The backyard.
Jolo Amoranto has spent hours upon hours developing his basketball skills behind his family’s house.
He wore out dozens of nets. Banked thousands of shots off the backboard.
It’s a space where he and his father played games of one-on-one and held shooting competitions since he was in elementary school.
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It’s also where Amoranto, a senior at Andrew, was pushed and prodded both physically and mentally by his father to develop the skills and toughness required to excel.
Of course, it was fun, too.
But school was in session and, for a while, his dad was the professor.
“My dad grew up in the Philippines,” Amoranto said. “He was a street ball guy. My competitiveness comes from him. He gave me that edge. I hate losing. I lost a lot to him when I was younger. That gave me the motivation to beat him.
“I have a lot of motivation to beat teams that beat us in the past.”
With the 6-foot point guard leading the way, Andrew (4-2, 3-1) is doing just that.
Amoranto is averaging 20.3 points and three rebounds while shooting 87% from the free-throw line.
He started the season with 21 points against Lincoln-Way West. He followed that up with 18 points against Stagg, 27 points against Bradley and 29 points against Lincoln-Way Central.
He had an off game Saturday against Bolingbrook, scoring just seven points. However, Andrew still pulled off the 52-45 upset before dropping an overtime decision Tuesday to Lockport.
For Amoranto, one thing takes precedence over personal glory every time.
“Winning is the No. 1 goal,” he said. “I had an off night Saturday, but I don’t need to score 25 points for us to win. We believe in each other and know what it takes to be successful.”
Which brings us back to the family’s backyard.
The coronavirus pandemic provided numerous obstacles for student-athletes. Access to schools was prohibited. Gyms and health clubs were closed.
That didn’t stop Amoranto from further developing his skills.
He simply walked outside to his personal gym.
His sanctuary.
The backyard.
“I tried to get up 200 3-pointers and 100 free throws every day,” Amoranto said. “For me, it’s all about getting my form right.”
He has been in fine form throughout his three-year varsity career. He averaged 12 points last season while earning all-conference honors.
The beauty of Amoranto’s game? It’s not one-dimensional. Those backyard battles with his father forced him to find different ways to score and develop a variety of skills.
The kid is as crafty as he is tough.
And he loves the game.
“Jolo knows how to cut, screen and move without the ball, and he can be difficult to defend in a pick-and-roll situation,” Andrew coach Dave Wilson said. “He has a quick release and good shot selection. He works on his game year-round.
“Jolo is open to criticism and is willing to work on his weaknesses as a player. All of this gives him a great foundation to be offensively successful. Most importantly, he is an excellent teammate and student.”
Oh yeah, he also has a 4.0 GPA and will attend Benedictine in the fall.
He’s excited for his future, but is focused now on the present — helping Andrew reach its goals.
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That’s what winners do.
“We want to win conference,” he said. “We know we’re one of the teams to look out for.”
On occasion, Amoranto will look to his father for a game in the backyard.
It no longer happens as often.
Vincent is 52. We aging athletes all recognize Father Time is undefeated, and getting schooled by a teenager, even if it’s your adoring son, can be tough.
Jolo understands he likely wouldn’t be the impact player he is today without those past battles against his dad.
“My dad was a good player back in the day,” Amoranto said. “But around seventh grade, that’s when I started beating him. He has no chance anymore when we play. He tries to cheat and call traveling on me. But we still have fun.
“My dad and my mom are my No. 1 fans. Some of the most special moments with my dad are in the backyard.”