If the Fenwick boys basketball team is to make a run at the Class 3A state championship this season, it will likely need Jamal Nixon to play like he did on Wednesday, Jan. 6, in Oak Park.
In the Friars’ 61-52 nonconference win over Notre Dame, Nixon, a 6-foot-4 junior guard/forward, had 11 points, five rebounds, four steals and two assists.
Based on comments by his coach and teammate Mike Smith following the win over Notre Dame, Nixon could be considered the X-factor in Fenwick’s postseason success.
“People say I’m the leader,” said Smith, Fenwick’s senior point guard a four-year varsity player. “But I think he leads more than I do. He’s always telling me, ‘Hey, Mike, you can do it. Hey, Mike, you got this.’ He’s motivates everybody to do better. He’s a young man who is becoming someone who is going to do something special in the future.”
Nixon didn’t have a chance to help his team at the end of last season. In January 2015, he suffered a right thumb injury and then an MRI revealed a torn lateral meniscus in his right knee. He had surgery on his knee in February and missed the playoffs. The Friars’ season ended with a 59-56 loss to Curie in the Class 4A Fenwick Regional final.
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“That really nagged at me last year, not being able to help the team out,” Nixon said. “Sitting out, especially that game we lost to Curie by three, was tough. It’s great to be back and healthy.”
Through 13 games for the Friars, who are ranked No. 4 by the baiduhai, Nixon was averaging 7.7 points and was first on the team in rebounds and second in assists. He scored a season-high 14 in a 54-51 win against Morton on Saturday, Nov. 28, but Nixon’s game isn’t measured by what appears in the scorebook.
“Jamal does all the little things right,” Fenwick coach Rick Malnati said. “He sacrifices for us on a daily basis. I mean, he’s a guard, and he’s playing 5 (center) for us. He doesn’t get the ball in his hands a lot, but he never complains. When he does get the ball inside, he’s very creative with it. He’s one of our best passers.”
Nixon excelled on both ends of the court for Fenwick (13-2) in their win over the 12th-ranked Dons (11-3). One of his assists was a halfcourt bounce pass to senior guard Quinn Fisher for a layup. In the fourth quarter, he stepped in front of a pass in the lane for a steal that led to a Smith basket and a 55-42 lead with 4 minutes, 51 seconds remaining.
“My job is to use my versatility,” Nixon said. “You have to be able to play both sides of the ball to be effective. Not all players look at it that way.”
Malnati said Nixon has been a “fun kid to coach.”
“He makes the right play most every time,” Malnati said. “He’s consistent. He plays consistent and acts consistent. He has a quiet confidence about him.”
Game notes
* Smith scored 15 of his game-high 18 points in the second half. Friars senior forward Mike Ballard followed with 14 points, including three 3-pointers.
* Notre Dame senior forward Ammar Becar scored a team-best 17 points. Junior forward Chris Heinichen added 13 points, and senior center Anthony D’Avanzo had 10 points for the Dons.
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