Senior-laden Chargers relish their chance 'to do something big'
Two games into the schedule and the Valley Division boys basketball picture is already beginning to sharpen.
The favorite, of course, remains Jacobs (16-2, 2-0). The two-time defending champion of the Valley Division of the Fox Valley Conference extended its divisional winning streak to 22 straight last week against Cary-Grove and McHenry. The Golden Eagles have won 14 straight overall.
Cary-Grove (11-8, 0-2) played well against Jacobs considering the Trojans were playing their first full game without injured senior point guard Pete Pellizzari. But C-G followed the Jacobs loss by dropping a 10-point decision at home to Woodstock (4-13, 1-1) on Saturday and bottomed out in Tuesday's 24-point, nonconference home loss against Elgin (8-10).
Two defeats within the division with 8 to play make it unlikely the Trojans will factor in the race.
Similarly, Crystal Lake South (10-8, 0-2) had won 5 straight heading into its Valley opener at McHenry last week, but the Gators lost by 12 and were subsequently blown out at home by Dundee-Crown on Saturday, 61-41.
In fact, not only did Dundee-Crown (11-4, 2-0) dominate that game at Gator Alley, the Chargers preceded it with an 85-60 blowout of Woodstock.
It's clear D-C is the No. 1 contender for Jacobs' crown, which isn't a surprise since coach Lance Huber's rotation consists of eight experienced seniors.
The leader is three-year varsity performer Jeff Beck. He's sneaky good. Beck is the kind of player who quietly averages 17 points a game by scoring a couple of 3-pointers, tipping in a putback, making a fast-break layup or two and sinking 5 or 6 free throws.
"Someone else might come in and get a couple of dunks, and another might make more 3-pointers, but at the end of the game you look at the box score and, sure enough, Jeff's got 17, 18, 20 points," Huber said.
But the Chargers' strength isn't Beck; their strength lies in the fact they don't have to rely on Beck alone to win.
Dundee-Crown has several players who can score, like improving 6-foot-6 center Charles Kimbrough (8.2 ppg., 6.2 rpg.). The senior averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds in the wins over Woodstock and CL South last week, bringing to fruition three years of personalized instruction from D-C assistant coach Bob Sweeney.
The more attention teams are forced to give Kimbrough and competent backup, Colin McCarthy, the more open shots Beck and fellow guard Justin Strzelczyk (12 3-pointers) will get on the perimeter. Kimbrough's success in the paint also opens driving lanes for versatile starters Aaron Reams (5.5 ppg.) and Marcus Henry (8.5 ppg.).
"Aaron and Marcus are the most athletic guys on our team," said sixth man Greg McNally. "They can sky up there. It's nice to have that kind of athleticism in your starting five. Then me and Rob (Stupar) come off the bench and do our thing."
Stupar's thing is sinking 3-pointers. A 4.0 student equally at home with his nose in a book or nose-to-nose with a defender, the 6-foot-3 guard has connected on 35-of-87 shots from 3-point range (40.2 percent).
McNally (3.6 ppg.) embodies the selfless nature of his team. He was a starter last season but came down with a case of mononucleosis in the preseason. He accepted the role of sixth man upon his return in order to accommodate more floor time for Reams, whose emerging skills were undeniable. McNally now comes off the bench and adds energy, scoring ability, tough defense.
"I have a lot of pride in my defense," McNally said. "I have older brothers and I never wanted them to score on me. I'm most embarrassed when I guy scores on me, more than when I miss a shot."
That theme is echoed by the rest of the Chargers, whose collective goal is to limit opponents to 50 points or less, 45 if possible. D-C is 8-2 when it holds a team to 50 or less.
After the Chargers allowed 66 points to Glenbard East in the final game of the Elgin Holiday Tournament, defense became a renewed emphasis. Huber extended the length of time spent on defensive drills during January practices. The players stopped calling petty fouls and played through them. The intent was to get the team used to more physicality and instill a go-for-broke attitude toward defending.
"We don't play with out of bounds anymore in practice," Strzelczyk said. "If the ball goes out, we just tackle each other and go for the ball no matter what. I think that toughness transfers to games."
Most of the boys played with or against each other in the Jr. Chargers program. If any players have the same lunch period, they sit together. After Saturday morning practices they go out to eat together at the Manor Restaurant at the intersection of Illinois Routes 72 and 68.
"Jeff eats a lot," McNally said of Beck. "He gets Alaskan waffles, a waffle-dessert thing. Then he gets a grilled cheese and french fries. It's like 16 bucks. It's a lot."
Long-standing chemistry, a penchant for playing good defense, a bevy of possible scorers, an experienced frontcourt and an athletic big man. Those are precisely the qualities a team needs to beat Jacobs. D-C has them all plus hunger, a combination they think will allow them to challenge their District 300 rival for the Valley Division title.
The teams play for the first time next Friday in Algonquin. They rematch in the regular-season finale in Carpentersville on Feb. 27.
"Most of us have been working toward this exact thing - senior year, our shot to do something big - since we were little kids," Stupar said. "I've been coming here since second grade when I was in the reading program. It's all been working up to this time. You only get one shot at it, so you might as well make the most of it.
"We're going to have to go through (Jacobs). It's going to be a dogfight. We think we match up with them pretty evenly. It's going to be close. I think it's going to come down to which team wants it more. Both teams are very talented. Ultimately, it's going to be the little things that get the job done."