By Bobby Narang
The Wheaton Warrenville South High School boys basketball team is one of the big surprises in the Chicagoland hoops scene this season.
But then again, considering the Mike Healy’s coaching acumen, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the Tigers are among elite in northern Illinois..
In the 2021 shortened, nonplayoff season, the Tigers posted a 13-1 record despite not having a surplus of athletic players. Healy preaches the importance of playing defense, being patient on offense and playing team basketball.
This season, the Tigers (25-2) have built upon that success to be among the top teams in Class 4A. Senior point guard Rourke Robinson, who scored a game-leading 16 points in a 57-34 victory over rival Wheaton North February 4, said the Tigers are basking in the limelight of a memorable season.
“It’s been amazing, just an incredible feeling, just being able to experience this with all of my best friends that I’ve been together with since fifth and fourth grades,” Robinson said. “To do what we’re doing now, it’s just amazing.”
Just like Glenbard West’s fast rise to the top of the 4A rankings, the Tigers have been known mostly as a football school. Both the Hilltoppers and Tigers have become recent powerhouses in basketball.
The Tigers challenged themselves by competing in the Orr Shootout in late January, a rare trip into the city for the program. They lost a close game to highly ranked Hillcrest, a deep and athletic team with state title aspirations.
“(Orr) is a tough place to play and we showed we can play,” Robinson said. “It’s a difficult place and Hillcrest is a really good team.”
Healy admitted his team showed a lot of heart by battling Hillcrest to the final buzzer.
“It was an awesome experience for us,” Healy said. “I thought we went toe to toe with one of the best teams in the State. It was a great basketball game. It was play after play on both ends. They are strong, big and tough. Our kids loved the experience. We didn’t take any steps backwards, and we can use all the positives from it to hopefully take the next step.”
• Glenbard West is another team with a rich football history looking to win a basketball State championship. The Hilltoppers almost pulled off a shocking comeback victory over Sierra Canyon (California) Saturday, Feb. 5, and dropped a heartbreaking 67-64 decision in front of nearly 10,000 fans at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.
Sierra Canyon guard Dylan Metoyer hit a three-pointer from the left corner, from a feed by UCLA-bound guard Amari Bailey, at the buzzer. Glenbard West 6-10 senior center Braden Huff, a Gonzaga University recruit, called it a once-in-a-lifetime experience to play a game on ESPN-plus television against Bailey and Bronny James, the son of National Basketball Association (NBA) superstar LeBron James. The Hilltoppers (26-1) were led in scoring by Huff’s 13 points.
“The memories will last a lifetime,” Huff said. “Obviously, the way it ended stinks a little bit, but I’m really happy with how our team played. When we got down, we didn’t give up. The crowd was unbelievable.”