Basketball Preview

OPRF hopes to create ‘Huskie Havoc’ on court 40 • FRIARS foucused on chemstry, improvement 36TRINITY reloads for another run at state title 37 • SO MANY TEAMS, so little time 38

2014/15

(708) 456-0300, Ext. 3130triton.edu/collegeability

36 Wednesday Journal, November 26, 2014 OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

By MATT LE CRENContributing Reporter

The Fenwick High School boys basket-ball team had an experienced roster and a new coach last season.

That proved to be a good combi-nation as the Friars went 22-9 and

reached their first sectional final since 2004 under first-year boss Rick Malnati.

The preseason situation is reversed this year, with Malnati settled in but dealing with a relatively inexperienced squad that has only three seniors

“I’m not sure how high our ceiling is be-cause we’re so young, but the kids are really working hard,” Malnati said. “It all depends on chemistry. Chemistry is the key to bas-ketball and we’ll see how good our chemis-try is.”

The Friars can be forgiven if they get off to a slow start. The departures of Scott Lindsey, now at Northwestern, and big post players Tom Planek and Dan Dwyer leave some big shoes to fill, but Malnati is confi-dent the team will be a lot better by the end of the season than it is now.

That’s because Fenwick has some good young players, notably junior guard Mike Smith and junior guard/forward Mike Bal-lard. Smith led the team in scoring at 14.5 points and assists with 3.8 per game last winter.

“[Smith] had a great year last year,” Mal-nati said. “We’re hoping he can be a leader this year. He definitely gets the opportunity.”

Part of Smith’s success as a sophomore can be attributed to the presence of the big front line, which won’t be as large or as ex-perienced this season.

“We’re a real young basketball team,” Malnati said. “Life is going to be a little dif-ferent for Mike this year. Teams didn’t re-ally key on him last year because we had so many options.”

While Smith prepared for his starring role, the 6-3 Ballard bulked up a bit in order to play power forward as he transitions to a starting role.

“He played his best basketball at the end of the season,” Malnati said. “He’s got some big shoes to fill.

“We want him to score, we want him to get to the foul line and shift more inside. He’s developed a nice perimeter game and he’s worked hard over the summer.”

The other key young player is sophomore Jamal Nixon, a 6-3 guard/forward who played all 31 games as a freshman and aver-aged 3.0 points and 1.9 assists. He got a bap-tism by fire as a rookie filling in for injured players early in the season and played well enough to keep playing.

Now Nixon, like Ballard, will play more on the inside. He’ll also frequently be asked

to guard the other team’s best player,“He’s a really good passer and we’re go-

ing to need him to step up his inside game,” Malnati said. “He’s a wonderful kid to have in the program.

“I need him to be a little more vocal. He knows what to say and when to say it but sometimes he’s soft-spoken. But he’s a great teammate and we’re going to look for him to lead us.”

The other starting spots are still up for grabs. Of the seniors, only guard Kevin Owens saw action outside of garbage time, averaging 2.9 points in 26 games, primarily filling in for the injured Lindsey.

Jack Grogan, a 6-3 point guard, and 5-9

guard Matt Androwich, were reserves a year ago. They will vie with four newcomers for playing time.

Junior Charlie Boyle, a 6-7 center, is the team’s tallest player, while 5-9 junior point guard Quinn Fisher, 6-2 sophomore guard Jacob Teller and 6-0 freshman guard A.J. Nixon will make their varsity debuts.

Malnati likes Teller’s strength and size while Fisher was the most valuable player on the sophomore team last year. Nixon, no relation to Jamal Nixon, will ride the bench initially.

“If we stay healthy he won’t see much time,” Malnati said. “But he’s a sponge. He picks up everything we’re doing and really competes. I think by the end of the year he’ll be getting playing time.”

Whoever plays will face a schedule just as tough as last year’s, which featured 16 games against ranked opponents. The Friars won half of them, beating Class 4A state run-ner-up Benet and 2A state champion Prov-idence-St. Mel. One of their losses was to 3A state champ Morgan Park and they were eliminated by Orr, which finished third.A difficult schedule means the Friars might not match last year’s 22 wins, but that doesn’t concern Malnati.

“It’s not who starts,” Malnati said. “It’s who finishes.”

Head coach: Rick MalnatiRecord last year: 22-9Key losses: Scott Lindsey, Tom Planek, Dan DwyerTop returners: Mike Smith , jr., G; Mike Ballard, jr., F; Jamal Nixon, jr., G/FNewcomers: Quinn Fisher, jr., G; Jacob Teller, soph., G/FQuote: “I’m not sure how high our ceiling is because we’re so young, but the kids are really working hard.” - Malnati

Friars focused on chemistry, improvementSmith, Ballard and Nixon look to lead Fenwick in Malnati’s second year Sports Editor/Staff Reporter Marty Farmer

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LIKE MIKE: Fenwick junior guard Mike Ballard is a proli� c shooter. � is season, he’ll look to develop his all-around game for the young Friars.

Fenwick Friars at a glance

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM Wednesday Journal, November 26, 2014 37

By LAUREN RECCHIAContributing Reporter

It’s no secret that the Trinity High School basketball team is always in the mix for a state championship. This year appears no different as the Blazers should roll through the regular season before striving to get past Whitney Young and any other formidable ob-stacles in the state playoffs en route to an ap-pearance Downstate.

The Blazers posted a 26-5 record last sea-son, winning the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference title and navigating their way to the Hinsdale South Sectional championship game. Whitney Young derailed the Blazers 58-45 in the sectional final. Trinity defeated the Dolphins during the regular season, the only team from Illinois to get the best of the Class 4A state champs last season.

Despite the loss of stars like Lauren Pro-chaska (playing college basketball at DePaul), Laura Sikora and Maura Molloy to gradua-tion, Trinity coach Ed Stritzel welcomes back

several key players, including junior point guard Annie McKenna, senior forward Patri-cia Stritzel, and 5-11 junior forward Kaitlyn Aylward. McKenna earned fourth-team all-state recognition, while Stritzel and Aylward were both all-conference picks.

Trinity also keeps replenishing its roster with young talent. Five freshmen join the ros-ter: 5-9 forward Alisa Fallon, 5-10 freshman point guard Lauren Lee, 5-8 shooting guard Daliyah Brown, 6-2 center Alex Fanning and 6-0 forward Alyssa Geary all figure to contrib-ute this year and certainly in the future.

“We knew we wanted to incorporate the freshman into everything, and we’ve already done a good job of accomplishing that,” said Patricia Stritzel, Ed’s daughter. “They’re ready to play with us and make an impact.”

Patricia Stritzel knows that if Trinity re-peats as GCAC champions, the Blazers must utilize their strength and speed on both ends of the floor.

“We’re not that big but we’re strong,” she said. “Our defense and our scoring have both

improved. We have an even faster team than last year. Everyone on this team is a scorer. Scoring and defense are definitely going to be our main focus.”

Patricia Stritzel, who signed to play col-lege basketball at the University of St. Fran-cis in Joliet, has one goal in mind this sea-son.

“I’ve been on this team since my fresh-man year, so I’d love to see our team make it Downstate,” she said. “That’s my goal for the team. As a captain this year, I want to help make that happen. I just want to make sure everyone knows, especially the fresh-men, what they’re doing at all times.”

She’s also the latest player in a proud line of Blazers who will play college bas-ketball.

“I’m really excited to be able to play in col-lege,” Patricia Stritzel said. “It’s great that I have the opportunity to be a role model for the underclassmen. I want to show them that if they keep working hard, they can play at the next level, too.”

Head coach: Ed StritzelRecord last year: 26-5, GCAC championsKey losses: Lauren Prochaska (DePaul), Maura Molloy, Laura SikoraKey returners: Annie McKenna, jr., G; Patricia Stritzel, sr., F; Kaitlyn Aylward, jr., FNewcomers: (All freshmen) Alisa Fallon, F; Lauren Lee, G; Daliyah Brown, C; Alex Fan-ning, C; Alyssa Geary, FQuote: “Trinity has a chance to be special once again this season as our blend of experi-ence and youth should serve us well for years to come,” said head coach Ed Stritzel.

Trinity reloads for another run at state titleMcKenna, Stritzel and Aylward plus promising freshmen class provides Blazers balance

Trinity Blazers at a glance

Courtesy Facebook

By MARTY FARMERSports Editor

The Oak Park and River Forest High School girls basketball team lost 10 of 11 games to close out last year. That extended skid is the least of head coach J.P. Coughlin and the Huskies’

worries entering this season.Simply put, OPRF is hoping for healthy

players. The Huskies have the talent to be very competitive, but an injury-ravaged roster certainly will curtail their chance for success. That was the unfortunate scenario last season as Erin Orr was out all year with a torn ACL, while Angel Bradford, Emily Schreck and Chardonnay Harris (among others) also battled ankle, back and other injuries.

“I think it was just a really bad year for us,” senior forward Callie Shelton said. “We had some injuries over the summer as well, but I think we’re finally going to move through it.”

Over the summer, senior forward/center Gareth Coalson, junior guard Demi Philoso-phos and junior forward Crystal Corr each tore an ACL. Senior guard Hailey Hoye has been limited recently with a sore ankle.

“I tore my ligament in my ankle in July,” Hoye said. “It kind of set me back. I couldn’t do a bunch of stuff during the off-season. I’m still recovering but I should be 100 percent by December.”

Despite the adversity of the past 13 months, the Huskies enter this season with

plenty of speed, size, depth and versatility. Hoye and Harris along with Schreck, se-

nior Victoria Waters, junior Katie Mullins,

and sophomore guard Molly Cul-linane are all key perimeter players for OPRF.

Hoye, who is being recruited by multiple Division I programs includ-ing New York University and UC San Diego, scored 31 points in the Huskies’ 59-52 loss to St. Ignatius in a Class 4A regional semifinals last season. Harris has the potential to be a great player, while Schreck and Wa-ters bring versatility and leadership to the lineup. Mullins is an excellent shooter.

With the addition of highly touted freshman Maeve Nelson, the Huskies are loaded in the backcourt.

“We’re focused on working together to be successful,” Schreck said. “Every-body here has a common goal. I think we’re a little more balanced this sea-son. We want to play at a high tempo because we have lot of athleticism.”

In the paint, 6-2 sophomore center Blair Ripley gets the call along with the active Shelton. Trinity transfers, 6-1 sophomore center Maria Kent and junior Madison Siler, are wel-comed additions.

“We had over 30 wins during the summer,” Coughlin said. “We’re deep this year. All of our seniors played a ton last season and we have several sophomores and a freshman ready

to contribute. And we have size, which we haven’t had in years.

“I think the days of me trying to do Fen-wick’s run and gun style are probably over, but we’re still going to play really fast. On offense we’re focused on pace and space, which means playing up-tempo basketball while spacing the floor well. We want to go 10 or 11 players deep with a variety of looks. That’s exciting for me as a coach.”

While Downers Grove North is the preseason favorite to repeat as conference champs, the Huskies and a host of other teams could compete for the title.

OPRF defeated Oswego 58-44 in its season opener at the Trinity Thanksgiving Tournament. Schreck scored a game-high 18 points and Nelson had 15 points, six rebounds and four assists in her varsity debut, Waters (15 points, six rebounds) and Hoye (seven assists) also contributed.

Health is the key to Huskies’ successSpeed, size and depth bodes well for better season Head coach: J.P. Coughlin

Record last year: 11-20 (3-9 West Suburban [Silver] Conference)Key losses: Angel Bradford, Alison Carraher, Helen Onyenso, Erin OrrTop returners: Hailey Hoye, sr., G; Emily Schreck, sr., G; Chardonnay Harris, soph., G; Callie Shelton, sr., F; Victoria Waters, sr., G/FNewcomers: Maeve Nelson, fr., G/F; Blair Ripley, soph., CQuote: “I don’t think we have ever had a closer team. It makes each of us better because we want to play well for the team.” - Shelton

Oak Park and River Forest Huskies at a glance

DAVID PIERINI/Staff Photographer

OPRF junior guard Katie Mullins is but one of many promising players on the perimeter for the Huskies.


By MATT LE CRENContributing Reporter

Fans of the Fenwick High School girls basketball team have gotten used to seeing a lot of points and victories over the past two decades.

Last year they saw a lot of something unfamiliar – los-ing.

Partly because star players Jade Owens and Maya Gar-land were sidelined by inju-ries, the Friars struggled to a 13-18 record last winter. It was Fenwick’s first losing season in 20 years and just the third in school history.

But Hall of Fame coach Dave Power doesn’t think it was a sign of decline.

“Even though we had a los-ing record, we beat some tre-mendous teams,” Power said. “We had the ability, but anytime you have your two best players out with injuries for all or most of the season, it’s tough.”

Even without Owens and Gar-land, the Friars stuck with their run-and-gun offense and scored plenty of points. But the defense was average at times and awful at others, done in by a lack of depth.

Power said depth won’t be a problem this season.

“This year we have tremendous depth and that means we can run our system,” Power said. “We have a lot of firepower. The thing we have to work on is our defense and we are working hard at it.

“Last year [defense] really hurt us. We would score 75 points but the other team would put up 78 or 80.”

The Friars return the bulk of last year’s roster, a group of talent-ed girls who are eager to put last year’s struggles in the rearview mirror.

Senior guards Jenny and Jessica Mackowiak will lead the way. The 5-9 twin guards have committed to Southeast Missouri State and can fill up the basket from three-point land. So, too, can another senior guard, Jessica Moriarty.

Moriarty is playing for her third school in four years, having trans-ferred in from Mt. Assisi, which closed last spring. Moriarty has gone Downstate in the Three-Point Showdown in each of her first three seasons, making the Queen of the Hills finals twice. She was the Class 1A winner for Christian Liberty as a freshman and the 2A winner for

Mt. Assisi as a sophomore.Joining those three are return-

ing players Elle Schaefer, Katie Dvorak, Kiki Sheard, Kelly Canoy, Deja Cage and Drenisha Wideman. Cage and Wideman sat out last year with injuries, as did junior Maura Mullen, who joins the varsity after recovering from a knee injury suf-fered at the 2013 state soccer finals.

Power is bullish on four fresh-men who played on a successful middle school team at St. John of the Cross. Guards Katie Moore and Kayle Fredain and 6-1 post play-ers Dana Johnson and Charlotte Quinn – the daughter of former longtime Fenwick boys basketball coach John Quinn – all are expect-ed to contribute.

That’s mainly because Power’s high-octane system demands a lot of energy. He’s sticking with it despite last year’s poor results, so expect hockey-style line changes every few minutes.

“The first three minutes we’ll play 10 girls,” Power said. “We’re divvying up the starters so each [line] will be equally balanced.”

While some people consider the offense a gimmick, Power is com-mitted to it.

“My son said it best,” Power said. “He said, ‘Dad, how many people have a losing season every year? We had it once.’

“If you don’t stay with [this sys-tem], you’ll never master it. I think you’re going to see a team that, whether winning or losing, will en-tertain people. I think the fans like the action.”

They like winning, too, and Pow-er feels the Friars are ready to pro-vide victories.

“We might get off to a slow start but I really think we have the tal-ent to surprise some people and make some noise,” Power said. “All the girls have gotten a lot better.“This is one of the best shooting teams I’ve ever had. We could po-tentially break some scoring re-cords. This year we feel confident to go pedal to the metal and we’re really looking forward to getting back to winning.”

The Friars lost their season opener 68-60 to Marist.

Head coach: Dave PowerRecord last year: 13-18 (5-4 East Suburban Catholic Conference)Key losses: Jade Owens, Maya Garland, Selena MullinsTop returners: Jenny Mackowiak, sr., G; Jessica Mackowiak, sr., G; Kiki Sheard, jr., G

Newcomers: Katie Moore, fr., G; Kayle Fredain, fr., G; Dana Johnson, fr., F/C Charlotte Quinn; Dana Johnson, fr., F/CQuote: “I think you’re going to see a team that, whether winning or losing, will entertain people.” – Power

All systems go for Fenwick girls hoopsFriars looking to put plenty of points , wins on the board via entertaining style of play

Fenwick Friars at a glance


Kelly Canoy o� ers a valuable interior presence to complement the Friars’ run and gun o� ense.


Whitney Young claimed both boys and girls state titles in the Class

4A playoffs last season. Prior to the Dolphins’ sweep of state trophies, powerhouse programs like Simeon won four straight state champion-ships in boys hoops (2010-2013), while Bolingbrook and Montini dominated the girls scene with three state crowns apiece in Class 4A and 3A, respectively, since 2009.

While there’s a distinct pos-sibility none of the five high school basketball teams in our area will claim a state cham-pionship this season, the hype surrounding any of our four Oak Park or one River Forest-based squads appears justified for the foreseeable future.

In fact, considering the rich traditions of the OPRF and Fen-wick boys and girls programs plus Trinity, it’s reasonable to suggest we’re blessed to be liv-ing in a basketball hotbed.

The programs, collectively, offer Hall of Fame coaches (Dave Power, Fenwick girls coach), professional basketball players (Corey Maggette, Tricia Liston, Devereaux Peters, Fenwick; Iman Shumpert, OPRF), state champions (Fenwick girls, 2001 & 2007) and competitive teams on a regular basis (all five teams).

Here’s a synopsis of the state of each program.

OPRF boys: Coach Matt Maloney guided the Huskies to a 20-7 record last season. Over the past five years, OPRF has topped 20 wins four times. Maloney has successfully maintained the pro-gram’s success since replacing Al Allen in 2008. The Huskies will field a relatively small but fast, skilled lineup this year, led by returning players Elliot Greffin, Dallis Flowers, Connor Fuller, Breshawn Wilkerson.

Fenwick boys: Rick Malnati leads the Friars into competi-tion after guiding the team to a 22-9 record in his Fenwick coaching debut last season.

While the losses of Scott Lindsey (playing basket-ball at North-western), Tom Planek and Dan Dwyer to gradu-ation will be felt, look for junior guard Mike Smith to have a great season. Mike Ballard, an Oak Parker who attended St. Giles, is another key returner with a deadly

jump shot who appears ready for a breakout campaign.

OPRF girls: Like Maloney, coach J.P. Coughlin is also blessed with a plethora of talented perimeter players in Hailey Hoye, Katie Mullins, Em-ily Schreck, Chardonnay Harris and highly touted freshman Maeve Nelson (from St. Luke in River Forest). The Huskies, who won over 30 games during the summer season, also possess size along the front line. Health holds the key for OPRF which was ravaged by injuries in 2013.

Fenwick girls: Although the Friars finished an uncharacter-istic 13-18 last season, the Dave Power-led program has won two state titles and recorded SIX Elite 8 or deeper appearances under his watch since 2000. The Mackowiak sisters, Jenny and Jessica, along with fellow guard Kiki Sheard will trigger the team’s up-tempo, excit-ing brand of basketball this winter.

Trinity: On paper, the best of our local teams heading into the 2014/15 campaign appears to be Trinity. Coming off a 26-5 cam-paign, The Blazers, already off to a 2-0 start this season, welcome back Annie McKenna, Patricia Stritzel and Kaitlin Aylward. Add in a promising class of five freshmen and the Blazers are well-positioned for success this season and beyond. Coach Ed Stritzel has done a won-derful job reloading rather than rebuilding the roster every season.

So take your pick local basket-ball fans. Time will tell which team produces the best season. Like Mal-nati said in our preview about the Friars’ fortunes this season, “It’s not who starts, it’s who finishes.”

So many teams, so little time

Huskies, Friars and Blazers promise plenty of hoops action, success

MARTYFARMERSports Editor


Wolfpack School of Basketball is offering fun and exciting programs this Winter Breaking

starting on Monday, December 22 and continuing on Tuesday, December 23; Friday, December 26; Monday, December 29; Tuesday, December 30 and Friday, January 2. All programs will be held at St. Luke in River Forest.

Cub Introduction to Basketball CampK-3rd Grade (Boys and Girls)8:00am-9:00amThis intro to basketball program is tailored to the needs of ALL beginners. Each player will get introduced to basketball in a fun and learning environment conducive to promoting the development of each individual. Camp drills and games will be catered/altered to the experience level of all campers.

Junior Smoking Gun Shooting Clinic 3rd-5th Grade (Boys and Girls)9:00am-10:30am Keep your shooting fresh during winter break. This 6 day clinic features 90 minutes of non stop shooting work at a time when the competition is dormant. Each session will be comprised of our unique Wolfpack shooting competitions including our signature “King of the Den” contest with chances to win custom Wolfpack Nike shoes. Age, gender and size are irrelevant in this camp due to the nature of team and individual shooting only competition.

Smoking Gun Shooting Clinic 6th-8th Grade (Boys and Girls)10:30am-12:00pm Keep your shooting fresh during winter break. This 6 day clinic features 90 minutes of non stop shooting work at a time when the competition is dormant. Each session will be comprised of our unique Wolfpack shooting competitions including our signature “King of the Den” contest with chances to win custom Wolfpack Nike shoes. Age, gender and size are irrelevant in this camp due to the nature of team and individual shooting only competition.

Shooting Clinic 6th-8th Grade (Boys and

break. This 6 day clinic

shooting competitions including our signature

contest with chances to win custom Wolfpack Nike shoes. Age, gender and size are irrelevant in this camp due to the nature of team and individual

Visit wolfpackschoolofbasketball.com

or call (708) 669-9762 for more info.

Run with the Wolfpack this winter break!

for more info, visit www.wolfpackschoolof basketball.comor email [email protected]

Winter Basketball Programs Grades K-8 • Starting December 22nd at St. Luke

for more info, visit www.wolfpackschoolof basketball.com

Go to OakPark.com and see the article about Wolf Pack by Wednesday Journal Sports Editor Marty Farmer.



Pressure defense has been the trade-mark of the Oak Park and River Forest High School boys basketball program for years. Entering this season, head coach Matt Maloney is looking to increase the intensity at both ends of the floor by ne-cessity and design.

OPRF will start 6-0 Breshawn Wilker-son, 6-1 Dallis Flowers, 6-2 Connor Fuller and 6-3 Elliot Greffin (all guards) along with either 6-4 Brendan Toye or 6-6 Liam Shannon at center.

Welcome to Huskie Havoc, an up-tempo, exciting style of play suited to OPRF’s personnel.

“We’re trying to develop an identity of ‘Huskie Havoc’ which is very similar to what VCU does on the college level,”

OPRF hopes to create ‘Huskie Havoc’ on courtWith four guards, Huskies will play up-tempo basketball and apply pressure defense

OPRF junior Connor Fuller worked hard over the summer to develop his game. He’ll play a key role in the Hus-kies’ 4-guard starting lineup.


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Maloney said. “Defensively, we always want to be pressure-based with man-to-man as our core defense along with some different presses and zones. This year, we’ll be able to press more which is to my liking.”

The effectiveness of the Huskies’ four-guard attack will rely on the players’ versa-tility.

“All four guards played major minutes with Dallis and Elliot starting at certain points of last season,” Maloney said. “They can all shoot, run the floor, handle the ball and defend. Offensively, we have a system that will allow them some freedom to create opportunities for themselves and others.”

Juniors Sam Francis and Deandre Enoch along with 6-3 sophomore swingman Cam-eron Gross are expected to contribute off the bench. Maloney is also very high on 6-3 freshman, Alan Griffin, the son of Adrian Griffin who is an assistant coach with the Chicago Bulls and former NBA player.

Treyvon Burton, Pat Skrine, Ravon

Woods, Jeremiah Horton, Zach Harris and Markus Allen comprise the rest of the team.

The Huskies’ mix of returning players and promising newcomers offers cause for optimism.

“Even though we’re only returning a few seniors, we don’t want to call this a rebuild-ing year,” said Greffin, who shot 44 percent on three-pointers last season. “We think of it as a reloading year. Since we are going to start four guards it’s going to be a faster pace. We have to play fast, play defense and block out.

“I’ll probably have to play a stretch four, but I’m comfortable with that role. I’m ex-cited about the season and will give it every-thing I have for us to be successful.”

Like Greffin, Fuller has been working on his all-around game as the Huskies will face several tough teams with a decided size ad-vantage in and out of the West Suburban Conference Silver Division.

“I’ve been working on my defense, jump

shot, everything really,” Fuller said. “All of our games will be tough because we play in one of the best conferences. We’re going to have to come out and fight for every win. We have a lot of young guys coming up who can support our team this year. I know we have the potential to do well.”

Last season, the Huskies benefitted from the solid play of several senior stars like point guard Erick Locke, Jason Gant and Simmie Cobbs en route to a 20-7 record.

“We are hoping that guys who earned playing time [last year] can adjust from be-ing role players to key contributors,” Malo-ney said. “Our players have hopes for the season. We had a nice summer season, much better than I think anyone expected. It’s still summer basketball so we know guys are missing and teams tend to be vanilla, but it allowed us to build some confidence. Even though we probably lost the most players in conference, I think we can surprise some people.”

The schedule certainly offers no favors. OPRF opens the season at the Riverside-Brookfield Tournament this week. Then, a showdown again cross-town rival Fenwick awaits the Huskies in the Elite Classic, held at UIC on Fri., Dec. 5 (6 p.m.).

“Fenwick has been marked down on my calendar ever since last year [Fenwick de-feated OPRF 51-40 in 2013],” Greffin said. “Playing them especially at UIC is going to be fun.”

After their tussle with the Friars, OPRF begins conference play plus a stop at the

Pontiac Holiday Tournament, arguably the best Christmas tournament in the state.

“Sometimes I look at the schedule and wonder what the heck was I thinking,” Ma-loney said with a laugh. “You have to play the best competition though to test yourself as a basketball team. We definitely haven’t shied away from anybody. Hopefully that will help us as the season wears on. I think our players are looking forward to the chal-lenge.”

According to Maloney, defending confer-ence champion Hinsdale Central is the pre-season team to beat; however, the Huskies, Lyons Township, York and other teams will push the Red Devils.

Huskies vs. Friars

1/15 (7 p.m.) OPRF at Fenwick (ggirls)//15 77 p.m.) RFR

12/5 (6 p.m.) OPRF vs. Fenwickat UIC Elite Classic (boys)

Head coach: Matt MaloneyRecord last year: 20-7 (8-4 West Suburban Conference Silver Division); Third place at Pontiac Holiday TournamentKey losses: Erick Locke, Jason Gant, Simmie Cobbs, Javonni HarrellTop returners: Elliot Greffi n, sr., G/F; Dallis Flow-

ers, sr., G; Connor Fuller, jr., G/F; Breshawn Wilkerson, jr., G/FNewcomers: Cameron Gross., soph., F; Alan Griffi n, fr., FQuote: “I think we’ll have a little more depth this season with players who can stretch the fl oor.” -Maloney

Oak Park and River Forest Huskies at a glance

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Effective spring 2015, class registration will close at 11:59 p.m. on the day beforethe scheduled start date of each class. Registration for classes already in sessionwill not be allowed. For more information, go to www.triton.edu/rethink.

Triton College is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action institution.

(708) 456-0300, Ext. 3130www.triton.edu/collegeability

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Date post:	06-Apr-2016
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