Cook County boys basketball teams head to York, Proviso West for tournaments

Lyons Township
TOURNAMENT Jack Tosh Holiday Classic
LOCATION York High School, 355 W. St. Charles Road, Elmhurst
FIRST GAME 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 26 vs. Lane Tech
WHAT TO WATCH The Lions have been somewhat inconsistent this season and will hope to build some momentum over the holiday season. LT's two most experienced players, seniors Jarryd Heath and Chris O'Reilly, have been dangerous offensively, but the rest of the team is still coming along.
Sophomore point guard Harrison Niego has emerged as an intriguing prospect, and junior forward Matt Mrazek worked his way into the starting lineup after joining from the football team. LT could be a tougher team in the second half of the year once the rotation settles in and the team has more time to jell.
The tournament field at York has been trimmed down to 12 this year, but there are still some quality squads there. St. Ignatius, Naperville North, Riverside Brookfield and the host Dukes look to be among the favorites. LT plays Lane Tech and Waubonsie Valley in pool play and has a crossover game against St. Ignatius.

Riverside Brookfield
TOURNAMENT Jack Tosh Holiday Classic
LOCATION York High School, 355 W. St. Charles Road, Elmhurst
FIRST GAME 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 26 vs. Naperville North
WHAT TO WATCH It's been a rocky start for the Bulldogs, which entered the season with high expectations. Still, RB seems headed in the right direction after recent wins over Providence Catholic and Von Steuben.
Senior center Miki Ljuboja has been a dominant force inside, leading the Bulldogs in points and rebounds. Senior guard Damonta Henry has also put up some big numbers, but is currently battling an injury.
RB will be among the contenders at the Jack Tosh Holiday Classic, which switches to a pool-play format this year. There are four pools of three teams before teams are divided into bracket play. The Bulldogs have pool play games against Naperville North and Kenwood and a crossover game against Palatine.

Morton
TOURNAMENT Proviso West Holiday Tournament
LOCATION Proviso West High School, 4701 Harrison St., Hillside
FIRST GAME 5:15 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22 vs. Dunbar
WHAT TO WATCH Since losing their opener to Fenwick, the Mustangs have rattled off five wins in a row and are looking like a contender in the West Suburban Gold. Senior forward Waller Perez has led Morton, but junior Greg Carter and sophomore Weisner Perez have also played big roles in the Mustangs' winning streak.
Morton is one of the returning teams to the expanded Proviso West Holiday Tournament. They open against Chicago Public League opposition in Dunbar and have a chance to see Benet Academy in the second round.
There could be an earlier than expected showdown between Morton and conference-rival Proviso East. The Mustangs and Pirates are in the same quarter.

Nazareth
TOURNAMENT Proviso West Holiday Tournament
LOCATION Proviso West High School, 4701 Harrison St., Hillside
FIRST GAME 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 22 vs. New Trier
WHAT TO WATCH The Roadrunners will draw some buzz in Hillside simply because of 7-foot center Tyler Jackson, but Jackson has only been part of Nazareth's success this season. Returning starters John Bonk Jr. and Dan Kienzle have been regularly scoring in double figures. Bonk even recorded a triple double in an overtime win over Illiana Christian on Dec. 4.
Nazareth's first-round opponent at Proviso will be New Trier, a traditionally strong team from the north suburbs. Senior forward Steven Cook is a Princeton recruit and will be a handful for the Roadrunners.

Fenwick
TOURNAMENT Proviso West Holiday Tournament
LOCATION Proviso West High School, 4701 Harrison St., Hillside
FIRST GAME 3:45 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 26 vs. Proviso West
WHAT TO WATCH The Friars already have a tournament win under their belts this season, the Lyons Township Thanksgiving Tournament, but the 32-team field at Proviso West is loaded as always. Fenwick is one of the most improved teams in the area this year thanks to having most of its core back from last season.
Dan Dwyer and Thomas Planek have provided the Friars with a talented pair of big men that makes Fenwick one of the tougher teams to match up with. Throw in senior point guard Luke Lattner and it's no surprise Fenwick is off to a 5-1 start.
They will take on the host Panthers in the first round.

St. Joseph
TOURNAMENT Proviso West Holiday Tournament
LOCATION Proviso West High School, 4701 Harrison St., Hillside
FIRST GAME 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 26 vs. Brooks
WHAT TO WATCH The talented Chargers play one of the tougher schedules in the area, filled with showcase games and tough tournaments. Despite the tough slate, St. Joseph is still 5-2 heading into this weekend.
Junior Paul Turner is one of a number of Chargers drawing Division I interest. He will lead the team into first-round action against Brooks from Chicago. Round 2 could be a matchup with the only out-of-state team in the tournament, Crespi Carmelite of California.

Proviso West
TOURNAMENT Proviso West Holiday Tournament
LOCATION Proviso West High School, 4701 Harrison St., Hillside
FIRST GAME 3:45 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 26 vs. Fenwick
WHAT TO WATCH Seniors Lawrence Moore and Dominick Roby have proven to be a dangerous scoring duo for the Panthers. West opened the season by winning the Thanksgiving tournament at Fenton with a 4-0 record.
The Panthers will be looking to make a strong showing in the first year of the expanded 32-team field of its famed tournament. Fenwick provides a tough opponent in the first round. The winner will likely see a talented Morgan Park team in Round 2.