Joliet West plans to use depth over star power this season – Shaw Local

You know the cliché: “There is no ‘I’ in the word team.”

Michael Jordan needed Scottie Pippin to finally win championships. With Miami, Cleveland and LA, LeBron James needed another star. Even the defending NBA champions didn’t just rely on Jayson Tatum, but an entire Celtics team took home the NBA title.

But all of these examples have something in common – a star at the center. Typically, a championship team has at least one star or some sort of Big Three. Even at the high school level, Bolingbrook has the superstar trio of Davion Thompson, Trey Brost and JT Pettigrew. The Raiders were the only area team to reach the section finals last year.

It’s also worth keeping an eye on another team that reached the section semifinals. A team that doesn’t rely on the Big Three or superstars, despite having plenty of players with star potential. A team that has produced stars in the past but is relying on depth this year.

This team? The Joliet West Tigers.

As of this writing, Joliet West is 2-0 on the young season. They opened the year with a 76-42 victory over Zion-Benton in the Riverside-Brookfield tournament. It was a slow start in the first quarter and a half, but a 17-0 run to close the second quarter sparked a powerful Tigers attack.

It was a total effort. While Zion Gross led the way with 17 points, Tristian Saunders and Ethan Hillsman also scored 10 points each. Mickeis Johnson, Kendall Bosby and Nasir Sears each scored eight points. Aamir Shannon provided excellent defense while Luke Grevengoed provided good ball movement. Everyone in the squad played and 10 of 11 players scored a goal.

“This is our sixth year building the program as a staff,” coach Jeremy Kreiger said. “We always talk about wanting to go 12th deep. Whether you’re first or last on the bench, we believe everyone can contribute because we ensure everyone adheres to this standard. We train everyone as if they were going to play, so we have no problem subbing someone if they understand the expectations.”

When it comes to college recruiting, Gross has garnered the most attention on the roster. He has five offers from Division I programs spanning Northern Illinois, Toledo, Kent State, Illinois State and Arkansas State.

Hillman, an out-of-state transfer, has also drawn attention. As a junior, he received an offer from Illinois State. These two have the makings of star players who should have outstanding college careers once their prep years are complete.

Even they will tell you that it’s not all about them.

Eight of the 11 players on the roster have received at least interest from Division I programs. The others have drawn significant college interest, with Saunders having a number of D2 and D3 offers.

Overall, the Tigers are a team built around you from top to bottom, not just one or two kids.

“It’s a beautiful thing,” Kreiger said. “These young men understand that sharing basketball makes everyone else want to play hard. Someone will get a free chance at any time.”

Kreiger said after the Zion-Benton game that while the Tigers have had great success in recent years, they were unable to advance past the sectional round. Just two years ago, when the Fears brothers played, the Tigers failed in the group finals. This year’s group is focused on improving all-around from one game to the next in hopes that it all pays off in March.

It’s still very early in the year, but so far it looks like the Tigers could be a threat in the postseason.

“Depth is very important,” Gross said. “We all play as a unit. This is my senior season, so we want to win a lot this year and make a statement.”