Although prospects were bright for Warren coming into the season, a cloud of uncertainty hung over senior guard Jacquari Nabb.
After all, Nabb got minimal playing time as a junior and suffered a season-ending wrist injury.
“Obviously, last year didn’t turn out great for me, so over the spring and summer I worked really hard,” he said. “It was up to me to show I belonged in the rotation, to come up with a way to be noticed and for me to contribute.”
On a team that had two returning starters, other rotation players back and one of the top freshmen in the country after winning 18 games last season, Nabb’s frank appraisal of his circumstances marked the beginning of a process that has made him a key part of the North Suburban Conference’s co-champion.
Nabb has carved out a niche for the Blue Devils (27-4, 12-2), who clinched a share of the conference title with Lake Forest this week and enter the Class 4A state playoffs as the top-seeded team in the Rockford Guilford Sectional. They have won seven games in a row and 11 of their past 12.
“We have plenty of guys who can put the ball in the basket, so the least of my worries is scoring,” Nabb said. “But doing some of the less obvious things, that’s where I saw a place, like setting good screens, getting a steal.”
Nabb’s selfless play doesn’t show up much in statistics. He is averaging just 2.0 points, 1.0 assist and 1.0 rebound, and his season high in points was seven in a game on Warren’s mid-January trip to New York.
But Nabb does lead the Blue Devils, who allowed less than 50 points eight times during this 12-game stretch, in one category: charges taken.
“Defense in general is a toughness thing, and I want to make it as hard as possible for people to score on me,” he said. “To take a charge, you put your body on the line, but it’s trading a second or two of pain for shifting momentum. That’s an easy trade to help the team.”
Plotting out ways for Nabb to do that came up routinely during preseason conversations with senior forward Alex Daniels. The subjects ranged from things Nabb could do on the court to the type of leadership he could provide.
“I felt like there was more that he could do that hadn’t been shown yet, but on a guard-heavy team, that might be bringing energy or ballhandling,” Daniels said. “But being one of the seniors, helping out was an opportunity that couldn’t be missed.”
Nabb has taken advantage of that opportunity.
“You have to lead differently with different teammates,” he said. “With some guys, you have to put your foot down, and with some guys you have to be more calm and subtle. It’s all about building trust.”
Nabb has earned trust on the court, too, playing alongside freshman guard Jaxson Davis, who averages a team-high 19.2 points, and Daniels, senior forward Immanuel Brown and junior guard Javerion Banks, who combine for 30 points and 13 rebounds per game. People who watch the Blue Devils play regularly have come to expect Nabb to be a difference-maker.
“As a coach, you’re grateful for players like Jacquari who have totally bought into their role,” Warren coach Zack Ryan said. “It’s not an easy dynamic when there are younger players getting more attention and time. But when you have players willing to sacrifice for the benefit of the team, that’s a huge help.”
Nabb points to one stretch early in the season as a turning point. He didn’t play in Warren’s 62-51 loss to Mount Carmel on Nov. 22, but he had the self-awareness and work ethic to double down in the days after that game. Typical of his body of work, he didn’t score in the Blue Devils’ 56-42 road win against New Trier just six days later, but he made an impact.
“I didn’t play in the first half but remember playing really well once I went in,” Nabb said. “I found a rhythm, and after that game, I never looked back.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.