Parham Perspective: Tuesday Chicago Doubleheader

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On Tuesday I was able to get out and check two high level matchups. The first was the CPS Elite 8 matchup of Simeon and the host Lane Tech. In the second contest I traveled two minutes across the bridge to catch the De La Salle visiting DePaul Prep. Here is my look at both in <strong>Parham Perspective: Tuesday Chicago Doubleheader</strong>!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Simeon 53&nbsp; Lane Tech 50</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A fun matchup on paper turned out to be a close game down the stretch. It all started with Simeon guard [player_tooltip player_id='1750596' first='RJ' last='McKinnie']. The Chicago gritty guard had the task to guard the best player and still be an effective scorer. A role that exceeded in. RJ shot the ball well hitting 5 threes while getting to the foul line several times off drives and finishing through contact. An underrated rated part of his game is how well he rebounds for a guard. He seems to know where the ball would come off the rim and just out hustles guys to get it. McKinnie is one of the best defenders in the state and it showed in his coverage of Lane's best scoring threat [player_tooltip player_id='1373439' first='Shaheed' last='Solebo']. Shaheed was held to 9 points all in the first half as he would foul out late in the 4th quarter. The Champions would get a lift from 6'8 junior standout [player_tooltip player_id='1545128' first='Dalton' last='Scantlebury'] who was a matchup problem for Simeon. He scored around the rim with several offensive putbacks. The [program_tooltip program_id='2076046' first='Wolverines' last=''] didn't have much size to keep Dalton off the boards as he finished with 14 points and 16 rebounds. The [program_tooltip program_id='2076046' first='Wolverines' last='']' win has given them a spot in the CPS final 4 on Thursday.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DePaul Prep 43   De La Salle 40 </strong><br><br>As I made the trip over the bridge to DePaul campus they were underway but I managed to watch another close matchup. The two teams seemed to know each other well. The matchup of 2026 highly ranked prospects [player_tooltip player_id='1845360' first='Rashaun' last='Porter'] and Charles Barnes was on my mind going into this game but the upperclassmen were the ones who stole the show. [player_tooltip player_id='1545133' first='Makai' last='Kvamme'] was the key factor in this game as he put pressure on the Meteors' defense by getting to the rim consistently and drawing fouls. Makai lived at the free-throw line throughout the game. He's smooth when attacking the paint and can take angles that most guards can't. Another player who continuously shows his worth for DePaul Prep is [player_tooltip player_id='1157352' first='Jaylan' last='McElroy']. The 6'7 defensive hound is just a walking spark plug. He does so much but isn't highlighted as much for his defensive effort. He pulled in double-digit rebounds while swatting several shots. For De La Salle it was [player_tooltip player_id='1978578' first='Alioune' last='Mbaye'] who led them in scoring with 12 points. A 6'7 post player who also can face up from 15 feet. He showed good hands around the rim and made all the right plays to keep De La Salle in the game. In a low-scoring defensive game like this we didn't get much activity from the younger guys but a three from Barnes in the first half and a strong attack from Porter showed what they both have to offer as college prospects.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->