Smith shines bright

COMMENTARY

Until now, discussion about the state’s top sophomore has focused exclusively on two names -- Waukegan’s Jereme Richmond and Rich South’s Crandall Head, two Illinois recruits.

But Richmond never played a game in the state tournament and Head lost in the Class 3A regional finals.

Meanwhile, Zion-Benton sophomore Lenzelle Smith, a 6-3 wing, is preparing to play for a state championship. The Zee-Bees face Richards Saturday in the Class 4A title game.

In the first six games of the state tournament, he made his share of converts.

“He’s probably the best sophomore in the state,” Elgin coach Mike Sitter said after Smith posted 20 points and 12 rebounds in a 64-50 win over the Maroons in the supersectionals.

“We knew all about him, so his performance against us was not a surprise,” Sitter said. “He had 30 against Buffalo Grove [in the sectionals].”

Ronald Steward may have been the hero of the Class 4A semifinals with a remarkable closing play that in a single instant illustrated the power, heartbreak and wonder of the state tournament. Steward picked up a deflected pass and nailed a 42-footer off the glass as time expired that gave the Zee-Bees a riveting 54-51 victory over Evanston.

It was an extraordinary play, a once in a lifetime moment. But make no mistake. Smith was the best player and prospect on the floor.

Smith produced game-bests of 19 points and nine rebounds. He also made two critical passes that led to a layup by Quintrell Love and two free throws by Antonio Stewart.

Tough and resilient

Against Evanston his first two shots were blocked. But he never flinched. Smith then watched Evanston jump out to a 12-0 lead. Still, he never lost his poise.

Smith simply needed to get into a rhythm.

With 2:50 to play in the first quarter, Smith scored on a sweet putback, using his body to slither between his man and the basket. That’s all he needed to get started.

Suddenly he was in full throttle, hitting a pull-up on the wing and nailing a three-pointer. His steal and driving layup resulted in a three-point play that put Zion-Benton up by four at the break.

The state tournament amplifies everything. The print and new media are in attendance, in addition to television coverage, which pushes everything up exponentially. No team advances this far without a collective effort. It requires a combination of luck, timing -- even coincidence -- to make it this far.

But despite the heightened atmosphere and sharp expectations, Smith played the entire game without a break. Most telling, he ended the game without a single turnover.

Smith is somewhat of a throwback player. He appears quiet and inner-directed, an impressive counterpoint to some of his peers who often appear more interested in talking a big game than playing one.

“I just worry about playing my game and helping my teammates win,” Smith said.

Smith’s modest and self-effacing nature is both refreshing and bracing. He does play with flair and style, but it is directed towards a larger purpose. Against Elgin, he punctuated his team’s dominance with a coast-to-coast thunderous dunk.

“In every game you play, there’s that moment when you know the game’s yours," Smith said. "I was saving that [dunk], and it was the right time."

Lenzelle Smith now enters the greatest stage of all, knowing that his final game as a sophomore is, win or lose, going to be the final game of the year.

Delay of game

Marshall coach Courtney Hargrays is fortunate in some regards to be coaching against Simeon in the Class 3A state final on Saturday. On Friday, he committed the cardinal sin of letting the less-talented team stay close. Upset at the way Downstate Washington was continuously getting to the basket, he ordered his team into a stall to change the rhythm and tempo.

In several striking examples the last few years, that strategy has seriously backfired. In 2004, Farragut coach William Nelson stalled for seven minutes in the second quarter even though Shaun Livingston’s Peoria Central team was in foul trouble and the Admirals had the chance to knock them out. Peoria ended up rallying to win by two en route to capturing their second consecutive state championship.

Two years ago, North Lawndale coach Lewis Thorpe, in his first coaching experience in the state quarterfinals, held the ball against an Illinois Valley Central team the Phoenix had defeated soundly during the regular season. The strategic ploy backfired as IVC utilized the confidence of being close to rout the Phoenix in the second half.

A week later, Simeon coach Robert Smith elected to play a slow tempo game against Peoria Richwoods team. The tactic negated the Wolverines’ superior athleticism and speed. The Wolverines needed a steal and Derrick Rose jumper in the lane to capture the 31-29 overtime game.

Arguably the greatest coach ever, Vince Lombardi, cautioned that a coach should never do anything that allows his opponent a chance it otherwise would not have to win. In high school basketball, less talented teams typically want a shorter game with fewer possessions.

Smith learned his lesson. Last year he insisted his team dictate the tempo and play their style. As a result, the Wolverines were virtually untouchable last year in winning a second straight Class AA title.

Simeon is not going to want to play at an especially fast tempo against the Commandos on Saturday. So, Marshall should use their advantage in quickness and athleticism at every opportunity. The team that exerts its will and determines the type of game that is played is likely to come out on top in the first ever all-Public League state basketball final.

Football equivalent

Just weeks after legendary Richards’ football coach Gary Korhonen, the state’s career victory leader, announced his retirement from coaching, the Bulldogs qualified for their first ever basketball state title game by dispatching Lockport.

Richards’ two best football players, two-way stars Tommie Thomas and Shaun Pratl, both played crucial roles in the Bulldogs' 58-41 Class 4A semifinal win over Lockport. The two combined for 31 points, led by Pratl’s game-high 18 points.

Passing from one sport to another is not always an easy transition, particularly in this period of extreme specialization. But Pratl and Thomas show the hidden significance of playing in high level forms of competition and the bearing it has from one sport to another.