The biggest name on the Homewood-Flossmoor boys basketball team is known more for playing another sport.
Other than 6-foot-2 senior forward Kendric Pryor, a Tribune first-team All-State wide receiver headed to Wisconsin, the Vikings are a young group in the process of establishing themselves.
One week into what coach Marc Condotti has pointed to as a key three-week stretch, they’re well on their way.
What would have been a great week became merely good on Saturday after H-F followed two big Southwest Suburban Blue wins — Tuesday’s 65-57 victory over Bolingbrook and Friday’s 70-47 throttling of No. 13 Joliet West — with a 59-45 loss to Orr in a tough back end of a back-to-back.
“We talked after the (Orr) game about the difference between being a good team and a real good team,” Condotti said. “We didn’t do the things you need to do to be a real good team. We’ve got some nice pieces and they work hard. That is not the issue.
“We’ve got guys who can score, guys who can defend and guys who can rebound. Whether we do it on a regular basis is another story.”
More Top Picks Best Tablets For Reading Pdfs
Condotti praised Pryor’s improvement as a leader, and he’s been the team’s best player as well, earning first team All-Tournament honors during H-F’s second-place finish at Hinsdale Central’s holiday tournament.
Point guard Trelan Morrow and shooter Jeffrey Boyd have had their share of moments for the Vikings (9-4, 3-1), as have 6-3 junior forwards Tyler DeMartra and Elijah McCreary.
It’s a group that figures to win its fair share of games the next season and a half, beginning with Stagg (10-4, 3-1) on Friday with first place on the line.
“We’ve just got to do things better and respond when challenged,” Condotti said. “That’s why we have the schedule we have. We have to get to the point that we’re ready to win those games in March.”
Zee-Bees setting NSL pace: After playing nine games in two tournaments over the final 13 days of 2015, a little time off did Zion-Benton some good.
The Zee-Bees (11-4, 3-1) stayed near the front of the crowded North Suburban Lake race with victories over Lake Zurich and Libertyville.
Senior DeShawn Wilson Jr. and the rest of the Zee-Bees’ typical stable of quality guards have played well most of the season.
They went a combined 6-3 at Jacobs’ Hinkle Classic and the State Farm Holiday Classic, and the three losses were by a combined seven points to a trio of good teams — Rockford Boylan, North Lawndale and Rock Island.
Zion-Benton, Lake Zurich and Stevenson enter the week tied in the loss column with one apiece.
Benet’s big win: Benet is a game off the early three-way lead held by Marian Catholic, St. Viator and St. Patrick in the East Suburban Catholic because of its double-overtime loss at Marian before the holidays, but perhaps the Redwings should be considered the favorite moving forward.
The No. 16 Redwings pulled off one of the better wins imaginable on Saturday night, holding No. 4 Fenwick 25 points below its season average in a 44-41 road victory to improve to 12-2 overall.
Benet’s seemingly endless string of tough games continues on Thursday night at home against No. 12 Notre Dame.
Both teams are 1-1 in league play and can ill afford to drop two games back in the standings. Notre Dame dropped a 61-52 decision to Fenwick on Wednesday night.
Game of the Year, again: The regular season game of the year, take two, will be at 3:30 p.m. Saturday when No. 1 Morgan Park takes on No. 3 Simeon at Brooks.
Morgan Park won the first meeting 70-65 behind 27 points from Charlie Moore on Dec. 11 at Simeon.
The Mustangs (12-1) have continued to play like the area’s top team, while Simeon (12-2) has picked up momentum on the road, winning several games against out-of-state competition.
The second meeting between the Red South rivals was moved to Brooks because Morgan Park’s gym can only accommodate a couple hundred fans.
Mike Helfgot is a freelance reporter for the baiduhai.