Even on summer days, Eric Cannon is an early riser.
His alarm clock goes off at 6:30 a.m. It’s time for Cannon, a 5-foot-11 sophomore guard from Waubonsie Valley, to go to work.
His dad drops him off at the YMCA.
Cannon, in a quiet gym, puts up shots — a minimum 100 free throws, 100 midrange jumpers, 100 3-pointers. He started his early morning routine on school days, and it stuck.
When you’re a kid intent on leading your team out of a tough 5-22 season, sleep can wait.
“I hold myself accountable to put in the work,” Cannon said. “The best way to become a good shooter is to get up shots.”
Words like that should be music to the ears of Jason Mead.
Mead, who won 85 games in his last three seasons at Dixon, was hired in April by Waubonsie as its sixth boys basketball coach.
Last season, Waubonsie won its fewest games since 1992-93. The Warriors did, though, enjoy modest success this summer with their new coach.
Waubonsie won the Oswego East Shootout, beating sectional finalists Oswego and St. Charles East.
Baby steps in changing the culture of a program that’s trended downward the last three years.
“The next step is how bad do they want to work on their game in July and August when coaches aren’t around,” Mead said. “The ball is in their court. Our ceiling will depend on how hard they want to work.”
It’s a work in progress, but to Mead it’s nothing compared to the rebuilding project he had at Dixon. With six seniors returning, Mead does have experience to build on.
Mead also was impressed with juniors Scott Wells and Kyle Schroeder.
“It’s hard to take Kyle off the floor,” Mead said. “He rebounds, he sets screens, he executes stuff.”
Although he’s one of Waubonsie’s youngest players, Canno also has the most talent. He averaged 6.9 points in a full season on the varsity as a freshman, and Mead thinks he’s just scratching the surface to his potential.
“The No. 1 thing Eric needs to realize is that he is better than he thinks he is,” Mead said. “I’ve told him that 70 times privately. I want him to score more. It’s OK if you’re an underclassman and taking shots.”
Cannon’s shooting wasn’t necessarily his forte last year. More drive-oriented, Cannon attempted just a handful of 3-pointers and only made jumpers at about a 20-30 percent rate.
He’ll need to change that this year in Mead’s quasi-flex system.
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The jump shot is indeed coming for Cannon, who rarely connected from the perimeter as a center in middle school. He’s encouraged by his Illinois Wolves AAU coach Frank Kaminsky, the father of the ex-Benet star of the same name.
“One of the things (Kaminsky) is building into my mind is when I have open shots I have to take them because I might not get another one,” Cannon said. “I think that’s build my confidence.”
From his dad’s advice, Cannon focuses in practice on shooting not to miss rather than to make shots.
“He tells me don’t just put up shots to put them up,” Cannon said. “Imagine yourself in the game.”
His new coach, Mead, is hammering home to Cannon the importance of being a leader.
Cannon seems to have that part figured out, even at a young age.
“Leadership is not only on the court, but off the court,” Cannon said. “It’s checking up on guys, seeing how people are, getting up before school to shoot around, showing that you are all in. It starts with making sure I do my part.”
Joshua Welge is a freelance writer for the Naperville Sun.