Boys basketball notes: IC Catholic Prep adapting to grind of new league

IC Catholic Prep entered unchartered territory this season. The Knights moved into the Chicago Catholic White Division, leading to a tougher schedule that included numerous games against Class 3A and 4A schools.

The Knights, a 2A school, have experienced the normal ups and downs of playing a tougher schedule.

IC Catholic (12-8, 1-2) has played Manteno (14-4), 1A power Beecher (19-0), Brother Rice, Mount Carmel, York, Glenbard South and St. Francis.

“We had a really nice year last year and graduated some great leaders, so we were not sure what we would have this year,” IC Catholic coach TJ Tyrrell said. “The guys bought in and are playing very hard, even the tough schedule we have is a grind. Our strength of schedule definitely went up, but when see the history of the Chicago Catholic League and what the conference has done in the postseason, we’re hoping to carry that on as well.”

Tyrrell, who won his 200th career game at IC Catholic in early December, said the tougher conference schedule took a toll on a team on his team early in the season.

“We played Brother Rice early in the season, and I think the guys saw we could compete,” Tyrrell said. “We might not be to their level, but they gained some confidence in that game. We played well through three quarters, but they had more depth and we ran out of gas. That gave us some confidence to our guys, which was really important.”

The Knights, who play at St. Laurence on Friday, have picked up quality contributions from several players, including junior forward Andrew Hill and senior guard Jake Gallagher.

The 6-foot-5 Hill is averaging 13 points per game, and really benefitted from not playing football this season for the first time in several years. Hill scored 16 points in the loss to Brother Rice and scored 26 points and added 14 rebounds against Johnsburg.

“It was tough for all of us playing these big teams early, but we competed and got some big ones under our belt,” Hill said. “I’ve stepped into a bigger role this year after we lost a lot of seniors from last year. I knew I would have a larger role. Not playing football helped me a lot. My shot has gotten a lot better and my overall mentality going into games and dealing with adversity is better. I came into the season in a lot better shape and was ready to excel.”

Gallagher, who scored 26 points against Chicago Agricultural and Science in late November, said the team is playing with confidence.

“As a team, we’re going pretty well,” Gallagher said. “We’ve had some ups and downs. We started hot but hit a rough patch. Our schedule is definitely way tougher, but it will prepare us a lot better. We’ve played a couple of top teams in the state. We took some time adjusting to the schools with more size and length. It was a more physical game, but we’re used to playing bigger teams now. It’s been a pretty fun year. I love playing and I’m playing a good role in my senior year.”

Tyrrell, the all-time winningest coach in program history, said Gallagher and Hill have both stepped up this games this season.

“Jake and Andrew are both playing at a pretty high level,” Tyrrell said. “Andrew has come so far since last year. I think pretty soon he will be on the radar of people with his ability to play inside and outside and his athleticism. Jake has been a grinder and eating up a ton of minutes out of necessity. We usually have him guard the best player on the other team. He’s playing well on both ends of the floor.

Lemont to name court

Friday is slated to be a memorable day for the Lemont program.

The program is planning to name their court in honor of former basketball coach and athletic director, John Jones, before their game against Oak Lawn.

“It’s scheduled to be a big night,” Lemont coach Rick Runaas said. “John leads our school in wins for basketball and is a legendary coach during that time.”

Thus far, the basketball program is experiencing another successful season on the court as well. Nineteen games into the season, Lemont (13-6, 5-0 South Suburban White) is on pace for another winning record.

“I feel pretty good about our team,” Runaas said. “We’re doing well in our half of the conference and we’re looking to keep that lead. I feel this summer the kids really adapted to the style of play we’ve been playing the last couple of years. We didn’t change a lot, even though we had some tough personnel changes. It’s very reassuring from a coaching standpoint.

“It seems like when we’re successful, the ball moves well and the guys are competing. Ryan (Runaas) is leading us in scoring and we’re trying to get Matas Gaidukevicius more involved. Klaidas Paskauskas has had a couple of big games and Alanas Castillo had some good games. We have a tough game on Friday against Oak Lawn, which is leading the Red Division. They are a tough team and well coached and have a couple of kids who can really score.”

Shootout Saturday

Saturday is a big day for Chicagoland hoops, with the “When Sides Collide” a must-attend event at Benet. The one-day shootout features five games, opening with Normal Community-DePaul Prep at 1 p.m., then Downers Grove North-Homewood-Flossmoor at 2:30, Young takes on Yorkville at 4 p.m. followed by Kenwood-Mt. Carmel at 6 p.m. and Benet battles Thornton at 7:30 p.m.

The 2024 Jim &Slyvia Roberts “Night of Hoops” is slated to take place at Batavia. The five-game set includes Larkin-St. Charles East at 1:30 p.m., Conant-Burlington Central at 3 p.m., Hinsdale Central-Wheaton Warrenville South at 4:30 p.m., Oswego East-York at 6 p.m. and ends with host Batavia playing Hillcrest at 7:30 p.m.