Wauconda junior guard Tony Salemi knows what it’s like to get knocked down.
Salemi has had to pick himself up more than once during his three-year quest to make an impact on the varsity level.
“I’m actually glad it happened,” he said. “It made me want to work that much harder, to get shots up when no one else is, to watch film when no one else is and to lift when no one else is.”
Salemi began his varsity career as a freshman, a reflection of the resoundingly positive first impression he made during open gyms before the 2022-23 season. But his debut was short-lived. After an uneven performance in his first game, Salemi was moved down to Wauconda’s sophomore team.
“Getting demoted humbled me because coming in as a freshman I thought I was all that,” Salemi said. “I had been working my butt off but realized that these guys also work hard and are varsity athletes. That first game, I didn’t know what to do, and I just shut down. I clearly wasn’t ready.”
The following season, Salemi played a few games on the sophomore team before he became academically ineligible.
“Sophomore year was not my greatest year,” he said. “I always used to only want to do the bare minimum in class. I never really liked school and never wanted to ace anything. Now I know for me to fulfil my dreams I need to exceed expectations in class and exceed expectations on the court.”
Having improved academically, Salemi is making the most of his new opportunity on the court. After Wauconda’s 66-64 win against Northern Lake County Conference rival Lakes in the Lakes MLK Tournament on Monday, he’s averaging a team-high 14.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.9 steals and is shooting 84% from the free-throw line.
The 6-foot-1 Salemi has scored at least 20 points five times for the Bulldogs (4-16, 1-5), including a career-high 27 points against Crystal Lake Central on Jan. 6.
“He has all the talent in the world, he loves the game and he’s so coachable,” Wauconda coach Ty Weidner said. “There’s nothing he can’t do on the court, and the game will only continue to slow down for him. And because he missed so much time, he’s just scratching the surface of what he can do long term.”
Opponents learned that quickly, and additional scrutiny and competitive banter from some Grayslake North players during Wauconda’s second game of the season was another reminder that Salemi is a work in progress.
“I didn’t have the best offensive game, and it was something where players got in my head, and I fell for it,” Salemi said. “That game affected my confidence, and afterward I wondered whether I needed to lower my expectations. That wasn’t the only game like that. Physically, I felt fine, but that stuff got in my head. It was an eye-opener.”
Salemi mentions the Crystal Lake Central game and Wauconda’s loss to conference-leading Grant two days later as mileposts in his development.
“I started feeling like the game was coming to me and that nothing felt forced,” Salemi said. “Even going back to winter break until now, I feel like I’ve gained my confidence, and I’ve been feeling good.”
Salemi has had help along the way. He credits periodic conversations with 2024 graduates Braeden Carlsen, who plays at Mercer, and Cayden Mudd, who plays at Wheaton, and his work with Wauconda-based trainer and AAU coach Jason Casebolt.
“We’ve worked really hard adding to his existing skill set,” Casebolt said. “He was pretty confident in his midrange game, and we knew he could get to the rim because of his athleticism. So we spent a lot of time handling the ball, and he didn’t have much of a 3-point shot.
“His story is far from over. There’s a lot of high-level basketball for him to play.”
Salemi’s emergence is particularly gratifying for him given his Wauconda ties. His parents graduated from the high school, and his father, his mother’s sister and Weidner were in the same class.
“Wauconda isn’t a big town, so wearing the ‘W’ across my chest is really nice,” Salemi said. “We don’t produce a ton of high-level athletes, so to have a chance to become one means a lot.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
