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Sports

Benet Basketball Stars Play Sunday in All-American Game

Frank Kaminsky and Dave Sobolewski continued their high school careers by participating in a national all-star game Sunday.

HOFFMAN ESTATES – In high school basketball, there’s always a chance that a team could encounter a single player in a given game who will make an impact at the college level.

However, two future Big Ten performers, Benet seniors Frank Kaminsky and Dave Sobolewski, got a glimpse Sunday of what life will be like when they move forward.

The pair played in the NeXt All-American Classic at the Sears Centre Sunday, with Kaminsky’s team hanging a 109-100 defeat on Sobolewski’s side.

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Several of the top 100 players nationally joined the Wisconsin-bound Kaminsky and Sobolewski, who is headed to Northwestern, in the game.

“Everybody here, you’re kind of surprised by what they can do on the court,” Sobolewski said. “I think there’s a pretty even talent level and it’s so high that it kind of blows you away for a second. It was a great experience to get to know these guys and play with them.”

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The game itself was a culmination of four days of activities, practices, charity events and other commitments for the 24 players. Friday night, the players all attended a black-tie gala and were presented with All-American rings.

“It was pretty crazy sometimes, going from one thing to the next, but it was a lot of fun,” Kaminsky said. “I got to do a lot of things that I haven’t done in a long time. I hadn’t gone bowling since eighth grade.”

There was a Big Ten feel to much of the event, something that Sobolewski enjoyed. He shared point guard duties on his squad with George Marshall of Brooks College Prep in Chicago, who will be feeding the ball to Kaminsky in Madison next year. Sobolewski will likely find himself guarding him whenever Northwestern faces Wisconsin.

“George is a great player,” Sobolewski said. “He’s really quick, smart with the ball. He does a little bit of everything. It will be fun seeing him in college.”

The Benet star duo will prepare the rest of the month for one more high school appearance, at the Chicago United Hoops Classic on April 30. After that, they will go their separate ways for the first time since they started playing together as children.

Kaminsky has been preparing for his June 13 trip to Madison for summer school by working out and getting as many shots in as possible.

Sobolewski will head to Evanston for summer school in early June, as well, and he will have high expectations. Star Northwestern point guard Michael “Juice” Thompson graduates, leaving the point guard position wide open. That is something he is cognizant of.

“I’ll do my best to be as prepared as I can,” Sobolewski said. “I want to be in mid-season form when we begin in June so I hit the ground running. I’ll work as hard as I can and try to compete for as many minutes as a freshman as I can.”

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