Sky is the limit for deep, talented St. Charles North
Tom Poulin has heard this one before.
Will just one basketball suffice at St. Charles North?
“That’s a question I get asked regularly,” the North Stars coach said, “and it’s refreshing to say that’s not going to be a concern for us offensively because the way these guys play, they understand that they have multiple options.”
The options include returnees Josh Mikes, Kyle Nelson, Chris Conrad, Sean Donlevy and others. They’re strengthened by the huge addition of transfer Quinten Payne, a 6-foot-4 sophomore guard who Poulin said was a third-team all-state selection last year as a freshman at Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers, Fla.
While the high-flying athleticism of Mikes (15.4 points per game, 5.9 rebounds), the double-double possibility of 6-7 Nelson (6.8 points, 5.0 rebounds), the lunch bucket mentality of Donlevy and the savvy of Conrad (9.2 points, 3.0 assists) all might be enough to call St. Charles North the favorite in the Upstate Eight Conference River Division, Payne’s addition ups the ante.
He has pedigree. Quinten’s the younger brother of former Schaumburg all-stater Cully Payne, now at Iowa; and Florida Gulf Coast University freshman Kaitlyn. Both his parents played college ball with father Kent a former European pro.
As a freshman in Florida Quinten averaged 12.3 points, 4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals. Poulin listed 13 Division I colleges that have contacted him, including Illinois, Notre Dame, Indiana, Florida State, Davidson and DePaul.
“He can shoot the ball, handle it, pass, post up, defend on and off the ball and is a joy to be around on a daily basis,” Poulin said. “Honestly, he’s a better person than he is a basketball player, and that makes it easy to have him fit in with who else we have.”
It also creates tremendous depth, because Conrad and even Tony Neari, the 5-10 sophomore brother of former North Stars star Nick, will also be adept at finding open men. Poulin said junior guards Alec Eickert and Jason Weinzirl, Neari and senior forward Zach King are starting-caliber players he has the luxury of bringing off the bench.
St. Charles North has as many positives as it does players: It can go big-small, it should be able to score in transition as well as in the half-court.
Facing zone defenses, Poulin said, may initially be the main challenge as opponents try to negate all the individual talent.
“We’ve got the potential and the talent to be very successful,” the fifth-year coach said. “Now we need to figure out how to become a true team. When that happens, this will be a special group.”
Quick facts
Coach: Tom Poulin (fifth year, 71-47)
Last year: 16-12, 6-4, tied for third in the Upstate Eight Conference; lost 40-36 to Bartlett in a Class 4A Bartlett regional quarterfinal.
Players to watch: Chris Conrad, sr., G; Sean Donlevy, sr., F; Alex Eickert, jr., G; Zach King, sr., F; Josh Mikes, sr., F; Tony Neari, so., G; Kyle Nelson, jr., C; Quinten Payne, so., G; Jason Weinzirl, jr., G;