These Nicks are a cut above for Lake Zurich
The Nicks.
Nick Squared.
Team Nick.
Nick & Nick, Inc.
They're all possibilities for seniors Nick Penny and Nick Meyer, who probably need a joint nickname. They are, after all, Lake Zurich's version of a dynamic duo.
"They're like our Batman and Robin," Lake Zurich boys basketball coach Billy Pitcher said. "But who is Batman and who is Robin changes, and I think that makes us hard to prepare for."
Behind Penny and Meyer, or Penyer, as Hollywood might refer to them, Lake Zurich is off to a 10-4 start, which includes a second-place finish at the rigorous Pekin Holiday Tournament. The Bears are 2-1 in North Suburban Conference Lake Division play with big wins over league heavyweights Stevenson and Libertyville in December.
"Penny and Meyer are certainly our 1-2 punch," Pitcher said. "When one has a down game, or the other team does a great job of stopping one, the other one steps up."
Penny and Meyer have been complementing each other all throughout high school. Their careers have paralleled each other.
Both Penny, a point guard, and Meyer, a stretch forward, played on the sophomore team as freshmen. They both got promoted to varsity during their sophomore seasons.
As starters last season, they were in on some big plays together.
"What happened last year at Pekin was awesome," Penny said.
"We always have each other's backs," Meyer said.
At the Pekin Holiday Tournament last year, Lake Zurich was in a tough, nip-and-tuck battle with Plainfield East in the championship game. Penny drove the lane with only seconds remaining, kicked the ball to Meyer and Meyer hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Lake Zurich a dramatic win and the championship, the first championship ever for Lake Zurich at Pekin.
This year at Pekin, the two combined again for late-game heroics. Against Mt. Carmel, Meyer shot a 3-pointer that just rimmed out and Penny tipped the rebound in at the buzzer to help Lake Zurich advance into the semifinals.
"It helps that we've been together for four years," Penny said.
"We've learned how each other plays," Meyer said. "We really know each other on the court."
Penny (6-foot-1) is known for his ball-handling skills and his leadership from the point. But not only does he direct and facilitate, Penny can score. He leads Lake Zurich in scoring at about 15 points per game.
At 6-foot-4, Meyer is a well-rounded forward who can guard bigger post players but is also quick enough to make plays against smaller, faster players. He can score in the paint and also hit from 3-point range. He's averaging about 13 points per game and is the Bears' top 3-point shooter.
Both Penny and Meyer are being actively recruited and will likely play college ball at the Division III level next year.
"What it comes down to is that both of these guys are complete players," Pitcher said. "They rebound, defend, take care of the ball. They've scored on drives, post-ups, 3-pointers, they get to the free throw line. They are a model of what we want a Lake Zurich basketball player to be and really set a great example for our younger players on and off the floor.
"They both have great grades, are well-liked by their teammates, have a good sense of humor and have been great captains for us this season."
Of course, the best team captains put the team first, and Penny and Meyer say that's their top objective.
"I think the biggest thing with us is that we want to win games," Penny said. "I think the coaches saw that right away in us."
"We're both really competitive, we both love basketball and we both love winning," Meyer said. "I don't pay attention to the other stuff."
"I don't get caught up in that stuff either," Penny chimed in.
Stuff such as stats, or headlines, or whether the most appropriate nickname of the day for the dynamic duo is Penyer…or Meyny.
"I don't really care about who is leading the day," Penny said. "When you do that, that's when you start to lose games. We just want to win."
pbabcock@dailyherald.com
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