Time to head inside for some hoops

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The second-best prep sports season tipped off earlier this month with the start of boys area summer basketball leagues at College of Lake County, Stevenson, Wauconda and the weekly shoot-out at Zion-Benton.

The best prep season? Why, it's the regular high school hoops campaign, of course.

To me, there's no better local entertainment value than plopping down $2 on a Tuesday at CLC and watching 11 area schools play a dozen games. It's a basketball junkie's delight, and by the looks of the nearly-filled stands, the CLC league answers many a hoops addict's craving.

Here are a few observations from the first two sessions, held June 9 and June 16.

* As might be expected, the Waukegan Bulldogs are the class of the 11-school field and appear to be in midseason form as far as up-tempo play is concerned.

One trip up court on Tuesday said it all. With everyone going full bore on a fast-break, passer supreme Mike Springs fired an overhand bounce through a crowd of hands to a hustling Jereme Richmond, who then made an impossible behind-his-head shot while being pushed by a defender.

That was more than worth the $2 admission price right there.

* Deja-vu time regarding Richmond came in the first minutes of his initial summer game at CLC against Grant.

He was called for a technical for hanging on the rim after dunking. Sound familiar? And like the last, more-publicized time last season, the technical was incorrectly called.

* Nobody is quicker than Waukegan's Mike Springs, or more relentless defensively ... but similar-sized Mike Simpson of North Chicago is maybe a smidge behind in both categories. I'd love to see them square off one-on-one in a pickup game.

* The Mundelein Mustangs will be tough to beat.

Ben Brust is back from injury, stronger than before and ready to take his place alongside Richmond in the elite ranks of Illinois prep hoopsters.

Ryan Sawvell, the 6-foot-9 junior, is right on the edge of that kind of greatness.

He does everything a big man should while running with the herd in Mundelein's break-neck offense. And, for good measure, he can pop from the outside.

* Grant has an impressive looking sophomore, Jerry Gaylor, who is a PLAYER.

The kid stands about 6-2, but leaps and jams with authority and has excellent court presence. He was on the varsity as a freshman but was injured early and was forced to sit out the season.

* Zion-Benton will still be formidable again this coming basketball season.

But unlike past years when they were splitting their squad into two teams and still beating everyone handily at CLC summer sessions, the Zee-Bees have lost half their games after the first two weeks.

But people need to also know that this year, Zion is sending a third squad to the Wauconda summer sessions, which are also on Tuesdays.