High School Lites hoops preview: Week 4

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It's a special Saturday night, holiday tournament edition of High School Lites this week as we'll have highlights of some of the best high school basketball action from across the area. 

While some events like the Wheeling Hardwood Classic and Hinkle Holiday Classic are playing championship games on Saturday night other events like the Proviso West, Big Dipper (Rich South), Jack Tosh (York) and the inaugural Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic are tipping off the opening day of action.

Here's a rundown of some local holiday tournaments we'll have highlights of. You can catch High School Lites on SATURDAY night at 11 p.m. on CSN and CSNChicago.com and we'll also air the next broadcast of the show on Saturday as well.

WHEELING HARDWOOD CLASSIC

The championship of the Wheeling Hardwood Classic will feature No. 14 Notre Dame taking on Libertyville. The Dons were the favorites to win this event entering the week and have performed up to expectations so far. Senior big men Ammar Becar and Anthony D'Avanzo have performed well at times during the event and they'll take on the Wildcats and talented sophomore forward Drew Peterson.

In the third-place game, No. 19 Naperville Central will battle Lake Park.

PROVISO WEST HOLIDAY BASKETBALL INVITATIONAL 

One of the area's premier holiday tournaments tips on Saturday at Proviso West as this 16-team field features five ranked teams and many other talented teams who have been in the CSN Preps Power Rankings at some point this season.

No. 1 Morgan Park will be the clear favorite entering the field, but Fenwick and St. Joseph are both unbeaten entering the tournament and teams like Bogan, Whitney Young, Proviso East, Uplift, Larkin and Hillcrest are all dangerous.

Here's the opening-day schedule (in bracket order):

New Trier vs. Cathedral Catholic, CA., 8:30
Proviso West vs. (9) Bogan, 7
Whitney Young vs. Morton, 5:30
(3) Fenwick vs. Von Steuben, 4
Proviso East vs. Uplift, 2
(1) Morgan Park vs. Providence-St. Mel, 12:30
(5) St. Joseph vs. Dunbar, 11 a.m.
(24) Hillcrest vs. Larkin, 9:30 a.m.

JACK TOSH HOLIDAY CLASSIC AT YORK HIGH SCHOOL 

With a ridiculous 32-team field, the Jack Tosh Holiday Classic at York is one of the most difficult events to win in the area. Now that Evan Boudreaux has graduated from Lake Forest, the Scouts are no longer the favorite, but there's still plenty of great teams in the field including a top-ten team in Riverside-Brookfield.

Other ranked teams in the field include Downers South, Oswego, De La Salle, Hinsdale South and Stagg. There are also plenty of other talented teams including Conant, Wheaton North, St. Patrick, York and returning champion Lake Forest.

St. Laurence vs. (21) Downers Grove South, 9 a.m.
Palatine vs. Elk Grove, 10:30 a.m.
Sandburg vs. Conant, noon
Nazareth vs. Wheaton North, 1:30
Highland Park vs. (16) Oswego, 3:30
Lyons vs. St. Patrick, 5
St. Ignatius vs. Glenbard East, 6:30
Schaumburg vs. York, 8
Providence vs. (23) De La Salle, 8:30 a.m.
Metea Valley vs. Batavia, 10 a.m.
McHenry vs. Minooka, 11:30 a.m.
Lane vs. (22) Hinsdale South, 1
Rolling Meadows vs. (7) Riverside-Brookfield, 3
Lake Forest vs. T.F. South, 4:30
Waubonsie Valley vs. (17) Stagg, 6
Timothy Christian vs. Naperville North, 7:30

HINSDALE CENTRAL HOLIDAY CLASSIC

It's the inaugural year of the Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic and with some quality programs from all over the area, this tournament will only continue to get better. Defending Class 4A champion Stevenson is a headliner in this one while Rockford Auburn, St. Charles East and Maine South are some of the better teams in the field. 

Richards vs. Hope Academy, 9:30 a.m.
Stevenson vs. Foreman, 11 a.m.
Homewood-Flossmoor vs. Lincoln Park, 12:30
Rockford Auburn vs. Westinghouse, 2
St. Charles East vs. DePaul Prep, 3:45
Maine South vs. Urban Prep-Englewood, 5:15
Hinsdale Central vs. Crete-Monee, 7
Crespi (CA) vs. Perspectives-MSA, 8:30

HINKLE HOLIDAY CLASSIC AT JACOBS HIGH SCHOOL 

Out in the Fox Valley, the Hinkle Holiday Classic will close up shop on Saturday night as the championship game will feature Zion-Benton battling Rockford Boylan. The Zee-Bees are off to a quietly good start this season and Boylan is once against a powerhouse in the Rockford area.

Barrington takes on host Jacobs in the third-place game.

RICH SOUTH BIG DIPPER HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

This could be the final year of the Big Dipper being at full strength as this south suburban classic once again has a very good field. Marian Catholic and Thornton will be the favorites entering the weekend but teams like Joliet Central, Leo and Lincoln-Way Central are off to good starts this season.

Bolingbrook vs. Butler, 9 a.m.
Hales vs. Lincoln-Way Central, 10:30 a.m.
Rich East vs. Leo, noon
(20) Thornton vs. Perspectives-Calumet, 1:30
Joliet Central vs. King, 4
Rich South vs. U-High, 5:30
Rich Central vs. Marquette, 7
(11) Marian Catholic vs. Tinley Park, 8:30

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