THE CHICAGO ELITE CLASSIC basketball tournament was recently held at the Credit Union Arena, 525 S. Racine in Chicago. Pictured above between Homewood-Flossmoor vs. Gonzaga College Prep, Michael Williams (#4) attempts to shoot the ball over Homewood Flossmoor Vikings but is blocked by a heavy defense. (Photos by Marcus Robinson)
The 12th Annual Chicago Elite Classic was held at the Credit Union 1 Arena starting on Friday, December 1, through Sunday, December 3, in Chicago, kicking off the 2023-24 high school basketball season.
The event, powered by Nike, featured some of the best high school teams in the nation.
“We are excited to enter the 12th year of providing this family-oriented community event. Thousands of basketball fans of all ages unite to witness some of the best high school basketball in the nation. We are grateful to our presenting sponsor Nike and long-standing partners Ariel Investments, the Whitaker Group, CPASS Foundation and others for their financial support and commitment to CEC,” said Co-Executive Directors of Chicago Elite Classic (CEC) Sylvia Nelson Jordan and Dr. Marlon Everett.
Local schools and schools from across the nation collaborated over the weekend to give fans of Chicago elite high school basketball a treat over the three-day span.
According to the Chicago Elite Classic, this year’s showcase featured a show-stopping match-up on opening night with Simeon defeating Hillcrest 52-45; the Bolingbrook girls defeated Kenwood 65-59 to close out Day 3 of the Classic.
Other scores included Cardinal Ritter defeating Whitney Young boys 65-63, Loyola girls defeating Vashon 64-24, Homewood-Flossmoor girls defeating Butler 54-43, and Whitney Young girls defeating Lyons Township 46-45 on Day 3.
Honorable mention, Sidwell Friends (D.C.) defeated Curie 56-54 on a game-winning basket scored by Jalen Rougier-Roane on a backdoor cut with 2.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter, according to Big Tim.
The event featured basketball standout talents such as Morez Johnson (Thornton High School, who helped upset No. 1 Kenwood on Saturday night); Kyle Green (Pace Academy), Nyk Lewis (Gonzaga, who dominated Homewood Flossmoor), Xamiya Walton (Butler Prep), Destiny Jackson (Whitney Young), Trinity Jones (Naperville Central) and Xyanna Walton (Butler Prep).
Joseph Phillips is the Sports Editor for the Chicago Crusader Newspaper. He is a Chicago native, who has been a sports writer for over 17 years. He also hosts the SC Media News and Sports Network Q&A radio show on WHPK 88.5 FM Chicago.
