It was a happy anniversary for junior forward Marc Harvey. And for Oak Lawn.
Last season at this time, Harvey was elevated to the varsity from the sophomore team.
“I got moved up this time a year ago, just before January, and I’m thinking of all of the work I put in over the summer,” Harvey said afterward. “I worked out a lot, getting shots up.
“Worked on my game, worked on my body, just getting ready for a breakout junior year.”
That breakout continued Saturday afternoon as Harvey had 19 points and nine rebounds for the Spartans in a 55-37 victory over Lyons at the Sandburg Shot Clock Classic in Orland Park.
Senior guard Donte Montgomery scored a game-high 21 points for Oak Lawn (8-2). Senior point guard Ali Farhan added seven points and four assists.
Harvey also had three assists, three blocked shots and two steals. He was seemingly everywhere — in the passing lane or at the rim.
Most impressively, Harvey displayed a rapidly improved outside shot. He drilled two 3-pointers and scored nine points in the third quarter, nullifying two separate runs by Lyons (4-5).
“He continues to grow every game,” Oak Lawn coach Jason Rhodes said of Harvey. “He learns and just gets a little better. His shooting really unlocks the rest of his game.
“I thought he was really good defensively. He does a great job of contesting shots at the rim.”
Montgomery saw the signs last season when Harvey’s impressive physical tools fused with a desire to grow and develop.
The sky was the limit.
“I was telling a bunch of people in the offseason that Marc was going to be our secret weapon,” Montgomery said. “He didn’t play a lot last season and not many people knew about him.
“Nobody had any film on him and nobody could really scout him.”
Harvey, who has been a starter since the first game for the Spartans, now has a compelling body of work.
“He rebounds for us and gives us that extra scoring boost,” Montgomery said. “He’s very active on defense, blocks shots and does a little bit of everything.”
Athletic and blessed with a long wingspan, Harvey is active and disruptive at the defensive end. He repeatedly posted deflections against Lyons.
Even if he’s sometimes vulnerable against a bigger post player, Harvey makes his own defender work even harder to slow him down.
“It’s a hard thing when people have to guard me,” Harvey said. “With my footwork now, I’m used to going up against bigger guys.
“My style is attacking, especially since I’m starting to shoot more. I have that three-level game.”
That ability to score in different ways, and versatility, influences his actions on the floor.
“It’s not just that his shooting has improved,” Rhodes said. “He’s finishing much better around the basket. He’s much more aggressive and just a good all-around player.
“He can make plays off the dribble and in the post, especially when he’s shooting really well.”
Harvey started playing in youth leagues around age 7. His father and uncles on each side of his family preceded him playing the sport.
“It just runs through the genes,” he said. “I’m actually just a chill, laid-back guy. The competitiveness was just something I was born with. It’s just in my blood and a part of me.”
With each game, his confidence expands, with Harvey illustrating his value and impact.
“My favorite part is the crowd making noise and my teammates giving us energy,” he said.
Because of that, Harvey has become the answer to the question every coach confronts.
“He is our X-factor,” Rhodes said.
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
