Newman's boys basketball team is facing a tall task, both literally and figuratively, on Saturday night.

The Comets (17-0) will venture out of conference play to tangle with Rockridge (16-0) in the marquee game of the Manny's Pizza Shootout. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m., and is the last of seven games to be played that day at Mount Carroll Middle School.

The Rockets are the unanimous No. 1 team in the latest Associated Press Class 2A poll, while the Comets check in at No. 4.

"This will be a great measuring stick for us," Newman coach Ray Sharp said. "Sometimes we tend to get a little stagnant in practice, and having a game like this coming up is great motivation to keep improving. We have some lofty goals we want to accomplish, and if we are to do that, we'll see a team like Rockridge in the supersectional."

Sharp has scouted Rockridge three times this season, including Jan. 4 at the Galesburg Shootout. The Rockets knocked off Rockford East 63-60 that night.

"Their five starters are all really, really good," Sharp said. "They can all hurt you in a lot of ways."

Leading the way for the Rockets is 6-foot-8 senior center Ethan Happ, a Wisconsin recruit. He averages 31 points and 13 rebounds per game.

"He has the ball skills of a guard, but he can score down low," Sharp said. "When they feed the ball into him, we'll have to double down, and that's going to put a lot of pressure on our other players. We need to play great team defense."

Rockridge's second option is Brian Heath, a 6-4 junior wing who averages 23 points and eight boards a game.

"He's just so athletic," Sharp said. "He can dunk the ball any way you want it, but there's more to his game than that."

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BBK: Comets, Rockets to battle Saturday