Lady Raiders to Take on Nation's Top Talent in Nike Tournament

The girls basketball team will take on the No. 14-ranked Cicero (North Syracuse, NY) in the first round of the Nike Tournament of Champions, which kicks off Monday in Phoenix.

Win or lose, the competition gets even tougher.

With a win, the Lady Raiders——would likely take on No. 12 St. Mary's (Stockton, CA) in the second round; No. 4 Dr. Phillips (Orlando, FL) in the quarterfinals; No. 20 St. Mary's (Phoenix) in the semifinals; and the matchup everybody is likely looking forward to—a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup between Bolingbrook and second-rated Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA) in the tournament's championship.

“I expect four great games,” said Smith, whose team was finished second place nationally last year. “The play down there is going to be great with the teams, talent and coaches. It’s going to be a great challenge. That’s the best of the best.”

All in all, the Joe Smith Division—the tournament's most competitive field—offers 11 of the nation's top 25 teams, according to USA Today.

Bolingbrook kicks its tournament schedule off with Cicero on Monday at 4:30 p.m. Phoenix-time. Win or lose, the Lady Raiderrs will play again on Tuesday—a win would make the game at 1:30 p.m.; a loss would force the team to play at 10:30 p.m.

A big challenge for the Lady Raiders will be Monday’s opening contest against No. 14 Cicero-North Syracuse (2-0) of New York. The Northstars boast arguably the best player in the nation in 6’4” center Breanna Stewart, who is a University of Connecticut recruit like Bolingbrook senior forward Morgan Tuck.

Bolingbrook senior forward Nia Moore feels Tuck, who was Ms. Basketball of Illinois in 2009, will do well against the acclaimed Stewart.

“It’s nothing for Morgan,” Moore said. “Morgan is always ready for the challenge and we always have her back.”

Last season, the Lady Raiders won two games against and before dropping two-straight games to in double overtime and , at the time, the No. 1 team in the nation.

Following the losses, Bolingbrook went on to win 23-straight games, including a third-straight Illinois state championship.

This year, the Lady Raiders have . Sweeping the Nike tournament might be a must to do so.

“It’s a challenge,” Smith said of getting his players to play intensely every game. “It takes a habit to play that hard. You must play hard everyday. I’m trying to get them to buy into the habit.”

Smith said he'd like his forwards to be more accurate when shooting the ball inside and rebound better. The last two games, the Lady Raiders have missed quite a few layups that could haunt them against the competition in the Nike tournament.

“We’ve got to finish in the paint,” said Moore, an Illinois recruit who is a strong post defender. “We’ve been working on our post moves. That’s our biggest aspect. We need to get our guards open. If they are not open, it’s going to be harder to finish.”

For more on the Bolingbrook girls basketball team, check out Bolingbrook Patch's Lady Raiders Basketball Guide.