Boys basketball notes: 60th Plano Christmas Classic appears to have more parity than recent editions

Kyle Kee isn’t certain if the 60th Plano Christmas Classic will feature a dominant team that it’s had in recent editions.

But that’s OK.

What the Plano basketball coach does forecast could lead to a higher level of unpredictability at the event, starting from Day 1.

“I think it should be a good tournament – the basketball level is high,” Kee said. “Just a lot of competitive games. It might be one of the most competitive tournaments we’ve had in a while. There are some really good games in the first round.”

The 60th edition of one of the most revered holiday tournaments around tips off Dec. 27 with Yorkville Christian playing Streator in the first game at 9 a.m. The four-day tournament concludes with the championship game at 8 p.m. Dec. 30.

Yorkville Christian coach Aaron Sovern agreed that there appears to be good balance throughout the 16-team bracket.

“It’s kind of like the MLB playoffs – whoever is playing well at the time can get it going,” Sovern said. “There’s a lot of parity, different people playing well. It comes down to matchups.”

Kaneland (9-1) earned the top seed and will play Sandwich (2-6) at 2 p.m. on Dec. 27. Defending tournament champion Burlington Central (6-3) is seeded second and opens with Lisle in the nightcap Day 1. La Salle-Peru, making its return to the tournament, Northridge Prep and Streator round out the top five seeds.

The host Reapers (5-6), who open with Morris at the tournament, are coming off a strong week that included an overtime win at Ottawa, a 30-point win over Marengo and a competitive 11-point loss at Kaneland. Davione Stamps hit three game-winning free throws to beat Ottawa, and scored in double figures the next two games, and 6-foot-10 junior Isaiah Martinez had 20 points and nine rebounds at Kaneland, and leads Plano in scoring and rebounding.

“We’ve played a tough schedule, some pretty good teams,” Kee said. “Davione is starting to score, and Isaiah is becoming a force.”

Yorkville Christian (5-7), with zero seniors on its roster, has been up and down. Sovern said they’ve beaten the teams they’re supposed to beat, but the Mustangs have also navigated a challenging schedule, including larger schools St. Ignatius, Peoria Notre Dame and Neuqua Valley.

A big boost has been the addition of sophomore guard Jayden Riley. The transfer from Oswego is averaging 21.2 points and 4.7 assists per game. Junior guard Zach Marini is averaging 13.9 points, and Marini and junior Brady Sovern have each hit 33 3-pointers.

“Jayden’s been great,” Sovern said. “He is a good kid. It’s hard for me to remember that he is only a sophomore. He gets after it. He has a heart of gold and he is a competitor. He has the best floor vision of anybody we’ve had and he’s a willing passer.”

Yorkville finding footing ahead of Tosh

When York’s Jack Tosh Holiday Classic seeded its tournament last week, 28 of the 32 teams in the field had a record at or above .500.

Yorkville was not one of them. The Foxes, though, appear to be finding their footing.

The Foxes followed up a 28-point win over Plainfield Central on Friday with a thrilling 56-55 win over Lincoln-Way East on Saturday to creep back to .500 at 5-5. Illinois recruit Jason Jakstys scored 21 points and found Bryce Salek for the game-winning layup as time expired.

“It was a nice weekend – we kind of needed that. We’ve been riding the rollercoaster,” Yorkville coach John Holakovsky said. “We played well this weekend. We blew a game against Plainfield North but overall we’re playing well.”

It’s no coincidence why. Yorkville is finally whole. Salek, Jory Boley and even Jakstys, were slowed by injuries in the season’s first weeks.

“We have all our pieces back,” Holakovsky said. “Bryce just brings a different dimension of energy and effort and competitiveness that is contagious. He plays so hard and is so athletic. He takes a lot of pressure off of Jason.”

The Tosh, once again, boasts a loaded field.

Defending Class 3A state champion Metamora and Downers Grove North, fourth in Class 4A last year, are new additions to the event that runs Dec. 26-30.

“It’s always been, to me, the best tournament in the state and continues to get better,” Holakovsky said.

Yorkville opens up against St. Ignatius at 1:30 p.m. Dec. 26. The Wolfpack is led by junior guard Phoenix Gill, one of the top five juniors in the state and the son of former Illinois and NBA star Kendall Gill.

“He’s a complete player – he can drive to the basket, has good vision, can make pretty much all the passes,” said Holakovsky, whose team faced St. Ignatius over the summer. “There’s a reason why high majors have offered him. He’ll be a handful.

“Win or lose, our next game there will be incredibly tough. We get into that tournament knowing that. You have to be wiling to live and die with the result.”

Oswego East bracing for tough two weeks

Ryan Velasquez had a long pause when asked how he felt about his Oswego East basketball team one month into the season.

“We have room for improvement,” Velasquez said. “We have a lot of new guys. I hope we’re going in the right direction. The road doesn’t get any easier. It will only make us better for February.”

The Wolves (8-3) indeed have a challenging couple weeks ahead. They are at Metea Valley (4-4) on Wednesday, then play Evergreen Park (7-2) on Saturday in a shootout at Young before returning to the Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic next week.

“We’ll be playing teams that nobody knows – it’s a growing experience, got to get your nose in the film,” Velasquez said. “I am hoping we fare well. I have all the confidence in the world in these guys.”

Oswego East has a good history of success in Hinsdale.

The Wolves took second there in 2021 and 2022 and third in 2018. Brother Rice (12-0) appears to be the favorite at the event that runs Dec. 27-30 this year. Oswego East opens with Morton at 8:30 p.m. Dec. 27.

“Those games, you know it’s not going to be a walk in the park and you got to be ready to play every day,” Velasquez said. “I like that it’s not teams that we see in our nonconference. It’s an opportunity to play different teams and different styles and prepares us down the road.”