If you're the least bit tempted to see some boys high school basketball this season, tonight offers a perfect opportunity to get a jump-start on the process.
Bolingbrook, which is state ranked and the top team in the area in eyes of most observers, will visit Joliet Township at the Joliet Central gym.
I know, this is the regular-season opener. It's Dec. 2, for cryin' out loud. So much can happen between now and the beginning of postseason play in early March.
Still, this game is huge.
For starters, both teams won their Thanksgiving tournaments last week. Bolingbrook traveled to Decatur and beat Peoria Central 76-68, Decautr Eisenhower 66-59 and Springfield Southeast 73-71 for the title. Joliet whipped Urbana 66-39, Rich Central 76-51 and then Moline 50-36 for the championship of the Moline Tournament.
So while much of the attention locally was centered on the six-team WJOL Thanksgiving Classic at the University of St. Francis Recreation Center, Bolingbrook and JT were letting it be known statewide that there a couple of teams in this area that can play on the big stage.
And tonight at 7, they meet in the Southwest Suburban Blue opener.
JT coach Luke Yaklich is impressed with Bolingbrook, which features University of Wisconsin-bound Diamond Taylor and Wisconsin-Green Bay signee Troy Snyder.
"They have a very, very good basketball team," Yaklich said. "They have a lot of weapons. We have to do a lot of things well to compete with them, but it's a great early test.
"You do have to keep in mind this is only the fourth game of the season, but this is a game that may have ramifications down the road. Certainly, both teams understand the importance."
Ramifications in terms of the conference race, sectional seedings, you name it.
Of course, if you mention JT to Bolingbrook coach Rob Brost, he does not hesitate to praise.
"Joliet is the favorite to win our conference," he said. "They have great players, are very well coached and will be the best team we have played to this point. Their place is a very tough place to play, and I am sure they will be fired up to play us."
"With the rivalry between the two programs and the environment that will be there, it is going to be fun," Yaklich said. "It will be a big test for us, with their ranking and all the individual talent they have. But our kids will be very excited. They're up for the task."
Joliet won the tournament at Moline in large part because the Steelmen took care of the defensive end of the floor and the boards.
"We played solid defense and rebounded the ball, which will be important against Bolingbrook," Yaklich said.
Anthony Shoemaker, the Steelmen's 6-6 junior forward, was the MVP of the Moline Tournament, and his teammate, senior wing Jamel Tyson, also made the all-tournament team.
"They were our most consistent players, and after that, we had a collective group who filled their roles," Yanklich said. "(Inside force) Donnell White had a great tournament and (point guard) Wesley Powell improved so much from Game 1 to Game 3.
"Remy Roberts, our sophomore guard, played well. Gary Reese and Tyrell Kelly were solid, and so was Tim Waszak, our best defender off the ball. We had some real consistent effort as a group."
If you're getting the idea the Steelmen have some numbers, you are on the money.
"Kavin Craig, who would have been our sixth or seventh man, has a knee problem right now," Yaklich said. "But we're still at 8 1/2 or 9 in our regular rotation."
Of course, when you face Bolingbrook, with Taylor, Snyder and so much more, you need all the reinforcements you can get.
The Raiders won the tournament in Decatur when Snyder hit a 15-foot jumper with .5 seconds remaining to break a 71-71 tie with Springfield Southeast.
Snyder committed an ill-advised foul on the inbounds pass, prolonging the suspense. But Southeast's Lawrence Thomas missed the front end of the 1-and-1, and it was over.
"We played well in stretches at Decatur," Brost said. "But we also showed that we need to improve in several areas to get where we want to be.
"Given the strength of teams in the tournament, I was pleased to get out of there 3-0. That being said, it is over now and we need to continue to get better every day in practice. We have a tough stretch of games coming up where if we don't play to our ability level, we will get beat."
Brost understandably includes tonight's game at JT on that list.
From a fan's perspective, it is one that you do not want to miss.
e-mail: dgoss@scn1.com
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