Hornets find summer homes

Hinsdale South’s two returning starters from the boys basketball team returned to action with the Hornets Monday.

Brock Benson and Phil George opened play in the Hinsdale South summer league and will be counted on to lead the team next season.

But June is the time of year that is devoted to high school play. The Hornets (17-11 last season) competed in the Riverside-Brookfield Shootout earlier this month and will compete in similar shootouts at Stagg this weekend and at Illinois Wesleyan later this month.

Benson and George will go their separate ways when the AAU season begins in July. Benson, a Willowbrook resident, returns to the Illinois Wolves, which includes Downers South teammates Jamall Millison and Jarron Wilbut although the City-Suburban Hoops Report at YourSeason.com recently reported that Milbut is considering a transfer to a prep school.

George, a Burr Ridge resident, will play for Naperville-based Illinois Speed, which includes Downers North’s Dan Sigerich and Benet’s Griff Hanekamp.

George, a 5-foot-10 senior guard, was Hinsdale South’s leading scorer last season while the 6-8 Benson, a senior center, was the top rebounder.

“Obviously I continue to work on my shooting,” George said. “Obviously for me to succeed on the team, I have to make my shots and get to the free-throw line. I’m doing a lot of work this year on drawing contact and making free throws.”

The duo will play the next three weeks in the 25-team Hinsdale South summer league. Games are played Monday and Wednesday evenings.

The trip to Illinois Wesleyan in Bloomington involves an overnight stay in the school’s dormitories, which serves as a team bonding trip for the Hornets.

In the spring, Hinsdale South players participated in open gyms twice a week for about one hour before school. At some open gyms, former players returned to play in pick-up games against returning players.

“This is an important time,” Benson said. “You hope to get better as a [high school] team.”

Benson started playing AAU basketball for the Downers Grove Nomads in sixth grade. This is his third season with the Wolves, one of the state’s elite AAU teams with additional players from Champaign Centennial, Peoria Manual and Glenbard North.

“It’s a really good experience,” Benson said. “The competition is really fun to play against.”

Benson will travel with the Wolves next month to tournaments in Phoenix, Milwaukee, Indianapolis and St. Louis.

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