High School Lites hoops preview: Week 1

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High School Lites debuts with basketball this week as CSN will have a lot of high school hoops action at 11 p.m. on Friday night. 

The annual Chicago Elite Classic at UIC is the focus this week, but we'll also have highlights of some key SouthWest Suburban Blue games and two unbeaten teams from the Catholic Red. 

You can catch High School Lites on CSN or streaming at CSNChicago.com

Chicago Elite Classic, UIC Pavilion

No. 4 Fenwick vs. Oak Park-River Forest, 6:00pm - The Friars are loaded with shooters and are looking to improve to 5-0 while Oak Park-River Forest would love to win against a high-profile, nearby rival after a 2-2 start. Seniors Mike Smith and Mike Ballard lead Fenwick while senior Breshawn Wilkerson played well in the Chicago Elite Classic last season.

Mater Dei (CA) vs. No. 15 Marian Catholic, 7:30pm - Marian Catholic is young, but they're off to a 4-1 start on the season as they take on storied California powerhouse Mater Dei. The main task for the Spartans could be containing 6-foot-9 Oregon commit M.J. Cage, a senior center who is the son of former NBA center Michael Cage. 

Maine South vs. Loyola, 9:00pm - Maine South won the Maine West Thanksgiving Tournament and are off to a 4-0 start while Loyola dropped its opener to Lincoln Park before running off three straight wins. Two of the best coaches in the area go head-to-head in this one as Tony Lavorato and the Hawks face Tom Livatino and the Ramblers.

[MORE: AP basketball rankings Week 1

Other Games

Hersey at Prospect, 6:00pm - This nearby Mid-Suburban East rivalry won our Viewers' Choice Game of the Week, and it should have a lot of fans in attendance. Hersey (3-1) is off to a solid start and owns wins over Glenbrook North and Saint Patrick while Prospect is looking for a win after a 1-2 start. 

Palatine at Fremd, 6:00pm - Fremd is off to a 4-1 start as junior Kyle Sliwa and senior Patrick Benka have had some solid outings. They'll host Mid-Suburban West rival Palatine, who is 2-2 to start the season. After starting 2-0, Palatine fell to Jacobs and York. 

Bolingbrook at No. 12 Joliet West, 6:30pm - In this SouthWest Suburban Blue battle, Joliet West is off to a 5-0 start and has been one of the best surprises of the young season while Bolingbrook was ranked in the preseason and has a lot of talent but started 1-2 in Decatur. The battle of juniors between Joliet's Trevian Bell and Bolingbrook's Nana Akenten will be one to watch.

No. 14 Homewood-Flossmoor at Joliet Central, 6:30pm - Staying in the SouthWest Suburban Blue, Homewood-Flossmoor is off to a solid 3-1 start as they defeated Marian Catholic on the road and look to have a good crop of juniors.  Joliet Central is also 3-1 after a solid showing in the WJOL Thanksgiving event and they have a lot of talented juniors as well. 

No. 19 De La Salle at No. 9 St. Joseph, 7:00pm - In the Catholic Red, this should be one of the more intriguing matchups of Friday night as 4-0 De La Salle travels to 4-0 St. Joseph. A pair of seniors, the Meteors' George Wilburn and the Chargers' Nick Rakocevic are off to big starts on the season. 

No. 22 Hinsdale South at Morton, 7:30pm - Both of these West Suburban Gold teams stand 3-1 on the season with losses to teams in the CSN Preps Power Rankings. Hinsdale South is going to work the ball to senior center Barret Benson, who is off to a great start, while Morton will try to bounce back after a close loss to Fenwick last week.

Lake Forest at Lake Zurich, 8:00pm - Two North Suburban Lake teams face-off as senior forward Lorenzo Edwards and Lake Forest travel to play guard Nick Penny and Lake Zurich. Lake Forest lost two tough games to Loyola and Benet while Lake Zurich went 3-0 before losses to North Lawndale and Hoffman Estates

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