Class 4A semifinal | Waukegan (25-4) vs. Dundee-Crown (24-5)
6:30 p.m. Friday at Carver Arena in Peoria
Probable starters
Waukegan (25-4)
No. Player, Cl., Pos., Ht., PPG
1 Mike Springs, Jr, G, 5-10, 8.3
20 Aaron Johnson, So, G, 5-9, 8.7
23 Jereme Richmond, Jr, G-F, 6-7, 20.3
24 Quan Conner, Jr, G, 6-1, 9.9
30 Colin Nickerson, Sr, G-F, 6-3, 19.0
Dundee-Crown (24-5)
No. Player, Cl., Pos., Ht., PPG
2 Aaron Reams, Sr, F, 6-4, 6.3
3 Jeff Beck, Sr, G, 6-1, 17.5
5 Justin Strzelczyk, Sr, G, 5-11, 3.4
33 Charles Kimbrough, Sr, C, 6-6, 7.8
34 Marcus Henry, Sr, G, 6-0, 9.3
Frontcourt: Jereme Richmond has dominated throughout the playoffs. D-C’s Charles Kimbrough will have difficulty trying to contain the Illinois recruit. EDGE: Waukegan.
Backcourt: Oswego’s best player is Jeff Beck (17.5 points, 5.7 rebounds). But Colin Nickerson, Quan Conner, Aaron Johnson and Mike Springs all have game-breaking quickness. EDGE: Waukegan.
Bench: Robert Stupar, Greg McNally and Colin McCarthy provide more depth than Waukegan’s talented freshman Akeem Springs. EDGE: Dundee-Crown.
Coaching: Lance Huber is 100-66 in six years and has surprised the basketball world with the Chargers’ run to Peoria. Ron Ashlaw has rebounded nicely from a tumultuous 2007-08 season when internal conflict split the Bulldogs apart. EDGE: Waukegan.
Intangibles: Teams have taken Dundee-Crown lightly throughout the postseason, and paid for it. The Chargers are hoping for more of the same treatment from Waukegan. EDGE: Dundee-Crown.
Bob Sakamoto’s pick: Waukegan.
Saturday’s schedule
4A third-place game, 6:30
4A championship game, 8:15
Title-game prediction: Young over Waukegan
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