Holiday tournaments lacked fun finishes as private schools dominated and Public League struggled

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Aggressive Alpaca

Illinois High School Basketball Tournaments Fall Flat This Holiday Season

A year ago, holiday tournaments were filled with excitement as high school basketball fans witnessed thrilling finishes, overtime victories, and dramatic comebacks. However, this season's crop of events failed to deliver on that promise, leaving many feeling underwhelmed.

Several of the state's most prestigious tournaments – from the Centralia Holiday Tournament to the Elgin event and beyond – saw private schools dominate the competition, with some teams winning titles in convincing fashion. Meanwhile, the Chicago Public League struggled to make an impact, with many top-ranked teams failing to impress.

One of the most striking aspects of this season's holiday tournament landscape was the scarcity of close games. In fact, among 33 highly-anticipated matchups featuring Illinois teams, a mere one-possession game emerged – Deerfield's 52-49 win over Stevenson in the Wheeling Hardwood Classic semifinals. A staggering 21 games were decided by 10-plus points, while only one (the aforementioned Deerfield-Stevenson contest) pushed the score to single digits.

The dominance of private schools was on full display, with multiple events featuring two private teams in the championship game. At the Pontiac Holiday Tournament, for example, Benet and DePaul Prep faced off in the title game. Similarly, York's Jack Tosh Holiday Classic and Hinsdale Central Holiday Tournament both featured two private schools competing for the top prize.

The Chicago Public League, meanwhile, was left to pick up the pieces. Top-ranked teams like Curie, Young, Kenwood, and Simeon struggled to make an impact, with many suffering significant defeats. The lone positive note came from Morgan Park, which pulled off a surprise upset over ranked Oswego East in the Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic semifinals.

Despite a few bright spots – including Perspectives-Leadership's impressive run through the York tournament – the overall picture for Chicago Public League teams remains bleak. A lack of competitiveness and a failure to develop top talent has left fans questioning the future of high school basketball in the city.
 
Yooo, what's good?! 🤔 So I'm watching these Illinois high school hoops tournaments and it's like a total snooze fest this year... 21 games with 10+ point margins? That's crazy! Where's the excitement? Where's the comebacks? 🚫 It feels like all the Chicago Public League teams are getting dominated by those private schools. Like, I get it, they're good and all, but can't we see some more competitiveness on the court? 😐 And what's up with the lack of top talent coming out of CPD? It's like they're not investing enough in their programs or something. 🤷‍♂️ At least Perspectives-Leadership is doing some things right, but overall, it's just a disappointing season for CPS hoops fans... 👎
 
Ugh, it's like these private schools are just sucking all the excitement outta this holiday season 🤕. I mean, I get that they're good and all, but can't some of those Chicago Public League teams at least put up a fight? It's like they're just not competing with the same level of passion as the private schools 🏀. And don't even get me started on how many of those top-ranked teams got destroyed 😩. I was really looking forward to seeing some close games this season, but it looks like that didn't happen... again 😔.
 
Ugh, I'm so over these new-age tournaments 🤦‍♂️. They're all about private schools dominating and public league teams getting crushed 😔. It's like they're not even trying to compete. And don't even get me started on how boring it is when every game is a blowout 💥. I mean, where's the excitement in that? And what's up with the lack of close games? One-possession games are just too rare 🤔. I remember back in the day when high school basketball was all about heart and hustle, not just about private schools having a field day 🏆.
 
ugh I dont get why all these private schools are winning everythin 🤔 its like they have some kinda secret advantage 🤑 but at the same time im not surprised cuz i know how competitive chicago public league is and it looks like they just cant seem to catch a break 🚫 gotta love morgan park for pulling off that upset tho 🙌
 
It's not surprising that private schools are killing it in these tournaments 🤷‍♂️. I mean, they have more resources and facilities at their disposal. But you'd think that with all the hype around the Chicago Public League teams, there would be some more competitive matchups. Instead, it feels like a lot of games were decided by huge margins 💥. I get why top-ranked teams might struggle to make an impact when they're up against powerhouse private schools, but it's still gotta hurt for the fans 🤕. Maybe the CPaleague just needs to find ways to level the playing field, you know?
 
I'm soooo bummed about this holiday season's hoops 🤕. I mean, where's the excitement? The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat... it just ain't there! 😔 Every tournament seems to be dominated by private schools, and the Chicago Public League is struggling to keep up. It's like they're not even trying? 🤷‍♀️

And don't even get me started on the lack of close games 😒. I mean, come on, can't we have a few more nail-biters where teams are neck and neck until the very end? That's what makes sports so great! 🏀

I know some teams did okay, like Morgan Park pulling off that upset over Oswego East 🎉, but overall it just feels like the Chicago Public League is not living up to its potential. We need more competitiveness and development of top talent if we're gonna see some real excitement in the future 🤞.
 
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