Put up or shut up time for H-F

Updated: February 20, 2012 7:51PM

They have size, boasting a starting frontline that stands 6-foot-7, 6-7 and 6-6.

They have a point guard who can handle the ball and a 6-3 shooting guard who can pose match-up problems.

They have experience, with one starter having spent his entire four-year career on the varsity and three others who have played three seasons.

Most of the time, size, skill and experience produce a successful recipe.

Yet, here we are in the final week of the regular season, and the Homewood-Flossmoor Vikings, who have fallen out of our Top 10 after a preseason No. 1 ranking, are 17-7. Granted, it’s a good record — just not for H-F.

“We have no one to blame but ourselves,” H-F coach Jim McLaughlin said. “But there’s still light at the end of the tunnel.”

With each passing day, however, that light is drawing increasingly smaller.

After watching H-F fall victim to another inferior opponent Friday, this time to Sandburg, here’s my take: The Vikings suffer from an occasional lack of effort and bouts of selfishness. In other words, everyone is not on the same page.

Additionally, their game plan requires a scratch or two of the head. All of it was on display during Friday’s 45-44 loss to Sandburg, sapping the excitement from Senior Night.

“I don’t think we’ve met expectations,” said H-F senior forward Tim Williams, who has met expectations. “A lot has been expected of us. We haven’t stepped up to it.”

The good news? All can be corrected in time for a magnificent playoff run.

The Vikings will need to win five straight to advance to the Class 4A Final Four, beginning with Tuesday’s opener against either Lincoln-Way East or Lincoln-Way North.

Anything less than advancement to the supersectional will be viewed as a disappointment from this senior class, which was heralded the first day it entered H-F’s hallowed hallways.

The Vikings were tabbed the preseason No. 1 by this publication the past two seasons. It’s been more of a curse than a blessing. Last season the Vikings didn’t advance beyond sectionals. And if the ship isn’t righted soon, a similar fate awaits this postseason. Heck, if H-F doesn’t get its act together in time for a probable regional final March 2 against Thornwood, it will be ushered out without even a sniff of a sectional.

“Hopefully, we have our game together,” McLaughlin said. “We haven’t been able to sustain high energy or a high performance level of play. That’s why it’s been the way it’s been this season. But I like my team. It’s a good team, with talent and experience.”

I like the Vikings, too.

But good won’t cut it, Jim. Greatness will be required to steer clear of playoff land mines.

Make no mistake, the Vikings are capable of greatness. But it will require acts of selflessness, excessive effort and a game plan that plays to the team’s strengths.

In other words, H-F must resemble Hillcrest.

It shouldn’t matter to the players who scores and steals the spotlight as long as it results in a March Madness victory. Translation: Egos must be checked at the playoff door.

As far as effort, one speed is required: maximum. The Vikings have a tendency to take plays off, but even a one-possession lapse can be the difference between victory and defeat.

“We have to play hard the whole game and play together as a team,” Williams said. “That’s the key. It’s not about who has the most points or who is the best player. It’s about getting the job done, it’s about team, it’s about winning.”

It’s also about taking advantage of an imposing frontline and consistently getting the ball to it. Too often, H-F settles for jump shots.

That’s what happened during a sectional semifinal loss to Crete-Monee last season and reared its ugly head against Sandburg. H-F routinely should dominate opponents inside and in transition.

It’s a recipe for postseason success. Williams claims the Vikings are eager for March Madness to begin.

“We’re looking forward to the playoffs,” Williams said. “Hopefully, our mind-set will change. We know what we are capable of doing.”

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