The loss of Wayne

Sometimes these things hit out of the blue. In the crazy style of the Chicago Public school system, Curie High School's basketball team lost its sophomore star Wayne Blackshear yesterday to another fine South Side school, Morgan Park. What, one mite say, this sort of thing happens all the time in sports. But the transfer of the pro style of players jumping from team to team always seems really crazy @ this sort of level.

There is no question that recruiting goes on in high school, and for sure someone was telling Wayne that Morgan Park would be better for his interests. Sometimes it's great for kids to change schools - but often it is not. I can tell you I was coaching @ a really......urban school more than a decade ago, and we got a great sewwper as a transfer. He left this really grewat school to play soccer @ my .....real dumpy school. It was bad move for him (I was new to the program and called NO shots)Wayne was one of three very highly touted sophomores in the area - and Morgan Park is trying to get another of the trio from De La Salle to join him next year. Whether that happens or not we shall see - but the reality is is that Curie has lost not just one of it's best players this year - their best player, excuse me - it will hurt even more next year, when their state hopes rested heavily on this young man.

Great player? Very good, but as a soph, he was but one of the options on the team. Don't get me wrong - he was option after option after option - he ran the floor, pull up for an 18 footer, post up if there was a mismatch, rebound, hits his free throws - and, when they needed a shot created - it was Wayne.

But he wasn't the only player on the team. Hodges, Dorsey, and Enoch provide height and inside toughness. Travis, Smiter and Ford run the floor and go hard @ the basket. They are a good all around team - but even w/ Wayne they would not be a favourite to challenge for state. Now, however, they probably won't challenge even next year - when they would certainly have been one of the favourites.

However Im still to sit in the stands. I know this basketball team far better than I know any since the SuperBulls. And just like the shocking loss to Farragut of Ronnie Fields in Feb. 1996 - I'm very interested inhow they respond. On Sunday they played ranked Morton and overcame a 15 pitn deficit in the 4th - and this w/ Wayne suddenly not oin the team. However, the next day the team lost in the last seconds to Roberson - a team I think, three days before, Curie would have handily beat.

Next game? To-morrow, a make up of a frozenday postponement. We'll see.