Brother Rice’s Marcos Gonzales has a joyful quality to his game.
The junior guard has gone from seeing a few minutes off the bench as a sophomore to starting and playing a ton of minutes this season, and he’s enjoying every single moment.
“I love the thrill of the game,” Gonzales said afterward, beaming. “I love having a smile on my face when I play. It makes me happy. I couldn’t ask for anything else.”
The 6-foot-4 Gonzales is keeping the Crusaders’ fans smiling as well.
He scored 20 points Friday night in a convincing 66-46 Catholic League Blue win over De La Salle in Mount Greenwood that maintained Brother Rice’s place among the undefeated.
Senior guard Cale Cosme added 15 points for the Crusaders (11-0, 3-0), while senior forward Zavier Fitch had 13 points, five rebounds, three steals and a blocked shot.
Bryant Hedrick scored 11 points off the bench for De La Salle (7-2, 1-2).
Gonzales, who lives in Tinley Park, converted two huge free throws on Dec. 9 to clinch Brother Rice’s 47-45 triple-overtime victory over Bloom in the Team Rose Shootout.
So, it was a little bit of a shock to see him miss 4 of 6 in the first quarter Friday as the Crusaders held a 16-14 lead. He made sure to break that streak, going 5 of 5 the rest of the way.
“I wasn’t feeling the ball right,” he said of the early woes at the free-throw line. “I came out of halftime and took a lot of free throws, and in the second half I stayed focused.”
Gonzales’ play has been big as Brother Rice navigates a tough schedule.
“He’s made a huge jump from sophomore to junior year,” Cosme said of Gonzales. “He hit the weight room and has been better even on the court. His defense has taken a step up.
“He’s been huge for us.”
Brother Rice coach Conte Stamas likes Gonzales’ all-around ability and willingness to take on a challenge. Gonzales guarded Tavariyuan Williams, who scored all seven of his points in the first quarter for the Meteors.
“He’s really aggressive in the open court,” Stamas said of Gonzales. “He puts pressure on the other team. On defense, he wanted to guard their best guy. He wanted him.
“We’re trying to get him to play both ends of the floor, and he’s really starting to buy into the defensive end. He’s a kid who has a lot of tools, where if he plays both ends, he’s going to have a nice career.”
De La Salle breezed through the first six games of its schedule, winning by an average of 30 points before losing 59-46 on Dec. 8 to Mount Carmel.
The Meteors recovered Tuesday for a 79-60 win over Marmion before heading into the matchup against Brother Rice.
Despite a 20-point loss to the talented Crusaders, the Meteors have a bright future as three sophomores — Morgan Travis, Remi Edwards and Charles Barnes — started Friday.
Brother Rice, meanwhile, continued to stay on a roll. And Cosme likes what he sees.
“Defensively, we’re winning every game,” he said. “The offense hasn’t been there every game, but our defense has won us every single game.”
Gonzales, who said his father Michael played at Juarez in the 1990s, pointed out that he’s had a basketball in his hand since he was young. He said his dad coached him up.
Marcos played baseball but quit after his freshman year to concentrate on basketball.
However, he might not be done with baseball just yet.
“I do plan on playing my senior year,” Gonzales said. “Hopefully, they will take me back.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.