Inside Boys Basketball

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Athlete of the Week

T.J. Sigmund

Johnsburg, jr.

The 6-foot-3 Sigmund has been on a recent tear with his scoring and three-point shooting. He scored 18 points Jan. 21 and hit two three-pointers as the Skyhawks lost to Grayslake Central, 63-59, in overtime. The Rams lead the Fox Valley Conference Fox Division with no losses.

Sigmund has raised his scoring average almost to double figures (9.8) and has hit 23 threes for the season, most of which have come after the Christmas holiday break. Sigmund is 23 of 43 on threes (53.5 percent) this season.

Sigmund scored six points Friday in Johnsburg’s 56-49 loss to Crystal Lake Central.

Noteworthy

More rotten luck: If it were not for bad luck, Harvard would have no luck at all this season.

The Hornets lost their point guard, Collin Nolen, with a torn ACL two minutes into the season. Guard Timmy Linhart, their leading scorer last season and this season, missed four games with a sprained ankle. Now, Linhart will miss another four weeks with mononucleosis.

The senior was diagnosed Wednesday and could return for the end of the season. He was told by his doctor to stay home this week and rest and return to school Monday.

“At the Castle Challenge [against Marengo on Saturday night] I had to pull myself from the game,” said Linhart, who averages 11.8 points a game and has 24 threes. “I never pull myself from a game. I was light-headed. There were times I thought I was going to fall asleep on the bench.”

Harvard is 3-18 overall, 1-4 in the Big Northern Conference East Division.

“When it rains, it pours,” Hornets coach Will Benson said. “This season’s been a learning experience. The next guy has to step up. We can’t look at it any other way.”

Smokin’ Schweder: Woodstock North guard Sam Schweder had made 16 consecutive free throws before Friday night’s 55-51 loss to Hampshire. He was 1 of 3 in that game, making him 23 for his past 26 from the line. Schweder leads the area in free-throw percentage at 86.0 (37 of 43).

“I’ve always been a decent free-throw shooter, but this year, by far, has been my best,” Schweder said. “I try not to think about it when I go up there. It’s the simplest thing you can do in basketball, so I try not to overthink. Just use the same routine and thought process every time and it should go in.”

Schweder made 6 of 6 against Johnsburg in an overtime loss Jan. 13. He made both of his attempts in a victory against Marengo on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, then made 8 of 8 in a 43-33 victory against Woodstock.

SFlbThis week’s top games

Huntley at Dundee-Crown

7 p.m. today

Both teams are unbeaten in Fox Valley Conference Valley Division games. Huntley beat the Chargers, 54-49, in the Sycamore Tournament. That was the second game of the season for both teams.

Johnsburg vs. Lake Zurich

3:15 p.m. today, at Bradley Center in Milwaukee

It’s going to be a big day for folks from Johnsburg and Lake Zurich as their sophomore, varsity and even feeder teams get to play on the big court. The teams will watch walk-throughs by the Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers, play their game in the afternoon, then see the NBA teams play at night.

Dundee-Crown at McHenry

7 p.m. Tuesday

D-C either will be ahead of Huntley or down one in the loss column when it visits McHenry. Either way, it will be a big game for both teams. McHenry is trying to hang in the race and position itself for a better Class 4A regional seed.

Joe Stevenson
joestevenson@shawmedia.com