Boys basketball: Northwest all-area team
Austin Amann Elk Grove
Amann has another year to be the man for Elk Grove. He certainly was as a junior by leading the resurgent Grenadiers in scoring (16.2 ppg), rebounding (6.4) and assists (72) while hitting 35 3s. “He knows when to make big plays in a game and complements that with getting his teammates opportunities along the way,” said coach Anthony Furman. “He handles pressure with a calm sense of confidence.”
Ore Arogundade St. Viator
Arogundade fills up a stat sheet with more than just his name. The sophomore does it with an electrifying game as he led the East Suburban Catholic Conference champs in scoring (14.4 ppg) on 52 percent shooting and averaged 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2 steals. “He's basically our Mr. Versatility,” said coach Mike Howland. “He just impacts the game in so many different ways.”
Mark Bennett Barrington
It's pretty clear Bennett is the type of guy you want in charge considering his record as a co-captain — 7-3 as the starting quarterback in football and 18-11 as a player who could do it all in basketball. The senior averaged 11.9 points and 5.1 rebounds, had 69 assists and hit 28 3-pointers. “He was a versatile player who could score inside and out,” said coach Bryan Tucker.
Kyle Bolger Schaumburg
The junior guard and second-year starter usually is better late than ever for the Mid-Suburban League champs. Bolger averaged 10 points and 3 assists and was instrumental in the Saxons' stingy defense. “He does so much for us,” said coach Matt Walsh. “He's been our primary ballhandler, he can score and he can rebound. And the bigger the game it seems the better he plays.”
Tyler Gaedele Rolling Meadows
Nothing cripples a defense quite like triples and the senior did a lot of that by setting Meadows 3-point records for a career (189), game (9) and percentage (43). This year he hit 92 3s and averaged 16 points a game. “The thing that's been overlooked is he's been at times our leading rebounder, he can take the ball to hole,” said coach Kevin Katovich, and the biggest difference is how much he's improved defensively.”
Adam Gorecki Fremd
It was tough to know what to expect from the 6-foot-6 Gorecki after he barely played as a junior and missed all summer with a broken foot. He made himself the Vikings' inside threat at 11.1 points and 6.8 rebounds a game. “He's done a great job at both ends of the floor,” said coach Bob Widlowski. “To come back and play the way he has is a testament to how hard he worked.”
Conor Hart Maine West
Hart pumped a lot of life into the Warriors' offense with 1,211 points in a three-year varsity career. The senior and repeat all-area pick averaged 19.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists and made 56 percent of his shots before suffering a late-season knee injury. “Conor put in an exhaustible amount of time in the weight room and he made my life easier when it came down to us needing a basket,” said coach Erik McNeill.
Alex Herrera Leyden
How much better did Herrera make his teammates? The repeat all-area guard led the Eagles to their best season in nearly 15 years by averaging 16.5 points and 4 assists, making 61 3s and hitting 86 percent of his free throws. “Alex has been a pleasure to coach and he has put in the work to deserve success,” said coach Bill Heisler. “Alex is a level-headed, competitive, great young man with a bright future in front of him.”
Mike LaTulip Prospect
The only three-time Daily Herald All-Area pick in Prospect history also left his mark on the program by establishing the career record for points scored. LaTulip, who is going to Illinois as preferred walk-on, was a marked man this year yet still averaged 22 points and 4 assists and made 75 3s and 88 percent of his free throws. “Mike was a constant for our program,” said coach John Camardella. “He has a very bright future.”
Jimmy Lundquist Schaumburg
Lundquist's long-range capability en route to averaging 10 points a game, hitting 40 3s and shooting 53 percent will make him a long-range prospect next year as a senior. But what the second-year starter did in other areas will benefit the 6-5 junior in the long run. “He really stepped up and improved by adding to our defense,” said coach Matt Walsh. “He really improved his rebounding (5 per game) as the year went on. He's really a smart player.”
Tim Manczko Conant
Manczko came into basketball a bit banged up after an all-area football season. But once he got healthy he left opponents in a lot of pain by averaging 10.3 points a game and providing rebounding and tough defense for the young Cougars. “His game has come a long way,” said coach Tom McCormack. “Every part of his game developed as the year has gone on.”
D.J. Morris St. Viator
While Morris' scoring dipped to 9.5 points a game other aspects soared and the Lions roared to an East Suburban Catholic Conference title. The repeat all-area pick averaged 4.9 assists with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3-to-1 and set the tone for their tough man-to-man defense. “D.J. did everything you could ask for in a true point guard,” said coach Mike Howland. “He's the real engine behind what we did this year.”
Chris Myjak St. Viator
The lone returning starter from the 3A supersectional team two years ago was a dominant inside force in the final two-plus months of his Viator career. The 6-5 Myjak averaged 8.8 points and 8.1 rebound, shot 60 percent from the field and had nine double-doubles. “From Christmas on he had big, consistent games every night,” said coach Mike Howland. “He single-handedly carried us on the boards.”
Brian Nelms Rolling Meadows
Nelms was on the varsity as a freshman with the idea it would lead to special results. Mission accomplished as the senior guard and all-area repeater became Meadows' career assist lead and sixth-best scorer and the Mid-Suburban East Player of the Year averaged 14 points and 6 assists en route to the program's first division title in 14 years. “He's such a terrific team and floor leader,” said coach Kevin Katovich. “He's unselfish and just wants to win so bad.”
Brad Reibel Prospect
Reibel was always liable to be found doing something different and doing it well for Prospect. The senior standout could score (10.8 ppg), shoot (52 percent from the field and 87 on free throws), rebound (3.4 rpg) and defend — which he will be doing at UIC as a soccer goalkeeper. “Brad did a great job,” said coach John Camardella. “His competitiveness and offensive ability allowed him to have a very successful senior season.”
Sean Reszotko Hersey
Reszotko led the Huskies in scoring (13.6 ppg), 3-pointers (49) and free-throw percentage (. 785) and was second in rebounding and assists. But in a critical area, the senior led unlike anyone else in Steve Messer's 13 years of coaching. “He was never outworked or second in effort,” Messer said. “When watching Sean play, I couldn't tell if it was the final minute of a close game on Friday night, or the start of practice on Saturday morning.”
Michael Rose Rolling Meadows
Some players are late bloomers. Rose fell into that category as he went from a raw freshman “B” player to averaging 10 points and 10 rebounds (school-record 280) and drawing nearly 30 charging fouls as a senior for the Mid-Suburban East champs. “He's one of the stories every coach loves to talk about,” said coach Kevin Katovich. “He worked every day for three years to make himself better and his best basketball is ahead of him.”
Christian Spandiary Schaumburg
Three regional titles in Spandiary's three varsity seasons at Schaumburg is no coincidence. And this year the unselfish senior took it to a greater level as he averaged 16 points and 5 rebounds and shot 57 percent from the field en route to Mid-Suburban West player of the year honors as the Saxons won the league title. “He really became our team leader this year,” said coach Matt Walsh.
Austin Terry Hoffman Estates
The true success of the two-time all-area pick, who averaged 16.6 points and hit 49 3s, may be measured down the road as Terry helped set standards for success under new coach Luke Yanule. “His selflessness and humility allowed our team to jell throughout the season and played a significant role in our playing our best basketball at the end of the year,” Yanule said. “He is a great player and an even better person.”
Sam Wacker Buffalo Grove
Take the ball in toward Wacker and there was a good chance it would get whacked right back out. The 6-7 senior and repeat all-area pick averaged 15 points and 7 rebounds but also altered more than a few moods with 67 blocked shots. “His biggest contribution was his defensive presence,” said coach Ryan O'Connor. “Offensive teams had to know where he was when they attacked the basket.”
Kevin Walsh St. Viator
Let the sweet-shooting Walsh get on a roll and the complexion of the game could change in a hurry. The senior and repeat all-area pick averaged 13.5 points and 2 assists, hit 50 3s and shot 49 percent from the field. “He's as good a shooter as there is around,” said coach Mike Howland. “He can score in bunches and his presence opens up so much for his teammates.”
Brad Zaumseil Barrington
Zaumseil didn't have to lead the Broncos in scoring at 14.1 points a game to make an impact. The junior guard, team co-captain and second-year starter also averaged 4.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.7 steals and hit 40 3s as they finished 18-11. “He could dominate a game without scoring a point by creating offense for his teammates,” said coach Bryan Tucker.
Boys basketball all-area roster
Player School Pos. Ht. Yr.
Austin Amann Elk Grove G 6-1 Jr.
Ore Arogundade St. Viator F 6-3 So.
Mark Bennett Barrington F 6-5 Sr.
Kyle Bolger Schaumburg G 6-1 Jr.
Tyler Gaedele Rolling Meadows F 6-2 Sr.
Adam Gorecki Fremd F 6-6 Sr.
Conor Hart Maine West G 6-2 Sr.
Alex Herrera Leyden G 5-9 Sr.
Mike LaTulip Prospect G 6-0 Sr.
Jimmy Lundquist Schaumburg C 6-5 Jr.
Tim Manczko Conant F-G 6-2 Jr.
D.J. Morris St. Viator G 5-10 Sr.
Chris Myjak St. Viator C 6-5 Sr.
Brian Nelms Rolling Meadows G 5-10 Sr.
Brad Reibel Prospect G 6-2 Sr.
Sean Reszotko Hersey G 6-0 Sr.
Michael Rose Rolling Meadows F 6-3 Sr.
*Christian Spandiary Schaumburg F 6-3 Sr.
Austin Terry Hoffman Estates G 6-2 Sr.
Sam Wacker Buffalo Grove F 6-7 Sr.
Kevin Walsh St. Viator G 6-3 Sr.
Brad Zaumseil Barrington G 6-1 Jr.
* — Honorary captain
Special mention
Sean Bourke (Conant, Sr., F-C), Luke Comerouski (Christian Liberty, Sr., G), Riley Glassmann (Fremd, So., G), John Millin (Palatine, Sr., F), Luke Potnick (Buffalo Grove, Jr., G), John Schneider (Barrington, Sr., F), Jeremy Stephani (Wheeling, So., G)
Honorable mention
Kevin Garcia (Maine West, Sr., G), Justin Jobski (Hersey, Sr., F), Michael Mallett (Schaumburg, Sr., F), D'Angelo McBride (Conant, So, F-G), Brian McNamera (Leyden, Sr., C), Kyle Moriarty (Christian Liberty, Sr., G), Kishan Patel (Elk Grove, Jr., G), Garrett Peters (Fremd, Sr., G), Roosevelt Smart (Palatine, Fr., G), Zach Solorio (Elk Grove, Sr., F)
— All-area selections and capsules by Marty Maciaszek