Can Foreman take the next step?

No one has ever questioned the skill of Foreman’s guard duo of Lavonte Dority and Mike McCall.

Since the two introduced themselves on the scene as freshmen, they’ve both been regarded as two of the best in the state’s Class of 2010. And sometime in the coming months thanks to their individual abilities, they’ll accept a full ride to a well-known college basketball program.

But what has eluded the two stars throughout their career at Foreman is a championship -- Public League or state.

As seniors, they expect to do something about that. At the Northern Illinois team camp at Moody Bible on Friday and Saturday, they began that mission.

“We got to step up,” said McCall, a 6-foot point guard.  “We are the seniors.”

Dority, a 5-11 combo guard, said, “It’s our last shot.”

The Hornets did take as a step as a program last season, advancing to the city’s semifinals, where they lost to Hyde Park. Their high lasted only so long, though. In the regional semis, Foreman was upset by 12th-seeded York.

“I couldn’t sleep for two weeks,” Foreman coach Terry Head.

Head believes the Public League’s schedule may have had something to do with it. Head’s displeasure with the current format is that if a team loses early in the city playoffs, it has to sit around a while without a game before the state playoffs, and if a team wins city or advances deep into, it has already endured an intense set of games.

“I think the CPS needs to change up how we have it before state,” Head said. “It’s an emotional rollercoaster. It’s something we need to do.”

CARAVAN COMING ON: Mount Carmel’s youthful backcourt of junior Tracy Abrams and sophomore Malcolm Hill-Bey was on full display in NIU’s first game at 8 a.m. on Friday.

With Hill-Bey running the point and Abrams spending most of his time at the off guard, the two were nearly unstoppable against Hononegah. Abrams had 16 points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals. Hill-Bey added four points, nine assists, four rebounds and two steals.

A season ago, the two were up and down. Already early in the summer, Abrams and Hill-Bey have worked out some of those inconsistencies. Abrams doesn’t feel like he has to make every big play and isn’t forcing things. Hill-Bey has become more reliable at the point.

“I think he understand what he’s got to do,” Abrams said. “His role is important for us to be successful. He just needs to be a point guard.”

It also didn’t hurt that the Caravan started off June going undefeated at the University of Illinois team camp.

“I think our confidence is higher,” Abrams said. “Our play at Illinois got a lot of people confident.”

SPEARMAN RETURNS: Brandon Spearman returned to the court for Simeon after suffering an ankle injury at the University of Illinois team camp two weeks ago.

Spearman showed no signs of rustiness as he did a little bit of everything while leading the Wolverines to a 46-23 win over Seton in Simeon’s first game on Friday.

“I might be a little biased, but I believe he’s a top five player in the state,” Simeon coach Robert Smith said. “He can do so many things. He can score; he can pass; he can rebound; he can defend. He can play four positions at the high school level. No one does those things as consistently as he does.

Spearman has been hearing from Dayton, DePaul, Hawaii, Illinois State, Marquette and Nevada, according to Smith.

Abrams on the recruiting trail: Illinois coach Bruce Weber will be pleased to know he has Tracy Abrams working for him as well.

Abrams, who committed to Illinois last season, is pushing for his friend Mike Shaw to also pledge to the Illini.

“He says, ‘Come on, let’s do this,’” said Shaw, who hung out with Abrams when the two weren’t playing Friday. “Right now, I don’t know.  They’re on my list.”

Shaw doesn’t have an official list, but said he was hearing from “everybody.” He and Abrams will join forces during the July evaluation period for the Mac Irvin Fire. Abrams was previously with the Derrick Rose All-Stars, but said his family made the decision to leave them.

HENLEY TO TRANSFER: Mike Shaw confirmed that fellow Class of 2011 star Dre Henley will be transferring from De La Salle. Shaw expected Henley to play next season at a prep school.

“Dre’s a great player,” Shaw said. “We just got to get through it.”

IMPROVING TWINS: Everyone has always talked about the potential of Brooks’ Class of 2011 6-foot-6 twins Keith and Kevin Gray.

Finally that potential is coming through.

Both continued to show progress at the NIU team camp as they were aggressive, hit mid-range jumpers, put the ball on the floor and were active around the rim.

“They are the classic, classic raw upside players,” City/Suburban Hoops Report’s Joe Henricksen said. “It’s a cliché, but it’s so true – they’re best basketball is ahead of them. They’ve really progressed this summer. … Brooks is going to be really good.”

HALES IMPRESSES: Hales’ schedule may have just been the toughest in the state last year. That along with a young and inexperienced group, Gary London’s squad took its lumps in the 2008-2009.

This year, that looks to change.

At Moody Bible, Class of 2010 guard Patrick Miller and Aaron Armstead, a Class of 2011 6-4 wing, stood out as two of the camp’s top performers.

“I love, absolutely love Aaron Armstead,” City-Suburban Hoops Report’s Joe Henricksen said. “All Pat Miller needs to show is he can knockdown shots. He has a good body, and he’s a point guard.”

THE BEST BACKCOURT? Fenger coach Loren Jackson believes his three guards, Walter Lemon, Phillip Greene and Tavaris Herron, have the potential of being something special.

“I think they could be the three best guards in the state once they get in-tune with their roles,” Jackson said.

Lemon, a Class of 2010 player, has a knack for getting to the basket and finishing. Greene is an all-around scorer and one of the emerging players in the 2011 class. Herron, a former Washington player, has a combo-guard ability.

Lemon stood out in Fenger’s 29-25 loss to Orr in its opening game at the NIU camp. Fenger struggled offensively early before Lemon emerged and put the Titans back in the game.

Afterward, Jackson thought it was a good learning experience for his inexperienced backcourt.

“Everyone’s looking; we were the team to watch,” Jackson said. “When you’re not used to that environment, you start off slowly. I think that’s what we did. … The season is a process.”

All three will be playing the July period with Jackson’s Boys To Men club team.