By Jim Wieners

Despite starting 2014 very slowly Hazelwood Central Boys Basketball is enjoying a 10-1 start to the season after ending 2013 with an 8-1 record and winning two tournaments, at St. John Vianney and at St. Louis Community College.

So far in 2014 Hazelwood Central is 2-0 with Suburban North Conference wins over their closest rivals, McCluer North (55-49) and Hazelwood East (76-72). Another scheduled game, against Cardinal Ritter, apparently was called off due to the winter weather

Now this weekend gets very busy for the Hawks beginning Friday, Jan. 24, with a 5:30 Suburban North Game at Ritenour’s Costilow Fieldhouse. Saturday, Jan. 25, the Hawks play a 3:30 game against Ozark in Camdenton then Sunday, Jan. 26, Central heads to Mizzou Arena, Columbia, for a 2 p.m. game against Hickman.

After that the Hawks will then set their sites for the Ameritime Classic, hosted by Parkway West and will be played at Missouri Baptist University. The Tournament is scheduled for Jan. 27-31 although pairings and seedings were unavailable as of Jan. 19. Central returns home Feb. 4 for a Suburban North game against Pattonville.

Through 11 games Demarco Buchanan and Xavier Sneed are the only double-figure per game scorers. Buchanan averages nearly 15 points per games making nearly 51 percent of his shots including nearly 62 percent of his shots inside the three-point arc and has made over 80 percent of his free throws (25 out of 31). Sneed averages nearly 11 points per game making nearly 55 percent of his shots from inside the arc and has connected on  64.5 percent from the free throw line (20 out of 31).

Outside of scoring Buchanan leads in assists (30) and steals (18), Sneed leads in rebounds (69) and Dominique Dobbs leads in blocked shots (15).

McCLUER NORTH — After opening the season with the championship of the St. Francis Borgia Thanksgiving Tournament-Blue Division the Stars, who took a 12-6 record to the Jan. 22 game (last Wednesday) at Soldan-International Studies having won nine of the last 15 games as of Martin Luther King Day. During that period the Stars took 11th place during the Christmas break at the Collinsville, Ill. Tournament. In Suburban North play the Stars lost to Hazelwood Central but rebounded Jan. 17 with an 88-74 win at Ritenour.

After playing Jan 23 the Stars play five of their next seven games against the Suburban North including this Friday (Jan. 24) 7 p.m. at home versus Pattonville.

Prior to Jan. 20 Rashad Lindsey is the McCluer North leading scorer averaging nearly 21 points per game in 16 games played Lindsey has made over 53 percent of his shots inside the three-point arc and has made 69 out of 91 free throws (nearly 76 percent). Lindsey has 52 assists, Demarco Owens (in 15 games) has 107 rebounds and 12 blocked shots and Jordan Boone (through 15 games) has 31 steals.

NORTH TECHNICAL — Prior to completing in the Orchard Farm Tournament — which began last Monday, Jan. 20, and closes this Saturday, Jan. 25 — a tournament the Golden Eagles won last year, North Tech has a 10-3 record. That includes a third-place finish in the Winfield Tournament and their second consecutive championship in the Lutheran High-St. Charles County Cougar Classic. After the Orchard Farm Tournament North Tech has nine games left including a Jan 27 home game, 6 p.m., against Maplewood-Richmond Heights but a scheduled game Feb. 5 game against Roosevelt has been cancelled according the Missouri State High School Activities Association web site.

Four North Tech players have averaged in double figures in scoring, three of them through 11 games. NiSean Rigmaden has scored 22 points per game Kevin James has scored over 15 per game and Mike Henderson-Burt has averaged 13.5 per game. A fourth player Jermaine Walker has scored over 12 points per game in nine games played.

Rigmaden has made 65 out of 84 free throws (77.4 percent) has 63 assists, 43 steals and nine blocked shots. James has averaged 10.6 rebounds per game and Elvis Cooper has made 62 percent of his shots (20 out of 33), all from inside the three-point arc.