High School Hoops Madness: Evanston Township vs. Waukegan
Words. Solomon Lieberman
Just before the Northwestern Wildcats stomped the No. 6 ranked Purdue Boilermakers on Saturday in Evanston, Ill., the local high school squad – the Evanston Township Wildkits – had an upset of their own to attempt. At about 7:00 p.m. on Friday, the Waukegan Bulldogs strutted into Evanston Township’s Beardsley Gymnasium looking like they owned the joint, and with good reason, as they are a state-championship contender led by 6-7, 195-pound phenom Jereme Richmond, “an Illinois-bound senior who generally is considered the best player in the state,” according to the Chicago Tribune.
And, as per usual when big talent is in bloom, Nike was in the building, giving Evanston’s young fans foam fingers and towels to point and helicopter from the packed stands. Evanston’s players got some love, too: a locker room facelift including Nike-ized nameplates. But would all this juice be enough to lift the Wildkits over Waukegan?
Unfortunately not. Waukegan started fast and went into halftime with a 13-point lead. Evanston made a laudable push in the fourth quarter and cut the lead to four, but the Bulldogs, who were stronger at every position, reclaimed their halftime cushion, winning 79-67. The last three minutes of the game were particularly entertaining, as a heated “house ownership” debate permeated the gym, from the players, to the cheerleaders, to the fans. In the end, the one-night deed to Beardsley Gymnasium should go to Waukegan’s Aaron Johnson and Mike Springs, a nice backcourt duo that fueled the Bulldogs for the whole game.
But what about the phenom? His numbers – 16 points, 10 rebounds, 6 blocks – were more than serviceable, and although he was a clear disruption around the rim, he appeared to be on cruise control for much of the game. He gave the crowd a few glimpses of his nastiness:
Early in the second quarter, he completed a hysteria-inducing two-handed alley. A few ticks later, he executed a fluid, mid-air, face-up put-back with his off-hand. And late in the fourth, extended from toes to fingertips, he ripped down a one-handed rebound after a key miss by Evanston.
For those of you who follow college hoops, definitely keep an eye on Richmond – he’s (at least) a top-30 prospect, nationwide. And for those of you who follow Chicagoland hoops, you better keep an eye on Richmond’s Bulldogs – the Chicago Sun-Times has them ranked No. 1 in the state as of Jan. 17.
High School Hoops Madness is off and running! We are going to be posting recaps, highlights, interviews, fan shout-outs, school features and more as the season continues. Be sure to go to the Ballers Network Facebook page at http://nikebasketball.com/hshoopsmadness to get video, photos and recaps, including your Shout-outs from this game.
