A rough Weekend Forecast with the picks a week ago going 2-3, but we’re getting right back at it. This is a big, big weekend, highlighted by four terrific matchups Saturday at the annual When Sides Collide Shootout at Benet that were previewed on Thursday.

Here are a half dozen more outstanding matchups to keep tabs on this weekend.

Last Week: 2-3

Overall: 14-7

Kenwood (16-3) vs. Camden (NJ) (12-2) at DePaul, Friday

A couple of the best players in the country and a legendary name in high school basketball heads to Chicago to face the top-ranked team in Illinois.

Camden’s tandem of DJ Wagner, the son of DaJuan Wagner and grandson of Milt Wagner, and 7-footer Aaron Bradshaw are two of the top five prospects in the country. Both are five-star recruits headed to Kentucky.

A pair of big questions for coach Mike Irvin’s team: Can Kenwood’s young frontline contend and contain Bradshaw and how do the Broncos bounce back from a stunning loss to Hyde Park Thursday night?

The pick: Camden 70, Kenwood 63

Yorkville (18-3) at Joliet West (15-5), Friday

In what has been one of the biggest turnaround seasons from a year ago, Yorkville is looking for a statement win. This would be it. Are the young Foxes up for the challenge of Jeremy and Jeremiah Fears and the relentless pressure Joliet West will throw at them?

Yorkville, which is riding an eight-game win streak, has three double-figure scorers in the junior trio of 6-9 Jason Jakstys, LeBaron Lee and guard Jory Boley.

Joliet West won’t get caught looking ahead to Saturday’s showdown with Young. Tigers get the job done at home while the Foxes learn a lot from this one.

The pick: Joliet West 67, Yorkville 57

Lyons (17-2) at Hinsdale Central (17-3), Friday

Behind Penn recruit Nik Polonowski and gritty point guard Jackson Niego, Lyons has lived up to the expectations and is right where it wants to be.

This time of the year ushers in those early-season surprises into legit winners. Hinsdale Central is just that. The Red Devils just keep on winning and haven’t lost in over a month. As a result, coach Nick Latorre’s team has climbed into a tie with Lyons for the top spot in the West Suburban Silver.

It all starts with Ben Oosterbaan, a 6-5 senior who is putting together an outstanding senior season. The Red Devils aren’t deep but the six seniors are playing together and clicking.

The pick: Hinsdale Central 47, Lyons 45

New Trier (18-3) at Glenbrook North (18-2), Friday

If Glenbrook North can hold serve at home it would really tighten things up and add more interest to the Central Suburban League South race. New Trier is unbeaten at 5-0 in league play while GBN is right behind them at 4-1. And a GBN win would also get two-loss Glenbrook South back in the mix.

The two scorers on the wing — New Trier’s Jake Fiegen and Glenbrook North’s Ryan Cohen — receive many of the accolades. But the game within the game will be at point guard. GBN’s Josh Fridman can control a game and be a game-changer with the ball in his hands, while New Trier’s Evan Kanellos is a nuisance for opposing guards. He doesn’t put up big numbers, but he’s tough, defends and is so instrumental in what the Trevians do.

New Trier finds a way on the road and takes command of the CSL South.

The pick: New Trier 62, Glenbrook North 60

Loyola (17-5) at Brother Rice (19-2), Friday

Brother Rice has been front and center on the high school basketball scene since the season tipped. Coach Conte Stamas walked in with a stable of returning players and ranked in the preseason. They’ve lived up to the expectations thus far.

Loyola, meanwhile, is starting to sneak up on some people, thanks to the perimeter attack of senior Alex Engro and junior Miles Boland.

Ahmad Henderson, Brother Rice’s dazzling point guard, will have his hands full. Loyola’s defense has been activated. And that’s not exactly a new thing. The Ramblers always make it difficult.

But since losing three straight games in December — and allowing 50-plus points in each of those three losses — coach Tom Livatino’s team has gone 9-1 in its last 10. No team has scored 50 in that run and the Ramblers are only allowing 35 points a game.

The question is how does favored Brother Rice respond to some tricky timing? The Crusaders are fresh off an emotional win over rival Marist on Tuesday and have a marquee battle with highly-ranked Rolling Meadows on Saturday.

The pick: Brother Rice 44, Loyola 42

Oswego East (17-4) vs. Hillcrest (19-2) at Batavia, Saturday

This is without question the featured game in this year’s Batavia Night of Hoops lineup. Both Oswego East and Hillcrest are riding a wave of momentum.

Oswego East went into Joliet West last week and came away with its biggest win of the season.

Hillcrest not only took care of business earlier this week but did so in impressive fashion, beating both conference foe Lemont and ranked Curie.

Now the two ranked teams square off in what should be a fun non-conference matchup.

Yes, Hillcrest point guard Bryce Tillery makes this team go. But the size and length of the Hawks will be the difference. Akron recruit Darrion Baker is a 6-9 matchup problem for Oswego East, while 6-6 Quentin Heady, who scored 33 in the win over Curie, is getting better and better.

The pick: Hillcrest 70, Oswego East 66

Read More

Northwestern has postponed a second straight men’s basketball game because of COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

The Wildcats were slated to host Wisconsin on Saturday, but they announced Thursday night that the game would not be played as scheduled.

Northwestern (12-5, 3-3) said it would work with Wisconsin and the Big Ten Conference to find a new date.

The Wildcats were supposed to play Iowa on Wednesday, but that game also was postponed. It has been rescheduled for Jan. 31 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

All distributed tickets for the Northwestern-Iowa and Wisconsin-Northwestern games will be valid for the new dates.

Northwestern’s next scheduled game is Tuesday night at Nebraska.

Read More

PARIS – Billy Donovan wants to believe that something special happened in Paris.

The Bulls coach wants to buy into the idea that almost a week of watching the players and coaching staff having family and friends all together in one city, mingling at team events, and spending time with each other on their own, will resonate.

It will reinforce a lesson that he’s been trying to beat home since early on in camp.

“The guy standing next to you has to be so important, you have to have so much respect for him,” Donovan said of the unselfishness he wants his team to play with.

It felt like Paris did that.

But there’s also some guarded optimism for Donovan. Call that the New Yorker in him.

“Do I feel like we’ve turned the corner so to speak?” Donovan said after the win over the Pistons in the Paris Game 2023. “I don’t want to say that, because there’s been some other times that I felt we did.”

That there have.

Remember the December stinker in Minnesota in which the Bulls gave up 150 points? That was then followed up by impressive wins in Miami, Atlanta and New York, only to lose to lowly Houston. Then there were three-straight wins over Brooklyn, Philadelphia and Utah, followed up with three-straight losses to Boston, Washington, and then embarrassment against Oklahoma City.

Too many inconsistencies for the 21-24 Bulls. Too many two-steps-forward, two-steps-back moments.

“To me it’s all about building,” Donovan said. “We had a situation out of the Minnesota game where we gave up 150 points and responded pretty well the rest of the road trip. Bottom line is we’ve got to do it every night.

“There’s no guarantee you’ll win the game if you do do it, but you have no chance of winning the game if you don’t. Am I optimistic? Yes, because I like the character and the guys in the locker room, but again we’ve got to prove we can do it for sustainable amount of time and that’s the challenge.”

It’s a challenge for several reasons.

The first is the obvious one, and that’s the Eastern Conference standings.

By winning percentage, the Bulls have the fifth-easiest schedule left in the NBA, but it’s the easy teams that have tripped them up. That’s why they entered Friday sitting 10th and in the final play-in spot.

But there’s also the Feb. 9 trade deadline approaching, and the front office having to decide if this roster will be worth keeping intact. According to sources, as of now there were no signs that executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisoivas was looking to be a seller.

Multiple wins over the likes of Boston, Milwaukee and Brooklyn have him believing that this group can make a run come April.

But that can change quickly based on the next few weeks. Basically, what veteran forward DeMar DeRozan has been trying to get his teammates to understand for awhile now.

“It’s gut-cutting time now, every single game,” DeRozan said. “We showed the first half of the season that we can compete with the top teams in this league. Now it’s about putting it together every single night, because these games we can’t get back. Every game is just as important as the next. As long as we have that mindset about every single game, every single practice from here on out, we got a good chance to put ourselves in a good position.”

Good words from DeRozan, but just words. This team needs to show it on the court, and make sure it wasn’t left in Paris next to the hotel room key.

“The more we can play and care for each other, regardless what you’re going through individually, is critically important,” Donovan said. “Now we’ve just got to do it.”

Read More

PHILADELPHIA — Petr Mrazek was thrown to the wolves this season by the Blackhawks. Acquired to basically provide a warm body in the net, he has statistically proven to be what everyone expected: one of the NHL’s worst goaltenders.

But his mental resilience, which hasn’t let his lack of success affect his forward-looking attitude or self-confidence, has been genuinely impressive. That has been on prime display the past week, and he has finally found some success as a result.

In the Hawks’ historic 4-1 win over the Flyers on Thursday, Mrazek saved 37 of 38 shots, including 34 straight after an early goal against.

“He’s a battler,” coach Luke Richardson said. “He works hard. There’s been so many games this year where we haven’t got him a lot of goal support when he’s played well and kept us in the game. So it’s really nice to see a guy get rewarded in that way.”

Last weekend against the Kraken, Mrazek endured one of the worst nights possible, stopping one of five shots before being mercifully pulled 12 minutes in. Only 10 other goalies since the NHL began tracking shots on goal (in 1970) have recorded an appearance with a save percentage equal to or worse than Mrazek’s .200 that night.

Having made only two other starts in three weeks leading up to that disaster, it would’ve been easy for him to let his psyche slip. Fellow goaltender Alex Stalock, after all, was supposed to resume his regular starting pattern the following game against the Sabres.

But Stalock’s unfortunate concussion in practice instead gave Mrazek an immediate bounce-back opportunity — and he made the most of it, stopping 30 of 33 in the comeback win Tuesday.

“You just flush that [Seattle] game and move on,” Mrazek said Thursday. “That’s how the league works. [There are] a lot of games in a short time, so sometimes you’re going to have games like that. But you have to refocus and do it again another night.”

He followed that Tuesday performance with Thursday’s fantastic outing. His 38 saves marked his second-most in four years.

Some of them were rather dicey, and others downright lucky — like one puck he inadvertently pulled out of the crease with the back of his pad after it clanked off the post — but he was probably due for some good luck.

“I’ve been a little more aggressive when we are in our zone,” he added. “[When] I’m out of the blue [paint], I can see the puck well. And [our defensemen] are boxing the players out well, so I can be more aggressive. It’s working right now.”

Mrazek’s overall numbers remain ugly: he’s 5-10-1 with an .884 save percentage and a minus-7.6 GSAA. At this point, they’re pretty much doomed to finish the year ugly. One could say they were predestined in September to be ugly. But he’s nonetheless unfazed.

The Hawks have actually demonstrated some impressive resilience lately as a full team. They’ve now won five of six after rallying from a 1-0 first-intermission deficit Thursday.

The victory snapped a strange drought of 17 consecutive regular-season losses in Philadelphia, albeit with one rather notable postseason win sandwiched in the middle of that streak. Their last road victory against the Flyers previously came on Nov. 9, 1996, when Tony Amonte scored an empty-net goal to seal a 4-1 win — just the way Philipp Kurashev did Thursday.

The upswing has lifted them out of last place in the league standings — a spot now held by the Blue Jackets — and slightly reduced their current odds of landing the first overall draft pick. But Richardson is just happy to see his group finally clicking.

“We were skating really well,” Richardson said. “We were tracking well. We were really working together as that five-man unit.”

Read More

The Chicago Bears are searching for defensive coaching help

The Chicago Bears’ defense was bad last season. A new report has come out that the Bears are looking to hire outside coaching to help for next season. The Bears’ defense gave up the 29th most yards (378) in the regular season. They gave up the most points per game (27.2). It was a rough year for first-year defensive coordinator Alan Williams.

We’ll see if Williams gets a second.

According to a report by NFL Insider Jonathan Jones, the Bears have asked for permission from the Green Bay Packers to interview Jerry Gray. He’s the Green Bay Packers’ defensive pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach. It’s unclear what position the Bears are interviewing Gray for.

The Bears have requested permission to interview Packers defensive pass game coordinator/DBs coach Jerry Gray for an as-yet-undefined defensive coaching position.
 
Gray is also interviewing this week in Atlanta for the vacant defensive coordinator position.

— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) January 20, 2023

Of interest in this report, Gray is set to interview for the Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator position. Gray has been a defensive coordinator in the NFL before. He served as the Buffalo Bills’ defensive coordinator from the 2001-05 seasons.

Gray wants to be a defensive coordinator

It’s an interesting request for the Bears to make after it became public knowledge Gray was seeking a promotion to defensive coordinator. One wouldn’t expect Gray to take a backward-lateral move to Chicago for anything less than a defensive coordinator job. Hopefully, we’ll find out what job the Bears would like him to interview for.

Williams’ defense was bad all over the field this year. In his defense, his entire roster was a joke to work with, even before the Bears traded Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith midseason. So far, the Bears have retained both coordinators and head coach Matt Eberflus after finishing with the league’s worst record. But there could be a change coming to the staff shortly.

Read More

Phillips senior Jaheim Savage had already scored 35 points. But if a few more seconds ticked off the clock, that impressive total would just be a line at the end of a story. The job wasn’t done. The Wildcats trailed Perspectives-Leadership by one point.

“I felt like I had to go get the ball and win the game for my team,” Savage said. “I didn’t do that when we played Hyde Park. It’s my responsibility to win the games.”

Savage drove into the lane and scored against heavy pressure. The Warriors had a chance to retake the lead but turned the ball over, securing a 74-73 for Phillips on Thursday.

“This game was very personal because they beat us twice last year,” Savage said. “It came from my heart.”

Savage, a 6-4 guard, scored 23 in the first half, 37 in the game and finished with 10 rebounds.

“I’ve been telling everyone he is the best player in the state,” Wildcats coach Paris Martin said. “He can score at three levels and he’s a great person. He’s special.”

Mykel Lindsey, a 6-6 senior, added 20 points and 11 rebounds for Phillips (13-6, 4-3 Red-South Central). Mario DeSilva contributed seven points and four rebounds and Gregory Melton finished with four points and six rebounds.

The Wildcats trailed by 12 after JK Woods’ dunk late in the third quarter. The key sequence in the comeback was a series of missed free throws. Phillips combined missed free throws and rebound baskets to pull off a seven-point possession at the 3:38 mark.

Woods led Perspectives-Leadership (14-9, 3-4) with 19 points. Leo transfer Jakeem Cole added 12 points and five rebounds and junior guard Gianni Cobb scored 13.

The Warriors are still figuring themselves out. Coach Mike Smith has assembled one of the most talented teams in the city, but all the new faces are still jelling. Perspectives-Leadership had several impressive moments in the game, stylish passes and takes to the basket from Cobb and even an alley-oop dunk off the backboard by Woods.

“We just haven’t been consistent at all,” Smith said. “Everything has been up and down. We must be much better when we have a lead. With how we keep our poise and stay together.”

Both teams are in the Class 2A Julian Sectional and could wind up as the top two seeds.

There was a big crowd of students in attendance at Phillips’ sparkling new gym. The facility has eight rows of bleachers on each side and even a training room for the athletes.

“This is a blessing,” Lindsey said. “It’s hard to describe what it’s like to play in a place this nice.”

Martin is in his first year as Phillips’ head coach.

“This new gym a special treat,” Martin said. “My coaches and I are just enjoying everything about this place and about getting to play in the Red-South/Central. We want to be here for a while.”

Read More

The Chicago Bulls will be closely watched ahead of the NBA trade deadline

The Chicago Bulls currently sit in a play-in position at 10th in the East 3 weeks from the NBA trade deadline. With a losing record of 21-24, the Bulls will be one of the most closely monitored teams ahead of the deadline. They sit in an interesting position. They have a solid nucleus of players and are not totally healthy and the Bulls are only 3 1/2 games out of the 6th seed in the east. With a solid run and a few additions, the Bulls very well could be in the thick of the playoff hunt come April. Here are 3 players the team could potentially acquire if they choose to go for it.

Eric Gordon SG, SF

You have to feel for the former 6th man of the year. Eric Gordon is in a horrible situation in Houston in what is a complete rebuild. Gordon will be one of the more closely watched names ahead of the trade deadline as the Rockets would be silly not to get something for Gordon in a rebuilding season.

How Gordon fits in Chicago

At first glance, the Chicago Bulls do not have an immediate need in their backcourt. However, the 34-year-old would bring more defensive resistance than Goran Dragic and more consistency than Colby White and Dalen Terry. He is a solid 3-ball shooter and would bring more veteran experience that could potentially help the team gel more down the stretch. The Bulls would also not have to give up much to acquire Gordon if they feel they want to hold onto their more valuable trade assets.

Kyle Kuzma PF, SF

If the Bulls really wanted to go for it, adding Kuzma to the fold, whom is having a career year, would go a long way. The former Laker is averaging 21.7 points per game on a 45% clip which are both career highs. The Chicago Bulls only have 3 double digit scorers on their roster at the moment (DeRozan, Lavine, Vucevic) and adding Kuzma would only improve the NBA’s 20th best offense, possibly giving the Bulls a top 10 offense in the league.

How Kuzma Fits in Chicago

The 6’9″ swingman can slide between 3 and 4 spots, or even serve as a small-ball center for stretches with certain lineups. He can create his own shots or find them off the ball as a spot-up shooter or cutter. Defensively, he keeps making strides as a lanky, versatile stopper.

-Via Bleacher Report

Russell Westbrook PG

This likely will not be a popular option among Chicago Bulls fans. Nonetheless Westbrook would purely be a pawn in this hypothetical trade. If the Bulls were to acquire Westbrook it would likely mean that they are blowing things up for a rebuild. The real gem of this trade would be the Lakers 1st round picks in 2027 & 2029. These picks won’t mean anything for awhile however the Bulls could deal them in a major trade before they even are able to use them which could potentially accelerate a hypothetical rebuild.

How Westbrook fits in Chicago

Westbrook would merely be a cog in this hypothetical trade and potential rebuild, not so much a fit. With Westbrook bouncing around the league the past few years he is proving that he does not really fit anywhere and is somewhat of a headache. However putting up with Westbrook may be worth it if it means something bigger in the near future for the Chicago Bulls.

Read More