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Boys basketball: Scouting Mundelein vs. Stevenson

No. 5 Mundelein Mustangs (18-13) vs. No. 1 Stevenson Patriots (25-4)

What: Class 4A Waukegan sectional semifinal

When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. The second semifinal, between Zion-Benton and St. Viator, has also been pushed back a day from the original time slot due to Tuesday's wintry forecast.

Where: Waukegan High School, East Campus, 1010 Washington

Skinny: After a short run at Barrington, the sectional returns to a Lake County gem, Waukegan's old-school East Campus Gym. A new winner will be crowned there. Warren, which won the last two sectional titles, was eliminated in the regional championship by St. Viator…Stevenson earned the No. 1 seed in the sectional by putting together one of its most successful seasons in recent years. The Patriots won their first North Suburban Conference title in 21 years. Along the way, they swept Mundelein, thanks to big games by sophomore guards Jalen Brunson (21.6 ppg) and Connor Cashaw (16 ppg). Senior Andy Stempel (10.8 ppg, 45 3-pointers) is also a key option in Stevenson's guard-heavy rotation…Finally at full strength after dealing with multiple injuries and illnesses, Mundelein is playing its best basketball of the year. The most notable return to the lineup is senior guard Robert Knar, who was out until mid-February with a knee injury. He was Mundelein's leading scorer last season with more than 20 points per game. The Northern Iowa-bound Knar has quickly worked his way back into the offense despite playing limited minutes as he eases in to full contact. He is 4 points shy of 2,000 for his career. The Mustangs are led by senior guard Sean O'Brien, who is averaging a double-double (21 ppg, 11.1 rpg). O'Brien will be playing at Southern Illinois next season. Meanwhile, senior forward Chino Ebube (19 ppg) provides some electricity for the Mustangs. Headed for Missouri S&T, Ebube has more than 60 dunks and 40 blocks on the season

Advancement: Winner moves to Friday's sectional championship game and will take on the winner of Thursday's semifinal between No. 2 Zion-Benton and No. 3 St. Viator.

— Patricia Babcock McGraw

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