Boys Basketball notes: Wheaton Academy puts up solid showing at East Aurora holiday tournament

Wheaton Academy's Tyler Smith

Wheaton Academy is coming off a solid showing in the East Aurora Holiday Tournament.

The Warriors (6-8) defeated IMSA and East Aurora before losing to one of the hottest teams in the area, Downers Grove North, in the title game.

Wheaton Academy sophomore Tyler Smith was named to the all-tournament first team.

“Downers Grove North handled us easily in the final, but any tournament we play in, we go in with the goal to compete for a championship and my guys showed some grit to handle a bit of adversity and give ourselves a shot,” Wheaton Academy coach Daniel Smith said.

Smith said he’s been pleased with how his players have bonded during his first season, especially heading into a difficult stretch of games against Riverside-Brookfield and IC Catholic.

“Our pillars of humility, hunger, toughness and joy have driven our daily approach and expectations,” he said. “We’re at our best when we play with pace, share the ball and commit to getting stops on the defensive end. I strongly believe that our best basketball of the season is ahead of us.

“Our goals for the week are consistent with what they have been all year long – play fast, value the ball, defend at a high level, communicate and bring an edge of physicality to all phases. We do all of those things and we will give ourselves a chance to win.”

Smith said his four seniors – Derek Schlenbecker, Wade Davis, Andrew Mueller and Jeffery Hillmer – are playing a key role for his program this season. Hillmer is averaging 10.4 points a game. Mueller is averaging 9.0 points and Schlenbecker is at 7.7 points a game and shooting 36% on 3-pointers.

“Derek is one of the two players who has started every game this season,” Smith said. “He has great court vision and takes ownership of helping us push the pace. He is a knock-down shooter and has also really improved his on and off ball defense this season. Wade Davis is our only returning starter. Wade has done an incredible job handling his new role this season and being a leader on and off the floor.

“Andrew is one of the two players who has started every game this season. He’s our hardest worker and gives maximum effort on both ends of the floor. His size allows him to guard multiple positions and he finds ways to put the ball in the basket on offense. Before his ankle injury sidelined him for a couple of weeks, Jeffery was impacting the game in a variety of ways on both ends of the game.”

Junior Wandy Munoz is the Warriors’ leading scorer at 11.6 points. Tyler Smith is shooting a team-best 53% on 3s.

“Wandy plays with more passion than any other player I’ve coached,” Daniel Smith said. “His tenacity on the defensive end makes him a nightmare for opposing point guards. His tight handle and speed off the dribble allows him to be a playmaker and catalyst for our offense. He has multiple finishing moves with both hands and a stellar midrange jumper. Wandy is definitely a scholarship caliber player at the next level.

“Tyler Smith is the youngest player on our team and has solidified himself a starting spot after a role increase due to injuries on our roster. Tyler is strong, physical and can score at all three levels against a variety of defenders.”

Wheaton Warrenville South on the rise

Don’t look now, but Wheaton Warrenville South coach Mike Healy is back to his old tricks. The Tigers are among the top teams in the Chicago area – again.

At 12-2 and coming off a solid showing at the State Farm Holiday Classic to earn third place, the Tigers are a team to watch in Class 4A. Healy’s team-first brand of basketball has lifted the program toward another memorable season. The Tigers rely on solid defense, teamwork, precision passing and rebounding to pile up victories.

Healy said he was pleased with how his team performed at the State Farm tourney, defeating Mesa (Arizona) 58-42 in the third-place game. The Tigers lost 58-41 to eventual tournament champion and highly ranked Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin.

“I thought we did a great job of meeting challenges throughout the tournament,” Healy said. “There were many times we could have folded and we never did. Braylen Meredith and Colin Moore have been so solid for us. They have been so consistent. Luca Carbonaro has continued to make strides and has been a huge asset for us.”

Healy said the 2022-23 team embodies many of the positive traits of his more recent successful teams.

“I love our kids,” he said. “They work hard. They play for each other and have been so resilient throughout the season. I’m really excited for the second half with this group.”

IC Catholic playing strong

IC Catholic Prep made some noise over the holidays with a strong showing in the ICCP/Westmont Christmas Classic. The Knights (11-4) entered the first week of January with a nine-game winning streak after winning their holiday tournament with victories over Reavis, Fenger, Evergreen Park and Taft.

“Our guys battled all tournament,” IC Catholic coach T.J. Tyrrell said. “We had a slow start against Reavis but battled back to take over the second half. Evergreen Park and Taft were tough games, but our guys stayed focused and earned a hard-fought championship.”

Tyrrell said Dean O’Brien and Jake Gallagher have played well through the first two months of the season.

“Dean is often overlooked on the stat sheet, but he’s been integral in our success,” Tyrrell said. “He plays as hard as anyone and approaches his role as a professional. Jake had a huge week over the tournament. We know what he’s capable of, so it’s great to see his confidence building.”

The Knights had two big games last weekend, defeating St. Francis 35-33 on Jan. 6 and losing at home to York 51-47 on Jan. 7.