6 things to watch this Illinois holiday high school basketball season
High school basketball will take two days off before holiday tournaments begin the day after Christmas.
From the old tradition-laden events at Pekin, Pontiac and Princeville to Richwoods' journey to New Jersey — here are six things to watch this 2023 holiday hoops season.
Peoria scores: Boys holiday tournaments | Girls holiday tournaments
1. No. 1 vs. No. 2 at Manual?
The top Class 3A girls teams could potentially face off in the title game of the annual Manual Holiday Tournament. Top-ranked Peoria High and No. 2 Lincoln, which returns all five starters from a 2023 3A state runner-up finish, are in opposite pools, meaning 3-0 records from both teams would result in a 6:30 p.m. Friday title game. This could be the first of potentially three meetings during this season. One of Peoria High's three losses from last season came at the hands of Lincoln and Colorado State recruit Kloe Froebe. The Lions, of course, will counter with their four returning starters highlighted by Iowa signee Aaliyah Guyton.
2. Loaded field in Pekin
A year after the shot clock debuted, the Pekin Insurance Holiday Tournament has yet another strong group of ranked teams. Class 3A No. 1 Chicago Mt. Carmel is the top seed with 3A 10th-ranked Morton (12-1) the No. 2 seed. The Potters and Class 2A No. 7 Peoria Notre Dame are on a collision course for a quarterfinal matchup. This will be a good individual battle between Morton's Gus Rugaard and Eoin Dillon of Peoria Notre Dame. Wins by both teams in the first round sets up a 2:15 p.m. Thursday meeting. And if that isn't enough, Washington takes on East St. Louis, which is No. 8 in 3A, during the first round.
3. Manual is back at Pontiac
Manual once again ventures to Pontiac for the 92nd edition of the three-day, 16-team holiday tournament. The Rams (6-3), who beat rival Peoria High, 57-33 on Tuesday, face Aurora West at 4 p.m. Thursday in the opening round. A victory gets Class 2A third-ranked Manual, which is riding a three-game winning streak, a quarterfinal meeting with the top seed Chicago Curie, which is ranked No. 2 in Class 4A. It's been 26 years since Manual last won a title here, having tallied 10 championships in one of the state's most difficult fields. Look for Dietrich Richardson, Gerrell Trapps and Daniel Finley to stand out for coach Marvin Jordan.
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4. Tourney time for boys, girls in Princeville
Princeville is the top seed as host of its 95th annual boys Princeville Holiday Tournament. The Princes are 10-2 and are using the services of Parker Melick, Tayshaun Kieser, Zach Stalter and Tucker Sennett during their five-game win streak. Reigning tourney champ and second-seed Midland suffered a 16-point loss to Princeville on Dec. 12. On the girls side, Elmwood (11-2) is the favorite to win the first-ever, eight-team bracketed event at the Lee Westerman Holiday Tournament. Other contenders include the host Lady Princes, who just saw their six-game win streak end, while Tremont started 0-4 and has reeled off eight in a row.
5. State Farm field highlighted by Washington girls, Dunlap boys
In the large-school girls bracket, Washington (8-2), which has played in the last two title games, is the lone Peoria-area boys or girls team seeded in the State Farm Holiday Classic in Bloomington-Normal, which runs from Dec. 27-30. The Panthers have used a great sophomore class headed by Avery Tibbs, Becca McDougall and Mazzy O'Brien. Morton and Richwoods both have the talent to make a run and meet in the semifinals. Brimfield girls are in the small-school field, coming off playing in the Heyworth Tournament. Dunlap, which makes its first appearance at SFHC in 20 years, comes into large-school boys tourney along with Peoria High.
6. Richwoods, Metamora boys head out of the area
Richwoods are making a trip to the east coast for a one-game shootout on Dec. 29. Rutgers fans will get a good look at Class of 2024 recruit Lathan Sommerville as the Knights will face College Achieve, which is a charter school out of Asbury Park, NJ. The Knights had been longtime participants in the Pekin Tournament. Reigning Class 3A state champion Metamora becomes the first team ever outside of the Chicagoland area to play in the 49th annual Jack Tosh Holiday Classic at Elmhurst York High School. The Redbirds face Chicago Hansberry in their first game of the 32-team tournament at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: IHSA holiday basketball what to watch, analysis for Peoria-area teams
