Dundee-Crown players, coaches basking in spotlight
A guy can make a lot of new friends the day after a monumental victory.
"Everyone was talking to me, saying 'good game, good game,'" Dundee-Crown guard Greg McNally said of the atmosphere at school Wednesday in the aftermath of the Chargers' 65-59 upset of Neuqua Valley at the Class 4A NIU supersectional on Tuesday.
"I met new people today, so that was good stuff," McNally said. "I talked to people on the debate team who really don't care about sports too much, and they were talking to me about the game. It was pretty cool."
D-C center Charles Kimbrough (6-foot-6) is always a noticeable presence in the hallways, but the senior stood out more than usual a day after his Chargers qualified for Friday's Class 4A state semifinal against Waukegan at 6:30 p.m.
"A lot of kids came up and were giving us high-fives and hugs and telling us how they're going to be there on Friday," Kimbrough said as he laced up his shoes before practice. "It's been a real fun day."
Chargers coach Lance Huber, who notched career win No. 100 on Tuesday, said he fielded numerous phone calls and received several e-mails from alumni, congratulating him on bringing Dundee-area basketball a level of respect it hasn't enjoyed since the mid-20th Century.
"I think it's awesome for the community, especially Carpentersville, East Dundee and West Dundee, to bring back the Dundee days when they had the '38 title team and the '46 third-place team," Huber said. "Somebody said they got an e-mail from somebody on the 1938 championship team. There's a great tradition of basketball around here, and it's great to bring it back to the forefront.
"The best part has been hearing from the alumni, whether it's e-mails or phone calls, saying "great job, way to put Dundee-Crown on the map.'" It's great to hear that alums keep up with it. One of the things I'm really looking forward to is walking on the floor and seeing all our fans in their section. I think we've had great fans all year and I think they'll continue to support us. I look forward to seeing the entire community supporting our guys."
Defenders of the Crown: Dundee-Crown has played stellar defense throughout the tournament. The Chargers have held their five opponents to an average of 46 points, second among Class 4A Final Four teams only to Thornton's 41.6. Whitney Young has held teams to 46.2 ppg., while Waukegan has allowed 60 points per game.
Staying busy: Here's how the weekend schedule breaks down for the Chargers.
Today: Depart for Peoria at 7:30 a.m. Practice upon arrival. Eat lunch. Check into the hotel. Pose for a team picture. Practice at Carver Arena. Attend a dinner for the qualifying teams. Bed.
Friday: Breakfast. Practice. Film study. Attend Class 3A session. Back to the hotel to rest. Play Waukegan at 6:30 p.m. Scout Saturday's opponent. Bed.
"Then we do it all over again on Saturday," coach Lance Huber said.