Chicago Sports

Bears coach Matt Eberflus wouldn’t give any hint about whether quarterback Justin Fields will return this week against the Packers. He said he was optimistic about him playing, but added, “I’m always optimistic.”

Eberflus also said it’s a non-factor that the opponent is Green Bay, and Fields will play if he and key parties in the organization believe he can play at full capacity.

Fields missed his first game of the season Sunday against the Jets because of a separated left shoulder he suffered against the Falcons in Week 11. Eberflus kept open the possibility of him playing in the Jets game all last week and cast it as a game-time decision before making him inactive and starting Trevor Siemian instead.

Siemian completed 14 of 25 passes for 179 yards with a touchdown and interception for a 75.2 passer rating.

Fields has improved significantly throughout the season and still leads all quarterbacks with 834 yards rushing and seven touchdown runs despite missing a game. He also has completed 59.6% of his passes, thrown 13 touchdowns against eight interceptions and posted an 86. 2 passer rating — up 13 points from his rookie season.

Fields is 0-3 in his career against the Packers. In the 27-10 loss in Week 2 this season, he completed just 7 of 11 passes for 70 yards.

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First baseman Jose Abreu’s time on the South Side is officially over.

The White Sox slugger, who had played his entire nine-year career in Chicago since signing out of Cuba before the 2014 season, is reportedly in agreement on a three-year, $60 million deal with the World Series champion Houston Astros.

It had become increasingly apparent since the end of the season that the Sox were prepared to part ways with Abreu, 35, and move on with Andrew Vaughn moving from the outfield to his customary position. Vaughn was drafted as a first baseman with the first pick in the 2019 draft as a first baseman. The Sox also have numerous designated hitter options, including Eloy Jimenez and Yasmani Grandal.

In losing Abreu, the Sox say goodbye to one of their most productive hitters of all time. He batted .292/.354/.506 with 243 homers and 863 RBI in a Sox uniform. Only Frank Thomas and Paul Konerko have hit more homers in a Sox uniform.

Abreu had six seasons with 25 or more home runs and six with more than 100 RBI but recorded 15 homers and 75 RBI this season while batting .304/.378/.446. He signed a six-year, $68 million contract to leave Cuba for the Sox and just completed the third year of a $50 million contract.

For the Astros, Abreu’s signing brings an end to Yuli Gurriel’s tenure as their full-time first baseman.

Besides his value as a hitter, Abreu was a fan favorite and respected teammate. At the general managers meetings in Las Vegas last month, GM Rick Hahn spoke of Abreu’s accomplishments and value in the clubhouse as a tireless worker who led by example. Abreu was often the first player to show up for work, arriving around noon for night games, and he often played hurt.

“If he’s not with us next year he’ll be missed,” Hahn said. “It’s good that we’re insulated from a production standpoint against that departure. But certainly would never disrespect the importance he’s meant to this organization.”

The Astros open the 2023 season in Houston on March 30 against the Sox.

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South Carolina remained the unanimous No. 1 choice in The Associated Press women’s basketball poll released Monday as the Gamecocks keep close watch on the foot injury of reigning Player of the Year Aliyah Boston.

The Gamecocks received all 29 first-place votes in the poll released Monday, a day after Boston left a game with her injury. Coach Dawn Staley said Boston was “questionable” going forward but added that the “team doctor wasn’t too, too concerned.”

South Carolina’s next game is Tuesday at home against No. 15 UCLA.

Stanford remained No. 2 after cruising through a tournament in Hawaii. It’s the 618th appearance for Cardinal coach Tara VanDerveer, tying the late Pat Summitt for most all-time. Summitt’s teams only missed being in the poll 14 times during her Hall of Fame career at Tennessee.

UConn, Ohio State and Indiana rounded out the top five.

The Huskies are one of four Big East teams to be ranked this week as Marquette entered the poll at No. 24. It’s the first time the Big East has four ranked teams since the conference realigned in 2014. The league is 56-14 so far this season, including going 8-2 against ranked teams.

“We’ve been trying to earn a little more respect,” Marquette coach Megan Duffy said of the Big East. “Tried to schedule tougher non-conference (games). ‘Nova’s playing people. Us going to the Bahamas was great. Creighton’s doing what they’ve been doing since last season. Getting some of those quality wins is everything.”

North Carolina moved up two spots to No. 6 after rallying to beat then-No. 5 Iowa State in the Phil Knight tournament. The Cyclones fell to eighth.

The Tar Heels visit the Hoosiers on Tuesday in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. Indiana returns home after winning two games in Las Vegas at a subpar venue that lacked basic necessities.

Notre Dame remained No. 7 while Virginia Tech and Iowa finished off the top 10. At No. 9, Virginia Tech has matched its best ranking ever and is in the top 10 for the first time since 1999.

Tennessee fell out of the poll this week marking the 56th time in the 827-week history of the poll that the Lady Vols weren’t ranked. Kansas State also fell out with Gonzaga moving in at No. 23.

FALLING CARDINALS

Louisville dropped to 18th in the poll this week after falling to South Dakota State in the fifth place game at the Battle 4 Atlantis last week. It’s the Cardinals lowest ranking since Jan. 11, 2016.

Louisville entered the top 10 in the preseason poll in 2017 and hadn’t been out since, a span of 98 consecutive weeks. It was the longest active streak.

THE TOP 25

1. South Carolina (29 first-place votes) 6-0

2. Stanford 8-1

3. UConn 5-0

4. Ohio St. 6-0

5. Indiana 7-0

6. North Carolina 6-0

7. Notre Dame 6-0

8. Iowa St. 5-1

9. Virginia Tech 6-0

10. Iowa 5-2

11. LSU 7-0

12. NC State 6-1

13. Creighton 6-0

14. Arizona 6-0

15. UCLA 7-0

16. Utah 6-0

17. Michigan 7-0

18. Louisville 5-2

19. Oregon 5-1

20. Maryland 6-2

21. Baylor 5-2

22. Texas 3-3

23. Gonzaga 5-1

24. Marquette 6-1

25. Villanova 6-1

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Make some room, Phi Slama Jama. Another Houston team has reached the top of men’s college basketball.

Nearly four decades after Clyde Drexler and Akeem Olajuwon took the Cougars to No. 1, the latest bunch led by Marcus Sasser and star freshman Jarace Walker took over the top spot in the AP Top 25 on Monday. They received 45 of 63 first-place votes from the national media panel, easily outdistancing second-place Texas and third-place Virginia.

“It’s not like we went online and applied for it and waited for a response back. We’ve been working for this,” said Houston coach Kelvin Sampson, whose team is coming off a Final Four and Elite Eight trip the past two seasons. “But remember, it’s a rental. You don’t own it. You’re just renting it because someday somebody else is going to be No. 1.”

North Carolina had been No. 1 all season, but the Tar Heels lost to Iowa State and in a four-overtime thriller to Alabama at the Phil Knight Invitational to cede the top spot to Houston, which beat Kent State in its only game last week.

The last time the Cougars ascended to No. 1 was the final poll of the 1982-83 season, when “The Glide” and “The Dream” along with coach Guy Lewis were the favorites to win it all. They rolled through the NCAA Tournament before falling to Jim Valvano and North Carolina State in an iconic championship game in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

“I’ve never been ranked No. 1,” said Sampson, now in his 34th season as a college basketball coach. “We were ranked all 12 years at Oklahoma. I’m sure we were ranked at Indiana. Then we’ve been ranked five or six straight years. We’re used to having a high level of success.”

Texas received eight first-place votes and Virginia received two. Arizona climbed from 14th to fourth after emerging from a stacked field to win the Maui Invitational. Purdue jumped from 24th all the way to fifth and scooped up eight first-place votes after beating West Virginia, Gonzaga and Duke at the Phil Knight Legacy tourney.

“Our guys are competitive. They’re fun to coach. They get along. They’re out there playing with purpose and that’s what you have to have,” said Boilermakers coach Matt Painter, whose team was briefly No. 1 about this time last season.

“Early in the season, very few teams play with the purpose collectively,” he said. “I thought our guys played with a purpose.”

Baylor was sixth, Creighton seventh and U Conn climbed from 20th to eighth after beating Oregon, Alabama and Iowa State to win the Phil Knight Invitational. Kansas fell from third to ninth after losing to Tennessee in the championship game of the Battle 4 Atlantis, while Indiana rounded out the top 10.

There was a tie for 11th between SEC rivals Alabama and Arkansas with the Volunteers, another conference foe, right behind them. Gonzaga dropped from sixth to 14th, its first time outside the top 10 since Feb. 5, 2018, and Auburn was 15th.

Illinois was next followed by Duke and North Carolina in a tough week for Tobacco Road. The Blue Devils fell from eighth after their 75-56 loss to the Boilermakers.

Kentucky and Michigan State joined UCLA, Maryland, Iowa State, San Diego State and Ohio State in rounding out the poll.

RISING AND FALLING

Purdue made a rare 19-spot jump as the poll underwent a massive shakeup. UConn climbed 12 spots, Arizona moved up 10, Tennessee climbed nine and Alabama seven. On the flip side, the Tar Heels tumbled 17 spots, Duke dropped nine, Gonzaga fell eight and San Diego State fell seven.

IN AND OUT

Despite all the movement, Iowa State was the only newcomer this week, checking in at No. 23 after beating Villanova and North Carolina before falling to UConn. The Cyclones replaced Iowa, which dropped out after a one-week stay following its loss to TCU in the title game of the Emerald Coast Classic.

CONFERENCE WATCH

There are six difference conferences represented in the first seven teams in the poll. The Big Ten leads the way with six in the Top 25 while the SEC has five and the Big 12 has four, though three of them are in the top 10.

THE TOP 25

1. Houston (45 first-place votes) 6-0

2. Texas (8) 5-0

3. Virginia (2) 5-0

4. Arizona 6-0

5. Purdue (8) 6-0

6. Baylor 5-1

7. Creighton 6-1

8. UConn 8-0

9. Kansas 6-1

10. Indiana 6-0

11. Arkansas 5-1

11. Alabama 6-1

13. Tennessee 5-1

14. Gonzaga 5-2

15. Auburn 7-0

16. Illinois 5-1

17. Duke 6-2

18. North Carolina 5-2

19. Kentucky 4-2

20. Michigan St. 5-2

21. UCLA 5-2

22. Maryland 6-0

23. Iowa St. 5-1

24. San Diego St. 4-2

25. Ohio St. 5-1

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Eight people were killed and at least 30 others were wounded by gunfire over the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend in Chicago.

Four people were wounded, two of them fatally, in a shooting early Saturday at a gathering in West Pullman on the Far South Side. The four were among about 30 people in the 12700 block of South Halsted Street when a person began shooting inside about 12:15 a.m., Chicago police said. Two men, 34 and 36, were shot in the head and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where they were pronounced dead. Another man, 27, was shot in the back and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition. A fourth person with two gunshot wounds to the left leg later showed up at Roseland Community Hospital, where they were listed in good condition. No arrests were reported.About 15 minutes later, a man was found shot to death early Saturday in Greater Grand Crossing on the South Side. Officers responding to a person shot report found him with gunshot wounds to the head and chest about 12:30 a.m. in the 6800 block of South Prairie Avenue, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His age was unknown.A few hours later, a 60-year-old man was fatally shot during an argument with a man he knew inside a home in Auburn Gresham on the South Side. The man was shot in the chest, stomach and thigh about 3:40 a.m. in the 7800 block of South Honore Street, police said. He was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died. The gunman was arrested near the scene shortly after the shooting.Thursday night, two men were killed in separate shootings just over an hour apart and about five miles from each other on the South Side. Keyonis Langston, 25, was in the 8000 block of South Vernon Avenue when someone shot him in the head just before 8 p.m., authorities said. About 9:20 p.m., Randle Roby, 28, was found fatally shot on a sidewalk in the 100 block of West 112th Street. He suffered a gunshot wound to the face and abdomen and was pronounced dead at the scene.A woman was fatally shot and a boy was wounded Friday night in South Deering on the Far South Side. Kristen Carr, 41, and the boy, 14, were walking through a vacant lot in the 2300 block of East 100th Street about 9:50 p.m. when someone driving a black SUV approached them and opened fire, police and the medical examiner’s office said. Carr was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center, where she died. The boy was taken in good condition to Comer Children’s Hospital.Saturday night, a man was fatally shot on a street in Austin on the West Side. The man, 40, was in the 4700 block of West Harrison Street about 7:50 p.m. when he was struck in the head by gunfire, police said. He was rushed to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.In other attacks, a 21-year-old man was wounded Saturday morning at a business in the Loop. He was shot during an argument with another man about 2:15 a.m. in the first block of South Franklin Street, police said. A SWAT team responded to the scene to search for the gunman, who was not observed leaving the building. The 21-year-old was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was listed in good condition.

At least 27 other people were shot in Chicago from Thursday through late Sunday, including 10 teenagers.

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Jack Gleason updates the schedule every morning on his website. Please send updates and corrections to [email protected].

Monday, November 28, 2022

LAKE SHORE ATHLETIC

ACERO-Cruz at Roycemore, 5:30

NOBLE LEAGUE – BLUE

UIC Prep at DRW Prep, 7:00

NON CONFERENCE

ACERO-Garcia at Cristo Rey, 6:30

Belvidere at Richmond-Burton, 7:00

Bowen at Leo, 7:00

Butler at Kankakee, 6:30

Chicago Academy at Collins, 5:00

Crete-Monee at Plainfield South, 6:30

Golder at Crane, 5:30

Grayslake North at Ridgewood, 6:30

Hiawatha at Christian Liberty, 7:30

Hinsdale Adventist at Horizon-McKinley, 7:00

Horizon-Southwest at CPSA, 5:00

Jones at Juarez, 6:30

King at Perspectives-Lead, 5:00

Legal Prep at Uplift, 5:30

Manley at North Grand, 5:00

Mansueto at Islamic Foundation, 5:30

Muchin at DuSable, 5:30

Ogden at Westinghouse, 56:00

Perspectives-MSA at Northside, 5:00

Roosevelt at Von Steuben, 6:15

Schaumburg Christian at Hoffman Estates, 6:00

Westmont at Chesterton-Holy Family, 5:45

Zion-Benton at North Chicago, 7:00

AURORA CHRISTIAN

Aurora Central vs. Harvest Christian, 4:30

IMSA vs. Mooseheart, 6:00

Aurora Christian vs. Crossroads, 7:30

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

EAST SUBURBAN CATHOLIC

Carmel at Marian Catholic, 7:00

Nazareth at St. Patrick, 7:00

St. Viator at Benet, 7:00

LAKE SHORE ATHLETIC

Intrinsic-Downtown at Lycee Francais

METRO PREP

Islamic Foundation at Hinsdale Adventist, 7:00

NOBLE LEAGUE – GOLD

Butler at Rowe-Clark, 5:30

Comer at Noble Academy, TBA

RIVER VALLEY

Beecher at Tri-Point, 7:00

Donovan at Grace Christian, 6:30

Gardner-So. Wilmington at St. Anne, 7:00

Illinois Lutheran at Grant Park, 7:00

Momence at Clifton Central, 7:00

SOUTH SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Thornton Fr. North at Richards, 6:30

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – EAST

Plainfield Central at Joliet West, 6:30

Joliet Central at Plainfield East, 6:30

Plainfield South at Romeoville, 6:30

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – WEST

Oswego at Minooka, 6:30

Plainfield North at Yorkville, 6:30

West Aurora at Oswego East, 6:30

NON CONFERENCE

Alden-Hebron at Leland, 7:00

Argo at Andrew, 6:30

Ashton-Franklin Center at Oregon, 7:00

Beacon at Latin, 6:00

Bogan at Kenwood, 5:00

Bremen at Mount Carmel, 6:00

Buffalo Grove at Grant, 7:00

Calvary (Normal) at Roanoke-Benson, 7:30

Catalyst-Maria at Harlan, 5:00

Chicago Math & Science at Lake View, 5:00

Chicago Vocational at Kankakee, 6:30

Cristo Rey-St. Martin at Lake County Baptist, 7:00

De La Salle at Don Bosco (IN), 6:00

Dixon at Kewanee, 7:00

Elmwood Park at Northtown, 6:30

EPIC at Roosevelt, 5:00

Excel-Englewood at Goode, 6:30

Geneva at Bartlett, 7:00

Genoa-Kingston at Pecatonica, 7:00

Glenbard East at Naperville Central, 7:00

Glenbard West at DeKalb, 7:00

Glenbrook South at Rolling Meadows, 7:00

Golder at Solorio, 5:00

Hansberry at Harlan, 6:30

Hersey at Maine South, 7:)0

Highland Park at Niles West, 6:30

Hinckley-Big Rock at Westminster Christian, 7:00

Hinsdale South at Glenbard South, 7:00

IC Catholic at Marmion, 7:00

Kelly at Little Village, 5:00

LaSalle-Peru at Hall, 7:00

Leyden at Elk Grove, 6:00

Lockport at Thornridge, 6:30

Lowpoint-Washburn at Greenview, 7:30

Manley at Providence-St. Mel, 5:30

Marengo at North Boone, 7:00

Marquette at St. Bede, 7:00

McNamara at Peotone, 7:00

Metea Valley at East Aurora, 6:30

Midland at Galva, 7:00

Morgan Park at Brother Rice, 7:00

Morton at Neuqua Valley, 7:00

Oak Lawn at Chicago Christian, 7:30

Prairie Central at Dwight, 7:00

Prospect at Lake Zurich, 7:00

Providence at Reavis, 6:00

Rauner at AERCO-Soto, 6:30

Rich at Fenwick, 7:00

Richards (Chgo) at Fenger, 5:00

Richmond-Burton at Williams Bay (WI), 7:00

Rock Falls at Sterling, 7:00

Rockford Christian at Marian Central, 7:00

Sandburg at Lemont, 6:00

Schurz at Agricultural Science, 5:00

Seneca at Morris, 7:00

Serena at Amboy, 7:30

South Beloit at Hiawatha, 7:00

Spry at ACERO-Soto, 5:00

St. Charles North at Bolingbrook, 6:30

Stagg at Tinley Park, 6:00

Streamwood at Glenbard North, 7:00

Taft at Maine West, 6:00

Thornwood at Simeon, 5:00

UC-Woodlawn at Hancock, 5:00

Universal at Morgan Park Academy, 6:00

University High at Evergreen Park, 6:30

Urban Prep-Bronzeville at Lindblom, 5:00

Vernon Hills at Lakes, 7:00

West Chicago at Kaneland, 7:00

Woodland at DePue, 7:00

Woodstock North at Stillman Valley, 7:00

AURORA CHRISTIAN

Crossroads vs. IMSA, 4:30

Aurora Central vs. Joliet Catholic, 6:00

Harvest Christian vs. St. Edward, 7:30

Wednesday, November 30, 2022

CHICAGO PREP

Christ the King at Rochelle Zell, 7:00

Cristo Rey at Ida Crown, 7:00

FOX VALLEY

Cary-Grove at Jacobs, 7:00

Crystal Lake South at Dundee-Crown, 7:00

Hampshire at Burlington Central, 7:00

Huntley at Prairie Ridge, 7:00

McHenry at Crystal Lake Central, 7:00

LAKE SHORE ATHLETIC

Beacon at ACERO-Cruz, 5:00

Intrinsic-Downtown at Horizon-McKinley, 7:00

Wolcott at Waldorf, 5:30

NIC – 10

Boylan at Belvidere North, 7:00

Freeport at Auburn, 7:00

Harlem at Hononegah, 6:30

Jefferson at Guilford, 7:00

Rockford East at Belvidere, 7:00

NOBLE LEAGUE – BLUE

Mansueto at Muchin, 7:00

Noble Street at Hansberry, 7:00

Rauner at Golder, 7:00

NON CONFERENCE

Alden-Hebron at Elgin Academy, 7:00

Antioch at Deerfield, 7:00

Austin at Chicago Academy, 5:00

Bulls Prep at Lane, 7:00

Crete-Monee at Lincoln-Way West, 6:30

DRW Prep at Clark, 6:30

Eisenhower at Southland, 6:30

Gary Lighthouse (IN) at Farragut, 7:00

Horizon-Southwest at Universal, TBA

Indian Creek at Amboy, 7:00

Intrinsic-Belmont at Fasman Yeshiva, 6:30

ITW-Speer at Prosser, 7:00

Julian at St. Francis de Sales, 7:00

King at Naperville North, 6:30

Leland at Ashton-Franklin Center, 7:30

Libertyville at Loyola, 6:30

Marengo at Genoa-Kingston, 7:00

Marian Central at Wheaton Academy, 7:30

Marist at St. Laurence, 7:00

New Trier at Warren, 7:00

North Chicago at Lake Forest Academy, 6:00

Northside at Jones, 5:00

Ogden at University High, 6:00

Orr at Oak Park-River Forest, 6:30

Rickover at North Shore, 6:00

Rockford Christian at Johnsburg, 7:00

Rockford Lutheran at Downers Grove North, 7:30

Roosevelt at Mather, 5:00

Round Lake at Waukegan, 7:00

Sandwich at Earlville, 7:00

St. Charles East at Addison Trail, 6:30

Sullivan at Perspectives-MSA, 6:00

UIC Prep at Payton, 5:00

Von Steuben at North Grand, 5:00

Yorkville Christian at Westmont, 7:00

LAKES

Mundelein at Glenbrook North, 7:00

AURORA CHRISTIAN

Joliet Catholic vs. St. Edward, 6:00

Aurora Christian vs. Mooseheart, 7:30

Thursday, December 1, 2022

CATHOLIC LEAGUE

Fenwick at De La Salle, 5:00

METRO PREP

Universal at Hinsdale Adventist, 6:00

NOBLE LEAGUE – GOLD

Comer at ITW-Speer, 7:00

Rowe-Clark at Bulls Prep, 7:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE RED-SOUTH / CENTRAL

Curie at Brooks, 5:00

Hyde Park at Longwood, 5:00

Kenwood at Lindblom, 5:00

Perspectives-Lead at Morgan Park, 6:30

Simeon at Phillips, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE WHITE-CENTRAL

Bogan at DuSable, 5:00

Dunbar at Catalyst-Maria, 5:00

Hubbard at Englewood STEM, 5:00

Richards (Chgo) at Kennedy, 5:00

Urban Prep-Englewood at at King, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE WHITE-SOUTH

Corliss at Agricultural Science, 5:00

Dyett at Harlan, 5:00

Fenger at ACE Amandla, 5:00

UC-Woodlawn at South Shore, 5:00

Urban Prep-Bronzeville at Vocational, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE BLUE-CENTRAL

ACERO-Garcia at Tilden, 5:00

ACERO-Soto at Back of Yards, 5:00

Excel-Englewood at Kelly, 5:00

Hancock at Solorio, 5:00

Instituto Health at Gage Park, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE BLUE-SOUTH

Carver at Bowen, 5:00

Chicago Military at Goode, 5:00

EPIC at Julian, 5:00

Hirsch at Air Force, 5:00

Washington at Excel-South Shore, 5:00

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Bradley-Bourbonnais at Sandburg, 7:00

UPSTATE EIGHT

Bartlett at West Chicago, 7:00

East Aurora at Streamwood, 6:30

Elgin at Fenton, 7:00

Glenbard South at South Elgin, 7:00

Larkin at Glenbard East, 7:00

NON CONFERENCE

Beacon at Hope Academy, 7:00

Blue Ridge at Donovan, 7:00

Harvard at Stillman Valley, 7:00

Mendota at Byron, 7:00

Muchin at Little Village, 5:00

Peoria Christian at Putnam County, 7:00

Shepard at CPSA, 5:00

Westlake Christian at Grayslake North, 7:00

Westminster Christian at Christian Heritage, 7:30

AURORA CHRISTIAN

Harvest Christian vs. Joliet Catholic, 4:30

Crossroads vs. Mooseheart, 7:30

Friday, December 2, 2022

CATHOLIC LEAGUE

Brother Rice at Montini, 7:00

DePaul at St. Laurence, 7:00

Leo at Providence-St. Mel, 7:00

Loyola at Marmion, 7:00

St. Ignatius at Providence, 7:00

CENTRAL SUBURBAN – NORTH

Maine West at Highland Park, 7:00

Niles North at Maine East, 7:00

Vernon Hills at Deerfield, 7:00

CENTRAL SUBURBAN – SOUTH

Glenbrook North at Niles West, 7:00

Glenbrook South at Evanston, 7:00

Maine South at New Trier, 7:00

CHICAGO PREP

Ellison at Hope Academy, 7:00

Northtown at Walther Christian, 7:30

DU KANE

Batavia at Wheaton North, 7:00

Glenbard North at Geneva, 7:00

Lake Park at St. Charles East, 7:00

Wheaton-Warr. South at St. Charles North, 7:00

DU PAGE VALLEY

Metea Valley at DeKalb, 7:00

Naperville North at Neuqua Valley, 7:00

Waubonsie Valley at Naperville Central, 7:00

EAST SUBURBAN CATHOLIC

Marian Catholic at Nazareth, 7:00

Marist at Joliet Catholic, 7:00

Notre Dame at St. Patrick, 7:00

FOX VALLEY

Burlington Central at Dundee-Crown, 7:30

Crystal Lake South at Crystal Lake Central, 7:30

Hampshire at Cary-Grove, 7:30

Huntley at Jacobs, 7:30

McHenry at Prairie Ridge, 7:30

ILLINOIS CENTRAL EIGHT

Lisle at Streator, 6:45

Manteno at Wilmington, 7:00

Peotone at Coal City, 6:45

Reed-Custer at Herscher, 7:00

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

Lake Forest Academy at Elgin Academy, 6:00

Morgan Park Academy at Francis Parker, 6:00

Northridge at North Shore, 6:00

INTERSTATE EIGHT

Kaneland at Rochelle, 7:00

Morris at Ottawa, 7:00

Plano at LaSalle-Peru, 7:00

Sycamore at Sandwich, 7:00

LAKE SHORE ATHLETIC

Beacon at British School, 5:30

Horizon-McKinley at Christian Heritage, 7:00

Waldorf at Lycee Francais, 6:00

LITTLE TEN

DePue at Somonauk, 7:00

Earlville at Serena, 7:00

Leland at Hinckley-Big Rock, 6:45

Newark at Hiawatha, 7:00

METRO PREP

Universal at Islamic Foundation, 5:30

METRO SUBURBAN – BLUE

St. Francis at Chicago Christian, 7:00

METRO SUBURBAN – RED

Ridgewood at Elmwood Park, 7:00

MID-SUBURBAN – EAST

Buffalo Grove at Hersey, 7:30

Prospect at Rolling Meadows, 7:30

Wheeling at Elk Grove, 7:30

MID-SUBURBAN – WEST

Barrington at Conant, 7:30

Fremd at Schaumburg, 7:30

Palatine at Hoffman Estates, 7:30

NIC – 10

Belvidere North at Harlem, 7:30

Boylan at Belvidere, 7:15

Freeport at Jefferson, 7:15

Hononegah at Guilford, 7:00

Rockford East at Auburn, 7:30

NORTHEASTERN ATHLETIC

Alden-Hebron at South Beloit, 7:00

Christian Life at Our Lady Sacred Heart, 5:30

PUBLIC LEAGUE RED-WEST / NORTH

Lincoln Park at Prosser, 5:00

Orr at Farragut, 5:00

Westinghouse at Clark, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE WHITE-NORTH

Foreman at Sullivan, 5:00

Mather at Amundsen, 5:00

Northside at Senn, 5:00

Schurz at Von Steuben, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE WHITE-WEST

Collins at Crane, 5:00

Jones at Legal Prep, 5:00

Marshall at Austin, 5:00

Payton at Raby, 6:30

PUBLIC LEAGUE BLUE-NORTH

Alcott at ASPIRA-Bus&Fin, 5:00

Chicago Math & Science at Disney, 5:00

Rickover at North-Grand, 5:00

Roosevelt at Intrinsic-Belmont, 5:00

Steinmetz at Chicago Academy, 5:00

Uplift at Marine, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE BLUE-WEST

Chicago Collegiate at Phoenix, 5:00

Clemente at Chicago Tech, 5:00

Douglass at Kelvyn Park, 5:00

Little Village at Juarez, 5:00

Spry at Manley, 5:00

RIVER VALLEY

Clifton Central at Tri-Point, 7:00

Donovan at Beecher, 7:00

Gardner-So. Wilmington at Illinois Lutheran, 7:00

Grace Christian at Grant Park, 7:00

St. Anne at Momence, 7:00

SOUTH SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Bremen at Reavis, 6:00

Eisenhower at Lemont, 7:00

Hillcrest at Oak Lawn, 6:30

Richards at Oak Forest, 6:30

Thornton Fr. North at Argo, 7:00

Thornton Fr. South at Shepard, 6:30

Tinley Park at Evergreen Park, 6:00

SOUTHLAND

Rich at Crete-Monee, 6:30

Thornridge at Thornwood, 6:30

Thornton at Bloom, 6:00

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – EAST

Joliet Central at Plainfield South, 6:30

Plainfield Central at Plainfield East, 6:30

Romeoville at Joliet West, 6:30

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – WEST

Oswego at Plainfield North, 6:30

Oswego East at Minooka, 6:30

Yorkville at West Aurora, 6:30

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Andrew at Homewood-Flossmoor, 6:30

Lincoln-Way Central at Lincoln-Way East, 6:30

Lincoln-Way West at Lockport, 6:30

Stagg at Bolingbrook, 7:00

TRI-COUNTY

Henry-Senachwine at Seneca, 7:00

Lowpoint-Washburn at Roanoke-Benson, 7:30

Putnam County at Dwight, 7:00

Woodland at Midland, 7:00

WEST SUBURBAN – GOLD

Addison Trail at Leyden, 7:30

Downers Grove South at Hinsdale South, 7:30

Willowbrook at Morton, 7:00

WEST SUBURBAN – SILVER

Glenbard West at Proviso West, 7:30

Hinsdale Central at York, 7:30

NON CONFERENCE

Ashton-Franklin Center at Marquette, 7:00

Cristo Rey at Mansueto, 6:30

Hansberry at Holy Trinity, 6:00

Kankakee at Harlan, 6:30

Lake Zurich at Lakes, 7:00

Marian Central at Johnsburg, 7:30

North Chicago at Waukegan, 7:00

Ogden at Danville, 6:30

Oregon at Indian Creek, 6:45

Richmond-Burton at North Boone, 7:00

Wauconda at Woodstock, 7:00

Winnebago at Rockford Christian, 7:00, NC

CAHOKIA

Hyde Park vs. Father Tolton (MO), 6:00

CHICAGO ELITE CLASSIC

at Credit Union 1 Arena

Lane vs. Taft, 6:00

Oak Park-River Forest vs. Fenwick, 7:30

Benet vs. Riverside-Brookfield, 9:00

MT. VERNON / BELLEVILLE LINDENWOOD

Antioch vs. Hazelwood Central (MO), 7:30

AURORA CHRISTIAN

Aurora Central vs. St. Edward, 6:00

Aurora Christian vs. IMSA, 7:30

Saturday, December 3, 2022

EAST SUBURBAN CATHOLIC

Carmel at Benet, 7:00

METRO SUBURBAN – BLUE

Riverside-Brookfield at IC Catholic, 7:30

Timothy Christian at Wheaton Academy, 7:30

NIC – 10

Hononegah at Belvidere North, 7:30

NON CONFERENCE

Clifton Central at Hoopeston, 6:30

Cristo Rey-St. Martin at Elgin Academy, 1:00

Elgin Academy at Elgin, 1:00

Fremd at Grant, 7:30

Galena at Rockford Christian, 1:00

Glenbrook South at Crystal Lake South, 1:30

Grace Christian at Peotone, 11:30

Hinsdale South at Hinsdale Central, 6:00

Indian Creek at Woodstock, 2:30

Julian at Horizon-Southwest, 5:00

Kaneland at Raby, 4:30

Kennedy at Leyden, 2:30 (West)

Lake Forest Academy at Yorkville Christian, 6:30

Lakes at Maine West, 3:30

Latin at Payton, 2:00

Lincoln Park at Metamora, 2:00

Lisle at Newark, 6:30

Lyons at Downers Grove South, 4:00

Maine East at Wheeling, 4:00

Marian Central at St. Viator, 2:30

McNamara at St. Thomas More, 4:30

Morgan Park at Rich, 2:45

Mundelein at Evanston, 4:00

North Chicago at Rockford Lutheran, 2:30

Northside at Northridge, 5:00

Oswego at Waubonsie Valley, 6:00

Oswego East at Lincoln-Way East, 2:30

Palatine at Libertyville, 4:30

Phillips at Rantoul, 5:30

Proviso West at Dunbar, 2:30

Rolling Meadows at Maine South, 6:00

Round Lake at Hersey, 6:00

Sandwich at Richmond-Burton, 1:00

St. Anne at Cornerstone Christian, 4:30

St. Charles North at South Elgin, 3:30

St. Francis de Sales at Brother Rice, 1:30

Sterling at Harlem, 7:00

Stevenson at Westinghouse. 2:30

Sycamore at Harvard, 4:00

Tri-Point at Iroquois West, 7:00

Von Steuben at Loyola, 3:30

Walther Christian at Ridgewood, 1:00

Warren at Jacobs, 1:30

West Chicago at Glenbard North, 3:00

Yorkville at Plano, 6:00

CHICAGO ELITE CLASSIC

at Credit Union 1 Arena

Hyde Park vs. University High, 12:00

Mount Carmel vs. North Lawndale, 1:30

Gonzaga (DC) vs. St. Ignatius, 3:00

Curie vs. Vashon (MO), 4:30

Young vs. National Christian (DC), 6:00

Simeon vs. St. Rita, 7:30

Kenwood vs. Joliet West, 9:00

CLARK

Francis Parker vs. Hope Academy, 2:30

Crane vs. Clark, 5:00

MARION

Lawrenceville vs. Ballard (KY), 2:00

Mascoutah vs. Effingham, 3:30

Kankakee vs. Carbondale, 5:00

Triad vs. Nashville, 6:30

Marion vs. Poplar Bluff (MO), 8:00

MT. VERNON / BELLEVILLE LINDENWOOD

Antioch vs. Lift for Life (MO), 2:30

WHEATON-WARR. SOUTH

Addison Trail vs. Glenbard East, 12:00

Wheaton North vs. Highland Park, 1:30

Naperville Central vs. Hoffman Estates, 3:00

Naperville North vs. Huntley, 4:45

Batavia vs. Glenbard West, 6:15

Wheaton-Warr. South vs. York, 7:45

AURORA CHRISTIAN

Seventh Place, 3:00

Fifth Place, 4:30

Third Place, 6:00

Championship, 7:30

Sunday, December 4, 2022

(No Games Scheduled)

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The Chicago Elite Classic has been a fixture on the high school basketball schedule for the past 10 years.

With their coaches Tyrone Slaughter and Robert Smith leading the way, Chicago basketball powers Young and Simeon have worked together each year for the past decade to bring national talent to Chicago the first weekend of December. That endless list of talent has included nationally-ranked programs and future college stars and pros.

But the 11th edition of the Chicago Elite Classic this weekend at Credit Union 1 Arena at UIC is a little different than past ones. There are some familiar national powerhouses, including Missouri’s best program, St. Louis Vashon, Gonzaga out of Washington, D.C., and National Christian in Maryland. But this year’s Chicago Elite Classic is bringing more local matchups to the table that will get people talking and fans in the stands.

The Saturday night slate is a must-see, highlighted by a doozy of a doubleheader featuring the four teams — Simeon, St. Rita, Kenwood and Joliet West — that began the season ranked one, two, three and four in the preseason rankings.

Here is a brief rundown of the schedule and a preview of the nine matchups on the docket.

Friday, Dec. 2

Lane vs. Taft, 6 p.m.

A couple of North Side schools — one in the Red Division and one in the White Division — square off in an event that is a boon for their respective programs. Lane’s 6-4 Shaheed Solebo is a rising prospect in the junior class. As the young players in the program gain experience, Taft, playing with a White Division chip on its shoulder, will lean on seniors Julian Martinez and Armin Aliloski.

Oak Park vs. Fenwick, 7:30 p.m.

This rivalry has been an integral part of this event over the years. Oak Park is led by the backcourt of senior Christian Marshall and junior Max Johnson. A youthful Fenwick team, which starts four sophomores and a junior, will get some seasoning in a big-time environment.

No. 13 Benet vs. Riverside-Brookfield, 9 p.m.

Benet has the perimeter trio of Niko Abusara, Brady Kunka and Brayden Fagbemi to lean on early, while Riverside-Brookfield, though very talented, will need some time to gel. But keep an eye on Arius Alijosius, one of the state’s elite shooters, and the junior duo of guard Will Gonzalez and 6-10 Stefan Cicic.

Saturday, Dec. 3

No. 23 Hyde Park vs. U-High, noon

First-year coach Jerrel Oliver and the Thunderbirds are off to a 2-0 start and get the early tip. Catch a glimpse of one of the underrated backcourts in the state in Hyde Park’s Cameron Wiliford and Damarion Morris.

No. 18 Mount Carmel vs. North Lawndale, 1:30 p.m.

North Lawndale would love to show people they’re an overlooked team in the city, and they get a chance to do just that against ranked Mount Carmel. DeAndre Craig and Angelo Ciaravino lead a Caravan team that’s primed and ready for a big season.

No. 8 St. Ignatius vs. Gonzaga (Washington, DC), 3 p.m.

A big test for a St. Ignatius team off to a terrific 4-0 start with wins over New Trier and Lake Forest. The Wolfpack will face perennial national power Gonzaga in what will be a huge early-season measuring stick. The Division I tandem of Richard Barron (George Mason) and Jackson Kotecki (Miami-Ohio) is one to watch.

No. 10 Curie vs. St. Louis Vashon, 4:30 p.m.

Coach Mike Oliver’s program gets a shot at the premier program in Missouri. All Vashon has done is win 16 state championships, including five titles since 2016. This year’s Vashon team is led by SIU recruit Kennard Davis, a 6-6 senior forward. Curie counters with junior star Carlos Harris and under-appreciated senior Jeremy Harrington.

No. 5 Young vs. National Christian (Maryland), 6 p.m.

Dalen Davis, who is headed to Princeton, leads a Young team that is no stranger to the big stage. Davis, 6-7 Daniel Johnson and Marcus Pigram are three seniors who have all played in big games — and have three games under their belt this season.

No. 1 Simeon vs. No. 4 St. Rita, 7:30 p.m.

There is endless, high-level talent, but the battle inside between seniors Miles Rubin (Loyola) and Wes Rubin (Northern Iowa) of Simeon and St. Rita juniors James Brown and Morez Johnson is one to watch. The 6-8 Johnson has committed to Illinois while the 6-9 Brown trimmed his list to Duke, Eastern Michigan, Howard, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Missouri, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Wisconsin.

No. 3 Kenwood vs. No. 2 Joliet West, 9:00 p.m.

Michigan State recruit Jeremy Fears, Jr. leads Joliet West. Kansas State-bound Darrin Ames headlines the talent at Kenwood. They are a pair of elite players and two of the most dynamic guards in the state.

Sunday, Dec. 4

It’s a full day of girls basketball. Simeon vs. Oak Forest at noon, Phillips vs H-F at 1:30, Butler vs. Lincoln-Way Central at 3, Kenwood vs. St. Louis Vashon at 4:30 and Young vs. Barrington at 6.

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The Blackhawks cannot find a way to score first.

They’ve conceded the first goal in eight consecutive games. And after a lopsided 7-2 blowout defeat Sunday against the Jets, they’ve lost seven consecutive games. The parallel trends are no coincidence.

“Frustrating is a good word, but I think it’s more exhausting,” coach Luke Richardson said recently. “It takes a lot out of you in this league to play from behind.”

In the season overall, they’ve now conceded first in 17 of 21 games — the last time they gave a scoreboard its first action of a night came back on Nov. 10 against the Kings. And they’ve now lost 15 of those 21 games, including 13 of the last 15.

“If we score [first], maybe it’s different,” Richardson said postgame Sunday. “Maybe we’d dial in a little deeper, instead of playing a little more spread apart. I think it could help, but we can’t just snap our fingers and do it. We have to work for it.”

The Hawks actually believed, for a moment Sunday, they’d finally snapped that weird drought. Andreas Athanasiou poked in a rebound off a Patrick Kane shot and celebrated what he believed to be his seventh goal of the season along with a crowd of 17,611 at the United Center.

But they thought wrong. Athanasiou’s goal was ruled offside on review after a Jets challenge. Not long after, Jets forward Jansen Harkin finished off a lengthy scramble around the net to give the visitors the lead.

The Hawks, to their credit, have occasionally found some traction once they’ve fallen behind in recent games, including a rally to a temporary tie from 3-0 down against the Penguins last weekend.

But they’ve run out of steam before translating most of those comebacks into wins, and on Sunday, no rally came at all. The Jets skated away with the game in the second and third periods.

Saku Maenalanen — a depth forward who entered the night with five career NHL goals — scored twice, his second strike coming on a perfectly placed snipe over Petr Mrazek’s glove. Whenever an opponent receives contributions like that, it’s nearly impossible for these depth-lacking Hawks to keep up.

The home locker room remained closed for an unusual 14 minutes after the final horn, and captain Jonathan Toews spoke once it opened — two common signs of a team meeting.

“Ultimately, we’re in a situation here where we’ve lost quite a few games, and it’s not a good feeling,” Toews said. “It’s easy, when you don’t get those bounces, to let it deflate you. And collectively, we’ve just got to be a little bit more mentally strong and know that we’re in this situation and we’ve got to work ourselves out of it.

“I’m never going to get into the specifics about what’s being said in the locker room. But all in all, we all agree that — as a group — we need to be more mentally prepared. Even if there are nights where it’s a long season and sometimes you don’t have the energy…you’ve just got to find ways to play a better team game and keep yourself in games.”

The Jets’ victory continued a pattern of domination over the Hawks in recent years. They’ve won six of the last seven and 13 of the last 16 meetings.

But even though the Jets will promptly return to Chicago on Dec. 9, the Hawks will be more focused moving forward on two more relevant patterns: Not scoring first, and not winning very often against anyone.

“We can’t just say, ‘Oh yeah, I should’ve done better,'” Richardson said. “We have to act better. Otherwise in the NHL, your time doesn’t last long.”

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