If Damarco Minor has his way regarding his career path, he will go in the opposite direction taken by Thornton coach Tai Streets.
Streets was a two-sport athlete for the Wildcats, went on to college for football and played in the NFL but is now coaching basketball at the Harvey school.
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Minor was coached at Thornton by Streets in basketball and played football but is playing basketball for South Suburban College, the top-ranked NJCAA Division II men’s team in the nation.
He’s hoping to land at a four-year college next year, but after his playing days are over, he has a dream of being a coach.
Just not a basketball coach.
A football coach.
“I love basketball and I have a passion for the game but coaching basketball?” he said. “Nah, I would rather coach football.
“I was always helping other kids on the sidelines. When we played, I would watch the sophomore game and be on the sidelines helping them.”
Minor said he prefers the X’s and O’s of football over basketball and thinks he has a lot to offer.
That said, Minor still has a ton to offer in basketball as well.
Heading into this week, the 6-foot freshman guard ranked ninth in the nation in scoring, averaging 21.8 points for SSC (17-0). He was third in the nation with 59 steals, 12th in assists with 95 and 19th in free-throw percentage at 83.9%.
One of the things he loves about the sport is how it forms character.
“Basketball is all about adversity,” Minor said. “It really tests a man. A man isn’t always built when things are going good — he is built when times aren’t going right.
“Basketball shows what type of man you are. If you miss your shots, are you going to put your head down or are you going to look at the positive aspect of life?”
Minor and his Thornton teammates faced big-time adversity in 2020. The Wildcats were 32-1 entering the sectional final when the Illinois High School Association shut down the season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Along with the disappointment of not getting to play for a state championship, Minor also faced the quandary of what to do next.
“It just killed us because we knew what we could do,” he said. “I was shocked. It was some of the most devastating stuff I’ve ever had in my life.
“I didn’t know if I would ever play basketball again. Those were the type of questions coming up.”
Undeterred, Minor played an abbreviated season at Milwaukee Area Technical College before returning home to perennially one of the top junior college programs in the country.
SSC coach John Pigatti is leaning hard on Minor to get him to improve for the next level.
“He can score at times but needs to keep working on his jump shot,” Pigatti said. “He’s got that scorer’s mentality. We need him to distribute the ball probably a little bit more. He’s getting there.”
Minor, whose teammates from the area include freshman center Christopher Smith (Rich East), sophomore center Cameron Bartmann (St. Rita) and freshman guard Christian Heffner (T.F. South), said he likes SSC’s chemistry and togetherness.
He thinks the Bulldogs are capable of a run at a national title.
“That’s what were shooting for,” he said. “That will make me feel a little better about my senior year in high school.
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“You can’t focus on the past. You have to look ahead, so I’m going to use that hurt and try to take it home this year because we have a great chance. Hopefully, we get it this year.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.