Rolling Meadows senior Max Christie is the repeat captain of the Daily Herald’s Northwest Suburbs All-Area Boys Basketball Team.

Rolling Meadows’ boys basketball team defeated Barrington Saturday to win the Mid-Suburban League championship.

It was part little brother bidding a fond farewell to big brother, and it was part big brother passing down the torch. The Christie brothers, Max and Cameron, have become synonymous with Rolling Meadows boys basketball over the last several years. And on Saturday night, the two played a big role in leading the host Mustangs to a 49-41 victory over Barrington in the Mid-Suburban League championship game.

Presenting the 2021 Daily Herald Northwest Suburbs All-Area Boys Basketball Team

Max Christie of Rolling Meadows has been selected as the 2020-21 Gatorade Illinois Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Christie is the first Gatorade Illinois Boys Basketball Player of the Year to be chosen from Rolling Meadows High School.

Rolling Meadows defeated Prospect in a boys basketball game Thursday night.

Rolling Meadows will host Barrington in the Mid-Suburban League boys basketball championship game on Saturday.

It was a night of exclamation points for Max Christie and Rolling Meadows Tuesday. Christie scored 32 points to become the all-time leading scorer in Mid-Suburban League boys basketball history. That performance helped propel Rolling Meadows to a convincing 71-62 win over Hersey and give Meadows its first MSL East title since 2012.

Rolling Meadows defeated Prospect in a boys basketball game Friday night.

Sometimes the shadow can be too big. But not for Rolling Meadows’ Cameron Christie, who is emerging as one of the Northwest suburbs’ top boys basketball players.

A deep 3-point basket by Max Christie sent the Rolling Meadows boys basketball star to his 2,000th career point total Saturday in Hoffman Estates.

The full picture. That’s what Buffalo Grove boys basketball coach Keith Peterson wants you to see when you are looking at junior Kam Craft. A prolific scorer, Peterson says that Craft is much more than that.

It was one of those days that will be lodged in Max Christie’s memory for a long time. Just hours after being named to the McDonald’s All-American team, Christie went out and scored 16 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead Rolling Meadows past Buffalo Grove 61-53 in Mid-Suburban East boys basketball action Tuesday night.

Rolling Meadows defeated Barrington in a boys basketball game Satuday night.

Rolling Meadows defeated Hersey in a boys basketball game Friday night.

These are the nights Bob Frisk lived for. Mid-Suburban League basketball. And Friday night’s version couldn’t be any better, right?

It will be like a start to a second season Friday at both Prospect and Elk Grove. Both varsity boys basketball programs have been shut down from in-person practice and all games for the last 10 days due to COVID-19 protocols. They resumed practice on Wednesday and will be in action Friday as Prospect plays Wheeling while Elk Grove will play Buffalo Grove.

On a night when he would become the all-time leading scorer in Rolling Meadows boys basketball history, Max Christie was more than willing to step aside to give accolades to someone else. Sophomore Foster Ogbonna came off the bench to grab 17 rebounds, 11 in the fourth quarter, to help lead Rolling Meadows past a young, talented and tall St. Rita team 66-53 Saturday in Rolling Meadows.

The COVID-19 pandemic has limited schools to the number of fans that attend games. Nearly all of those spots go to the parents of the home team players. But for Palatine’s Luke Seiffert, no matter where he plays, there will always be an empty spot in the stands this season.

Rolling Meadows downed Buffalo Grove 68-63 in boys basketball action Saturday night.

Scouting boys basketball for the 2021 season in the Northwest suburbs

There won’t be madness in March. And masks will be required, even in competition. But at least high school basketball players in Illinois will have basketball again.

Rolling Meadows senior Max Christie signed his National Letter of Intent to play basketball at Michigan State on Wednesday.