Boys basketball notes: Crystal Lake South’s AJ Demirov proves hard to handle

AJ Demirov clearly presents a problem for opposing defenses with his outside shooting ability and his quickness in getting to the hoop.

And it is a problem that will be here for a while since the Crystal Lake South guard is only a sophomore.

Demirov’s skills were on display in Friday’s 64-48 loss to Huntley, when he dropped 17 of his 22 points in the first half. He hit two 3-pointers in the first quarter, then seemed to get to the basket at will in the second quarter, scoring eight points inside.

“He’s been very good all year. His ability to get downhill is very good,” said Gators coach Matt LePage , whose team is 9-2 overall and 5-1 in the Fox Valley Conference. “He has that quick gear.”

Demirov is usually South’s next scoring option behind four-year starter Cooper LePage, the coach’s son. He is scoring 15.5 points a game, with 14 3s and is hitting 88.1% (37 of 42) on free throws.

“My teammates keep encouraging me to shoot,” said Demirov, who is 5-foot-11. “And my coach gives me the green light, that gives me confidence.”

Demirov came up to varsity last season at Jacobs’ Hinkle Holiday Classic and stayed the rest of the season.

“Our guys knew then and now he’s our point guard and what he can do with the ball,” Matt LePage said. “He’s super-skilled and quick and he’s a student of the game. He’s just going to get better.”

Demirov played in the offseason with Man Up last year and plans to play with Fundemental U next summer. He said playing most of last season on varsity was very helpful.

“It gave me a lot more experience for this year,” Demirov said. “Stepping in this year I already have varsity experience, so I know what the game’s like.”

All-around game: Huntley has shown a knack for being able to have any number of players able to score. In the first half against South, the Red Raiders tossed in nine 3s, with six players hitting from behind the arc.

Huntley’s ball movement and execution were clinical. Several times players turned down an open look and passed to a teammate with an even better shot. The Raiders (9-2, 6-0) own sole possession of first place in the FVC.

“My sophomore coach (Chris Heward) always talks about going from good to great and we did a really nice job of that tonight,” Huntley coach Will Benson said. “That makes us harder to guard when you have a bunch of guys who are capable.”

1,000-point clubber: Marian Central’s Christian Bentancur passed 1,000 career points back on Dec. 5 in a loss to Rockford Lutheran. The 6-5 junior is the second area player to pass that milestone this season, joining Johnsburg’s Dylan Schmidt.

As a junior, Bentancur will have a shot at Marian’s career record of 1,751, set by 2016 graduate Adam Pischke.

Bentancur, a two-time Northwest Herald All-Area first-team wide receiver, has more than 30 NCAA Division I scholarship offers for football as a tight end, with the Big Ten Conference and Southeastern Conference accounting for more than half of those.

Bentancur will make his college commitment announcement at 12:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13 at the high school.

Huntley helping out: Huntley will have a Duck Toss Fundraiser on Friday, Jan. 13 when the girls and boys basketball teams will host Dundee-Crown.

The ducks cost $5 each and those purchasing them will throw at halftime of the boys game, with those getting closest to the center of the court winning prizes.

The money raised from the event will go to help the families of Lucas Gidelski and Madison Roberts, two Huntley High School students who are battling cancer.

Gidelski became a bit of an internet sensation last month when he attended the Bears game at Soldier Field against the Detroit Lions, his favorite team. Gidelski and his father David had field passes before the game and Lucas, who was in a wheelchair because he was weakened from cancer treatments, got to meet his favorite player, Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

The video with St. Brown talking to Gidelski, who was in tears, was seen everywhere.

The prizes include a 50-inch 4K TV, gift cards, along with Jordan and Yeezy sneakers. They were donated by community sponsors.

Rockets to host sectional: For the first time in school history, Burlington Central has been picked to host a boys sectional basketball tournament.

Central finished with its best record in school history (31-4) last season and lost in the Crystal Lake South Class 3A Sectional championship game. The Rockets are off to a 7-2 start and could be a threat to play in a sectional on their home court.

“This is an exciting time for our Central Rocket student-athletes, the Central community and an opportunity for others to see all the great things that help make Central a place to host such events,” said athletic director Ted Juske, who is in his first year at Central. “To have an exciting month of postseason events in our building is a big deal for our community. We’re honored to b a small part of ‘America’s Original March Madness’ and we can’t wait to host some great games at Rocket Hill.”