In seven days, the boys’ basketball team won a game at a major showcase event and excitingly defeated two conference rivals.
Chaminade’s week started with a convincing 103-59 victory over Illinois power Yorkville Christian at the Highland Shootout. The Red Devils followed up with victories over Metro Catholic Conference rivals DeSmet and CBC. Chaminade defeated DeSmet 82-79 on Jan. 18, then upended CBC 71-65 in an overtime thriller to improve its record to 9-3.
The Red Devils made a run to the Final Four of the Class 6 state tournament last season and finished third. They were expected to be the class Missouri going into the season, but they lost the services of 6’10” forward Tarris Reed Jr. and 6’3” guard Damien Mayo, who opted to transfer to Link Year Prep in Branson for their senior seasons. Reed, a Michigan recruit, was the St. Louis American Player of the Year in 2021.
While Chaminade had to adjust, it returned several quality players. Last week’s successful run showed they are still a team to be reckoned with come postseason time.
The team’s leader is 6’0” junior point guard B.J. Ward, who is averaging 14.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 6.2 assists a game. He had 24 points, six rebounds and nine assists against Yorkville, 20 points and eight assists against DeSmet, and a game-high 22 points against CBC. His production and on-floor leadership have been huge for Chaminade this season.
The Red Devils are a well-balanced team with three other players who score in double figures while also shooting the 3-pointer at an excellent clip. Athletic 6’2” senior guard Nate Straughter averages a team-high 15.6 points a game while also grabbing 6.9 rebounds and shooting 39% from 3-point range. Nilvan Jotham-Daniels, a 6’3” junior guard, averages 13.6 points while hitting 41% 3-point range while 6’7” senior Filip Sinobad averages 13.5 points while shooting 47% from 3-point range. The senior pair of 6’2” guard Walt Straughter and 6’7” Jimmy Lansing Jr. are also excellent contributors to the attack.
Living the Illinois dream
Former Belleville East High basketball star Malcolm Hill Jr. has hit the trifecta for a player who hails from the state of Illinois.
Hill scored more than 2,000 points during his stellar career at Belleville East and was a two-time All-State performer in Illinois in the process. Hill then went to the University of Illinois, where he scored 1,846 points and finished his career as one of the school’s all-time leading scorers.
After spending several seasons playing overseas, Hill landed a 10-day contract with the Atlanta Hawks. His latest stop is with the Chicago Bulls, which offered him a two-way contract. In his first game, he played 18 minutes against the Boston Celtics. In his second game, he had 12 points and eight rebounds in 30 minutes of action against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Congratulations to a young man who has continued to grind and work to make his dream of making it to the NBA come true. And for a kid from Illinois to star at a Metro East high school, the University of Illinois and now the Bulls, what could be better?
*Showcase Event at Lift for Life
Lift for Life Academy will host its Sixth Annual Soulard Showcase on Friday and Saturday.
The event begins Friday with two girls’ games: STEAM Academy vs. Cardinal Ritter at 5:30 p.m. and Lift for Life vs. KC Lincoln Prep at 7 p.m.
Here’s the Saturday schedule: Cahokia vs. Gateway STEM (girls), noon., Cardinal Ritter vs. Lincoln Prep (girls), 2 p.m.; Granite City vs. Confluence (boys), 4 p.m.; Miller Career Academy vs. Lift for Life (boys), 6 p.m., East St. Louis vs. Lift for Life (girls), 8 p.m.
