High school basketball: Previewing the Class 4A state championship, can Young beat Glenbard West?

Back in November, deciding between Glenbard West and Young as the preseason No. 1 was a difficult choice.

The Hilltoppers were excellent in the short 2021 season and dazzled everyone all summer. But I’ve seen a lot of dazzling summer teams fall flat in the regular season. That was always in the back of my mind.

About a week before the decision was made I started leaning towards Young. Daniel Johnson and Xavier Amos, two relative unknowns, had been excellent during the 2021 season and I believed that AJ Casey and Dalen Davis were underrated after having subpar summers.

I went with Glenbard West as No. 1 because things were about even and the Hilltoppers were the better story. I wasn’t at all sure they were better than Young. I had major doubts.

Glenbard West went out and earned it. The Hilltoppers have proven, again and again, that they are the top team in the state. And they are much better now than they were in November. They play with confidence and assurance that only comes from experience.

Young went through ups and downs. The lowest point of the season for the Dolphins was the 74-59 loss to Glenbard West on Jan. 22. Young was never really in the game.

So what reason is there to possibly believe the Dolphins can beat the Hilltoppers in the state championship game on Saturday?

Glenbard West star Caden Pierce has an answer.

“[Young] has made it to the state championship for a reason,” Pierce said. “They are a lot better than when we played them back in January. They were missing one of their starters. They are a completely new team now. They showed it against Barrington. It is going to be a good challenge for us.”

Johnson was the starter out injured in the first matchup. He’s been back for several weeks now and was a key factor in Young beating Kenwood in the city championship game.

After losing to Glenbard West on the last day of the regular season, Simeon coach Robert Smith mentioned that he thought Young might have a better chance against Glenbard West in a rematch because they would understand the Hilltoppers’ length and size. Smith said it is something a team has to experience, that it can’t be simulated.

Bolingbrook coach Rob Brost did his best to simulate Glenbard West’s length this week in practice. Brost had his defenders hold pool noodles in practice. The Hilltoppers’ starting lineup is 6-4, 6-6, 6-7, 6-8, and 6-11.

“You can prepare all you want, get pool noodles, and do all the stuff that we did,” Brost said. “But until you see it on the floor live, it’s a different beast. And then when they’re hitting shots, like they were tonight, then they’re almost impossible to beat.”

Glenbard West has shot well in every big game this season. The Hilltoppers have so many good shooters that one of them always seems to be hot. It’s hard to imagine that Glenbard West’s shooting ability will flame out in the state title game. So even if Young can handle the Hilltoppers’ defensive size it is going to be a battle.

“We have finally gotten to the point where we can finish what we started and what we set out to do,” Opoka said. “Back in sixth or seventh grade we talked about it. In eighth grade we met about it. And tomorrow we have an opportunity to obtain it. It’s really special.”

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