Sub-Hub

From Huntley to Berwyn and back though the heart of the city, the suburbs of Chicago produce more D1 college basketball talent on a yearly basis than many of its surrounding states combined, and this year is no different. These indigenous prep stars hailing from the Land of Lincoln all devour Malnati's slices and Portillo's cake shakes on trips home to visit their p's and empty their mother's household TIDE inventory like every other college kid hailing from the metropolitan area of the United States' 3rd largest city, but the difference is--these kids lace up the Nike's for D1 basketball programs throughout the country, giving us proud Flatlanders a chance to proudly proclaim, "I played against that dude in high school" whenever you're eyeing a Big Monday telecast looking over your notes for next week's microbiology test (took that claas twice, so this scenario happened quite often). Although it is nearly impossible to account for all the players on the various stages of the vast, college basketball landscape, this blog's service is to do justice to the athletes who skimmed the Daily Herald SportsExtra section each Friday, eagerly awaiting a name drop from PBM (Patricia Babcock-McGraw) or Joe Aguilar.

The Ivy League- Kevin Bulger, who formerly starred at Columbia and Glenbrook South, and once Ivy League Freshman POY Chris Wroblewski, who roamed the halls of Highland Park before "taking his talents to Ithaca" and helping the Big Red march to the sweet 16 a year ago. The Penn Quakers and the Palestra call 3 suburban products their own in Rob 'you should be glad I even referenced you with this haircut" Belcore (Loyola), Danny Monckton (Glenbrook South) and the next Croatian sensation in Marin Kukoc (Highland Park). Brown's Bears also boast Tyler Ponticelli from suburban power Glenbrook North on their front line. And lastly, Yale's campus was home to both Geroge H.W. and George W. Bush respectively, but is now the land in which Mundelein grad Raffi Mantilla cruises campus on a moped with a few cold ones in a plastic bag secured firmly to the handlebars.

The Big 10- Since Cully Payne isn't a real suburban since he transferred from Burlington Central (damn foreign imports) and now plays at at Iowa, I'm not going to give him the recognition he thinks he deserves. But, Illinois guard Brandon Paul (Warren), Michigan swingmen Matt Vogrich (Lake Forest) and Josh Bartelstein (Highland Park), along with Northwestern standout and former IHSA dunk contest champ John Shurna (Glenbard West) are all going to get some blog love. Sorry Cully, maybe if you're name didn't sound like the title of a movie featuring Damon Wayans, things would've been different. Northwestern guards Jeff Ryan (Glenbrook South) and Drew Crawford (Naperville Central) are going to look to get the Wildcats into the tourney for the first time since the Great Depression as we near what I like to call "the grand Recession". Look for Big 10 newcomers Ben Brust (Mundelein) and Duje Dukan (Deerfield) to get their feet wet in the fertile basketball soil of the Big 10, and watch for Jereme Richmond (Waukegan) and Lenzelle Smith (Zion-Benton) to cement themselves as two of the conference's flashiest fresh faces since the league expanded to an 'illiterate dozen' (11 teams) in 1990.

With Jon Scheyer gone and graduated from Duke, the ACC doesn't boast many representatives from the tri-county area in Chicagoland's Northwest region. But, the Big East holds right to Notre Dame's Luke Harangody stunt double, Jack Cooley (Glenbrook South). Out West, the Cal Bears have New Trier grad, Alex Rossi's name in their registry and the Oregon Ducks and their sick, new, forest floor have the rights to Oregon big man, Joevan Catron.

It's safe to say that Illinois was well-represented across the country last year on USA Today's All-American Squad that featured native Illinoisans Evan Turner (St. Joes), Jon Scheyer (Glenbrook North), Sherron Collins (Crane), Jerome Randle (Hales) and Jacob Pullen (Proviso East). How Illinois, DePaul and Northwestern aren't sweet 16 mainstays every year, I can't figure out. But during the month of November, Illinois basketball fans have a lot to be thankful for besides the fast approaching holiday of Black Wednesday.

As for Pick of the Day, it's still BJ3 and the Bucks giving 5 to the Knicks in the Bradley Center in Milwaukee. If you don't own residency to the state of Wisconsin, thus a subscription to FSwisconsin (possibly the worst channel I've ever encountered) or have NBA full court, you're going to have to wait for SportsCenter to validate the Pulse Man's results.

Pick of the Day: Knicks @ Bucks (-4.5)- BUCKS (-105)

Record:(29-23-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost