Brian Phillips is a model for the value of a good head start.
Each morning this fall, Phillips, a Waubonsie Valley senior, showed up like clockwork at the gym at 5:50 a.m.
Phillips would put up 100 free throws, then go to the 3-point line for 300-400 more shots. If he didn’t hit his target percentage, Phillips had personal consequences: He shot again after school.
“There were days I’d put up over 1,000 shots,” Phillips said. “I was making sure every day I was doing things that would benefit me specifically.”
That extra work is paying off.
When Waubonsie (4-5) beat Naperville Central last Friday, it inched one win away from last season’s total.
Baby steps, but progress for a program trying to turn the corner back to respectability.
“We’re trying to create a new culture,” Phillips said.
Phillips, 6-foot-3, is averaging 8.7 points and had a season-high 14 against Central.
Those stats don’t fully measure his importance for a young team.
He’s one of two players, along with Luke Gregorio, in their third varsity season. Phillips is a natural wing, but he played center early when Chuck Robinson was rounding into shape from football. He’s also been a backup point guard.
“I rarely take him out of the game,” Waubonsie coach Jason Mead said.
Phillips is also a different player than the one Mead saw in his first summer with Waubonsie.
“From fall to the winter, in my career, Brian is probably the most improved player I’ve ever had,” Mead said.
The Warriors, who open with Hinsdale South at 9 a.m. Monday at York’s Jack Tosh Holiday Classic, are still trying to figure out how to win.
They led in the fourth quarter three times during a four-game losing streak before beating Central.
Their schedule is back-loaded, too. Waubonsie still has home-and-home series with unbeaten Wheaton Warrenville South, Naperville North and Wheaton North.
Regardless, Phillips is intent on helping the Warriors improve.
“I love my teammates like brothers,” Phillips said. “I want to leave them with the best program possible.”
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Wildcats in Aurora: After getting the week off for finals, Neuqua Valley (5-4) is back at it Monday at the East Aurora Holiday Tournament.
The Wildcats, who reached the championship last year, face Joliet Catholic, Chicago Christian and Oswego East in pool play.
“We’ll get a chance to play against many different styles,” Neuqua coach Todd Sutton said.
Sutton is still looking for complements to leading scorer Blaise Meredith. Will Stankus and Connor Gentry are good candidates.
Stankus is averaging 9.2 points, second to Meredith’s 15.6, and a team-best 5.8 rebounds. Gentry is grabbing 4.4 rebounds per game.
Stankus scored 10 points last Friday in a 38-28 loss to Wheaton South, a game Neuqua led into the fourth quarter.
“Connor and Will have been rock solid ,” Sutton said.
Redhawks wheeling north: Naperville Central (3-7), off for 10 days, opens at the Wheeling Hardwood Classic on Tuesday against Prospect.
It’s a daunting task — Prospect (7-3) just handed Stevenson its first loss — but the break probably came at a good time for the Redhawks.
Central has lost seven of its last eight, allowing 59 points per game in that stretch.
“We score around 50 points, we have to win those,” Central coach Pete Kramer said.
Central is still searching for a third scorer. Nick Kramer had 16 points in a loss to Waubonsie, and Ben Wolf delivered 10.
“Teams look at us and try to take Nick and Ben away,” Kramer said. “It’s going to have to come from our younger guys. Our seniors have their roles.”
Joshua Welge is a freelance writer for the Naperville Sun.