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By Joe Henricksen
At a young age -- and I'm talking freshmen and sophomores -- there are players that have the hype, show flashes of potential and are legitimate college prospects even without the production or end results. That is typically the progression of a young player. Then there are the rare few that, along with the hype and potential, come the added bonus of immediate results and production. With Mount Carmel freshman Tracy Abrams we have seen both.
Those that watched Abrams early in the season, particularly in four games at the Pekin Holiday Tournament in December, saw the young player with promise. However, his role was limited throughout the first two-thirds of the season and the production was minimal. Abrams was 7-of-24 from the field and averaged 4.5 points a game in four games at Pekin. Again, it's the natural progression of a young player who is just beginning to tap into his potential and understand the game at the varsity level. You never know when the light turns on and a player turns the corner. For Abrams it's been sooner than later.
The Mount Carmel point guard, who the City/Suburban Hoops Report believes is just behind DeLaSalle's Mike Shaw, Curie's Wayne Blackshear and Limestone's Donivine Stewart in what is blossoming into a very promising freshman class in Illinois, was absolutely stunning in two wins at the Proviso East Sectional.
He scored 22 points in a semifinal win over DeLaSalle and followed it up with 15 big points in the second half to help the Caravan upset Whitney Young in the sectional championship. In the win over Whitney Young in particular, it was more than the point production. It was about a point guard playing extremely composed and just making plays. When Mount Carmel needed a big play, Abrams was there to provide it. That is rare for a player that age, in that position, against that type of competition and in that type of environment. In a word he was fearless. His style of play shows flashes of a Chris Paul-type, a slender-framed, slightly undersized point guard who gets into the lane and to the basket, finishes and plays in control and -- again, in a word -- fearless.
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Comments
TRACY ABRAMS IS THE REAL DEAL!
MIKE SHAW HAS A CHANCE TO BE A MC DONALD'S ALL-AMERICAN.
THE FUTURE IS VERY BRIGHT FOR DE LASALLE AND MT. CARMEL
TWO TEAMS THAT HAVE TALENT ENOUGH TO PLAY IN MAJOR
SHOOT-OUTS NEXT SEASON!
Posted by: PHIL SMITH JR | March 8, 2008 11:44 PM
NEXT SEASON SOMEONE SHOULD HAVE A CATHOLIC LEAGUE VS.
PUBLIC LEAGUE SHOOTOUT, ABOUT 6 GAMES. LET'S SEE!
1 LEO VS. CRANE
2 DE LASALLE VS. MARSHALL
3 MT. CARMEL VS. LINCOLN PARK
4 HALES VS. VON STUEBEN
5 ST. RITA VS. WHITNEY YOUNG
6 FENWICK VS. NORTH LAWNDALE
ALL WE NEED IS A SPONSOR, LET'S TELEVISE EVERY GAME,
HAVE THE GAME AT UIC!
Posted by: PHIL SMITH JR | March 11, 2008 1:14 AM
Good idea Phil Smith Jr.!
I would rearrange your games, though, based on what teams would match up best against eachother so they all would be cometitive, triple overtime thrillers!
This shootout could replace the CPS Christmas tourney in January!
God thinking! I think these would be good games!
Tell Mr. Davis to start working on it with Mr. Prunty!
Phil
Posted by: Phil | March 11, 2008 7:45 AM
I though about it, in order of gametime...
Leo vs. Crane
Loyola vs. Lincoln Park
Fenwick vs. Von Steuben
Hales vs. Marshall
DeLaSalle vs. Whitney Young
Mt. Carmel vs. North Lawndale
That way, the two top teams in each conference will play eachother. DLS and Young would be good determining factor for sectional seeding. Loyola should have a better team than Rita next year (Carter and Wennington older/more experienced).
No matter the matchups, these should be good games.
Posted by: Anonymous | March 11, 2008 3:35 PM
proviso west have a very strong freshmen group with the acceptance of Tyrone Mcdonald, Nicholas Frazier, Nicholas Dixon, and dont sleep on that kid Xavier Gardner, he can do some damage as well.
Posted by: xavyer | March 20, 2008 3:27 AM
Yea those two teams do have a bright future but, i have been too a couple of proviso west games tournements included. Someone please put this class of '11 on the map they have some talent Key Players: Nick Dixon, Nick Frazier, Tyrone Mcdonald. Look out players: Xavier Gardner, Jamal Wright, Deshae Moore this is a very talented group.
Posted by: Christerpher Head | March 20, 2008 3:43 AM
tre tre/tracy abrams is going to the nba and he is my close friend stright out of john fiske he taught the team alot and theirs much talent here i think weve been over looked. kobe t-mac all the greats i hope tre be one of them.
Posted by: demetrius scott | June 7, 2008 2:57 PM