Naperville Central’s Aidan Kramer breaks the stereotype.
As the son of Redhawks coach Pete Kramer, the junior guard shows the naturally sound technique and fundamentals of the game.
He also is not afraid to play with a flamboyance.
Aidan Kramer had 10 points, six rebounds and four assists in the Redhawks’ 69-45 victory over Huntley in the quarterfinals of the Chuck Dayton Holiday Classic in DeKalb on Friday.
The fourth-seeded Redhawks (9-1) moved into Saturday’s first semifinal against top-seeded Oswego (10-1), which rallied from a 20-point deficit to knock off Dundee-Crown.
“I think of my style as just somebody who wants to get everybody involved,” Aidan Kramer said.
“I try to do a little bit of everything. I try to rebound, and I try to get people open and knock down shots when I get the ball.”
Aidan Kramer scored 8 points in the first half as Naperville Central built a 29-20 halftime lead.
Senior center Chris Conway scored 10 of his game-high 22 points in the third quarter.
More Top Picks Vizio Sb3851 D0
With Conway anchoring the paint and Kramer and junior guard Kyle Baskin harassing the Red Raiders’ perimeter shooters, Naperville Central allowed just 16 baskets.
Huntley (8-3) shot just 30.2% from the field.
The ability of the 6-foot-9 Conway to redirect or influence shots at the rim created the dominant edge.
“That is a huge emphasis,” Conway said. “We know we are not the most athletic team in the state or anything like that, so we have tried to get deflections or get our hands on the ball.”
Senior forward Cameron Dougherty posted a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds.
Dougherty hit a baseline jump shot to ignite an 11-5 run at the start of the third quarter.
Huntley didn’t close within single digits for the balance of the game.
Senior guard Uchenna Egekeze scored 21 points for the Red Raiders, and senior guard Ryan Sroka had 15 points.
“We knew they have some very good players, like Ryan Sroka and Uchenna,” Dougherty said.
“The halftime lead was one that could vanish in a minute and a half. We came out and wanted to be really aggressive and set the tone at the start of the third quarter.”
The Redhawks want to finish the tournament strong.
“Tournaments are huge,” Conway said. “The last couple of years, Cam and I have been involved in some tournaments, and we have kind of struggled, and that set the tone for the rest of the year.
“We know if we have a good tournament, that is going to keep us on the right path. We are playing well, but we are not satisfied. We are trying to win this tournament.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.