Senior guard Josh Hibbett is keenly aware of the history of Larkin’s boys basketball program.
During his time with the varsity, he has set out to help put the Royals on a trajectory toward where he believes things should be.
“The main goal is to go out there and just play hard and try to get this program back to what it was in the past,” Hibbett said. “We know. We’re usually one of the best teams in the conference.”
Hibbett used Friday’s senior night to get Larkin back to the .500 mark, a fence post that he knows the younger players need to see in order to keep things moving forward after he graduates.
One of three seniors for the Royals, Hibbett scored a game-high 19 points to lead his team to a 59-41 Upstate Eight Conference victory over South Elgin in Elgin.
Fellow senior guard Landon Kilberts took advantage of extra playing time to score a career-high 16 points for Larkin (10-10, 7-2), including shooting 4 of 5 from 3-point range.
Junior forward Lawrence Sallis also grabbed 13 rebounds for the Royals. Aman Chiluka scored nine points off the bench to lead South Elgin (7-16, 4-4). Kyle Mann added eight points.
Larkin coach Deryn Carter, who once played for the Royals, is big on making sure his players understand the program’s tradition. Hibbett, in particular, has taken it to heart.
“He’s working hard,” Carter said. “He’s helping us hopefully move in the right direction. We’ve been talking to the guys. We think we’re on the right path. It’s just a long road.”
Carter has always been impressed with the skills of Hibbett, who started to get some playing time as a sophomore. Hibbett wasn’t satisfied, so he put in the work to become a starter as a junior.
Now, he’s one of the team’s leaders.
“Just super talented, super athletic,” Carter said. “He’s taken strides. He’s one of those guys when he’s 21 or 22 years old, he’s going to be able to play wherever he wants to play.
“He’s just so athletic and so physical once he gets into his own body.”
It took Hibbett a bit to get going Friday night. He missed his first four baskets and Larkin only led 22-19 in the middle of the second quarter.
But then he scored nine points in that quarter to boost the Royals to a 30-19 halftime lead.
“I couldn’t even make a basket,” Hibbett said. “I was just trying to let the game come to me, take some easy shots and go from there.”
By the time South Elgin scored its first point of the second half on a free throw with 1:20 left, a one-possession deficit had ballooned to 40-20.
“They’re physical and they’re one-through-five physical,” South Elgin coach Ryan Storm said. “They’re doing all their things and we really struggled with the physicality.
“When they get in that rhythm where they get a couple stops and they get out in transition for easy baskets, they’re hard to slow down. It started to get away from us and we were chasing.”
Finishing strong, with a winning record, is part of the legacy Hibbett wants to leave behind.
“It’s important to set an example,” Hibbett said of the underclassmen watching him. “Being near the top of the conference this year after being one of the worst teams in the conference last season, I think it means that we can get better soon.
“I’ve never had a winning season here. It’s my final year to have a good season, be a good team. That’s what I’ve been working for this whole time.”
Hibbett is one of those players Carter feels has his best basketball ahead of him. The new rules that don’t count seasons in junior college against four-year eligibility could work to his advantage.
“It’s such an unbelievable opportunity,” Carter said. “We’ll see. He has some interest. We’ll see what comes of it.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
