High School Lites transitions to basketball from football this week as we have a full night of action. The annual Chicago Elite Classic tips with some rivalry games while there's also conference action and non-conference play going on in this early part of the season.
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THURSDAY'S GAME
No. 6 Curie at No. 16 Orr, 7:00 p.m. -- This is a great non-conference matchup between Public League powerhouses. The Condors (3-0) have defeated some solid out-of-area competition as senior DaJuan Gordon (Kansas State) is looking like an All-Area candidate. Orr (2-1) lost to East St. Louis, but they're still playing as a potential contender in 2A. Seniors Tijuatae Williams and Greg Outlaw provide scoring and athleticism for a tough Spartans team.
FRIDAY'S GAMES
Andrew at No. 7 Bolingbrook, 7:00 p.m. -- Two teams with opposite starters battle in this SouthWest Suburban crossover. The Raiders (4-0) won the Decatur Turkey Tournament and also dispatched East Aurora as they've been without senior guard Tyler Cochran. Senior big man Kameron Leonard is off to a notable start. Andrew (1-4) is trying to build after a tough start at the District 218 Tournament.
No. 18 Providence-St. Mel at No. 10 DePaul Prep, 7:00 p.m. -- An intriguing Catholic League crossover in this one. Providence-St. Mel (2-1) is perhaps the Class 1A favorite after knocking off Quincy and Waukegan last week. Tyriel Nelson won MVP at Quincy while Taeyon Neal is a UIC commit on the interior. DePaul Prep (4-0) is led by senior Perry Cowan (Brown) as he's a serious All-Area candidate. Raheem Anthony is another experienced veteran with some strong early showings.
No. 17 Leo at Loyola, 7:00 p.m. -- The Catholic League crossovers continue in this enticing matchup. Leo (3-1) has a new head coach in Jamal Thompson as they tried to stay focused to remain a Class 2A contender. Senior point guard Fred Cleveland Jr. is off to a big start. Loyola (3-1) had a tight loss to New Trier during an otherwise impressive opening week that saw them win multiple games. The Ramblers will likely find themselves back in the Preps Power Rankings again soon.
Northside at Lane Tech, 5:00 p.m. -- Another intriguing Public League non-conference matchup in this one. Northside (2-0) is representing the White-North as they just earned a close win over Steinmetz. Lane (3-1) is one of Northside's toughest opponents this season as they had a solid showing in their Thanksgiving event with DePaul Prep. The Indians lost to the Rams in the title game, but defeated Niles North for a good win.
York at Lyons, 7:30 p.m. -- West Suburban Silver play begins as both of these teams are off to solid starts. York (3-1) captured the title at Palatine after only losing to Stevenson. Senior Erik Cohn has played well so far for the Dukes. Lyons (3-0) went unbeaten at their own Thanksgiving event as they took down Maine South and Hinsdale South as part of a good opening week.
Niles West at Niles North, 7:00 p.m. -- Central Suburban South play starts with this crosstown rivalry. Niles West (3-2) has dropped two straight games after a 3-0 start. Niles North (3-1) lost a tight one to Lane early this season.
Rolling Meadows at Hersey, 7:30 p.m. -- The Mid-Suburban East gets rolling in this one. The Mustangs (3-1) as led by star sophomore Max Christie as he's perhaps the finest college prospect in the state. Hersey (3-1) had a solid showing at Palatine as they only lost to York during the week. They've been particularly good in the fourth quarter of multiple wins this season.
CHICAGO ELITE CLASSIC (Wintrust Arena)
GIRLS: Whitney Young vs. Montverde (FL), 6:00 p.m. -- A girls game begins the day at the Chicago Elite Classic. The Dolphins (1-0) started with a big win over Jones. The game against Montverde is the middle of three straight days of games as this will be a big early-season stretch. Montverde split a pair of games at the Florida Prospects Thanksgiving event.
St. Rita vs. St. Ignatius, 7:30 p.m. -- This Catholic League crossover should be fun. The Mustangs (2-2) lost two early games to ranked opponents as senior Jeremiah Oden and junior guards Joel Watts and Alec Millender are key. St. Ignatius (2-2) dropped two to Lincoln Park and Loyola as they've also played a tough early schedule. Christian Davis and Daniel Flory are both averaging double-figures for the Wolfpack.
Fenwick vs. No. 22 Oak Park-River Forest, 9:00 p.m. -- The Oak Park rivalry resumes at the Chicago Elite Classic once again. This time, Oak Park-River Forest (4-1) is favored after breaking the six-game losing streak in this rivalry last year. The Huskies have a senior-laden team led by Dashon Enoch, Charlie Hoehne, Anthony Roberts and Chase Robinson. Fenwick (2-1) has a new coach in Staunton Peck as sophomore Bryce Hopkins and senior Solomon Oraegbu have been early standouts for the Friars.
VIEWERS' CHOICE GAME OF THE WEEK
Willowbrook at Addison Trail, 7:30 p.m. -- The top two teams in the West Suburban Gold is our Viewers' Choice Game of the Week. Willowbrook (3-1) fell to St. Charles East on the road during an otherwise good start to the season. Addison Trail (5-0) is unbeaten, including a win over Lane on Wednesday as this will be their toughest test of the season.