Back, better than ever: After injury sidelines May for football, senior returns and leads Palatine to 1st state tournament
It was a hot August night where Palatine’s Connor May thought for a brief moment that things could cool off quickly for him.
May, who was playing wide receiver for the football team, had just caught a corner-fade route for a touchdown.
“I caught it, and I secured it,” May explained. “But when I came down, I stuck my right hand out, trying to brace myself and broke my wrist.”
It was his right wrist that he broke. The same wrist that the right-handed May would use to shoot a basketball.
Palatine basketball coach Eric Millstone said he was worried about the injury. But he also was confident that May would heal properly and be ready for basketball season.
“The timing of the injury didn’t concern me,” Millstone said. “I was actually more concerned for the football program at that time because he was a key piece for them. We’re huge supporters of the football program and vice versa, so his injury was more of a hit to the Palatine athletic program in general.”
May, who is a senior, returned briefly to play football in the Pirates’ opening-round playoff loss. He spent much time before that rehabbing and getting ready for his senior season of basketball at Palatine.
“There was just a lot of PT, a lot of work with my trainers, and it got better quickly,” May said. “I began taking close range shots in just like two weeks. Then I started getting back out there to shoot threes from the corners. It was probably a month or so before it felt real good.”
May, coming off an All-Area season as a junior, had helped lead Palatine to their first Mid-Suburban Leage title in 30 years last season.
May was fully healthy when he helped lead the way again this year. He averaged 19.2 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists and earned Captain honors of the Daily Herald’s Cook County All-Area boys basketball team.
At 6-foot-7, May has the ability to play inside and outside. He hit 50.7% (273-of-539) from the field overall, but was also able to shoot the three, where he converted 34.5% (69-of-200).
His play helped spark the Pirates to their second consecutive MSL championship. He also powered Palatine to their first trip to the state finals when he hit a layup with just 1.4 seconds left in the Pirates’ supersectional win over Warren.
“You always want the ball in the hands of your best player and best decision-maker at the end of the game, so it was a no-brainer,” said Millstone, who had drew up the play earlier in the season and waited to use it in the just the right moment.
“It was just a matter of getting it to him in a position where he could catch and finish around the basket. Connor moves well off the ball and has wide receiver hands, so that allows the passer a little more room for error.”
May led Palatine at the state tournament in Champaign with 17 points in a 58-38 semifinal loss to Normal. The Pirates ended up taking fourth in state.
“His offensive numbers speak for themselves, but he turned himself into a very good defensive player as well,” Millstone said. “When your best offensive player is also a difference-maker defensively, you’ve got something special. He’s had a target on his back all season, and all he’s done is raise his game to another level. It’s really impressive what he’s been able to do. And because he garners so much attention, it allows everyone else on the floor to do their job and not have to do more than they’re capable of.
Millstone said it is difficult to find a player like May that excels in all facets of the game.
“Connor is always thinking two or three passes ahead of everyone else,” Millstone said. “He sees things that other players don’t see, so he’s got credibility whenever he suggests something. The most endearing quality though is his humility. He is constantly deflecting praise and welcoming criticism or blame, even if he’s not responsible for it. So, for as humble and team-first as he is, he can flip the switch and play with an edge. That’s a tough balance to strike. ”
May committed earlier in the season to play and study at Washington University in St. Louis. He said he chose to play at the D-III school despite a couple of D-I offers because of Wash University’s reputation as a high-caliber D-III program and its long-standing excellence in its education.
“Basketball was a huge part. of it, but it isn't everything,” May said. “And I think Wash U had so much to offer in so many regards. When I went down there, I immediately connected with the coaching staff. The coaches were awesome. I met a bunch of guys and the team, and they were super welcoming. The academics at Wash U is incomparable to a lot of schools around the country. So, to be able to go there and be around a bunch of people that are very friendly and welcoming and to me to have an education that's above what I could have ever expected, it made the decision much easier.”
May helped set a record for most wins in a season for Palatine when the Pirates when 28-10. In his three years in the varsity, Palatine won 72 games.
Lost in the flourishing of the Pirates’ special season is that May became the all-time leading scorer in Palatine history with 1,614 points. That surpassed the mark set in 1975 by former NBA player and Creighton grad Kevin McKenna whose previous record was 1,581 points.
“Until someone else comes along, and I’m a little biased, I think he’s the best player to ever come through Palatine,” Millstone said. “If you factor in his production, his leadership, and what he’s done for the program.”