Mike Helfgot

PEORIA — Nick Rakocevic took the torch and carried the 2015 state champions back to Carver Arena. His young teammates stepped up along the way, making the notion of a...

Curie is good enough to win a state championship. I wasn't ready to say that last week, not until Tuesday night's beautiful display of team basketball by a group whose...

As measurements go, height's a pretty obvious one. Benet won't impress anybody there. Scholarship offers is another way talent is measured on the high-school level, and the Redwings come up...

Jon Marotta was describing someone to Marco Pettinato. Marotta, a Lincoln-Way West senior, was sure Pettinato knew the kid, but he couldn't remember his name. "He is our age," Marotta...

The star quarterback without a Super Bowl ring, the legendary actor without an Oscar, the world-class golfer without a major. Curie was the Illinois high school basketball version — until...

I'm learning about Mindfulness for something that has nothing to do with high school basketball, but the clarity it has given me has seeped into my professional life. And yes,...

The last time Simeon advanced to the state tournament was way back in 2013. So many programs would still be basking in the glory of a state run, but for...

Records through Sunday; Last week's rankings in parentheses. 1. Simeon 28-3, 4A (1) East Moline United's best player, Tray Buchanan, is a Simeon transfer. 2. Morgan Park 26-3, 3A (2)...

The proliferation of buzzer-beaters from halfcourt and beyond this season has not escaped Ridgewood junior Zac Rzewnicki's attention. They seem to be on SportsCenter almost every day, from reigning NBA...