Upward trend noticed for the Plainfields: Herald-News Boys Basketball Notebook

Go through the standings of the Southwest Prairie Conference. The four Plainfield schools are all pretty separated from one another, but an easy trend to notice is that they’re (mostly) on an upward trajectory.

Yes, Plainfield Central was 1-17 heading into weekend and at the bottom of the conference, but Plainfield North, South and East are all on the upswing in one sense or another.

Plainfield North began the season 6-7 but was 9-8 entering Thursday after consecutive wins over Yorkville, Plainfield South and Hinsdale South. Pierre Pointer and Quintin Wiencek led that streak just as they’ve led the team all season, with Pointer going over 20 points multiple times.

The loss that ended the steak? That came against Plainfield East. One of the youngest teams in the area, the Bengals began the season 3-2 before losing 11 of their next 13. They may be turning the corner, however, after knocking off the Tigers 61-53 on Tuesday.

They’re 6-13 on the season and 3-5 in conference, but that win may be just what the Bengals need to get things flowing again.

While the 67-36 loss to Plainfield North was a brutal setback, Plainfield South has had the most impressive season of all. South entered Thursday at 12-6 and 5-3 in the SPC. It also has won four of its past five with the loss to the Tigers being the only blemish.

With Bolingbrook (17-2, 7-0), Joliet West (13-5, 7-1) and Oswego East (14-5, 7-1) all ahead of them, Plainfield South knows the quest for a conference title will be tough, but anything can happen when the postseason comes around. That’s true for Plainfield North, too, which believes itself one of the better teams in the conference.

Although it may not happen this season, keep an eye on Plainfield East moving forward, as well, and maybe even Plainfield Central.

Thompson joins the 1K club

Speaking of Bolingbrook, you’ve undoubtedly heard about their sophomore sensation Davion Thompson. Considered one of the top recruits in the country for 2027, he already holds an offer from Illinois. He’ll receive plenty of other offers from some of the top universities in the country over the next two years.

At the rate he’s going, he’s also going to hold some records for the Raiders by the time his high school career is over.

Thompson recently surpassed the 1,000-point mark for his career with 23 points in a 72-26 victory over Joliet Central on Tuesday. A thousand points is something you often don’t see players cross until their senior year, if they ever do, but Thompson has done it only 19 games into his sophomore year.

Look for Thompson to keep getting top-end scholarship offers, but also look for more milestones to be passed.

Super friends, super siblings

Keep in mind, Thompson is far from the only standout for Bolingbrook. Senior JT Pettigrew, a Valparaiso commit, also has earned plenty of attention for his outstanding play.

Now he’s in consideration for some serious national recognition.

Pettigrew has been named as a nominee for the McDonald’s All American Game. While it’s not guaranteed he’ll make the final roster, to be in the running for the marquee high school basketball event is quite the honor.

It’s not just him, however, who is joining Thompson in elite company. His brother, freshman Brady Pettigrew, had plenty of hype around him entering high school. Now, several outlets have begun listing him as one of the top recruits in the state for the Class of 2028.

If that wasn’t enough, Bolingbrook head coach Rob Brost has been named to the coaching staff for the Nike Hoop Summit, one of the biggest prep basketball events in the nation. The event is known for drawing eyes of NBA scouts.

Sensational Sularski

Speaking of national attention, one of the biggest transfers from last summer has been living up to the hype.

Gabriel Sularski has ben phenomenal for Lemont since transferring in from Benet over the summer. The 6-foot-6 forward averaged 14.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists last season and has scored more than 20 each of his past four games. That includes a mammoth 32-point, nine-rebound, six-assist performance against Riverside-Brookfield.

Sularski holds interest from Power Four programs such as Notre Dame, Indiana, Iowa and Wisconsin. The junior spent this past summer playing for the Polish national team, but this winter he hopes to be playing for a state title contender. With Lemont at 14-5 overall and 6-0 in the South Suburban Conference, he may be on his way.