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.

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

Bartlett basketball coach Jim Wolfsmith didn’t face any problems when deciding upon his starting lineup for the Hawks’ Senior Night against Streamwood Friday night. Having 5 seniors on the varsity roster certainly helped make Wolfsmith’s choice an easy one.

Bartlett’s Conrad Luczynski was honored before Friday night’s game against South Elgin for hitting the 1,000-point mark in his varsity career last Tuesday. But his teammates stole the limelight during the Upstate Eight contest for a 72-55 win.

Kelton McEwen certainly showed how much that practice is paying off in a nonconference matchup Saturday against St. Charles North. McEwen scored 18 of his 26 points in the second half as the Hawks used a 14-0 run in the third quarter to earn a 56-50 victory.

Damari Wheeler-Thomas scored a game-high 38 points, connecting on all 6 of his 3-point attempts, to help lift the Royals (19-2, 10-0) to a convincing 69-53 Upstate Eight Conference victory over host Bartlett (13-4, 7-2) Tuesday night.

When it comes to devising a strategic defensive game plan against Bartlett’s 7-foot-3 senior center Conrad Luczynski, opposing teams will try about anything. Whether it be a physical man-to-man approach or more double and triple teaming, East Aurora (10-5, 5-2) couldn’t figure out the right combination Friday night.

The Hawks broke open a close game with a couple of big second-half runs in defeating the Storm, 70-49, in South Elgin on Friday.

Loyola Academy seemed to devise every imaginable defensive scheme to stop Bartlett 7-foot-3 senior center Conrad Luczynski.Nothing they attempted worked.The Hawks’ dominant senior center filled up the stat sheet with 32 points, 14 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 blocked shots to propel Bartlett past Loyola Academy 61-40 in the third place game of the Hinkle Holiday Classic hosted by Jacobs Tuesday night.

It took Barrington two quarters to adjust to Bartlett’s defense in the second semifinal of the Hinkle Holiday Classic hosted by Jacobs Monday night.The Broncos had only a 1-point lead over the Hawks at halftime, 25-24.After tweaking the offense at intermission, Barrington got a handle on Bartlett’s strategy and pulled away in the second half for a 61-41 victory Monday night.

Scouting Fox area boys basketball holiday tournaments

With Bartlett building a big early lead Tuesday, the Hawks’ bench players saw plenty of action, and they took full advantage of the extra playing time.Bartlett reserves scored 35 points, outscoring the Hawk starters as well as their opponent, Elgin, in a 68-22 win at Chesbrough Field House.

The athletic repercussions for the still-ongoing pandemic were certainly not limited to on-field issues for local high school athletes.Getting noticed has also been particularly difficult in the last two years for those seeking to compete at the next level.But new doors are certainly opening for Bartlett post Conrad Luczynski.

Trailing Bartlett 51-46 with 3 ½ minutes remaining, Larkin’s basketball team saved its best for last, relying on pressure defense to help fuel a 15-3 run that turned the game around Tuesday night. The Royals (6-1, 2-0) rallied to win the Upstate Eight Conference contest, 63-58, in Elgin.

With one minute and 50 seconds remaining, Chris Suger drained the Vikings’ 11th 3-pointer of the game to reverse the final Geneva deficit of the night in an ultimate 57-51 victory.

Downers Grove North’s boys basketball team executed its game plan to near perfection Saturday night. While making it tough on Bartlett’s 7-foot-3 senior center Conrad Luczynski, the Trojans’ defense made it even tougher on the rest of the Hawks during the Trojans’ 68-42 victory in the championship game of the Wheaton Academy Thanksgiving Tournament in West Chicago.

Here’s a look at the boys basketball season in the Upstate Eight