The annual Chicago Elite Classic is set for its 12th year. With that type of run, the event now has a bonafide history and a tradition of being the first marquee high school basketball attraction on the calendar.
Over the course of two days and 13 games played this Friday and Saturday at Credit Union 1 Arena at UIC, the event will showcase eight of the top 10 teams currently ranked in the Super 25.
The big one: No. 1 Kenwood vs. No. 2 Thornton. This is one of those must-see games of the year.
And the Chicago Elite Classic didn’t hold back in landing top-flight, out-of-state programs. Gonzaga out of Washington, DC. is a nationally-recognized program, while Pace (Ga.), Cardinal Ritter (Mo.) and Vashon (Mo.) are all defending state champions. Sidwell Friends, another DC power, is ranked among the top 10 teams in the country.
Here is a look at each of the event’s 13 games scheduled for this weekend.
Friday, Dec. 1
No. 19 Simeon vs. Hillcrest, 4:30 p.m.
A different look for these two teams in 2023-24, but it’s still two of the the premier basketball programs in the state with a long, successful history.
Oak Park vs. Fenwick, 6 p.m.
This rivalry heats up with anticipation following strong, surprising starts from both teams over Thanksgiving week.
St. Laurence vs. No. 8 Marist, 7:30 p.m.
Marist’s 6-8 Stephen Brown is an emerging sophomore star while 6-6 newcomer Darshan Thomas has provided an early-season boost. St. Laurence counters with the 1-2 punch of junior guard Zerrick Johnson and Denver recruit Josh Pickett.
Lane vs. No. 10 DePaul Prep, 9 p.m.
With defending Class 2A champs and Catholic League power DePaul Prep on the docket, it’s a massive opportunity for a Lane program that has arguably its best team in decades.
Saturday, Dec. 2
Lindblom vs. No. 20 Joliet West, 9 a.m.
Get there early for a battle featuring two future Division I guards: Lindblom’s Je’Shawn Stevenson (Cleveland State) and Joliet West’s Justus McNair (Valpo).
No. 14 Bolingbrook vs. No. 24 Warren, 10:30 a.m.
The much-talked-about freshmen, Bolingbrook’s Davion Thompson and Warren’s Jaxson Davis, receive all the buzz. But Bolingbrook’s JT Pettigrew, a 6-7 junior, was MVP of last weekend’s Decatur Turkey Tournament.
Riverside-Brookfield vs. No. 17 St. Ignatius, noon
A fun one featuring some great bloodlines as star attractions — St. Ignatius’ Phoenix Gill, the son of Kendall Gill, and R-B sophomore Cameron Mercer (15.5 ppg), the son of Ron Mercer. How will Ignatius handle Stefan Cicic, a 6-11, 240-pound big man and one of the top uncommitted prospects in the state?
Hyde Park vs. Pace (Ga.), 1:30 p.m.
Jurrell Baldwin and Hyde Park will have their hands full. Pace coach Sharman White, who won his 500th career game last week, has led the program to five state championships since 2016. The defending state champs are loaded again with 6-2 point guard KJ Greene, a Central Florida recruit, and junior guard Eric Chatfield. LJ Moore is a 6-7 senior committed to the University of Chicago.
No. 7 Curie vs. Sidwell Friends (Washington, DC), 3 p.m.
With four starters returning from a 29-win team, including Georgetown commit Caleb Williams, Sidwell Friends should be even better than a year ago. This year’s team is considered to be among the top 10 in the country.
No. 4 Homewood-Flossmoor vs. Gonzaga (Washington, DC), 4:30 p.m.
How will the Vikings, led by juniors Bryce Heard and Jayden Tyler, handle the big stage and a national power? Gonzaga is loaded with junior talent, including three top 100 players in the Class of 2025: 6-9 Christian Gurdak, who boasts several high-major offers, and guards Derek Dixon and Nykolas Lewis.
No. 6 Young vs. Cardinal Ritter (Mo.), 6 p.m.
All Cardinal Ritter has done is win three of the last four state championships — 10 overall in program history — and returns virtually everyone from last season’s Missouri 5A title team. The headliners are point guard Clayton Jackson and 6-5 Nashawn Davis.
A youthful but talented Young team, led by junior Antonio Munoz, sophomore Marquis Clark and emerging freshman Howard Williams, will have a big early-season measuring stick opportunity.
No. 1 Kenwood vs. No. 2 Thornton, 7:30 p.m.
It’s always a treat when you get No. 1 vs. No. 2 –– no matter what part of the season it comes together. This one has the potential to be pretty special with the star talent both teams can trot on the floor.
Coach Mike Irvin’s Kenwood team is stacked with talent, starting with the senior trio of 6-5 Chris Riddle (DePaul), 6-11 Jaden Smith (Arizona State) and 6-5 Calvin Robins. But the talent continues with Aleks Austin, a 6-9 junior with high-major offers.
Kenwood’s first big test of the season, however, is a doozy, getting the No. 2 ranked team and top player in the state in just its third game.
When it comes to Thornton, which passed a big test over the weekend with a 67-65 win over Peoria Richwoods, everything revolves around 6-9 Morez Johnson. The Illinois commit is the state’s top player. The perimeter attack of three key newcomers via transfer — Meyoh Swansey, Chase Abraham and Isaiah Green, who transferred to Thornton from Kenwood — are primed and ready to provide plenty of support.
No. 5 Mount Carmel vs. Vashon (Mo.), 9 p.m.
The Caravan, led by Northwestern recruit Angelo Ciaravino, face perennial Missouri power Vashon, which has won three straight Class 4A state championships. Vashon’s Nicholas Randall is a talented 6-7 junior with offers from Illinois, Kansas State, Missouri and Louisville.
