When Waubonsie Valley senior point guard Tyreek Coleman thinks back to his childhood, some of his best memories are from times he spent with his father, Todd, who is an Aurora police officer.
So Coleman, an Illinois State commit, appreciates his father’s impact.
“My dad has been huge, my No. 1 role model,” Coleman said. “The things I do on the court is obviously my skill set, but he’s done a lot for me to get to the place that I am today, just how to model my life, the man that I want to be in the future.
“I look up to him in that regard. He’s taught me a lot.”
Coleman, the 2024-25 Beacon-News/Courier-News/Naperville Sun Boys Basketball Player of the Year, forged a bond with his father that helped him develop into one of the best players in the state and the inspiring leader who turned the Warriors into an elite team.
Coleman averaged 20.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.3 steals this season as Waubonsie Valley (31-3) broke the team record for wins. The Warriors went 58-6 during the past two seasons, winning consecutive DuPage Valley Conference titles for the first time and back-to-back regional titles for the first time since 2007 and 2008.
“Obviously, he’s been a huge part of our emergence,” Waubonsie Valley coach Andrew Schweitzer said. “We have a great relationship, and I told him I think he’s the best player in the state.
“I wouldn’t want to give the ball to anybody else.”
That’s because Coleman has never focused on personal glory. Articulate yet humble in interviews, Coleman is the ultimate team player on the court and the biggest supporter of his teammates off it.
“He’s a special young man,” Schweitzer said. “He’s a leader. He’s clutch.
“He does the little things that sometimes your star players don’t do — rebounding, diving on the floor, playing defense, is probably our best screener. He does it all.”
That example rubbed off on younger teammates like sophomore guard Kris Mporokoso, the only non-senior in Waubonsie Valley’s starting lineup this season.
“He has a lot of good qualities, but he’s real encouraging, making sure you’re doing good on and off the court,” Mporokoso said. “If someone is having a bad few games, he’ll talk with him one on one to make sure his mental state is still good.
“It’s a good learning experience for me because next year I’m going to have to step up. I’ve just got to follow in his footsteps.”
Coleman’s play drew praise from opposing coaches such as Benet’s Gene Heidkamp, whose team beat the Warriors in the sectional semifinals.
“He’s an incredible player,” Heidkamp said. “He’s got a tremendous heart. He’s so skilled offensively. He shoots it well, he can break you down off the dribble, he’s a great athlete and he makes players better.”
Coleman is proud that the senior class left the program in better shape than they found it.
“Our brotherhood was able to be showcased out there,” he said. “We did great things. It’s been a ride. I will definitely cherish the memories.”
So will Schweitzer, who is grateful to Coleman’s parents.
“They run a tight ship,” Schweitzer said. “They raised a great young man.”
Coleman’s father and mother, Farrah, who lives in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, split up long ago, and both have since remarried. They shared custody of their son.
“I was living with my mom predominantly, and then I would come up here for summers,” Coleman said. “When I got to high school, I moved in with my dad full time.”
Coleman’s father helped him improve as a basketball player.
“My dad didn’t know much about the game, but he was willing to learn it just because of the love his son has for the game,” Coleman said. “When I came up here during the breaks, he always made it a thing to go to a park, and we’d play against each other.
“When I was trying to get on varsity, he would wake up with me every morning and take me to the gym, help me with my weightlifting and cardio. He helped me mint my skills and get them to the area that they are today. Those are some of my favorite memories with him.”
Might Coleman one day follow his father into law enforcement?
“Shout out to all the police officers,” Coleman said. “He tells me he does his job so my siblings and I don’t have to. So if that’s something that comes to me in the future, I’ll cross that bridge when it comes. But right now, I’m just focused on the next step at Illinois State.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
