Two-way players like Stevenson’s Jack Dabbs are a rare breed.
The 6-foot-6 senior forward exploits mismatches on offense that allow him to showcase both his outside shot and his touch around the rim.
But Dabbs was most valuable once he became the Patriots’ defensive stopper.
“I try to be the best player on both ends of the court, but especially on defense because when you get stops, you’re always going to be in games,” he said. “I love taking on the challenge of guarding their best player and want to make my teammates better by bringing energy.”
Dabbs checked all of those boxes up until the last minute of his high school career, which ended with fourth-seeded Stevenson’s 46-38 loss to second-seeded Palatine in the Class 4A Elgin Sectional championship game on Friday.
The Patriots (23-9) led 14-2 in the first quarter but couldn’t sustain their hot start. They had a 16-13 edge at halftime, and then Palatine (27-8) started the third quarter with an 11-4 run to take the lead for good. The Pirates will play Warren (31-4), which routed McHenry 70-38, in the DeKalb Supersectional at Northern Illinois University on Monday.
“They run that (1-2-2) zone and run it to perfection,” Dabbs said. “It could be hard to get in there and hard to get good looks, so you really have to shoot well.”
Sophomore guard Rocco Pagliocca and Dabbs were the only Stevenson players to do so, combining for seven 3-pointers. Pagliocca scored a team-high 14 points, and Dabbs had 13 points and six rebounds.
Dabbs’ output came even though he expended a significant amount of energy checking Palatine’s high-scoring Connor May, a 6-7 senior guard/forward whom Dabbs has played with and against in AAU.
May scored a game-high 21 points, but it wasn’t a coincidence that a good percentage of the production came on switches and free throws, not on sets during which Dabbs was going toe-to-toe with him.
“I love watching film, trying to identify players’ tendencies,” Dabbs said. “With such a good player like Connor, I tried to see where he drives when he goes down to the hoop and where he likes to spin, things like that. I take it as a challenge.”
Indeed, Dabbs never shied away from taking on a big burden, not only preparing himself to perform at his best, but also making sure his preparation helped others.
“Every time we have film sessions, he has a lot of good ideas and suggestions,” Stevenson first-year coach Will Benson said. “That tells you he understands the game. He really turned himself into a very good defensive player who can guard guards and big guys.”
It isn’t lost on Dabbs that the sectional final is one step further than the Patriots advanced the previous two seasons. He helped spearhead a turnaround following their humbling 25-point North Suburban Conference loss at Lake Forest on Dec. 15, when their record dropped to 4-4. Stevenson won 12 of its next 14 games.
“After that loss, we looked in the mirror and said we’re not working hard enough, we’re not playing as a team,” Dabbs said. “By the end of the year, I really liked our resilience. We played in a lot of really close games, and I liked our poise and being able to battle back. That’s what I’m most proud of.”
Dabbs’ understated style proved effective in connecting with his teammates.
“It’s more about holding people accountable and for people to be able to take constructive criticism,” he said. “You have to make sure everyone’s doing their part because basketball is not a one-man game. You need everyone, even guys on the bench calling out the other team’s sets. That’s why I love basketball so much.”
That zest for the game isn’t lost on junior guard Aidan Bardic, who saw a different version of Dabbs two seasons ago when Bardic was promoted to varsity.
“He went from a kid with no confidence in himself only getting baskets on dump-offs and not a great defender to one of the hardest workers and scorers I know,” Bardic said.
Just as important as Dabb’s effectiveness on the court is the way he carried himself.
“He led by example every single day,” Bardic said. “Whenever we would do drills, he was the guy going the hardest. It’s one thing to lead vocally, but to lead by example is hard. He always put himself on the same level as everyone and wanted everyone to do well. I thank him for that.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
