Sam Gibson picked up the basketball blueprint for success from a familiar person.
The Lake Forest point guard stayed the course throughout a slow climb from the freshman team to the varsity. Gibson wasn’t promoted to the top level until his junior season, which was long delayed and shortened and had no postseason due to the coronavirus pandemic.
But Gibson maintained the belief that his hard work and patience would pay off with a meaningful role for the Scouts. He said he learned a lot of valuable lessons watching his older brother, Ben, play for Lake Forest and DePauw.
“My brother was the same way,” Gibson said. “He didn’t start as a junior at Lake Forest, but his senior year he ended up being the leading scorer on his team. That kind of inspired me to work hard and be like him.”
Gibson’s consistent and dependable play is a major element in the Scouts’ ascension to first place in the North Suburban Conference this season. The 6-foot-4 senior scored 10 points in a 51-46 NSC victory against visiting Libertyville on Tuesday.
The Scouts (18-6, 9-1) are on pace to win their first conference title since 2009. Junior guard Asa Thomas and sophomore guard Tommie Aberle each scored 14 points for Lake Forest, and senior guard Alex Forowycz had nine points. Aberle also had eight assists.
Senior forward Chase Bonder was forced to battle for every point he scored and finished with 17 points and nine rebounds for Libertyville (20-7, 8-2). Junior guard Jack Huber added 12 points.
Gibson left a 45-43 loss to Stevenson on Jan. 21 with lower back and hip injuries, which forced him to sit out three-plus games before he returned Tuesday.
“It’s been an injury that I’ve had for a while, and I just tried to play against Stevenson, and it didn’t work out,” he said. “I did a lot of work with the trainer and rehab to get better just for this game because this is a big one.
“This is an awesome win against a rivalry team like Libertyville, with everyone in the stands. We had a great team last year. I was just trying to get a spot and work my way up the ladder. I’m glad to play a role and help us win.”
Gibson can’t be judged solely by statistics, although he scored four early points against the Wildcats, including a reverse layup off a baseline drive, and he added four straight points in the third quarter to push the Scouts’ lead to 34-23.
More Top Picks Best Moka Pots
Gibson’s worth is better measured by his defense and running of the offense. He helps the Scouts milk the clock for high-percentage shots, which they did on numerous possessions against the Wildcats.
“Sam is our leader,” Lake Forest coach Phil LaScala said. “He’s probably been one of the best point guards we’ve had in my time here. He’s so smart, gets the guys mentally ready to play and is a great captain and leader.”
Libertyville lost for the second time to the Scouts, partly due to their inability to take advantage of their interior size advantage.
“Two of the top teams in the conference were going at it tonight,” Libertyville coach Brian Zyrkowski said. “It was a battle. The thing about Lake Forest is they’re very solid offensively and defensively. They have a lot of weapons that can hurt you, so when you focus on one guy, the other guys will hurt you.
“Give credit to Gibson. He came back off his injury and was hurting. He had a great night. That takes heart and passion. I really respect that.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.