Coaching absences overshadow top talent

Sophomore sensation Wayne Blackshear (25) will lead No. 9 Curie against No. 7 Seton.
(John Booz/For the Sun-Times)

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This weekend’s Public League Shootout is packed with elite talent and top-tier teams, but it’s impossible to look at the lineup without asking one question: Who will be coaching?

Young coach Tyrone Slaughter and Von Steuben coach Vince Carter are suspended for the first six games of the season. And Marshall coach Courtney Hargrays’ status is up in the air pending a decision from the Public League on the paddling situation.

According to Marshall athletic director Dorothy Gaters, assistant coach Henry Cotton is the interim coach at Marshall.

According to Carter, Vedad Sarancic, Marvin Williams and Michael Horton will share coaching duties for the Panthers.

Young assistant coaches Kevin Bush and Raul Sims will take over for Slaughter.

Saturday’s lineup features two clashes of highly ranked teams: No. 9 Curie faces No. 7 Seton at 6 p.m., and top-ranked North Lawndale plays No. 13 Mount Carmel at 7:30. Both games will be televised live on Ch. 23.

Seton’s dominant performance at the St. Rita Thanksgiving tournament has raised expectations for the newest South Suburban powerhouse.

It will be difficult for Curie to contend with the Sting frontcourt, which features 6-7 Jordan Walker, 6-6 Corbin Thomas and 6-5 Tony Nixon.

Curie had an impressive run in the city playoffs last year, and sophomore sensation Wayne Blackshear improved over the summer. Point guard Greg Travis and forward Dennis Hodges give the Condors plenty of firepower, but they still might be a year away from elite status.

Mount Carmel should provide the Phoenix with its first major test. Mike Flaherty’s Caravan squad posted an impressive win over Evanston last week, and freshman Malcom Hill-Bey has earned quite a bit of praise.

Mount Carmel sophomore Tracy Abrams is one of the elite talents in the state and will want to make a major statement in his first high-profile city shootout.

North Lawndale will be without 6-10 center Paul Bunch.

‘‘If North Lawndale plays up to its potential, I think they will wind up with some nationwide recognition soon,’’ said Public League boys basketball coordinator Cyrus McGinnis, who organized the two-day shootout.

Two teams that already have nationwide recognition, Young and Simeon, are playing at the Marshall County Shootout in Benton, Ky., on Saturday night. They will wake up Sunday and make the 400-mile drive to Chicago State for their games.

Simeon faces Oak Hill (Va.), ranked No. 12 in the nation by USA Today, and Young plays St. Benedict (N.J.), which is ranked sixth.

Payton and Brooks have a chance to make their first marks on the area basketball scene.

Payton will face Crane and Illinois recruit Crandall Head at 1:30 p.m. Payton is led by Rice recruit Chris Eversley.

‘‘They’ve always been one of our top academic schools,’’ McGinnis said. ‘‘But this should be the best basketball team in school history.’’

Brooks is stocked with young talent, including sophomore point guard George Marshall and 6-6 brothers Keith and Kevin Gray.

The Eagles will face a stiff challenge from Glenbrook North, which is led by junior Alex Dragicevich. But Spartans 6-7 senior Tyler

Ponticelli is out with a back injury. He had surgery on Wednesday and Glenbrook North coach Dave Weber does not expect him back anytime soon.