Schaumburg Saxons' turnaround remarkable

A totally different team is a phrase used frequently to describe a turnaround.

It fits Schaumburg perfectly. Literally and figuratively.

And that's why the Saxons, who were also literally battling themselves to stay above .500 in the regular season, are now ready to battle the state's No. 1 team in Waukegan for a Class 4A sectional championship Friday night.

The latest chapter of the new and vastly improved Saxons was on display Wednesday night at Waukegan when they took apart second-seeded Deerfield 58-48 in the Class 4A sectional semifinal.

"We've been working really hard and we've come a lot closer as a team the last couple of weeks," said Schaumburg senior Chris Baker. "That's what's doing it for us right now."

What happened before during the transition of one of the state's top boys basketball programs from Bob Williams to Matt Walsh has been a significant factor.

It was far from easy.

There were suspensions and injuries to top players. Others who decided they didn't want to stay with the program who are now on the outside looking in at what has turned into a wonderful postseason run by the 13th-seeded Saxons.

And Walsh said "what happened behind closed doors with this team throughout the course of the season" turned out to be a big reason they're the last Mid-Suburban League team standing for the third time in five years.

"It brought us closer together," said Schaumburg junior Kurt Kempema. "Everything we went through, we dealt with a lot of adversity and overcame it."

A run that had to start with a play-in game hasn't been a fluke.

Every victory has been by double figures - Grant by 19, Mid-Suburban League champion Fremd by 12, rival Hoffman Estates by 14 and now Deerfield. The last two weren't as close as the margins appeared.

And people probably look at a starting lineup averaging a combined 26 points a game and wonder, "how did these guys get here?"

But some of the subtracted points have added to an entirely different level of play.

"Everyone knows their role," the 6-6 Baker said after filling his perfectly Wednesday with a dozen rebounds.

"Everyone knows what they have to do in order to win," said junior Javon McDonald. "If we play team defense we're tough."

The Saxons were Wednesday as Kempema, Declan Geraghty and crew made all-state candidate Duje Dukan work for his 22 points.

McDonald and senior Glenn Frost off the bench have stepped up to provide more scoring and Joe Infusino has hit some big 3s.

Sophomore Christian Spandiary didn't come back from shoulder surgery until late January but now is making a big impact. Junior guard Mark Bielanski was pivotal in huge minutes and helped keep the ball moving against Deerfield.

"As we lost people we had to count on each other to get even closer," McDonald said. "We had to rely on each other to come out every day and give our best effort."

Unlike before, now they're together off the as well. After Friday night's regional championship, the entire team went out to eat and then came back Saturday to go swimming.

"It was us having fun," Kempema said.

And then experiencing the joy of another celebration with the Schaumburg superfans who made the long trip to Waukegan on Wednesday.

"We said we're the better team," Walsh said. "They have the best player on the floor (Dukan) but we felt we were the better team."

It's definitely a much better one than just a couple of weeks ago.

mmaciaszek@dailyherald.com