The basketball season is over...

...for me. Or at least attending games in person is over for me.

I'm busy next Tuesday; otherwise I'd probably go see that Benet - Glenbard North contest at Hinsdale Central. (And I'd be looking for a GBN upset over the Redwings, by the way.) If not, I'd probably go to Loyola - Whitney Young at Chicago State (although I think it could be a long night for the Ramblers). On Friday I look forward to watching Whitney Young and Stevenson in the semis on TV. (I went to Peoria, above, last year -- never again; too far to drive and my seat was too far from the court.) After that I expect to see Young defeat Marian Catholic in the finals on Saturday after Stevenson delivers another blow to Glenbard North in the consolation game. (Remember last fall when the Patriots upset the Panthers on the road in the football playoffs?) Stevenson! [clenched fist].

(If I had time for 3A -- which I don't -- I could watch Bogan and Morgan Park at Joliet Central, but I'd never again see North Chicago and Orr at Hoffman Estates. Why? It's a lousy place to watch a game. Read my take on last year's matchup here.)

So Friday night's game between Fremd and Stevenson was my thirteenth and last of the year. (I saw 15 different teams since December 12. Pretty pathetic when you consider that I watched a total of 26 football games in 13 weeks last fall.) But basketball is so different from football in so many ways. (I'll have to write a post on it one of these days.) And, let's face it, football is my first love. (Although I do like the fact that it's always 72 and sunny at these cage matches.)

Here's the skinny on the Fremd - Stevenson game from the Trib and Sun-Times. (I really can't improve on their coverage.)

And here's a final ranking of the 15 teams I saw this year. I watched Stevenson five times, St. Viator and Fremd three times each, and Loyola, Zion-Benton and Marian Catholic twice. I never got to see Curie or Whitney Young. Any regrets? Just one: I wish I had gone to that 95-93 double-overtime Stevenson victory over Lake Forest last month in which Jalen Brunson scored an eye-popping 56 points while Evan Boudreaux added 43. That must have been fun to watch!

So, again, here are my personal rankings. (And they're in the order in which I really feel they should; not in the order in which I'd be expected to rank them.)

1. Stevenson
2. Simeon
3. Marian Catholic
4. St. Viator
5. Fremd 
6. St. Rita
7. Lake Forest
8. Loyola
9. Zion-Benton

I feel more confident about the bottom six:

10. Benet
11. St. Patrick
12. Highland Park 
13. St. Ignatius 
14. Glenbrook South
15. Barrington