Grayslake North might be the area school that benefits most from a key transfer during the summer.
Last year, the Knights, Grayslake Central, Grant and Round Lake were shifted from the Class 4A sectional that is associated with Waukegan and placed in the sectional that was hosted by Barrington and won by Lake Park.
Assuming the IHSA sticks with those assignments for another year, Grayslake North, which figures to be good this winter, got the best summer news possible.
One of Illinois’ best high school players, 6-foot-8 Rapolas Ivanauskas, has left Barrington and will spend his senior season at Brewster Academy, a prep school in New Hampshire.
With Ivanaukas, Barrington would have been the favorite to win that sectional next March. Without him, Grayslake North can be a player.
Ivanauskas averaged 18 points and 8.3 rebounds in leading the Broncos to the Mid-Suburban League title. He’s already verbally committed to Northwestern.
Ivanauskas told the baiduhai: “The pros are playing against great competition every day, kids who are taller, stronger, better. I have to adapt to it or I won’t be able to have success. That style will be as close as it gets to college basketball.
“Another thing is skill development, getting better every day, living a basketball lifestyle. Another thing is becoming an independent person. I’ve been so close to my family for so long. Some separation will help, becoming my own man. It will help me in the long run.”
According to Brewster’s website, eight of its graduates currently are in the NBA, including Mitch McGary with the Oklahoma Thunder. Last year, Brewster finished 34-1, its loss to Northfield Mount Hermon School of Massachusetts snapping a 40-game winning streak.
Grayslake North was 18-11 last year and its best player, 6-5 Aidan Einloth, is back. He averaged more than 16 points, seven rebounds, and three assists as a junior.
He was on the Lake County-based B&B Elite 17-under travel team that won an AAU national tournament in July.
Girls Volleyball: Libertyville won the Crosstown Classic for the third straight year, beating Stevenson 25-21, 26-24 in the championship match last Saturday. The tournament was held at various Lake County high schools.
Wauconda beat Lakes 25-15, 25-16 in the third-place match.
The 16-team tournament included 12 Lake County schools, plus Wheeling, Rockford Auburn, Glenbrook South and Evanston.
Warren finished fifth, Grayslake Central sixth, Grant ninth, Grayslake North 10th, Round Lake 11th, Zion-Benton 13th, Mundelein 14th and Highland Park 15th.
Libertyville also won this tourney in 2014 and 2013. In 2012, a year when Libertyville made it to the state semifinal, the Cats lost to Stevenson in the tourney finals. Libertyville’s next match is Tuesday at Crystal Lake South.
Last fall, Libertyville finished second in Class 4A and beat CL South in the supersectional.
Boys Soccer: Waukegan will play Deerfield on Thursday in the finals of the eight-team tournament hosted by Lake Forest.
The game was supposed to be played Saturday, but was postponed due to bad weather.
Both teams are 2-0 in the tourney, with Waukegan earning wins over Carmel and Highland Park.
The Bulldogs are the defending tournament champions.
Boys Golf: Mundelein won the team title at the 16-school Warren Invitational at Bittersweet, shooting 301 and beating Loyola (301) on the fifth-score tiebreaker.
Ryan Magee led the Mustangs with a 73, followed by Tyler White (75), Nick Chuma (76) and Brett Parola (77). Mikey Nieckula had 80, and his score was better than Loyola’s fifth score of 82.
Lake Forest took third with 302, followed by Highland Park (303) and Stevenson (304).
Noah Fishbein of Highland Park was medalist with a 70.
Riley Lee had 77 for Carmel, Jacob Krygman 76 for Deerfield, Alessandro Raganelli and Conor Polender 74 to lead Lake Forest, Kamaren Sandhu 74 for Stevenson, Trevor Britton 77 for Warren, and Ricky Leme 75 for Lake Forest Academy.
Mike Helfgot of the baiduhai contributed to this report
More Top Picks Best Bonsai Tool Kits
PREP FOOTBALL: WEEK 2
Friday’s Games
Fox Valley Fox
Grayslake Central (0-1) at Prairie Ridge (0-1)
Hampshire (0-1) at Grayslake North (1-0)
Woodstock (1-0) at CL Central (1-0)
Nonconference
Deerfield (1-0) at St. Viator (0-1)
Elgin Larkin (0-1) at Vernon Hills (1-0)
Glenbrook North (1-0) at Grant (0-1)
Homewood-Flossmoor (1-0) at Stevenson (1-0)
Lake Forest (1-0) at Niles North (1-0)
Lakes (0-1) at Highland Park (0-1)
Lake Zurich (0-1) at Cary-Grove (1-0)
Moline (0-1) at Antioch (1-0)
Mundelein (1-0) at Elgin (0-1)
New Trier (1-0) at Warren (0-1)
Phillips (1-0) at Carmel (0-1)
Riverside-Brookfield (1-0) at Wauconda (0-1)
Round Lake (0-1) at Woodstock North (1-0)
Waukegan (1-0) at Zion-Benton (1-0)
Saturday’s Games
Nonconference
Libertyville (1-0) at Lake Forest Academy (0-1)
Robeson (0-1) at North Chicago (0-1)