Seton Academy Is The Team To Beat In Illinois In Class 2A

By Roy & Harv Schmidt

January 26, 2012 

10:35 A.M. CST

When the 2011-12 Illinois high school basketball season started is was pretty well-known that Seton Academy would be one of the premier teams in the state from the class 2A ranks.  The questions that we had was would they prove to be the best and how well would they fare against a tough schedule consisting largely of 4A schools?

From what we have seen, the Catholic school located in Chicago's south suburbs in South Holland, IL has answered the call in a most positive way.  They have proven that they are not only able to compete with the big boys, but they are also capable of beating many of them.  This was plainly evident this past Tuesday night when we watched Seton defeat a good Marist team 64-62 in an entertaining fast-paced contest.

What we believe makes Seton especiall solid is that they do not have to consistently rely on any one player.  In fact, they are able to get production at any time from anyone amongst their starting five.  They also have depth, with as many as ten players getting significant minutes.  This is necessary considering that the team plays at a frantic pace, often exerting a full-court press designed in the mold of former University Of Arkansas head coach Nolan Richardson's 40 minutes of hell, although in this case it would be 32 minutes of hell (the length of a regulation high school game).

Seton's best college prospect is 6'2 2013 guard Mark Weems, who is the team's most versatile offensive performer.  Weems is a good perimeter shooter who has 3-point range and is also aggressive going to the basket.  He also utilizes his upper body strength well, is a good passer and plays unselfishly.

The team also gets good scoring production from 6'0 2013 guard Kamal Shashi, a lefty shooting guard who has range and is also a good slasher.  Shashi is definitely not bashful when it comes to shot selection but has shown that he can be effective as long as he tones down the wildness.

There is also a long and athletic big man in 6'9 2012 forward Russell Robinson, who lacks strength and is raw offensively, but runs the floor and finishes and can also put the ball on the floor.  His greatest attribute is at the defensive end due to his tremendous wing span and ability to cover ground defensively.

The final ingredients come in the form of steady floor leadership from 6'0 2012 guard Jordan Foster and strong inside play from 6'4 2012 forward J.R. Tolliver, a muscular blue-collar player who does the bulk of the team's dirty work around the basket.

Seton Academy's road to the class 2A state finals in Peoria will not be an easy one.  It will begin with the regional at Chicago's University Lab School in which they could have a tough regional final matchup versus Hales Franciscan awaiting them.  However, when it comes to sizing up the class 2A state tournament based on what we have witnessed to date, we firmly believe that Seton Academy is the team to beat. 

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