Neuqua Valley junior Whitman Charboneau spent a lot of time preparing for his first varsity season.
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Not only in the usual way.
“It was a long offseason, and I was putting in the work and training every day,” he said. “Instead of just practicing, I was focusing on my diet, getting healthy and stuff like that.”
Charboneau sees the benefits.
“I feel great, the best physically I’ve felt in a while,” he said. “I feel like it’s paying off right now.”
Nobody will argue about that. Charboneau, a 6-foot-1 guard, has been an immediate hit with his teammates.
“He’s been great all year,” Neuqua Valley senior guard Luke Kinkade said. “He doesn’t seem like a first-year guy. It seems like he does everything right and that he’s been here for at least a year.”
Charboneau has been playing for the Wildcats, just not at the varsity level. He starred on the sophomore team last season.
“He was one of the best players in the conference last year,” Neuqua Valley coach Todd Sutton said. “You just haven’t seen it yet.”
Sutton predicted before the season that Charboneau would have a fine debut, calling him a great passer and great scorer with a great understanding of the game.
That assessment seems accurate if early results are any indication. Charboneau scored 11 of his career-high 19 points in the fourth quarter and added seven rebounds and two assists to lead the host Wildcats to a 66-49 victory against Naperville North in a DuPage Valley Conference opener on Friday.
Charboneau scored in a variety of ways. He hit three 3-pointers but also connected on two baseline jumpers, a layup and a putback, making his final five attempts as well as two free throws.
“He did awesome today,” Kinkade said. “He was doing everything in practice, and he’s put it into the game.”
Which is just what Sutton expected.
“He should be that good,” Sutton said of Charboneau. “He’s a starter, and he’s a good player. Every game should be like this.”
Charboneau understands that and his place on the Wildcats (4-2, 1-0).
“I feel like I can be a facilitator on offense, help my guys get open shots, and then defensively I can bring the energy,” he said. “I don’t necessarily think I’m flashy. I just get to the basketball and hit a couple open shots, anything to get the (win).”
The Wildcats made a lot of shots against Naperville North. They were 23 for 38 from the field, hitting 10 of 15 from 3-point range.
“We’ve got a lot of good shooters, so we spread the ball around,” Charboneau said. “Whoever they focus on on offense, we just pass the ball to the next guy up, and he’ll make that shot.”
As the only non-senior in the starting lineup, Charboneau is poised to be Neuqua Valley’s next big thing. He may not wait until the seniors have graduated to break out, which is fine with Kinkade.
“I think he does it all,” Kinkade said. “He rebounds, he gets assists and he obviously, as you saw tonight, can make threes. He was hitting everything.”
While his shooting was exceptional against Naperville North, Charboneau doesn’t want to be a one-trick pony, and he doesn’t pattern his game after any one player.
“I feel like I’m my own player,” Charboneau said. “I like to pass a little and be all-around.
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“My dad (Loren) played at Siena Heights in Michigan. He could only shoot. He wanted me to be everything.”
Charboneau isn’t finicky about what he does or when.
“I’m only a junior,” he said. “So I just feel like whatever they need me to do, I’ll do.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.