Butler may do it for Minooka
MORRIS -- Funny things sometimes can happen during the maturation of a basketball team.
It gets older, and yet it gets younger.
(Michael R. Schmidt/Staff Photographer)
Minooka High School second-year coach Scott Tanaka took his best shot at an explanation Wednesday as his Indians prepared for a game in the 24th annual Morris Boys Shootout.
"We have reason for optimism because some of our guys gained valuable experience last year and are a year older, but even so, we're probably even younger than we were last year," he said. "That's because we have 2-3 sophomores who may stay with the varsity and get big minutes."
The Indians are coming off a 10-16 season. But they got off to a 3-0 start Tuesday in the shootout and had observers, especially those representing fellow Southwest Prairie Conference schools, suggesting they may be a force to reckon with.
The youth is evident, with 6-3 junior Parker Parzych, 6-5 junior Zach Colvin and 5-8 junior point guard James Salahuddin figuring prominently in Tanaka's plans.
Still, a couple of seniors will be in command of the Minooka ship.
"We have two standout seniors," Tanaka said of Jake Butler and Cody Carter, both 6-3. "They have been doing a great job with leadership of our young team.
"Cody is more of a verbal leader. Jake is our Peyton Manning type. He provides his leadership in the way he performs on the court."
Butler was Minooka's leading scorer and was third among large-school players in the area last year, averaging 14.2 points. A second-team Herald News All-Area selection, he shot 46.2 percent from the field, .679 from the free throw line, .414 from 3-point range and scored in double figures 20 times.
"Jake was an all-conference player last year and has taken it a step further this summer," Tanaka said. "Hopefully, he can be our conference player of the year this year."
Carter did not have the stats Butler posted last season, but he is determined to have a big senior season.
"Cody did not play a spring sport, and he was in the gym with me at 6 a.m. the entire spring," Tanaka said. "He is working very hard."
Parzych, who played in the shootout, and Colvin, who missed the event because of baseball, both had their moments as sophomores on the varsity. Parzych, son of former Lockport great Scott Parzych, averaged 4.8 points and 3.9 rebounds, while Colvin averaged 7.8 and 3.9.
Parzych made 15 3-pointers, shot .395 from long range and .659 from the free throw line. Colvin shot .516 from the field and .667 from the free throw line.
"Parker Parzych really is the heart of this team," Tanaka said. "He is a big-time leader. He doesn't score or rebound a lot, but he is a psychological leader. He has the gift of pure toughness on the court that other kids feed off."
Tanaka said he also feels confident in his team's point guard play, with Salahuddin and sophomore Malik Thomas at the controls. "Those two have done a great job handling the ball," he said.
"All of our three sophomores may surprise. We have a point guard, shooting guard and center among them, so we have all the bases covered. We'll almost for sure have two of them on the varsity level."
Tanaka arrived at Minooka after being an assistant in the highly successful Neuqua Valley program.
"I compare us a lot to Neuqua Valley," Tanaka said. "They are good year in and year out, and it's because they do the same things all year.
"Well, we have a couple of kids who have run our Minooka offense and defense four straight years, and other kids who are getting more and more comfortable with it. We still have not even put in 10-20 percent of what we want to do offensively and defensively, though. We first want to find out if we can compete, and events like this (shootout) tell give us an indication."
Tanaka recently took his Indians to the University of Illinois camp, where they finished 5-5.
Not spectacular, but a positive sign.
"We were 1-10 there last year," he said. "Going 5-5 this year, that's our barometer. Our confidence is growing."
Getting older and younger at the same time may not sound logical, but the formula may be about to pay dividends.
