To win the Jack Tosh Holiday Classic, which boasts 13 out of 16 teams with a .500 record or better, Riverside Brookfield will have to play nearly flawless team basketball. Then again, it never hurts to have a great player on your side, which is exactly what the Bulldogs have in star guard Chris Parrish.
The 6-foot-3 senior has been a one-man highlight zone this season pouring in 20.6 points per game to spark RB to its fast 6-2 start. In his last two games, the SIU-bound scoring machine scorched Tinley Park for 36 points and 10 rebounds and followed that Herculean effort with 32 points and 12 rebounds against Elmwood Park.
“I’m just working hard,” Parrish said. “Our team has plenty of scoring options with guys who can shoot the ball and also play well inside. The [Jack Tosh Holiday Classic] is a great challenge for us because we’ll be facing good teams every night.”
While Parrish certainly has been the catalyst for the Bulldogs’ success this season, it’s hardly been a one-man show for the sharp-shooting Bulldogs.
Returning all-conference player Dan Oswald, promising sophomore Billy VandeMerkt, and reserve Dontaye Bosley, along with role players like Dan Szczesny, Derek Tomasek and Anthony Kilcoyne all have contributed.
“Our game is to run and score often,” noted Kilcoyne. “We can pick up our defense a little more, but overall we are playing pretty well.”
Headlining the 16-team field at the Jack Tosh Holiday Classic is top-seeded Lyons Township. The Lions (8-0), who routed RB 72-48 earlier in the year, feature a dominant frontcourt of 6-8, 270-pound Jeff Adams (12.9 points per game, 8 rebounds per game), Ed Viliunas (10.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and Matt Hirt (10.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg). The Lions play Eisenhower on today (1:30 p.m.) in their Jack Tosh Holiday Classic opener.
No. 2 seed Wheaton-Warrenville South, No. 3 Conant and No. 4 Brother Rice all possess size, depth and athleticism. Host York, which has already knocked off highly touted Oak Park 56-55 this season, is a dangerous No. 7 seed led by 6-4 senior Steve Ganser (13.7 ppg, 8 rpg) and 6-7 forward Roger Coffin (13.5 ppg).
RB meets No. 5 seed St. Ignatius today at 9 a.m.
“St. Ignatius is a very tough opponent for our first game,” RB coach Tom McCloskey said. “They can shoot the basketball and they are a disciplined, intelligent team.”
On Thursday, the Bulldogs will face either Glenbard South or Brother Rice depending on how all three teams fare in their opening round game. The championship game will be Saturday, December 29.
“I’ve always felt this tournament features tremendous coaches and solid basketball programs,” said York coach Al Biancalana. “To win this event, a team will have to play four consecutive days of excellent basketball.”
Biancalana, who had McCloskey as an assistant at Downers Grove North, is impressed with the Bulldogs, particularly Parrish.
“Coach McCloskey does an excellent job with the RB program,” Bianacalana said. “Chris is a wonderful talent. As a sophomore, he scored 30 points against us [here] so we are well aware of his ability. He has a very explosive offensive game.”