When junior point guard Max Steele suffered a concussion while taking a charge during a practice two weeks ago, it proved to be a significant setback for Naperville North.
The Huskies went 1-4 during Steele’s absence, so they were all glad when he returned for the game on Friday. Steele is a three-year varsity player and the only person on the roster who played significant minutes before this season.
“We’re for sure better with him because he’s a great leader,” Naperville North junior center Will Harvey said. “He’s a true mudder.
“He brings that experience and then that leadership. He really helps us to play well with each other since we’re young.”
Steele demonstrated his importance against Prairie Ridge on Friday. He scored 15 points and also had three rebounds, three assists and three steals as the host Huskies grinded out a 51-45 victory in Naperville.
“I’m so glad that he’s healthy again, No. 1 for his health, but also for our team,” Naperville North coach Gene Nolan said. “Max is a gritty kid, and when he’s playing, he really gives that to our team as well. It’s just great to have him back on the floor.”
Steele, symptom-free, is glad to be back too.
“I’ve been practicing all week, feeling good,” he said. “I’ve been trying to get back into basketball shape this week. I felt it a little bit out there today, but it’s just great to be back out there with ‘Harv’ and all the rest of my teammates.”
Steele’s absence, ironically, might have helped the Huskies (9-6) beat Prairie Ridge for a couple of reasons. Harvey said the Wolves probably didn’t have much film on Steele, who hit an early 3-pointer.
“They’re probably like, ‘Wow, this guy can pull from anywhere,’” Harvey said. “In practice, he hits everything, so a team has got to watch out for his ability to shoot.”
That ability extends to the free-throw line, where Steele went 5 for 5, including four in the final 1:14.
The Huskies led 45-32 after three quarters, but the Wolves closed within 47-42 before Steele made his first pair of foul shots. Steele sank two more free throws to complete the scoring with 19 seconds left.
“I was just telling the guys in the locker room, while I had the concussion, one of the only things I really could do during practice was shoot free throws,” he said. “I had been struggling a lot from the line this year, so I definitely need to work on them. I shot a lot of free throws over the last week when I was out, and thankfully it showed up today.
“It was good to be hitting them in a game and not just in street clothes at practice.”
Nolan, obviously, prefers Steele in uniform for the Huskies, who followed up the win with a 67-55 victory against Evergreen Park on Saturday.
“Max is a two-way player, so he can play at both ends of the floor,” Nolan said. “He’s also a point guard, so the ball is in his hands a lot. It allows him to do all the things that he does well.
“But also everybody else is better when he is on the floor because of him being the point guard and a vocal leader.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
