Entering this season, Cooper Stacey knew he’d have the chance to play a vital role for Warren.
The Blue Devils returned only three varsity players, and starting positions and minutes were up for grabs, which led to some intense practices.
“Every day in practice was a battle because everyone is working for a spot,” Stacey said. “Nobody really knows if their spot is solidified. We’re all really competitive. Every day we were going at each other’s throats. It was fun to be a part of.”
Stacey earned a starting spot and flashed his potential this season. The 6-foot-5 junior forward used his cutting ability and height to become the best inside scoring option for the Blue Devils (4-6, 2-6), who lost 54-22 to Mundelein on Friday in the first round of the North Suburban Conference Tournament.
Warren coach Jon Jasnoch said Stacey has developed consistently throughout the abbreviated season.
“These guys have played together for a really long time, and he’s a really good offensive player, so they look to him for some scoring,” Jasnoch said. “He drives the ball to the basket well.”
Stacey regularly scored in the double-digits, including a season-high 19 points against Lake Zurich on Feb. 13. He said his best performance of the season came in a 68-39 loss to Mundelein on Feb. 23, when he scored 17 points, including 13 in the first half.
Stacey said he hopes to continue improving his outside jumper during the offseason. He also plans to put on weight in order to become a more physical scorer in the paint.
“I’ve already set up a diet plan,” Stacey said. “Going to the gym and putting in the work, I find that stuff fun, and that comes easy to me. But off-the-court stuff, like eating well, that’s what I need to focus on more.”
Hines on hot streak: In previous seasons, Grayslake North’s Tony Hines always guarded the opposing teams’ top scorer.
But Knights coach Todd Grunloh doesn’t let the senior guard do that this season in order to keep him out of foul trouble. That usually doesn’t sit well with Hines, a physical defender who doesn’t let ballhandlers past him.
“He loves defense,” Grunloh said. “It’s tough to find those kids that are your leading scorer and they’re just dying to play defense too. But he’s one of them.”
The 5-foot-11 Hines has done it all for the Knights (6-3, 5-2) this season. One of the only seniors to earn major minutes, Hines is an athletic playmaker who is on a bit of a hot streak.
He dropped a season-high 27 points in a 58-55 loss to Wauconda on Thursday. On Saturday, Hines scored 20 points in a 58-40 victory against crosstown rival Grayslake Central.
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Hines, who also is an All-Northern Lake County Conference football player for the Knights, was called up to the varsity team as a freshman. Since then, Hines has become a captain who leads by example, Grunloh said.
For instance, Hines pulls his younger teammates aside and offers words of encouragement after Grunloh gets on them for mistakes in practice.
“As soon as I’m done with him, he grabs that kid and goes, ‘Don’t worry, coach used to do the same thing to me all the time,’ ” Grunloh said. “To a sophomore, that means the world to them. Those words mean more to those kids than anything the staff could say.”
Tidbits: Antioch senior guard Kobe Kriese scored 30 points in a 55-45 nonconference win against Round Lake on Thursday. It’s the third time that Kriese, who has committed to Wisconsin-Lutheran, has scored at least 30 points this season. … Lake Forest senior forward Jack Malloy scored 24 points in the NSC Tournament quarterfinals on Friday, guiding the Scouts past Lake Zurich 67-41. … Wauconda junior guard Griffin Daun totaled 21 points and nine rebounds in a 58-55 victory over Grayslake North on Thursday. … In its first game in nearly three weeks due to COVID-19 protocols, Grayslake Central defeated Grant 53-47 on Thursday.
Nick Frazier is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.