CHICAGO – Simeon – one of the two host high schools for the event – wrapped up the third Chicago Elite Classic in, well, elite fashion on Dec. 6 at the University of Illinois-Chicago Pavilion to pull away in the fourth quarter for an 87-72 victory over Lancaster, one of the better squads in Texas.
The Wolverines, who were making their season debut while the Tigers (6-3) were into their ninth game, used their impressive depth to great advantage as 11 of the 12 players who got into the game scored, led by Nebraska-bound Edward Morrow’s 22 points.
In the other three games played on the second night of the seven-game affair:
*Junior swingman Rawle Alkins was as dominant as a perimeter player can be as New York City’s Christ the King rolled over Chicago St. Rita, 87-56;
*Massachusetts-bound guard Luwane Pipkins hit just four of 17 shots from the field, but his 3-pointer from the right wing with 22 seconds to go in overtime put Chicago Bogan ahead to stay then he nailed two free throws with one-tenth of a tic remaining for a 60-57 victory over Highland (UT) Lone Peak;
*And senior forward DeAngelo Isby scored 19 points as Country Club Hills Hillcrest knocked off Plainfield East, 63-58, in a tussle between a couple of Chicago-area programs.
Here is my five-player “all-CEC” squad:
*Rawle Alkins (6-foot-5 junior/NYC Christ the King): Alkins was very impressive when I watched him with the New York Rens during the adidas Super 64 in Las Vegas in July, and during the adidas Nations in Garden Grove, CA, in early August.
But he was even better – a whole lot better –against St. Rita while hitting 11 of 16 shots from the field (four of six behind the arc) for 28 points to go along with six rebounds, seven assists and five steals in just 22 minutes.
Any discussion about the very best prospects in the national Class of 2016 that doesn’t include his name prominently is a bogus conversation, indeed.
*Edward Morrow (6-6 senior/Chicago Simeon): The future Cornhusker needed just 21 minutes for rack up his 22-point, five-rebound and five-block effort against Lancaster.
Along with Alkins, he was one of the two most vertically explosive players at the event, proving my point with an emphatic dunk over the top of 6-9, 265-pound Elijah Thomas in the second half.
*Frank Jackson (6-3 junior/Highland, UT, Lone Peak): No individual player drew more intense defensive attention over the event.
He was pretty much face-guarded, by a variety of opponents, the entire way during his team’s loss to Bogan.
But he still produced 28 points (14 of those in the third quarter) via a variety of drives and jump shots, as well as 10-of-13 work at the free-throw line.
*Donte Dorsey-Fitzpatrick (6-5 senior/Memphis Southwind): The University of Mississippi signee had 24 points, eight rebounds and four steals in his team’s first-night, overtime, 69-66 victory over one of other event hosts, Whitney Young.
*Nick Rakocevic (6-11 junior/Westchester, IL, St. Joseph): He plays with a team led by future Big Ten Conference guards Glynn Watson (Nebraska) and Jordan Ash (Northwestern).
But he had the most impact during his team’s 70-54 win over Redondo (from Redondo Beach, CA) on Night I with 15 points, 15 rebounds and five blocked shots, often while being matched against one of the better sophomore prospects in the country, 6-9 Billy Preston.
