added nine points and five rebounds.

The Caravan’s last loss was Nov. 25 against Oak Lawn.

“That loss helped us win four or five big games,” Segroves said. “If we can take this loss today and build off this it is well worth it.”

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You probably haven’t heard, but the Cubs don’t have Willson Contreras around to play catcher anymore.

Yeah, it’s a real bummer.

Splitting time behind the dish will be veterans Tucker Barnhart and Yan Gomes, which is about as exciting as a pair of 10-year-old cleats. Are they good on defense? Sure, they are. Are they good with pitchers? That’s what everyone says. But Contreras was a star and, as was clear throughout his long goodbye last season, the team’s most popular player.

“Is it a big loss? Absolutely,” Gomes said. “But I think we’ll be OK. We have a tremendous team, and we’re going to focus on our team now.”

Boring might not be such a bad thing for the Cubs, whose defense should be their biggest strength. And a hidden plus for this team will be the very presence of Gomes, 35, who now has an opportunity to step into more of an overt leadership role. A one-time All-Star who was the Nationals’ No. 1 catcher when they won the World Series in 2019, Gomes is interested in managing someday and reminds skipper David Ross of a former Cub who famously made an impact as a positive influence.

“There are moments where I think, ‘Man, Yan reminds me of me,’ ” Ross said. “He does things and I think, ‘Oh, that’s something I would have done.’ “

Gomes isn’t a “Grandpa,” but he should have all the juice he needs with teammates after they heard him introduced to fans at Cubs Convention as a fourth-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Ten years ago, Gomes was early in his career and newly signed to a sponsorship deal with Mizuno when he approached the veteran Ross, a Mizuno brand ambassador, and complimented him on his slick No. 3 cleats as a way of introducing himself.

“I was like, ‘My cleats do not look like that,’ ” Gomes said. “I asked him for a pair of his.”

It arrived the next day in a box at Gomes’ locker — and is displayed to this day with the rest of Gomes’ baseball memorabilia at his home.

“I was just a backup to [the Braves’] Brian McCann at the time,” Ross said. “I appreciated him for that, that he admired my cleats and maybe how I went about my business.”

It just so happens the two men wear the same size, and don’t you know what that means? Gomes can walk in Ross’ shoes if he wants to.

THREE-DOT DASH

The Jaguars threw three first-quarter interceptions, committed five first-half turnovers, fell behind 27-0 and won a playoff game.

See? It’s not that hard. The Bears already are perfectly capable of executing the first three of those steps. …

OK, so the Jags’ 31-30 victory against the Chargers was a total stunner. Consider: The last team to turn it over five times before halftime in an NFL playoff game — the 1999 Dolphins, also in Jacksonville — lost 62-7. Slightly different outcomes. …

Has brand-new Cub Trey Mancini homered yet? Because I’m not waiting long to make the first “Boom Boom” crack. …

No pressure on young Dominican prospect Juan Uribe Jr., who reportedly was signed by the White Sox. All the shortstop has to do now is eventually make it to the big leagues and field the final out of a World Series like his pops did in 2005. …

After falling into an 0-3 hole in Big Ten play, Illinois has won three straight and re-established itself as a likely NCAA Tournament team. Northwestern, on the other hand, is 1-2 since beating the Illini in Evanston and might not be long for the middle of the conference pack. …

My latest college basketball AP Top 25 ballot: 1. Houston, 2. Purdue, 3. Alabama, 4. Kansas, 5. UCLA, 6. Texas, 7. Gonzaga, 8. Virginia, 9. Tennessee, 10. Iowa State, 11. Kansas State, 12. TCU, 13. Xavier, 14. Arizona, 15. Clemson, 16. UConn, 17. Miami, 18. Auburn, 19. Baylor, 20. Marquette, 21. Illinois, 22. Michigan State, 23. College of Charleston, 24. New Mexico, 25. North Carolina.

THIS YOU GOTTA SEE

CBB: Purdue at Michigan State (1:30 p.m. Monday, Fox-32): First place in the Big Ten is on the line. That would be a mighty big deal even if 7-4 sensation Zach Edey weren’t involved.

Cowboys at Buccaneers (7:15 p.m. Monday, Ch. 7, ESPN): If an under-.500 division champion led by a 45-year-old quarterback doesn’t scream “Super Bowl possibility,” what does?

Bulls at Pistons (2 p.m. Thursday, NBCSCH, NBA TV): Two of the Eastern Conference’s worst teams meet in Paris. Perhaps they can stay there?

ONLY BECAUSE YOU ASKED

From Raymond, via Twitter: “If the Bills and Chiefs meet for the AFC championship, shouldn’t their neutral-site game be in Chicago? The weather is similar, and we’re midway between Buffalo and Kansas City.”

Late-January football at Soldier Field? Will there be flying pigs, too? We’d better leave this one to Atlanta.

THE BOTTOM FIVE

Tobacco Road: Blue-blood rivals Duke and North Carolina are tied for seventh place in the ACC. In basketball, no less.

Jerry Reinsdorf: Is it too soon to rip him for calling off the 2024 SoxFest?

Asante Samuel Jr.: If the Chargers’ cornerback had any pride, he wouldn’t have stopped at a measly three interceptions against Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars.

Mike McDaniel: Don’t worry, the beleaguered Dolphins coach will have that fourth-down play called any day now.

The NFL: No matter how great the early playoff games are, they’ll never make “Super Wild Card Weekend” not sound ridiculous.

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Taking a look at Chicago Cubs prospect, first baseman Matt Mervis.

As the brunt of the 2023 MLB off-season is in our rear view window and the Cubs have done their moves this off-season it’s time to take a look at the future, prospects that can make an impact in the next year or two. We’ll review each prospect whose projected eta according to mlb.com is 2023-24.

First name on the list is a prospect that gathered a lot of buzz after his 2022 campaign. Matt Mervis, the 24-year-old first baseman Cub prospect, became a must watch prospect after clubbing 36 homers and hitting for a .309 batting average after rising through three levels in Cubs farm system. While finishing in third in homers for the minor leagues, Mervis also led the league in RBIs with 119. Creating a lot of excitement for the north siders as a potential middle of the lineup threat.

Matt Mervis signed as a undrafted free agent with the Cubs in 2020, after going undrafted in the five-round MLB Draft. Coming out of Duke University, he posted a collegiate career slash line of .281/.384/.461 and an OPS of .845, belting nine homers in the process.

After signing with the Cubs, Matt Mervis went on to make his pro-debut in 2021 with the Low-A level club, Myrtle Beach Pelicans, and finished the year with nine homers and 44 RBIs. After the year, he exploded on to the scene with his 2022 campaign and a league-leading 119 RBIs. 

Mervis made even more noise after an impressive display in the Arizona Fall League, he was selected to play for the Mesa Solar Sox. He was chosen as the Arizona Rising Stars MVP, an Arizona Fall League Fall Star, and was named the 2022 Fall Stars Game MVP. He posted a slash line of .291/.344/.655, and led the league in home runs with six.

“Mervis may hit the ball consistently harder while limiting swings-and-misses better than any other Cubs prospect. He’s tapping into his well-above-average raw power this year thanks to improved swing decisions and a more direct path with his left-handed stroke. His bat speed and the strength in his 6-foot-4 frame are his most obvious attributes, but he also has some hitting ability and a decent approach.” – MLB.com

Matt Mervis is entering the 2023 spring training with Opening Day roster aspirations. While the Cubs seemingly filled their first base role after the Eric Hosmer signing, Mervis seems to be in the plans for the immediate future. MLB.com projects him as a platoon player behind Hosmer, but if the power translates well Mervis could be a solid option to replace the hole that Anthony Rizzo left on the right side of the infield.

As of today, he is scheduled to compete in the World Baseball Classic tournament representing Team Israel. Facing some strong competition will be a good preview to see how he would fare with Major League talent and see how handles the pressure of a big stage.

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