Undeniably, Antioch's high-scoring Filippone far from satisfied

Unsatisfied. Unapologetic. Unintimidated.

Underrated?

Antioch senior point guard Dan Filippone chuckles when fans sometimes chant "Un-der-rated" at him during basketball games.

"I don't think I'm the most rated guy," Filippone said.

So how can he be overrated?

A 6-footer who's not prolific from beyond the arc and doesn't dunk - even his new mustache needs maturation - all Filippone does is excel at his sport. Hs handsome scoring average (22.6 ppg) for the 7-2 Sequoits attests to that. No wonder he irritates opponents or their fans.

"He's always been strong (physically)," Antioch coach Jim White said. "But he's not long and he's not explosive. The way he gets to the basket is more through brute force and being strong with the ball."

Filippone plays with next-level creativity, passion and confidence, and sometimes those attributes get confused for showboating or arrogance. He's aware of that perception, and it only fuels him to keep getting better at shooting, dribbling, passing, defending and winning.

"I always feel like I have something to prove," Filippone said at practice this week, as the Sequoits prepared for Friday night's nonconference game at Burlington Central. "I always feel like I've been a little underrated. I think about all the time I've spent perfecting my craft in the gym. I have confidence that I can lead this team and help us out."

Confidence has never been a problem for Filippone. That's part of the reason why White had no concerns promoting Filippone to varsity in January of his freshman year. It had been a season of injuries and illnesses for the Sequoits, who needed able bodies.

Filippone could shoot, but he was just 14 and stood 5-10. Intimidated playing against juniors and seniors?

Hardly.

"It's not how he's wired," White said.

"I always thought I was ready because in eighth grade I was playing on a Future Elite team out of Waukegan and we would always play up in the 17U division," said Filippone, whose teammates then included current Waukegan seniors Bryant Brown, Jordan Brown and Andre White Jr. and Carmel Catholic's Johnny Roeser. "It was a great team and great experience."

Having big brother on Antioch's varsity roster that season helped too. Nick Filippone was a backup senior guard.

"He brought me under his wing along with Michael Kawell on the team that year," Filippone said. "It was a lot easier transition with him being on the team."

Filippone became a regular in White's lineup his sophomore year and as a junior averaged nearly 17 points per game in an all-area campaign. He scored his 1,000th career point as part of a 25-point effort in Antioch's Class 3A regional-championship win over CICS/Northtown last March. When the Sequoits hosted Badger (Wis.) last week, they honored him for his milestone point and presented him a souvenir basketball.

Last Saturday, Filippone fired in 34 points, as Antioch pulled out a 60-59 win over visiting Grant in double overtime.

"We were riding him quite a bit," White said. "He was knocking down some tough shots, where some series they were throwing three bodies at him. Sometimes he'd rise up and hit one, and another time he'd hit (a teammate) for a layup. It was great. When he gets rewarded for (a pass), where he sees other guys are able to put the ball in the hole, it creates balance and it doesn't become a one-man show."

For as good as he is at putting the ball in the net, Filippone fights the reputation of being only a scorer. His turnaround fadeaway jumper is a favorite of his and is something his dad, Dave, a former high school point guard at St. Catherine's in Racine, helped him hone. But White says Dave Filippone has also helped Dan understand that "an assist is as good as a basket." It's become a motto for Filippone, the youngest of two children of Dave and Tricia.

"I really feel we can go far this season," Filippone said. "I just got to have trust in these guys. I always got to keep in mind that they can get their own shot, and I got to feed them the ball because I'm supposed to be the point guard. I'm supposed to be the facilitator. When I (play in college) - I want to play DI or DII - that's what I'm going to have to do."

So he remains driven to improve every day and keep adding to his plethora of moves. He learns from everyone from Kobe and D-Rose, he says, to Grayslake North junior Ryan Connolly.

"I'm a gym rat," Filippone said. "Every day off, I'm in here in the gym. I just try new things, see what will work, and then I'll pull them out in a game. Sometimes it's a little flashy. Sometimes it's better to be simple."

Filippone says there is "something about putting the ball in the hole" that is amazing. But his story is about more than doing well on the basketball court. It's about appreciating his team, his school, his town - every day.

"It's a blessing," Filippone said. "Not everybody gets the opportunities that I've had. I just try to cherish each game. You can't take anything for granted. You could get hurt any game. High school, it's just an amazing experience."

Sharp words from the sharpshooter. And something all fans can appreciate.

jaguilar@dailyherald.com

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