Kaneland’s Gevon Grant is a shadow of his former self. And that’s a good thing.
The transformation is helping the senior guard having a much bigger impact this season.
In the offseason, Grant dedicated himself to a training regimen that resulted in a 50-pound weight loss. That devotion has helped Grant team up with junior guard Troyer Carlson.
It also has given the Knights a strong, one-two scoring punch.
“Our guards have been carrying us,” Kaneland coach Ernie Colombe said. “We, as coaches, always say high school basketball is a guard’s game, so if you have good guards, you can compete with a lot of people.”
It was evident last week when the 5-foot-9 Grant averaged 20.1 points and the 6-2 Carlson added 18.3 points, leading Kaneland (13-3) to a fourth-place finish at the 59th annual Plano Christmas Classic.
Both made the all-tournament team for the Knights, who went 2-2 at Plano.
Kaneland opened with big wins over Mendota and Yorkville Christian to extend its winning streak to 12 games before losing 72-69 to Marmion in the semifinal and 55-48 to Peoria Notre Dame in the third-place game.
“We just have to get healthy and keep building on what we did well,” Colombe said. “Tighten up some things.”
Grant started that process months ago. A starter last season, he wasn’t satisfied.
“I wanted to be a contributor and started taking it seriously,” he said. “I was 230 pounds — now I’m 180.”
He credits Joe Conroy, his AAU coach, for getting him started on the change.
“I’m able to stay in the game more,” Grant said. “It was just the realization that if I wanted to play basketball at a higher level, I have to take things seriously.
“I lifted a lot, conditioned and got in better shape and focused on my diet. I feel great. I’ve got a long way to go. I’m not done yet, but I feel great.”
Colombe appreciates the effort.
In the loss to Notre Dame, which features a pair of 6-9 players that includes Iowa commit Cooper Koch, Grant grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds.
It boosted his tournament average to 6.8.
“Credit to Gevon, he’s worked really, really hard on his body,” Colombe said. “He’s matured and become one of the leaders. We’re lucky to have him.”
Colombe said he has been making sure younger players in the program are aware of Grant’s example.
“I’ve had a few conversations with our younger guys who are looking for bigger things down the road,” Colombe said. “Gevon put a lot of time in the weight room, and you have to be willing to do that stuff.”
Title time: Senior guard Jimmy Rasmussen capped his tournament MVP performance for Geneva, scoring 22 points in a 43-40 win over East Moline in the championship game of the 95th annual Chuck Dayton Holiday Classic at DeKalb.
“We were solid all week and had some good wins here,” Vikings coach Scott Hennig said, pointing to victories over Huntley, DeKalb and East Moline, which are all contending for or holding the top spot in their respective conferences.
Geneva has allowed just one opponent this season to score in the 50s.
Rasmussen, who averaged 14.3 points and 4.8 rebounds, was joined by fellow three-year starter Mick Lawrence on the all-tournament team.
“Jimmy played great and stayed within himself, shooting and rebounding well,” Hennig said. “He has good size, which can cause matchup problems, allowing him to post up guards.”
A pair of free throws from Tommy Diamond late in the game sealed the win.
“In three of the games he had double-digit rebounds,” Hennig said of the 6-3 Diamond, a junior who averages 8.5 rebounds.
Some consolation: Oswego went 2-2 at the State Farm Classic in Bloomington-Normal, reaching the large school consolation championship game against Normal Community following a first-round loss to Brother Rice and wins over Mahomet-Seymour and Springfield.
“We’ve been competitive all year long,” Panthers coach Chad Pohlmann said. “We’re small but have some quickness and some guys who can shoot it. When we pressure teams we’re kind of a tough out.”
All-tournament selections: Bartlett, which went 3-1 in the Hinkle Holiday Classic at Jacobs, placed juniors Kelton McEwen and Nathan Scearce on the all-tournament team, which included senior Brett Schlicker from the host Golden Eagles.
Mekhi Lowery averaged 13.3 points and 9.3 rebounds and Bryce Shoto averaged 12 points in leading Oswego East to a second straight Hinsdale Central Classic Tournament championship game, where the Wolves lost 54-41 to the host Red Devils. Both seniors made the all-tournament team.