After suffering through a nightmarish season in 1988-89, one ofhis most difficult in 22 years at Timothy Christian, boys' basketballcoach Don Greenfield wondered what he was in store for this time.
It did not take him long to realize this could be a specialseason for his Class A team, bringing back memories of glory days.Greenfield's first team in 1967 won 26 straight games. His 1975club was second in the state. And in 1979 and 1980, he guided theTrojans to consecutive Downstate trips.
The Elmhurst school currently ranks No. 4 in Class A in theChicago area with a 5-1 record.
"We had an absolutely horrendous year, but I'm really enjoyingcoaching this team. I look forward to each day of practice,"Greenfield said. "We have a number of good role players, and theyall work extremely hard."
Timothy Christian's marquee role player is senior all-conferenceperformer Jim Smith. The 6-8, 200-pounder is averaging 19.4 points and 11 rebounds a game.
"He is a good scorer and a strong rebounder. People double andtriple team him, and he still does well," Greenfield said. "When weneed him against pressure defenses, he can also handle the ball quitewell for a big man. The most important thing is he must be able tohandle all the punishment."
"We played as individuals last year and lost a lot of closegames (13 by five points or less)," Smith said. "This year, we'replaying as a team and doing very well."
Starring with Smith are his frontcourt teammates, 6-5 1/2senior Kevin Post (9.5 points) and 6-2 junior Brandon Van Dyke (11points).
"Kevin is our big forward, but I certainly wouldn't call him apower forward (170 pounds). He is a very good offensive player,with a soft shot. He just needs to get more rebounds," Greenfieldsaid. "Brandon is a slashing driver with good ball-handling skills."
The Trojan backcourt is undecided. At one spot is 6-footsophomore guard Dave Bosman (five points, two assists). Threeplayers share the other position.
"Dave is learning every day. As he starts to get the feel ofthings, he will improve," Greenfield said. "Our other spot has alittle of everything. Stability, but less scoring from Tim DeJong;explosiveness, though sometimes out of control play from Doug Tincuand Steve Cook, who has a more deliberate tempo."
Timothy Christian began the season on a strong note, winning theLisle Thanksgiving Tournament, prior to losing its only game toIlliana Christian.
"We've progressed nicely so far, but sometimes the consistencyof high school kids can be a problem, such as a letdown againstIlliana Christian," Greenfield said. "We just need to hang in there,battle, and keep improving. Our 1975 team did that and I think thisteam can also go Downstate."
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