Peoria will be Young’s town
On March 21, Young will become the first Public League team to win a state championship since King in 1993.
How can we be so sure?
Young is the best basketball team in the state and, according to USA Today, the second best in the nation.
No less an authority than Peoria Manual coach Wayne McClain is a believer, and his Rams could face Young in the Class AA semifinals.
“This is a team that has everything,” said McClain, who helped Peoria Manual win the last four state titles. “They have the size and strength inside, a talented backcourt, the coaching and the experience. I mean, guys like Quentin Richardson, Cordell Henry and Dennis Gates have played in big-time national tournaments over the summer. They’re used to the pressure.”
The Rams got smoked 72-59 by Young at the Proviso West Shootout in January as the 6-foot-6-inch Richardson dominated with 30 points and 22 rebounds.
Richardson made a guarantee in mid-January that Young would win the rest of its games after losing to nationally ranked Lexington (Ky.) Catholic 24 hours after the emotional Manual victory.
Marquette-bound point guard Henry (15 points, four assists a game) is jet-quick with exceptional court vision and a vertical leap that placed the 5-9 senior second in the Public League slam-dunk contest.
The 6-3 Gates and 6-9 Ball State recruit Corey Harris are premier role players. The 6-9 Marquis Wright, 6-6 freshman Najeeb Echols and 6-7 junior Kris Clemmons rotate at the fifth position.
Richardson is the main man, averaging 25.7 points, 12.5 rebounds and shooting 47 percent from three-point range. He seems to will himself to every crucial rebound in crunch time.
Combine all this with a no-nonsense disciplinarian in coach George Stanton and it’s easy to see why Young will rule the high school hoops world.
Fate may favor Fenwick
If there is one team that can beat Young, it’s Fenwick.
What further proof does anyone need than the City-Suburban Showdown at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Valentine’s Day when Fenwick blew a five-point lead in the final 3 minutes and fell to Young 58-55?
“We need to learn how to execute better in the last 2 minutes of a game to get where we want to go,” said Fenwick coach John Quinn.
The Friars’ destination is a Class AA title-game showdown with Young.
And here’s how Fenwick can win the rematch.
– Corey Maggette must outplays Quentin Richardson. They both scored 28 points at Northwestern, but Maggette had 19 rebounds to Richardson’s 14.
– Fenwick guard Chris Williams clearly emerges as the third-best player in the game. It’s imperative for the Friars’ backcourt of Williams and Quentin Gilmore to outperform Young’s Cordell Henry and Dennis Gates.
– Fenwick’s 6-8 1/2 Jabari Harris must rebound, block shots and keep Richardson under control while 6-7 Mike Shannon hits his three-point shots.
Remember, Fenwick’s road to the title game won’t be as demanding as Young’s. It’s conceivable Young would have to play King, Farragut, Elgin and Peoria Manual leading up to Fenwick.
The Friars’ obstacles beginning with the sectional finals could be Proviso East, Thornridge, Maine West and Galesburg.
Something else in Fenwick’s favor: With the Friars and Young appearing to be so evenly matched, chances are they’ll split a two-game series.
If Quinn is smart, he will instill a happy-go-lucky, carefree attitude in his players. He’ll remind them that all the pressure is on Young–Fenwick is EXPECTED to finish second.
If Young doesn’t become the first Public League state champion in five years, it will be all Fenwick’s fault.
