Larkin basketball coach Deryn Carter remembers the first time Damari Wheeler-Thomas entered the gym as a freshman for varsity tryouts. “We knew he had a ton of potential,” said Carter.

Any accomplishment comes with a bit of adversity.Not many people at Monday’s Class 4A DeKalb supersectional gave Larkin a chance against top-ranked Glenbard West. Ahead by just three points at the halftime break, Hilltoppers senior Bobby Durkin knew his team needed a spark.

In its run to a sectional final, the DeKalb boys basketball team shot lights out from long range to dispatch St. Charles North and Rockford Auburn.Larkin keyed in on the Barbs’ 3-point shooters on Friday in the Class 4A Huntley sectional championship, stymying the Barbs in a 70-56 win.

There’s an old saying that revenge is a dish best served cold. Cold was the word that best described Rockford East’s offense during the first 12 ½ minutes of the second half, as Larkin (30-3) used a 29-9 surge to build a commanding 59-35 lead on its way to a convincing 75-59 Class 4A sectional semifinal victory over the E-Rabs (24-10) Tuesday night in Huntley.

Playing on its homecourt for one final time, Larkin’s seniors were not going to be denied Friday night.

The Wheaton Warrenville South boys basketball team’s offense had all the subtlety of a Mack Truck, putting a vice-like grip on Friday’s Class 4A regional final game at home, cruising to a 64-43 win over Bartlett.

Max Love channeled that feeling from two years ago.Love, a senior, was a sophomore on the St. Charles North team two years ago that reached a sectional final — then saw its season end abruptly with the IHSA postseason stoppage due to the pandemic.

Conrad Luczynski flirted with a triple double Wednesday night at the Class 4A Wheaton Warrenville South boys basketball regional semifinal nightcap.

Fremd bolted to a 15-2 lead on its way to a 75-61 win over South Elgin Saturday in s nonconference boys basketball game in Palatine.

Larkin executed the inbounds play exactly the way coach Deryn Carter drew it up.With the score tied at 60 and 4.3 seconds remaining, Jamarion Stubbs inbounded the ball to Fernando Perez, who laid the ball in the basket as time expired.