Holiday tournament guide: 37th Collinsville Prairie Farms Holiday Classic

QUINCY — Which team is considered the favorite in the 37th annual Collinsville Prairie Farms Holiday Classic?

Take your pick.

“There are a lot of really good teams in the field,” Quincy High School boys basketball coach Andy Douglas said. “I don’t know if there is a team that is head and shoulders better than everybody else. You’re going to have to win some tough games against some tough opponents to win the championship.”

His Blue Devils should be one of those tough opponents. Quincy is one of five teams in the 16-team bracket with just one loss this season, while Lincoln is the only unbeaten team as the Railsplitters sport a 9-0 record.

The Blue Devils have some momentum, too, having handed Batavia just its second loss of the season, upended state-ranked Moline and won a rivalry game against Quincy Notre Dame in their last three games.

“Our guys are playing with confidence right now,” Douglas said. “They are executing, and they understand how to play together. We have to continue to improve in those aspects and really allow our defense to dictate things. But I like where we are and look forward to seeing us move forward.”

Here is a team-by-team look at the field:

Belleville East (8-1) — The Lancers carry a seven-game winning streak into the holidays. Jordan Pickett, a 6-foot-4 junior swingman, averages 23.1 points per game and is shooting 46.7 percent from 3-point range with 21 made threes. He also leads the Lancers in rebounding (5.9 rpg) and steals (2.3 spg).

Madison (8-2) — The Trojans are on a seven-game winning streak with three of those decided by eight points or less. DeAngelo Enlow, a 6-foot-4 senior forward, averages 12.4 points and 8.6 rebounds, while Eric Hurst, also a 6-foot-4 senior forward, averages 12.1 points and 9.6 rebounds.

Decatur MacArthur (9-1) — Winners of eight games in a row, the Generals are averaging 74.2 points per game and allowing just 48.2 points. Senior guard Jabryn Anderson scored 28 points in a matchup with Decatur Eisenhower in mid-December and is the Generals’ most consistent offensive threat. Senior guard Bryan Aphalone is the Generals’ lockdown defender.

Edwardsville (6-4) — Sophomore guard Bryce Spiller leads the Tigers in scoring at 10.7 points per game, while five other players average between 5.2 and 7.7 points. The Tigers are scoring 43.2 points per game and allowing 41.8 points.

Quincy (9-1) — Jeremiah Talton, a 6-foot-6 senior swingman with an offer from Western Illinois University, will be one of the top senior prospects in the field. He is averaging 22.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Freshman guard Bradley Longcor III is averaging 14.2 points and is one of three freshmen logging major minutes.

Belleville Althoff (1-9) — D’Necco Rucker, a 6-foot-4 junior forward, leads the Crusaders at 16.3 points per game and Keyshon Blackmon, a 6-foot-2 senior, is averaging 12.3 points, but Althoff is allowing 59.7 points per game.

Lincoln (9-0) — The Railsplitters played their first six games at home to kickstart their winning streak and have been dynamic defensively. They allow just 31.1 points per game. Payton Cook, a 6-foot-5 junior forward, is the grandson of Norm Cook and the nephew of Brian Cook — both legendary Lincoln players who played in the NBA.

Alton (0-9) — The Redbirds have allowed 60 or more points four times and are allowing 61.6 points per game overall. Adrian Elliott Jr., a 6-foot-1 senior guard, is averaging 11.8 points per game, while Byron Stampley, a 6-foot-2 junior forward, is at 10.1 points per game.

Oakville (4-1) — The Tigers are 1-1 since a two-week break in their schedule. Junior guard Colby Noblitt is averaging 13.4 points, while senior forward Grant Hastings is averaging 9.6 points and 4.4 rebounds.

Mundelein (5-4) — The Mustangs are averaging 49.6 points and allowing 47.2 points. Freshman point guard Derek Bishop is a rising star, having gone for 29 points, four rebounds and four assists in a victory against Waukegan. Chris Martin, a 6-foot-6 junior forward, is considered one of the state’s top 50 prospects in the Class of 2023.

Collinsville (6-4) — The Kahoks are outsourcing opponents by seven points per game, but only two points in Southwestern Conference play. Trey Swygeart, a 6-foot-1 senior guard, is averaging 12.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, while Devin Davis, a 6-foot-2 senior guard, is scoring 12.3 points per game.

Wasilla Alaska (0-3) — The Warriors opened the season by allowing 70 or more points in all three games. Wasilla has won its conference tournament title 11 times since 2000 and is a two-time Alaska Class 4A state champion — 2007 and 2018.

O’Fallon (11-1) — The Panthers are averaging 61.5 points per game, while giving up just 42.6 points. They opened the season with nine straight victories before a nine-point loss at Collinsville. Caleb Burton, a 6-foot-2 senior guard, averages 15.8 points, 2.5 steals and 2.0 assists per game. Junior guard Jalen Smith is averaging 10.6 points and 4.8 rebounds.

Troy Triad (5-7) — The Knights have lost five of their last seven games and are allowing 51.6 points per game. Junior guard Ayden Hitt leads the Knights at 16.3 points per game and has made 31 3-pointers. Triad has three other players averaging between 7.8 and 8.6 points per game.

Rockford East (7-3) — The E-Rabs are averaging 62.1 points per game, while allowing 50.1 points and boast one of the biggest frontcourts in the field in 6-foot-5 senior Malik Bates, 6-foot-5 junior Matthew Hoarde and 6-foot-7 Carl Harris. Senior shooting guard Jereme Johnson, a transfer from Rockford Jefferson, is averaging in double figures in scoring.

Granite City (6-4) — The Warriors have won three of their last four games and come in averaging 52.7 points and allowing 50.3 points. Three players are averaging in double figures — senior guard Marc’Kell Campbell (14.3), senior guard Tyrek Thomas (11.8) and senior forward Tyrese Grose (10.8).