Lakes' Phelan: Time to be Dad for little bit

After his Lakes boys basketball team held off visiting Vernon Hills 52-43 Thursday night to earn maybe its best win of the season, coach Brian Phelan grabbed a bouncing boy.

He then held his 1-year-old son, Jordan, aloft and squeezed him.

While all victories are a blast, next season Phelan will focus more on having a ball with Jordan and his brother, Tyler, 6, and sister, Kendall, 4.

The only head varsity boys basketball coach in Lakes' five-year history, Phelan told his players during their trip to Galesburg last weekend to play in a Martin Luther King tournament that he's stepping down.

"I'm going to spend time with the family," said Phelan, whose four seasons include a 20-win campaign in 2007-08. "It's just time to be Dad for a little bit.

"My wife (Tricia) and I had a big talk and, selfishly, I don't want to (resign). But, heck, I'm only 34. If I wait another six years (to get back into coaching), that's the same time I think (Warren coach Chuck) Ramsey and (Zion-Benton coach Don) Kloth got in, and they're doing all right."

One player who will miss Phelan is senior Marcell KirkmanBey, who's been on varsity three seasons. He appreciates what his coach has accomplished and how he's helped shape players both on and off the court, despite the fact that Phelan never played high school or college basketball.

When KirkmanBey was having trouble with math, it was Phelan, he said, who helped him.

"For a coach who didn't play ball, he built just a great foundation," KirkmanBey said.

"He's a great coach. It's not always about things on the court. He wants (success) for us. When we lose a game, he's like, 'It's my fault.' "

The Eagles' effort against Vernon Hills (13-5, 5-3) deserved only praise. Lakes (8-14, 5-2), which moved into sole possession of second place in the North Suburban Prairie Division, received double-doubles from John Androus and KirkmanBey. Androus scored a game-high 23 points, including a 3-pointer from just past midcourt to beat the first-quarter buzzer, and grabbed 10 rebounds.

KirkmanBey scored 10 points, including a first-quarter dunk, and hustled for 11 rebounds.

"He was real quiet before the game so I thought we were going to get that out of him," Phelan said. "But he played strong tonight."

Vernon Hills, which was playing its first game in exactly one week, trailed most of the night, including 25-18 at halftime and 37-32 entering the fourth.

A scoop shot by Chris Morgan pulled the Cougars within 46-43 with 1:26 left, but they didn't score again.

"Coach kept stressing to us to bump every screen," said sophomore Donte Arnold, who had 8 points and 3 steals. "We talked, talked and talked. Defense won the game."

In the final half minute, Androus went 4 of 4 from the foul line, twice hitting the front end of a one-and-one. KirkmanBey also shot a 1-and-1 and sank both free throws.

"We kept the game plan simple and they executed it," Phelan said.

"That's probably one of our best defensive efforts against an athletic team."

DaVaris Daniels led Vernon Hills with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Morgan added 13, while freshman Stephen Curry added 12 coming off the bench.

Only four Cougars scored in the contest.