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Sports

Red Devils Prepare for Proviso West Tourney Opener

Hinsdale Central's boys team will take on Proviso East, one of the area's top-ranked teams, in its tourney opener on Monday. The Proviso West Holiday Tournament is celebrating its 50th year.

The Proviso West Holiday Tournament, one of the most prestigious and longest-running tourneys in the state, turns 50 this year. And Hinsdale Central's boys basketball team will be right in the thick of the action.

The Red Devils (3-5) play their opening game at 8:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 27 against always-formidable Proviso East (6-1), which has participated in the tourney 47 years and advanced to the championship game 25 times.

A number of Proviso East products—names that are undoubtedly familiar to basketball fans—have starred at this tournament over the years, including former NBA player Glenn "Doc" Rivers, now the Boston Celtics' head coach; Los Angeles Lakers guard Shannon Brown; and Michael Finley, who's played in the league 14 years, most recently with the Celtics.

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The 2010-11 Proviso East Pirates are deep and talented. Junior guard Keith Carter is considered to be the Pirates' top player, but fellow backcourt mates Javon McDonald and Kyle Bolger, a sophomore, can light it up from the outside. Another sophomore, Sterling Brown, and power forward Trashaun Carroll, also figure into the mix.

Hinsdale Central head coach Nick Latorre said the Pirates' quickness is comparable to that of West Suburban Silver opponent Oak Park-River Forest. The Red Devils lost to OPRF 64-52 on Dec. 17.

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"They're quick and have a little more strength inside (than OPRF)," Latorre said. "We'll try to take care of ball and rebound the ball as best we can, and we'll take it from there. We'll try to be as fundamentally sound as possible to handle their quickness and pressure defense."

Latorre, in his first year as coach, took over a team whose returning players had little varsity experience, and no returning starters. After losing four in a row to open the season, the Red Devils have won three of their last four contests.

Junior Tom Garvin, who scored 10 points against OPRF, is one of the Red Devils' main offensive threats. Mike Pozulp, a senior, provided Hinsdale Central with 12 points and eight rebounds off the bench. Classmates Mike Ostojic (12 points vs. OPRF) and Tom Kladis are capable scorers.

"Our goal (each game) is to always play to our full potential," Latorre said. "We just need to improve, and play as fundamentally sound and as together as we possibly can. We want to focus on playing as a team and doing well as a group."

The Hinsdale Central-Proviso East winner will take on the winner of Morgan Park vs. Fenwick at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 28. The losers of each game face one other at 1:45.

The Pirates, Morgan Park (4-0), Benet Academy (10-0), Homewood-Flossmoor (6-2), Hillcrest (8-2), Glenbrook North (8-0), Thornton Fractional North (5-0) and host Proviso West (7-1) are all participating in the tournament. Each has been ranked among the area's top team most of the season in various Chicagoland media prep polls.

I'm excited," Latorre said. "It'll be fun to play in that atmosphere, and all the legendary coaches and all the phenomenal players that have been involved at that tournament. It's a real honor, and I know the whole Hinsdale community is really excited and honored to get an opportunity to play there."

In addition to Rivers, Brown and Finley, several players with NBA experience have suited up at the Proviso West tournament while in high school. Among them: Mark Aguirre, Isiah Thomas, Jeff Hornacek, Hersey Hawkins and Bulls assistant general manager Randy Brown, along with current NBA players Juwan Howard (Miami), Corey Maggette (Milwaukee), Kevin Garnett (Boston) and Evan Turner (Philadelphia)—the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft.

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