If there’s a singular talent capable of carrying his team past a powerhouse like Simeon, it’s Thornton’s Alonzo Verge.
If there’s a team equipped to handle everything Verge brings to the table, it’s Simeon.
Something will have to give when No. 2 Simeon takes on No. 15 Thornton in the most intriguing of a slate of exciting Class 4A sectional championships Friday night.
Simeon-Thornton will tip at 7 p.m. at Thornton’s neighbor, Thornwood, in South Holland.
“They are the best team in the state on paper,” Thornton coach Tai Streets said. “I can’t wait until Friday. It’s going to be a good one.”
The 6-foot-3 Verge, who played for Willowbrook as a sophomore and spent last year at a high school in Florida, is attempting to write a redemptive finish to a turbulent high school career.
He averaged 26.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 3.1 steals in the regular season, impacting the game in virtually every way imaginable. But Thornton (23-5) probably can’t afford a repeat of his cold shooting in the Wildcats’ 64-58 victory over No. 20 Brother Rice in Wednesday’s semifinal.
They’ll be happy with the 11 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two charges taken, but the 10-for-26 shooting — 0-for-9 on 3s — might not get it done against Simeon.
Thornton received contributions from numerous players against Brother Rice, including 24 points and 12 rebounds from 6-foot-7 junior Orlando Allen and key timely plays from the likes of Christian Anderson, Delonte Jones, Manny Coleman and others.
“We’ve got other guys on the team,” Street said. “We will find a way to compete in this game.”
While Verge has taken Thornton on a wild ride this winter, it’s been business as usual for Simeon (27-3).
The storied Wolverines had their best start ever (16-0) and won arguably the two most difficult in-season tournaments in Illinois, the Pontiac Holiday Tournament and the Public League playoffs.
Senior guard Evan Gilyard — Verge’s friend and AAU teammate — and three juniors, 6-1 guard Kezo Brown, 6-5 forward Talen Horton-Tucker and 6-7 center Messiah Jones, have played on a consistently high level.
The winner of six sectional titles in seven seasons and six state championships in 12th-year head coach Robert Smith’s tenure, Simeon has barely broken a sweat so far this postseason.
“We play as a family, we play as a brotherhood,” said Gilyard, who followed Jabari Parker as the just second four-year varsity player in the Smith/Bob Hambric era dating to the 1979-80 season.
“One person is not taking over. Everybody can score, everybody can contribute to the win, and that is what we’ve been doing. Verge is an AAU friend and I’d love to play against him. But at the same time, we’ve just got to handle our business on the court.”
No. 1 Evanston (27-3) at Waukegan (20-8): The Wildkits earned their No. 1 ranking by navigating a tough schedule that included an 18-point victory over Simeon, but don’t be fooled by Waukegan’s unranked status — this could be Evanston’s most challenging game to date.
With three sophomores and a junior in its lineup, Waukegan has taken its game to another level recently, as evidenced by overpowering triumphs over two outstanding programs, Stevenson and Notre Dame, in the regional finals and sectional semifinals. And this one will be in Waukegan’s home gym, the Dog Pound, one of the best atmospheres in the Chicago area. Evanston is equipped for the challenge, though, with Purdue-bound star Nojel Eastern and three other highly productive seniors, Chris Hamil, Malcolm Townsel and Elyjah Williams.
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No. 3 Bolingbrook (27-1) vs. No. 8 Joliet West (26-3) at Lincoln-Way East: Having multiple Division I players has become something of a prerequisite for a 4A champion, and both teams meet that criterion. Bolingbrook won the regular-season meeting 84-74 and has not lost at full strength. Joliet West is coming off its second emotional victory over district rival Joliet Central. Bolingbrook survived a scare from Lemont in the regional final before beating West Aurora 85-66 on Tuesday night.
No. 5 Fremd (29-0) vs. No. 9 Conant (27-4) at Robert Morris University: As far as Conant is probably concerned, there’s an invisible asterisk next to Fremd’s zero in the loss column. A series of whistles went against Conant down the stretch of Fremd’s 42-41 victory over the Cougars on Jan. 20, including the one that sent Kyle Sliwa to the line to complete a four-point play and score the game-winning point with 12 seconds left. Fremd also beat Conant 48-37 on Dec. 9.
No. 13 Jacobs (29-1) vs. Larkin (19-14) at Elgin: The best player on both teams is a big man headed to Loyola. What makes Larkin’s run so improbable, though, is that Christian Negron has not been part of it because he tore his ACL in the fall.
The Royals have benefited from the tough schedule that having a player like Negron afforded them, and they won their last three games by double figures, including Tuesday night’s 62-51 victory over Rockford Boylan. Boylan beat Larkin 66-61 (OT) on Jan. 16.
Negron’s future teammate, Cameron Krutwig, has been the most dominant center in the Chicago area this season. The powerful left-hander with great vision averages 15.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 blocked shots while shooting 64 percent from the field while leading the Golden Eagles to their first sectional championship.
Mike Helfgot is a freelance reporter for the baiduhai.