Nationally-ranked teams to duel in Illinois, Maryland

Showcase events in Illinois and Maryland will be the sites of the weekend's only games pitting nationally-ranked teams against one another.

The City-Suburban Showdown in Chicago and Presidential Hoopfest in Upper Marlboro, Md., will have a major impact on next week's Xcellent 25 presented by the Army National Guard.

Until Wednesday night, the City-Suburban Showdown headliner looked like it would be a matchup of unbeaten teams. But national No. 3 Simeon (Chicago) (23-1) fell to rival Whitney Young (Chicago) in the Chicago Public League semifinals, taking some of the luster off of its Saturday night tilt with No. 14 Benet Academy (Lisle) (25-0).

Stanford signee Chasson Randle and Rock Island face Louisville signee Wayne Blackshear and Morgan Park (Chicago) in another intriguing pairing at the UIC Pavilion.

Outside of Washington, D.C., the Presidential Hoopfest features a pair of National High School Invitational hopefuls looking to make a late-season statement. No. 15 Arlington Country Day (Jacksonville, Fla.) (19-1) tackles No. 17 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) (25-3).



For fans looking to catch playoff basketball, action will be underway across nearly half the country by the end of the weekend, including California, Florida, Nevada and Washington.

City-Suburban Showdown
Feb. 19 – UIC Pavilion / Chicago, Ill.
5:15 p.m. – Lyons (LaGrange, Ill.) vs. Proviso East (Maywood, Ill.)
7 p.m. – Rock Island (Ill.) vs. Morgan Park (Chicago, Ill.)
8:45 p.m. – No. 3 Simeon (Chicago, Ill.) vs. No. 14 Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.)

Presidential Hoopfest
Feb. 19 – Wise High School / Upper Marlboro, Md.
3 p.m. – Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Md.) vs. Blue Ridge (St. George, Va.)
4:30 p.m. – Princeton Day Academy (Lanham, Md.) vs. Our Savior New American (Centereach, N.Y.)
6 p.m. – Bishop O'Connell (Arlington, Va.) vs. Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
7:30 p.m. – No. 15 Arlington Country Day (Jacksonville, Fla.) vs. No. 17 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)