Naperville North looks for solid seed in regional

• Reprints

Chris Mullen (30) of Naperville North slams on the brakes as he is confronted by Mack Brown (15) of Plainfield East on Saturday. | Jon Cunningham~For Sun-Times Media

Updated: March 9, 2012 8:07AM

During third-year coach Jeff Powers’ first year at the helm of the Huskies’ program, he led them to a top-four seed in the 2010 Class 4A Neuqua Valley Sectional and an eventual 20-win season.

That season ended with a regional semifinal defeat to West Aurora, a team Naperville North had swept in both regular-season meetings.

A year after only winning 16 games and coming close to upsetting No. 1 Benet in its own regional final as a ninth seed, Naperville North has matched its win total from a year ago through its first 22 games this season.

The 16-6 record the Huskies carry into Friday’s meeting with Glenbard East has put them in position to receive a pretty good seed when the IHSA releases the seeds and pairings for all four classes later this week.

“Well, I thought if we had won (Saturday night against Plainfield East), we could have a chance for one of the one seeds,” Naperville North coach Jeff Powers said. “But I don’t know now. I don’t know. I’m thinking maybe five, maybe four, maybe six — somewhere (in) there.”

Naperville North is also hoping to receive decent placement in regard to location for its regional play.

The four regionals within the Class 4A East Aurora Sectional will be contested at Metea Valley, Neuqua Valley, Downers Grove South and Oswego.

“Yeah, I guess. Yeah, that’d be a nice place to go,” Powers said of possibly getting a chance to play at Neuqua Valley.

Benet in stretch run

Although its dreams for a third straight East Suburban Catholic title probably ended with its 50-42 loss at St. Viator on Thursday, Benet has quietly put together a solid season through its first 21 games, compiling a 16-5 record.

Entering its game Friday at home against St. Patrick off the heels of a 39-35 victory over Wheaton North Saturday in Batavia’s annual Night of Hoops, Benet has won five of its last six games.

“As far as where we’re at as a team, we just take it one game at a time,” Benet coach Gene Heidkamp said. “I know that’s a cliché, but that’s just kind of where this team is at. We struggle at times to score points, but I think it may not be the most pure of basketball or the prettiest of basketball, but I respect the effort of these guys.

“They play very hard. They find a way to be successful. We’ve had some difficulty at times scoring points like we want to, but all in all, our defense has been consistent. We’re playing consistent basketball.”

Highlighting the Redwings’ stretch of good play recently was a victory Jan. 28 over Linn-Mar (Iowa) High School in the Wendy’s American Trust High School Basketball Classic.

During the one-day excursion to Dubuque, Iowa, sophomore center Sean O’Mara had 30 points in Benet’s 56-50 victory over Linn-Mar, helping offset the 34 points that North Carolina-bound guard Marcus Paige had for the Lions.

“Paige is as good as billed,” Heidkamp said. “He’s really, really good. So it’s a good experience for our kids to go play against a player of that caliber. We had a good experience, coming off obviously a hard-fought win the night before (at home against Notre Dame). (A) big win for us in our conference. So the weekend itself was a good weekend, all the way around.”

Central looks for consistency

Back in December, upon winning its first Wheeling Hardwood Classic title since 2008, Naperville Central entered the 2012 calendar year at 9-3.

Six weeks later, the Redhawks’ record has plunged to 12-9 entering their game Tuesday at Hinsdale Central.

“Yeah we are. We definitely are (going through a rough patch),” Naperville Central coach Pete Kramer said last Friday after the Redhawks’ 50-47 loss to Wheaton Warrenville South. “Can’t pass, have trouble dribbling, can’t shoot, don’t rebound at times, don’t take care of the ball, turn the ball over. All facets of the game have left us as of right now. It started up in Dubuque and it’s just continued to lurk around our team.”

Since winning five straight games from Dec. 16 through the conclusion of the Wheeling Hardwood Classic on Dec. 30, Naperville Central has won two games a row only once — earning road victories at West Chicago and at Glenbard East on Jan. 25 and Jan. 27.

Averaging 58.3 points per game through their first 12 games of the season, the Redhawks’ average has dipped to 50.7 points a game in their nine games since winning at Wheeling, resulting in just three wins. The worst of it came in back-to-back games against Dubuque (Iowa) Senior High School and West Aurora to close out January, which saw Central put up its two lowest scoring outputs of the season with 38 and 40 points.

“Not like this. No, I’ve never experienced this,” Kramer said. “A blowout like Tuesday night where we didn’t show up. The problem is we don’t have a starting lineup. It’s hard to win when you don’t have a starting lineup. We’re not consistent and it started after Christmas. We’ve got to fight through it and find a way.”