By Jeff Vorva
Correspondent
A good chunk of the college basketball season has been completed.
What have we learned about the men and women’s programs at Saint Xavier University, Trinity Christian College, Moraine Valley Community College and Morton College?
Plenty.
But there is more to be learned in the next few months. A look at where things stand heading into the 2024 portion of the schedule.
SXU
The men’s team has a serious superstar in Cedric Johnson, a Nebraska native who won three straight Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Week honors in December.
The senior guard is averaging 23.2 points per game for the Cougars (8-5, 3-1), who entered 2024 with a six-game winning streak.
A huge game is coming up at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 6 when the Cougars host Roosevelt University, which is ranked 20th in the nation by NAIA coaches.
The women’s (6-6, 4-1) put together its best offensive performance of the season on Dec. 30 with an 85-57 victory over Waldorf Iowa.
There is plenty of balance with this team. Alyssa Crenshaw (13.4 points per game), Jaidn Green (11.3) and Eleanor Harris (10.3) are strong scoring weapons, while Bethany Baldwin (9.8) is right behind. Crenshaw is averaging 6.2 rebounds per game while Harris is at 6.1 and Baldwin at 5.3.
Trinity Christian
The Trolls men’s team (4-8, 0-5 CCAC) has some catching up to do.
They have shown some signs of offensive pop with 86 points against Welch (Tennessee) 84 against Grace Christian (Michigan) and 77 against Moody Bible. But they need to translate that firepower into conference games.
Brady Loerop, a Chicago Christian grad, leads the team with an 11.1 scoring average while Danny Staskunas is at 10.3 and another Chicago Christian graduate, Johnny Dieck, is at 10.1.
Oak Lawn native and Brother Rice graduate Garrett Greene could be a big weapon in 2024. He averaged 15.5 points per game in two games at the end of December.
The women (0-11, 0-5) are hoping to turn things around because little when right for them. Sedona Anderson leads the Trolls with a 10.5 scoring average.
Moraine Valley
The Cyclones men’s team roared off to a 9-4 start and scored in triple digits in three of those games.
A come-from-behind win over Danville on Dec. 20 was a nice shot in the arm. Sophomore guard Enari Thomas had 36 points and was 13-for-13 at the free throw line in that game.
The women’s team was 8-4 and has had a long layoff since a 94-44 win over Wilbur Wright College on Dec. 7.
Richards grad Deniza Fuentes has been on fire, and the Cyclones are looking forward to the debut of Indiana native Sarah Burton in 2024. Burton played at Kankakee Community College last year.
Morton College
The Panthers men’s team got off to one of its best starts in program history by winning its first three games, but since have leveled off at 6-6.
The national-power women’s team is off to a 13-3 start and scored 90 in their final game of 2023 at Miami Dade (Florida).
Freshman Brynne Katcher is averaging 14.5 points per game in just 17 minutes per game.