Joliet Catholic Basketball!
- Thread starter Secondo1
- Start date
Love what Coach Gura has done. He has been a great addition to the school. Gura is a great guy, coach and teacher.
Mine as well. Naz Alumn Coach Izzo was a dear friend and classmate before his passing. What JCA did for his family was amazing.
I wish your first favorite basketball program would have something done about its leadership. In 10 years, no regional championships, mostly mediocre seasons, and this year's abomination has been the worst of all.
Jeremy was my son's freshman hoops coach at Naz, the team went 20-5. When Heidkamp left, Jeremy was passed over for the varsity job. The varsity program has been in shambles ever since.
First problem was letting Heidkamp leave for Benet, hes really got a great thing going there and is doing it even after Sobo/Kaminsky graduated. Passing over a young assistant can go either way, Obviously the Izzo situation was a tragedy and very unfortunate for all.
Not sure how they cant get some football/basketball kids in the fold there. Did Julian Love never play basketball? Weller? Or any of those 6'4/6'5 lineman? I can't believe none of those football kids have 0 basketball ability. Or are all those kids football/baseball kids, or even just football only guys?
JCA played Benet tough, program is on the up-and-up. Harry Davis plays hard on the basketball court, knows his role on the court.
MC has been decent this year I think 14-5 now, I am ready to jump on the wagon of any successful venture ie I plan to storm the mat when MC wins AA Wrestling
Heidkamp got fed up with the parents, particularly the chirping moms that worked in the school. He was a big reason why my son chose to go to Naz. Gene left after the 04-05 season to go back to Pat's, then got hired at Benet a couple years later. The guy knows basketball.
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Misunderstood your question the first time. I looked at the basketball roster and only noticed on football player's name.
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It's one the most disappointing things about Nazareth is their content with sub mediocre programs. Now I know it's an academic institution first and foremost and I appreciate that more than most. However why not have both? Successful programs help generate interest in your school. You don't want to sell out for sports but you do want to fight for continual competitive programs. The girls sports on the whole at Nazareth are an embarrassment and have been as long as I can remember. I know a family who wanted to send their stud student-athlete boys to Naz but chose not to because they had a daughter in between them and didn't want to subject her to the type of environment she'd have to put up with as a female student-athlete. What was once a pretty solid basketball program has slipped to the depths of the worst programs in the state. I have to think that hurts them in getting certain football players, baseball players and even some solid students that are basketball only kids. I know that if Nazareth had even a respectable basketball program still my boys would have chosen Nazareth.
At what point do you make a move though? It's obvious the guy there isn't getting it done, he's run that program into the ground and from what I hear it's only getting worse, his very good sophomore class is going to fall apart after the season and then what?
I'm beginning to think they don't care how pathetic they are. If the AD has had the pleasure of attending a boys or girls bball game this year and still decides not to make a move its obvious they simply do not care about the success of its programs. Ironic after the hiring of Tim Racki garnered so much attention some 10 years ago.
The boys varsity hoops coach was the school's president's college roommate. He's not going anywhere.
Did not know that, but I guess it makes sense. I may be dating myself but I remember the Richardson/Pearson days. They had some other good teams and players after that. It used to be a basketball school, at least that was the perception in the area. Now it's a school that every basketball player more or less avoids unless they are promised a starting role as a freshman, then they just transfer out after a few years. Too bad.
Oh well the bball in the area is way up. LT is pretty good and Benet, RB, Joe's and Fenwick are dare I say elite right now. Obviously the conference is pretty good too as stated with JCA, Benet, Marian, ND, Pat's etc. Maybe just not enough to go around for Naz.
Haven't seen them yet but starting to think they are another threat to my Friars in 3a. Also truly believe 3a is better than 4a this year.
Agree. They have never had a strong wrestling program. I did not realize that they didn't even compete in conference tourney.
JCA is a nice story. Saw them lose to Marian in a decent game, but they are no threat to Fenwick. If the Hilltoppers advance to the super, some team with green and orange uniforms and a kid named Moore will be on the other bench. Not good.
In 2005 after Heidkamp left, Roy Condotti a LaGrange Park resident, HOF and Proviso West Christmas tourny HOF. Coached Julian Wright at HF and took HF to 2 state championships applied for the head coach. Naz AD (who is still there) turned down Condotti for an unproven 23 year old D3 bball player. I guess he played at DGN when the current Naz AD was the DGN AD at the time.
Naz could have hired Racki and Condotti in the same year...
The 23 year old drove the program into the ground and half the team quit. During this time I was a vocal Rita alum who was not happy at all with Bonk (if you remember that #1 team.... oh jeeze. Dmo and bonk are friends Dmo gave him a soft landing spot after Rita was fed up.
Pjjp now a fixture at JC hoops games like Jack Nicholson at Laker games
Just had a flashback, I remember seeing a young Coby Fleener throw some nice dunks for JCA back in the day. Also do any JCA alums remember a BBall player around 07, honestly did not look athletic or intimidating at all, but could flat ball. I saw him put up like 45 twice and a really good ball player, something like Lavine or something.
Yes. His name was Devine. I believe he played at St. Francis Univ.
Jalen Jackson is by far the best player they've had in a long time. He's a 4-year starter and can flat out shoot the basketball. Agree with the sentiment that the Hilltoppers are not a threat to teams the caliber of Fenwick, but they are a great story. Joe Gura has worked hard to revive the program.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/subur...cted-into-the-ibca-hall-2015-01-16-story.html
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I've been to a number of games this year. They are a fun team to watch. I also like the fan support. Back in the day, JC had a great student section at b-ball games. They seem to have resurrected it.
If you are the basketball coach there and you have the kid for the first two years, you have to get him the last two! You have to have a "culture" that guys are excited to play basketball for your school. Not saying you have to win conference every year, but have a competitive program that can go get 15-20 wins every year.
I'm sure he was an outstanding defender, and I'm sure he would have been probably the best defensive player in the ESCC this year had he played. I get the kids want to focus on football and lift and play with the club 7 vs. 7 teams. I'm not a big fan of it, but for some kids it helps them improve, get attention from coaches, and continue to compete in the off-season. Obviously for your family it has turned out pretty well.
But if you're the basketball coach you have to be flexible enough to keep the kids interested in playing varsity basketball.
His sophomore team only lost 5 games and then none of the top 7 came back to play his jr year! Broke my heart because I love BB more than FB. I am happy for him and it has worked but I would have loved to see him play basketball.
The sophomore coach was canned by the varsity coach after that season. The kid was a basketball junkie and he had even played for varsity coach. It was ridiculous.
For a lot of years, the varsity coach only played 7 kids. By the end of the 3rd quarter the starters would be dragging and then he'd send them back out there for the 4th. If you were the 8th kid you may as well have been the 15th, you weren't going to play.
A change in leadership in the basketball program is way overdue.
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