Mundelein's O'Brien draws magical comparisons
Born in 1994, Sean O'Brien never saw Magic Johnson play in person.
But, even as a young kid, he knew enough about the legendary Los Angeles Lakers guard to know that it was the compliment of all compliments when people said he could be like Magic.
O'Brien, a junior forward at Mundelein, grew up playing point guard. He could dribble well even as young grade schooler. And he could pass and shoot lights out from the perimeter, too.
When coaches and fans found out that O'Brien's dad Bill is 6-foot-5, that's when Magic began to figure regularly into the conversation.
"People were like, you might be 6-8," O'Brien said. "They'd say, 'You could be a 6-8 point guard someday, just like Magic Johnson.
Nowadays, Scottie Pippen is more in line with O'Brien's skill set.
O'Brien is 6-foot-6. And as the biggest guy on the Mundelein roster, he's sometimes called on to play in the paint to help the team.
But with his history as a point guard, his shooting and ball-handling are so good that he can also burn defenders on the perimeter. So the Mustangs use him there, too.
Just like Pippen, O'Brien has become a jack-of-all-trades. His unique skills set for his size is a big reason Mundelein is a sparkling 7-0 and a major threat in the North Suburban Conference Lake Division race heading into tonight's 7:30 p.m. tilt against defending Class 4A state runner-up Warren.
"Sean really is a Scottie Pippen out there," Mundelein coach Dick Knar said. "He is such a nightmare match-up for people. He can drive to the basket and shoot outside, so you think maybe you'll put a guard on him. But he can also go inside and post you up. Smaller players get beat inside and bigger players who get pulled out aren't fast enough to keep up with him on the perimeter. It's difficult for other teams to figure out how to guard him and once they do that, it's difficult for them to actually do it."
Most teams haven't had much luck so far, especially this season.
O'Brien, who started varsity last year as a sophomore, has increased his production dramatically. He is averaging 14 points and 12 rebounds to go along with 6 assists and 3 blocks.
Last season, O'Brien averaged about 6 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists in his first full season of playing a position other than point guard.
Two years ago, he was the point guard of the freshman team and he grew up playing point guard all through feeder and travel basketball.
"I had a feeling that one day I wouldn't be playing point guard anymore," O'Brien said. "People used to always talk about the Magic Johnson stuff, but I knew it was possible I'd grow a lot and be the tallest guy on the team and I would be needed inside.
"I still kept working on my skills, though, and that's helped me do more things than just play inside. It helps that I grew up playing a lot of point guard because I usually have better skills than most kids my size."
O'Brien started perfecting some of those skills in 3-on-3 games with his older brother Kyle, who was a senior last year on Mundelein's sectional final team, and - their dad.
At age 50, Bill O'Brien is still competitive. The former college standout (St. Mary's of Minnesota and Roosevelt) just played this fall with his sons in Mundelein's annual 3-on-3 tournament. And the O'Brien men won, for the third straight year.
Interestingly, the Mundelein tournament features players who are mostly Sean and Kyle's age.
"My dad's still very active and he's still a great player, even against a lot of younger guys. Although, he gave up playing against me last year when I blocked his shot in a one-one-one game three times in a row," Sean laughed. "I learned the game from him. He coached me from second to eighth grade. I've really liked playing 3-on-3 with him because it's taught me about spacing and how to move without the ball.
"A lot of that comes down to your basketball IQ and I think that's another big advantage I have over other players.
O'Brien is starting to hear positive feedback from college coaches, who like the savvy he shows already as a junior. He says he's being actively recruited by Loyola, South Dakota State and Northern Illinois among others.
"A lot of college coaches like Sean because he's so versatile and knows the game so well," Knar said. "I also tell them he's got this knack for the dramatic. He's the kid who will get you going with a big play. He's the kid who will hit a big 3-pointer when you really need it.
"It's difficult for some players to do that, but that's just the way Sean is."
Consider it the Magic in O'Brien's game.
pbabcock@dailyherald.com