Riverside-Brookfield: Teddy’s Saturday Takeaways (Part 2)

Hyde Park Too Much For Loyola

Hyde Park got off to a blazing 11-0 start led by Jurrell Baldwin Jurrell Baldwin 6'6" | SF Hyde Park | 2024 IL . At 6’6”, Baldwin has already asserted himself as one of the best forwards in his class. Not only is he a tremendous athlete with a physical body, but he’s an underrated passer and had a pair of flashy assists in the opening few minutes. Guard Jermaine Benson is another physical prospect who hit a three early and had a strong drive to the hoop. On the defensive end, Benson was very efficient with his footwork and avoided foul trouble. He led all scorers at halftime with 10 pts. In the second half, Benson got more aggressive at attacking the hoop and finished a few buckets through contact. Baldwin also knocked down some midrange shots and Hyde Park held on for a 56-36 win.

Hinsdale Central Routs Glenbard North

Another team I was intrigued to watch was Hinsdale Central. The Red Devils surprised many last season as one of the states hottest teams and reached the sectional finals. Hinsdale Central got off to a blazing start against Glenbard North and opened the game on a 20-2 spurt. 6’4” F Luke Bilenko is an intriguing player to watch with an athletic build and a couple shots early on. His ability to cut inside and score through contact was nothing but impressive. 6’8” 2025 F Tyler Thick was a defensive force with almost nobody scoring over him. He accumulated numerous blocks and had double-digit boards in the opening half.point Guard Daniel Orozco had a big game and scored at a high volume. He displayed a package of layup moves in transition and even hit a couple three’s in the contest.  It was all-business for Hinsdale Central as a dominant two-way effort propelled them past Glenbard North.

Another Look at Kenwood

The Broncos had a slow start against Evanston, but they ramped things up shortly after led by some terrific guard play by Devin Cleveland. The 2027 Point Guard brought them back in it with a three pointer and outstanding ball-handling abilities that you normally don’t see from a freshman. Aleks Alston Aleks Alston 6'9" | PF Kenwood | 2025 State IL also came alive with a pair of three’s to help keep Kenwood in it. Edwon Duling Edwon Duling 6'2" | SG Kenwood | 2024 State IL and Davion Hannah both contributed in their own ways. Hannah showed off terrific speed with a chase-down block in the first half while also getting some baseline buckets in the second half. 

Evanston Puts up Impressive Fight

The Wildkits had a sensational start to the game against Kenwood with a 12-5 spurt after the tip. Everyone was doing their part early on. 2025 Point Guard Ian Peters displayed a smooth floater to begin the game while also showing so much speed and agility with the ball up the floor. 6’5” wing Morgan Brown also started strong. He’s got tremendous strength as a winger and powered his way for a pair of inside scores. The speed displayed by Brandon Watson Brandon Watson 5'9" | PG Evanston | 2024 State IL allowed for more transition opportunities too. Evanston seemed to have a chip on their shoulder for much of this game and really made Kenwood work on both ends. Theo Rocca seems to have grown more and scored from all levels of the floor in this contest. In a tight game, Brandon Watson Brandon Watson 5'9" | PG Evanston | 2024 State IL came away with some big buckets over taller defenders. 

Cosme, Fitch Propel Brother Rice

Point Guard Cale Cosme Cale Cosme 5'7" | PG Brother Rice | 2024 State IL has been an exciting player to watch for Brother Rice, and this afternoon was no different. He opened the contest with two deep three’s and showed excellent ball control. He ended up hitting two more three’s in the opening half and had 14 at the break. But his playmaking abilities really stood out. He made numerous flashy no-look assists and was an all-around threat in transition in the first half. Forward Xavier Fitch had a big second half. He’s very physical at 6’7” and found open spaces to score easily inside. He also had a pair of dunks in the second half.

LWE vs WWS

I ended the afternoon with Lincoln-Way East facing Wheaton-Warrenville south. Both teams have been very efficient in recent seasons and are well coached. Defense was big in this matchup as neither team reached 22 points in the opening half. WWS’s Joe Preeble led all scorers at halftime with 8 points and two 3’s. He opened up the second half with another three and made some nice assists too. On the other side, 2026 wing Karson Thomas Karson Thomas 6'3" | SG Lincoln Way East | 2026 State IL showed no fear attacking the hoop and played a physical brand of basketball. He made big plays on both ends of the floor to lead an impressive comeback. Thomas’s 14 points propelled Lincoln-Way East to a 38-36 win.