Lyons Township: Teamwork Personified

February 8, 2010

11:00 P.M. CST

As talent evaluators and recruiting analysts, the majority of our focus is on individual players and as a result we rarely get the opportunity to write about high school basketball from a team standpoint.  However, in this case we are going to make an exception.  That is because Lyons Township High School has proven that they are one of the best teams in the state and we believe that are capable of making some serious noise in the class 4A state tournament.

Lyons Township is currently undefeated with a record of 20-0 and are ranked #6 in the latest AP class 4A state poll.  In addition, all but two of their victories have been by double-digit margins, including a 73-63 win over Proviso East in a game that we witnessed this past Saturday.  Yet in many ways they have not gotten the respect that they deserve. 

Perhaps it is because they don't have a D1 player on their team.  Or it could be that they don't have overwhelming size and will not wow anybody with their athleticism.  The way we see it, those are lame excuses.  If anything, we would argue that those are among the things that make this Lyons Township squad unique and special.

Although there are no individual standouts, Lyons Township receives strong inside play from both 6'4 forward Dan Lalonde, 6'5 forward Justin Phipps. and 6'5 junior forward Nick Burt. They also have a smart, heady point guard in 5'11 Jimmy Stamas and outstanding perimeter shooting from 6'1 Austin Lusson and 6'3 junior guard Spencer Mahoney.  What they lack in terms of flashiness they more than compensate for with a high degree of confidence, heart and basketball intelligence.  If you are a small college coach, you recruit the entire team.

The sectional seeds and pairings for the class 4A state tournament will be released at the end of this week, and there is no question that Lyons Township deserves consideration for the #1 seed in a sectional that will played on their home floor.  If anyone thought that the sold-out crowd for the Proviso East game was crazy, just imagine what the atmosphere will be like for a sectional that looks to be absolutely loaded. 

Kudos undoubtedly must go to Lyons Township head coach Tom Sloan, who is doing a tremendous job and is a leading candidate for our Coach Of The Year honors at the end of the season.  Lyons Township's state tournament path certainly won't be easy, as possible sectional opponents could include Mt. Carmel, Simeon, Bogan, Morgan Park, Hyde Park, Brother Rice or Chicago Vocational.  However, considering how this team plays, don't be surprised if Lyons Township is still standing when it is all said and done.     

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