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player ready...The odyssey of St. Laurence’s Josh Pickett could have been written by Homer himself.
Amid changes of location, the 6-foot-5 guard has never lost sight of his greater objective, even if he hasn’t taken a moment to sit back and let those experiences sink in.
“Everything has been so hectic, I haven’t really had time to reflect on it,” said Pickett, who’s at his third high school in four years. “Everybody has been so accepting of me.
“Just coming over here has been fun — being with the guys, going to class every day.”
It was just another day at the office Tuesday night for Pickett.
At his new home in Burbank, the Denver recruit scored a game-high 18 points, leading the up-and-down Vikings to a 65-41 victory over Leo in a Catholic League crossover.
Junior guard Zerrick Johnson added 14 and junior guard Brandon Stratton had 12 for St. Laurence (3-4). Junior forward Stephen Barze scored 11 points for the Lions (1-3).
Pickett, meanwhile, has come full circle. After playing an abbreviated freshman season at St. Rita during the pandemic, he transferred to West Aurora, where he was a two-year standout.
The allure of attending a Catholic school, and getting the chance to return to his South Side roots, was too great to ignore. Roshawn Russell, his coach at St. Rita, is an assistant coach and assistant athletic director at St. Laurence.
“He is like another parent to me,” Pickett said.
A rough first half Tuesday saw Pickett accumulate more fouls with three than points with two. But he erupted for 14 in the third quarter, scoring the Vikings’ first eight points.
“In that first half, nothing was falling out there,” Pickett said. “I just had to stay in my head and keep playing.
“I started getting it going with rebounds in that third quarter, and that really helped.”
It also helps that Pickett has the size to play near the basket and the shot-creating ability, athleticism and agility to play on the perimeter.
He showcased all avenues during a remarkable third quarter. His malleability and willingness to do anything has made the switch all that much easier.
“Josh is a really good teammate,” Johnson said. “He’s not selfish or focused on scoring or anything like that. It’s not very tricky what he does out there.
“He talks out on the court and fits into the whole St. Laurence culture and environment.”
The byplay of Pickett, Johnson and Stratton broke the game open in the second half.
“Sometimes, I looked to swing the ball to him or he did the same with me,” Johnson said. “We looked for each other, and it was just back and forth.”
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And then Stratton also connected on four 3-pointers.
“Josh has been great, doing everything out there,” Stratton said. “We have a great group of guys, a great culture, and he just fit right in.
“My role is basically to space the floor and let guys like Josh work, and that’s what we did out there.”
During his breakout in the third quarter, Pickett revealed all facets of his game. And he was noticeably ready to lead his team.
“I use my versatility more,” Pickett said. “I am able to play not just like a guard on the perimeter but go inside with the bigger guys score inside or go to the post.”
And, he added, the best is yet to come.
“Coming back to the Catholic League, the crowds are electric and everybody takes winning very seriously,” Pickett said. “I’m never satisfied. If anything, I’m too hard on myself.
“I have been contributing well, but I can always do more. I hold myself to a very high standard.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.