Usually a strong program in Chicago’s west suburbs, the Oak Park and River Forest High School boys basketball team has struggled the past two seasons, with just nine victories in each.
But the Huskies were largely competitive despite the records, and head coach Phil Gary, entering his fourth full season, believes the program is on the upswing.
“It’s going well. The guys are gelling quicker than I thought,” he said. “We’ve still got to get better with certain stuff, but overall it’s going well. We’re excited, and we think we’re going to have a good season.”
OPRF senior forward Alex Gossett, entering his third varsity season, agrees with Gary’s assessment.
“Our chemistry is amazing and the ball is flying around,” he said. “We’re playing defense as one unit and gelling really well. I’m just looking forward to competing and living up to our potential as a team.”
OPRF, which went 9-17 last season, has nine varsity returnees, including three starters: Gossett, junior guard Johnny Nelson, and senior center Alex Vincent. Vincent, who, like Gossett, is a three-time varsity player, recently received his first college offer from Army West Point.
Gary is perplexed by the lack of recruiting interest from colleges being shown to Gossett, who stands 6-5, and Vincent, who is 6-9. But he also feels it serves as motivation for the duo.
“I think it just makes them a little more hungry,” Gary said. “That’s a good thing for them and the team.”
Though he doesn’t have any offers yet, Gossett says he’s gotten interest from a few NCAA Division II and III institutions. He also knows what he’d like in a future college home.
“I’m looking for a place that can satisfy my academic needs as well as harbor a basketball culture where everyone is bought in,” he said.
Other returning players for OPRF are senior center Andre Stanton, senior guards Mateo Heidkamp-Pimentel, John Summers, Matt Winkelhake, and Andrew Zhou, and junior guard Jerome Delaney.
Top newcomers for the Huskies are sophomore forward AJ Enyia, sophomore guard Tyson McLean, and junior guards Matt Halper, Logan Johnson, and Cameron Woods. Johnson is the younger brother of Max Johnson, who graduated last year and is currently at Spire Academy, a boarding school for prospective collegiate athletes located in Geneva, Ohio (Cleveland suburb).
OPRF has always liked to test itself against the top area programs, and this year’s schedule is no exception. The Huskies started this week looking to defend their championship title from the Wheaton Academy Thanksgiving Tournament. The annual East Avenue Showdown with Fenwick takes place Dec. 6 at the University of Illinois Chicago’s Credit Union One Arena as part of the Chicago Elite Classic. Then there’s the Pontiac Holiday Tournament, Dec. 26-28, which is loaded with powerhouse teams.
In addition to those tough games, OPRF competes in the West Suburban Conference Silver Division, which has become one of the area’s best leagues recently with Downers Grove North and Glenbard West making it to state, the latter winning the 2022 Class 4A title and the former taking fourth place in 2023.
“I think it’ll be a great race,” Gary said. “Glenbard West and Hinsdale Central are pretty good, but it’s wide open. That’s one of our goals, win the conference this year.”
If the Huskies are going to attain the goal of a WSC Silver championship, they must play good defense according to Gary.
“We’ve been harping on our guys about [defense] and they’re doing a better job of helping each other,” he said. “They’re playing team defense rather than individual defense. If you’re missing shots, your defense should not waver.”
On Nov. 25, OPRF hoped to start the season with a victory against Plainfield North at Wheaton Academy. Gossett poured in 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and Vincent had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough as 20 turnovers and eight missed free throws doomed the Huskies to a 64-59 defeat.
Following a game with Bartlett, Nov. 26 (after press time), OPRF concludes the tournament against host Wheaton Academy, Nov. 29.