Coach Sly: Hoops teams doing a good job challenging themselves

Some of the local records might not be the snazziest and who knows how much of a difference it'll end up making, but Coach Sly has got to applaud the schedules our area hoops teams are taking on.

St. Charles Noth is probably the poster boy for taking on all comers, and the North Stars have the scars (6-11 record) to prove it. North played difficult tourneys at St. Charles East for Thanksgiving and Jacobs and especially Pontiac for Christmas, not to mention facing city power Crane in a shootout.

Batavia's not far behind in the strength of schedule department. In their current four-game stretch, the Doggies took on prep school juggernaut La Lumiere, Neuqua Valley, Elgin and scary-good Proviso East. The first two games were part of Elgin's tournament. That's some serious competition, ladies and gents, and the Bulldogs sub-.500 record bears that out.

Geneva's schedule isn't quite as glamorous but the Vikings did see a pair of big-time opponents at the East Aurora Holiday tourney.

Sly was glad to see St. Charles East decide to go with a tougher Christmas tourney next year after giving Glenbard West a one-year spin. And even though Kaneland's Christmas tourney is a bit soft, the Knights take on plenty of 4A competition in the non-conference, including taking part in Batavia's Thanksgiving shin-dig, starting this past year.

Give Sly a 14-14 team that played a big-boy schedule over a 19-9 team that didn't really push itself any day.