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By Luke Elder  Photo Courtesy of Luke Elder/The Elder Sportsman Though the Cabrini Green housing projects were torn down in 2011, "the row", a sequence of residences, still remains. Due to its close proximity to Chicago's downtown, Cabrini has been thoroughly gentrified, creating a mixed-income area with million-dollar flats just steps from low-income housing. "It used to be right there," Greg Fleming, who was raised in Cabrini Green, said. "Right where that big Target is. We used to hit baseballs at my building from there. Lot of white people. You never used to see white people." Cabrini was once a place of economic opportunity, but following World War II, nearby factories were closed, stripping the community of its economic base. Soon afterwards, the area began withdrawing services like police patrols and public transit stops.  Photo Courtesy of Universal Pictures Cabrini Green has been the birthplace of many celebrities, yet it may be most famous for its depictions in Candyman, both the 1992 original and 2021 remake, with the former displaying the then-standing high-rises, and the latter displaying the Rowhouses. Cabrini, a place Mel Magazine's Eddie Kim calls "a vibrant community that, in real-life America, became the boogeyman representation of public-housing projects and the people who live in them," is examined in the 2021 film through the lens of gentrification. A commentary rooted in the real experiences of Cabrini's old residents, as expensive groceries and shops have overtaken their neighborhood.  Photo Courtesy of Luke Elder/The Elder Sportsman The photo above shows Kenneth Hammond, a resident of Cabrini's Rowhouses, dancing with his granddaughter. Hammond worked with the Chicago Park District for nearly twenty years, trying to create places of safety for the young kids of the neighborhood. "I'm 53, born and raised over here." Hammond said. "I actually got a chance to tear down all the high rises with Hinnigan wrecking company." The violence and gang activity adjacent with Cabrini's reputation is exactly what Hammond hoped to eliminate--or, at least, mitigate. "We used to run "stop the violence" basketball tournaments," Hammond said. "Some of the best in the city used to come and show out."  Photo Courtesy of Luke Elder/The Elder Sportsman "If a kid was in the park program," Hammond said, "when it came to ethics in there, how I worked with the kids, was to put myself in their shoes, because the kids I worked with lived in the same community I did. Some people would say, "oh, you think you're so much better because you're working with the park," but how can I be better than anyone when I live right below you? "  Photo Courtesy of Luke Elder/The Elder Sportsman
Greg Fleming, pictured above, was able to bring himself out of Cabrini Green through basketball. Though he still maintains close ties with the Cabrini Green community, he is Roberto Clemente's head varsity basketball coach, on the other side of town. Fleming cited his experiences as his motivation to leave the community. "Just seeing my mother’s struggle. You know, by that time I knew I didn't want to be dead or in jail." Fleming said. "I really love sports. I really wanted to, you know, take that to the next level. It kept me out of trouble."
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By Luke Elder
As a 6-foot-7 center at Roberto Clemente high, Lawrence Rowell is hard to miss. He towers over his classmates and teachers, and does the same for most of his competition on the court. With his high school basketball career coming to a close, Rowell is faced with the burden of a heavy question: what now? Presented with scholarship opportunities from Kennedy King and Wright College, it looks like that future will involve more basketball. “I can’t wait to play at a high level,” Rowell said. “I never thought I was going to be able to.” Though basketball can pave the way for academic opportunities, Rowell’s heart is torn between two passions: basketball and culinary arts. To ‘cook’ someone is a slang term for beating an opponent in basketball, so Rowell hopes that college will bring cooking in two ways. “I’m not sure which is more important to me yet,” Rowell said. “I’m going to keep cooking while I’m in college. Kennedy has culinary, but everything is paid for at Wright.” Blessed with two unique talents, the doubters have always come for Rowell. Not becoming a starter until his senior season, he was told by teammates and coaches that his height is undeserved; that he’s tall for no reason. “They said they could do better with my height, or tell me I’m no good.” Rowell said. “I’m just here to prove a lot of them wrong.” Despite proving his worth on the basketball court, his dreams don’t necessarily involve points or rebounds. Rowell began to cook at just four years old, after watching his family make breakfast in the kitchen. “Every Sunday morning, my father would make me pancakes, grits, and a ton of sausage and eggs,” Rowell said. “Every time, the smell of the food would make me so happy. My dad and my auntie inspired me to cook.” At just ten, Roval began to consider culinary arts as a career. “I started to make big meals for my family,” Rowell said. “It would be so quiet at the table, all you could hear was forks and spoons hitting the plates. Everyone would tell me how good the food was.” When Rowell isn’t on the basketball court, you can find him manning the grill at family cookouts or making meals for friends. He’s skilled at cooking many different styles of dishes, but he wasn’t willing to share any of them. “I like to cook seafood, breakfast and soul food.” Rowell said. “A detailed recipe? A lot of them are secret recipes for generations.” Rowell speaks about the intricacies of cooking like an academic does a research paper, or a conductor does a symphony. It’s almost like his persona switches as he begins to speak. “I always loved the idea of how some flavors mix so well together,” Rowell said. “How one small detail can change how a dish tastes.” There was a time when neither basketball nor culinary arts were in the cards for Rowell, after struggling early on academically. He never liked to study, but found academic success in high school. “My grades weren’t always this good,” Rowell said. “I hated school–I would do the work, and not turn it in just because it was so boring. That changed in sixth grade when my auntie had a talk with me. She really changed me. Since then, good grades. I just want to make my family proud.” By Luke Elder  Greg Fleming standing outside the "Row", the only remaining buildings of the Cabrini Green projects. Photo Courtesy of Luke Elder/The Elder Sportsman Greg Fleming, Roberto Clemente’s boys basketball coach, leads with intensity. Making mistakes results in an earful full of rhetorical questions and curse words. From the outside looking in, he’s just another young coach with a chip on his shoulder, but Greg Fleming’s bearing the weight of his community. The famous Cabrini Green community, known as well for Candyman as it is for gang violence. A place imagined cinematically for the American public. “I’ve met a lot of people who look at Cabrini as if it’s a bad place,” Fleming said. “Me on the other hand, on the inside, growing up here, it made me who I am. It’s a project, so we get looked at ten times worse than the average place. The older guys were always in my ear, constantly, you know, reminding me keep going, keep going. They’d threaten me, saying ‘if I catch you on drugs I’ll kick your ass.’ I really think that helped me. So many people pushed me, and I could thank so many people. What I do, I do for my community. I try to represent my community in the best way that I can, try to show people outside Cabrini that there are good people from here.” Amongst the crowd of supporters is Fleming’s cousin, Kenneth Hammond. Wearing a toothy grin and diamond earrings while he cooks sloppy Joes for his family, Hammond remembers Greg’s time in Cabrini as a boy, as well as his own. “Lil’ Greg is one of the special ones in the family, we don’t have a lot of successful athletes,” Hammond said. “So he was the oldest kid in his family, and he became a real, responsible mentor young– taking care of his younger siblings in the household. So that right there, put Greg at a whole different standpoint from a lot of us coming up, you know, I was raised in a house with six other siblings with just my mom.” Hammond sees a great deal of himself in Fleming, sharing far more than just similar family upbringing. Violence is something Hammond and Fleming saw plenty of growing up. It’s an unfortunate–and inevitable–aspect of their community. “Greg and his little brother were really close, like ‘yin’ and ‘yang’, and his brother was also a guy who had a chance to lead the community, and make something of himself.” Hammond said. “Unfortunately he was lost to gun violence. My oldest son was recently lost to gun violence, too. The temptation is so strong once you leave your house out here, and I know, because my brother was a notorious gang leader.” Though Fleming was surrounded by shootings and gang activity, he worked hard to avoid what felt like the only path for young men in his community. Though later success was found in basketball, baseball was Fleming’s first love. Fleming would later be introduced to Roberto Clemente Community Academy as a baseball prospect. “During the summer when I was a kid, we’d have baseball games in the morning.” Fleming said. “We’d come back to Cabrini, with our uniform still on, and play ‘til it got dark.” Greg was in fourth grade. At the time, his cousin was working with the Chicago Park District, who ran a program to help keep young students off the streets. Some kids came to get a meal if they couldn’t get one at home, but most came as a place of shelter–of solace.  Fleming alongside his cousin, Kenneth Hammond. Photo Courtesy of Luke Elder/The Elder Sportsman “When lil’ Greg was coming up, and someone wanted to be rough or not follow the rules of the park, we’d say, “we’ll give you two, three days up out of here and see how you want to act.” Hammond said. “Because we all knew, at a certain time of the day, no matter if you were an athlete or just hanging out, you wanted to be in the park. We’ve been surrounded by this all of our lives, so you need to have a strong mentality to want something more in life than just this. To want something for the future.” Athletics was a helpful incentive to keep Fleming away from the violence-laden streets, but he attributes his avoidance with Cabrini’s drug trade to his mentor, Deepak Devaraj. In 2004, Devaraj was struggling to find fulfillment beyond his workplace in trading. Blindly, Devaraj was exploring Catholic charity programs and stumbled upon one called “Cabrini Connections”. Knowing nothing about it, he searched online and found that it was a mentorship program, on Wednesday nights. “We were sitting in a classroom, and there's probably 15 or 20 of us up front, that were kind of adult-ish. There's probably, you know, 25 or 30 kids in the room,” Devaraj said. “So the administrator of Cabrini Connections gave a speech, and as soon as he's done, Greg looked straight at me. He points to me and he goes, “I want you to be my mentor.”” It was through seeing Greg’s background and beginning to understand his struggles that Devaraj found purpose in their partnership, and the two quickly formed a tight bond that would last a lifetime. Devaraj said the two were a perfect pair, because Fleming was in need of love, and he had love to give. “I realized, like, this can go beyond just learning how to read and solve math problems. So while it started in the classroom, it kind of morphed into him actually just becoming part of my family. And I always say it's like he's the oldest child I never had and he's the younger brother I never had.” Devaraj was quick to note Fleming’s confidence and outgoing nature from an early age, but was sure to imbue a sense of hard work while showing Fleming other options in life; other cultures and neighborhoods. “He always tells me, “dude, if it wasn't for you, opening my eyes to what really existed in the world.” Devaraj said. He's like, “there's no shot in hell I would ever be doing any of this. But once he saw what was on the other side, once he saw a functional family eating dinner together, a functional person getting up every morning at 4:30 to go to work, it showed him like, I'm not afraid to put in the work. So once he once all that clicked, it was kind of game on.” Devaraj remembers being thrown first hand into Cabrini Green’s projects, when a young Greg found it all to be too much. “I’ve had to go to the projects to go find him because sometimes he would kind of disappear a little bit. Then I would have to go up to his house–going up to the eighth floor of the [Cabrini] towers. It's not such a welcoming site, when you're an outsider. It was one of those things where he’s just a part of my family and, and he will always be.” Through a difficult upbringing, Fleming was molded into a mature young man and gifted athlete. So much so, that he was offered a basketball scholarship to attend Grand Rapids Community College. “They were a powerhouse at the time. I kept my head down in the classroom and had a good ass season. I ended up picking up like six offers after that,” Fleming said. “Afterwards, I ended up at Lourdes University, had one of the toughest coaches ever. Coach Smith. He was this big black dude, and when I had just met him, I had lost my brother. I didn’t even know if I wanted to take the scholarship, but signed the letter of intent, and then a month later my brother is murdered. I was excited to go to school, but at the same time I just lost my brother.” Fleming finished just short of a degree due to personal reasons, but was thankful for the chance to experience life outside of his hardened upbringing. “It was fun. Being able to play ball, go to school for free,” Fleming said. “Just opened my eyes to a different viewpoint. Made me a better person, being around all these positive people.” Devaraj was confident that Fleming could still find a way to finish the last few credits of his college degree. He wondered if Fleming might’ve finished if he were closer to his support system. “He'd always come to eat dinner and hang out. We were together all the time,” Devaraj said. “When he moved to college, then it was more of like we would talk on the phone, you know, once a month kind of thing, maybe a little bit more often if there was some trouble going on. But you know, it's just hard when you're not in the same city. Like, I went and watched his first game of the season, and we’d talk on the phone once a while, but it was much easier when he was in the city.” Finishing aside, the opportunity to have a basketball scholarship and “make it out” of Cabrini was exceptional, and Fleming’s community noticed. Now, as one of Chicago’s youngest head basketball coaches, Greg is presented with a task not too dissimilar to the one his cousin and mentor had managed all those years ago. “Greg is doing the same thing, now, but it might take a village to do that with the way things have changed,” Hammond said. “Greg is future representation for our family. A lot of things might happen, but he’ll be a successful man. Maybe he’ll buy me lunch. He don’t owe me nothing, but he knows I love to eat.” The love and care shown by Fleming’s supporters is an unquestionable product of the community, but also, the life experience Fleming has overcome to become a mature leader. “One of the reasons he's going to have a tremendous amount of success is, there's no high school or junior high kid that's going to be able to bullshit him, right?” Devaraj asked. “I mean, the guy has seen it all his brother was murdered. You know, he's seen the gangbanging and seen the drugs, he's seen everything firsthand. So it's like, you know, he knows what happens when you become a product of the system. And I think in a weird way, I think the players respect that and look up to him for that.”  Fleming with his mentor, Deepak Devaraj Photo Courtesy of Luke Elder/The Elder Sportsman As a first-year varsity coach given the job just before the season, Fleming was left with few opportunities to prepare and recruit players before the preseason’s start in the fall. Fleming is not a stranger to being left with few options, so a positive outlook was his natural inclination.
“It was definitely frustrating. I had to kick a few kids off the team for grades, not being coachable or undisciplined,” Fleming said. “I laid down the expectations that this is what it’s gonna be. We struggled, but it was a learning experience for me and my team, so I feel blessed for that. I learned a lot.” Fleming knew that giving back to his community, one way or another, was always the goal. “I think I wanted to help kids my whole life,” Fleming said. “I had a chance to play [basketball] overseas, but I turned it down. I came back home, and the Clemente coach at the time reached out to me and asked me if I wanted it, and I said yes. I wanted to help kids, kids like myself that were unfortunate, that didn’t have the best resources. Kids that had single moms, that don’t got a lot. I figured out quick that it was my purpose, my why. I think God brought me back to Chicago. I’m just trying to do a good job. I think I’m doing a good job.” “A great job”, Hammond added with a smile and a hand on Fleming’s shoulder. “Lil greg plays a big part in our community, our neighborhood. I know that I appreciate it, and that others appreciate him. It’s important to our community, because our future is our kids. Greg’s playing a big part of that, helping them come up. There aren't a lot of lil’ Gregs over here, still. He stayed connected to where he’s from.” If Greg’s coaching career were over tomorrow, he’d still have a community of people to back him. Proud of their roots, Cabrini Green’s residents wear their hardships like a badge of honor. “The temptations are really hard to fight, and the expectation is so high once you come up out of the inner city. Especially from Cabrini, famous Cabrini,” Hammond said, “We’ve had actors, singers, athletes come from here.” No stranger to the difficulties faced by those he now mentors, Greg Fleming is working to be enshrined amongst the Cabrini success stories. His tool? A basketball. It was his way out, and he hopes it’ll be a chance for others like him.
By Luke Elder
The 2022-2023 season is close to 9 months away, but the presence of AAU and off-season training makes high school basketball feel like a full time sport. Not a full week after Clemente’s disappointing loss to Holy Trinity in the first round of the Divisional, they are back in the gym for training and practices.
It’s never too early to look ahead, right? Here are three predictions for Clemente’s 2023 season: John Rivera will step up big
The young freshman began to prove his ability to lead throughout the season, slowly (but surely) assuming more on-court responsibility and playing with more efficiency. He could use a little interview practice, but his game is on the upswing. Clemente is in desperate need of a player-captain.
The lack of commitment shown by soon-to-be senior and leading scorer Jamarion Latzzis, who often misses practices and lifts, gives no reason for anyone to believe he’s suited to fill that role. Rivera, who played his first year of organized basketball this year, showed the maturity of a senior by the season’s end. “He’s learned to control his temper, his emotions. He’s learning how to deal with adversity,” head coach Greg Fleming said of Rivera. “He’s mature, I think he’s a guy who’s committed, and I think he’s going to set the tone for my program for the years to come. No doubt.” Rivera’s maturity is apparent, especially when compared to the frustrated, temperamental kid I met a few months ago. He was committing sloppy fouls, making freshman-type plays. Now, he leads his teammates in the weight room and is the first one in the gym for training. He talks a big game to his teammates, but has begun to back it up. “The whole team just needs a better work ethic,” Rivera said. “They’ve got to devote themselves to basketball.”
new recruits will help fill the gaps
Fleming and company have spoken about “the recruits coming in” like the messiahs of Clemente basketball. Those that’ll carry them to the promised land. Maybe they’re right. While I sat in for a Sunday afternoon practice (when the recruits can join), it was evident that these kids were hungrier, and in some cases, more talented than many of Clemente’s young varsity players.
Julio Malone holding a JR Hoops trophy
Photo courtesy of Greg Fleming
A key among the mix is Fleming’s younger brother, Julio Malone. Malone was recently selected for the “Rookies Game”, where some of Chicago’s top eighth graders face off. Fleming expects Malone to make a serious varsity impact “from day one.” I got the chance to watch Malone in action during that Sunday practice, and it was evident, even in his young age, that his quickness and shooting ability is well-curated. He’s a head above the rest.
Just below .500
Hear me out, I don’t have any delusions of grandeur. A team, even with some young guns to boast, does not go from 4-22 to a conference championship in a year’s time. It may take even longer, but five of Clemente’s losses were decided by just eight points or less. A little bit of sharpened defensive effort and a few more buckets make those different games. There's no reason to believe, based on that evidence, that some adjustments could make Clemente an 11-15 team.
Though the loss of dominating paint presence Lawrence Roval hurts Clemente’s ability to intimidate down low, a year of varsity experience under the belts of freshman guards Levarus Grayerr and Derrick Carter should easily make up the difference. In Clemente’s heavily undersized blue conference, the two six-foot-two guards will command the elbows defensively in Fleming’s two-three zone defense, eliminating the need for Roval’s size. They’re both young enough that there is room to grow. Clemente will miss the defensive prowess that came with Roval and fellow senior Jacob Perez, but the influx of talented, hungry recruits and older players buying in could make Clemente a dark horse in the blue conference. We’ll just have to wait and see.
By Luke Elder
Despite head coach Greg Fleming out sick, and many players absent, Clemente hoops was able to squeeze in an off season workout with assistant coach Brandon "Cheese" Onuselogu. "Cheese" is a licensed physical therapist and well versed in fitness training (evidenced by his biceps). He took the four young players that made it through a lower-body strengthening session, hoping to help them with fundamentals.
Though most Clemente players are inexperienced in the weight room, the ones that showed up are committed to the work. They're highly competitive when talking basketball, though competition is many months away. Freshman John Rivera and Sophomore Paul Moore banter. "You know you couldn't guard me one-on-one," Rivera said to Moore, "I'm too strong." "What's your points record in a game?" Asked Moore. "That's what I thought."
"I'm just trying to stay committed," sophomore Chris Escobar (above, right) said, "get better in my progress. Get bigger and stronger."
By Luke Elder The atmosphere in Clemente high’s old, noisy gym is different now that the regular season comes to a close. The incessant turmoil, arguing and whistleblowing is nowhere to be found. Instead, assistant coach “Cheese” Onuselogu purposefully misses three pointers, so his players can focus on box-outs for rebounding. Players laugh and poke fun at each other, but quickly focus as soon as the basketball hits the rim. If the white jerseys get three rebounds, the blue team has to run. A player in white gnashes and grabs the ball from his teammate, completing their third. The blue team readies themselves for down and backs, without any fuss or complaint. They take long strides, and in two short sprints, return to the drill. Though the air is light, Clemente’s effort is evident. The regional playoffs are fast approaching for Clemente high as they prepare to face off against Holy Trinity on Saturday night. There is no time to waste anymore. “I told the seniors man, it's win and go home. This could be the end of your high school career–it could end like that, or you can keep it going. So it's going to be up to Lawrence and Jacob, they have to figure it out.” Head coach Greg Fleming said. “They’ve got to come play big, a lot of minutes. I'm expecting them to play tough and lead the team, this younger group. It’s in their hands.” Clemente’s team began the season with four seniors, but due to incidents beyond basketball, are left now with just two: the huge, yet soft spoken Lawrence Roval and tenacious defender Jacob Perez. Though their team enters the regional tournament with a record of just 4-21, their expectations are high. “I feel great. I feel like we can take this region by storm. Make Clemente history.” Roval said. “Bring back Humboldt Park.” “I wouldn't say I'm nervous. I want my guys to be ready because I can't be ready if they're not, too.” Perez said. “We all have to be on the same page. So, I would say come Saturday, I'm not nervous, I'm not scared. I’m a competitor. We’ll bring the intensity.” Though Perez and his teammates must travel for their first regional matchup, he actually considers it an advantage. During an early October scrimmage, Clemente fell to Holy Trinity by just three, with a missed chance at a game winner. “I think we’ll be more comfortable playing there because we’ve played there before. We know the feeling, the atmosphere.” Perez said. “We weren't composed [during their October scrimmage versus Holy Trinity] and we just weren't the same team as we are now. We’re ready.” Roval and Perez have a great deal on their plates, with hopes of leading their underdog team through a string of tough playoff upsets. What comes after is a more concerning question. What's next?The jump from Winter to Spring is imminent, as Chicago’s snow becomes slush, and frozen dirt sinks back into mud. This means graduation for Clemente’s small senior class, and questions towards the future. Saturday could prove to be Roval’s last basketball game for Clemente high, or maybe ever. “I’m Nervous, man. This is my first year actually playing a lot—my first year I didn't get to play that much. I was just riding the bench. Even on J.V., I barely played. It took me a long ways just to get on the court.” Roval said. “A lot of these games I was nervous because I didn't wanna mess up, like, it's my first year of starting. My first year playing the entire game, back to back to back. It's my last year of high school, I'm trying to make history. Have my jersey retired or something.” Roval, unlike many of his teammates, is not centered entirely on basketball. He’s also an avid and talented cook. Though he doesn’t have a favorite dish, he says he can perfect most any recipe in two or three tries. Culinary arts is a space where Lawrence Roval is very confident. “Both cooking and basketball are my passion, I don't know which [is more important].” Roval said. ”They both weigh the same in my mind. So hopefully, basketball can pay for everything. If I don't go pro, I’ll say “hey, I have cooking.”  Lawrence Roval prepares for a finish during Clemente practice. Courtesy of Luke Elder/The Elder Sportsman Roval doesn’t just want to be a head chef. Clemente’s kindest player hopes that his broad shoulders and 6-foot-6 frame will work well on camera as a cooking show superstar. Though he isn’t an angry Englishman, his gentle demeanor and tall hair could bode well for the silver screen. His layups might translate well to whisking. “I wanna be like somebody big, like Gordon Ramsey. Or even bigger than that. I feel that I have a lot of potential to be a great cook.” Roval said. “Coach Greg came to my cookout and enjoyed the food. He had, like, five plates and took home two to his wife. He wants me to cook for the team now.” For the time being, Roval’s focus is cooking up a different recipe: big playoff wins. Not only is Roval the team’s quietest player, but also one of the most intense. His demeanor has changed tremendously since the season's start. You might not hear it, but the feeling is palpable. Roval is coming off his first double-double in last Friday’s win over Mather after many struggles to find his stride. His coaches see the spark in confidence they’ve been hoping for. “Lawrence is a good kid. Very, very respectful and always wants to get better,” Assistant coach Tony Lumpkin said. “He’s turned it up a lot the past three games. He’s really ready for it now, he talks about playoffs all the time. He wants his senior season to go his way. He sees what he can do.” Continual encouragement and challenge from his coaches, alongside long-awaited on-court success is enough to give Roval confidence heading into regionals. Definitely more than he’s ever had on the floor, and maybe as much confidence as he has in his cooking. “A lot of these teams don’t have bigs, so it’s my time to shine.” Roval said. “I’m trying to have a double double in every game from now on. I’ve got to put more points up. Handle the ball, reload my shooters, do what I gotta do.”  Jacob Perez poses for the team's photoshoot. Courtesy of Jacob Perez/RCCA Roval’s fellow senior, Jacob Perez, has no interest in cooking. He isn’t torn between two passions. Instead, he’s entranced by just one: basketball.
“I want my future to be basketball.” Perez said. “I have a few schools that are interested in me, places pushing for a new wave--young culture, guys that are hungry.” Often quiet on the stat sheet, Perez is a scrappy and tenacious defender, rebounder and passer. His own description is apt; he's hungry. Despite plenty of shooting ability, Perez is content being the unsung hero. “I'm not focused on scoring. My job is to lock down defensively, give the ball to the next guy in front of me and execute plays, not only for myself but for others.” Perez said. “I'm fine with the other guys scoring 20 and I just have four points, because if it gives us the win, then I get to continue on with my senior year. That’s what every senior wants. It doesn't matter. Every senior doesn't care about scoring every point, it's just about continuing this year and making history for their schools. That’s what I want to do for Clemente.” Perez’s coaches have been emphasizing selfless play since early in the season, but it truly required the reality of the season’s end to drive home their point. Assistant Tony Lumpkin shouts for an extra pass as Perez pivots during practice. Where an errant three would’ve been shot six weeks ago, two extra passes make for an easy layup. If you repeat things often enough, they tend to stick. “It's a different atmosphere here now. The guys really wanna play with each other. You still have a few bumps, but they're really starting to see what they can do, finally.” Lumpkin said. “It’s really started coming together; they see what we want, and you can see the intensity in practice and training. I’m really happy about that.” Lumpkin has been begging his players to step into positions of leadership all season. “Now, especially now with state playoffs coming, it's not about your stats, it's not about getting yours. It's about winning. Do what you need to do to make a run.” Lumpkin said. “Jacob has finally stepped into a leadership role. Last game he didn’t have many points, but he was really talking and playing tough defense. Our senior leaders have been carrying us.” Though both Roval and Perez have a lot to consider come graduation, Clemente's seniors have only focus for now, Saturday's game. The cap and gown, the decisions ahead. They’ll all have to wait. The sole focus is bringing their team a regional championship. One game at a time. By Luke Elder David Jones has been a mainstay for DePaul men’s basketball this season, but tends to go unnoticed due to the stardom of guard Javon Freeman-Liberty, the Blue Demons’ leading scorer with a slick playing style. Freeman-Liberty replaced game shorts with sweatpants tonight, fighting a groin injury. This was Jones’ game to shine as the leading man-but his team's first half was not pretty. Though they closed the first period down just one, the Blue Demons were shocked early as Georgetown exploded for an eight-point run in the game's first few minutes. Playing at a borderline out of control pace offensively in the first half, DePaul shot a dismal 34.4% from the floor, and just 18% from outside the arc. It was beginning to look like things may get out of hand. Jones played with constant effort and execution. No matter the circumstance, Jones’ effort is a mainstay. That being said, he’s struggled to score the basketball in the Blue Demons’ last two games, shooting just 2-for-13 from the field against UConn and 5-for-12 versus Xavier. Scoring no more than 10 points in DePaul's last four games, it could be easily argued that there was room for concern.  David Jones celebrates his team's win versus Georgetown. Photo courtesy of Ben Zebrowski There will no longer be any concern after DePaul’s 82-74 win tonight against Georgetown. Undoubtedly overcoming his recent slump (and his team's first-half troubles), Jones recorded his first triple-double tonight (and DePaul’s fourth ever) with a dominant 22 points, 10 assists and 14 rebounds in 37 minutes of action. He was easily the best player on the floor; dominant in finishing ability, and locking down opponents consistently. DePaul fans were quick to question Jones after his recent struggle, but were even quicker to cheer for his successes after tonight’s performance. “Let me say this–you know, even though people say David was struggling, he was still bringing a lot of good things to the table, you know, maybe struggling from an offensive standpoint, but as far as providing leadership, just playing hard, guarding rebounds, he was still doing it. Game in and game out.” Blue Demons head coach Tony Stubblefield said. “The ball wasn't going in the basket as much as he wanted, but you know, he stuck with it. He got in the gym, he continued to work. And you know, this young man has a bright future. He's really a true freshman. Things are only going to get better.”  David Jones dances as he is introduced in tonight's game. Photo courtesy of Ben Zebrowski Truly a player with a work-first mentality, Jones refuses to get a big head over tonight’s triumph. DePaul will face Providence College on Saturday, who wholloped the Blue Demons in their home arena on New Year’s Day, 70-53. Though his contagious, toothy grin shines as he answers questions, Jones mindset is unchanged.
“Same as always. Bring energy.” Jones said. “Keep our team together. We’ve still got a lot of season to go. We’ve got to keep focusing, take it game by game. We can’t let two wins get to our head, we’ve just got to keep working.” "He puts the work in. When you put the work in, the basketball gods will bless you." Coach Stubblefield said. "He's always in the gym working at it. He did a great job of sharing the basketball, making the extra pass and obviously did a good job on the board. 14 rebounds. So proud of his effort as part of our effort tonight." By Luke Elder  Clemente's John Rivera prepares to inbound during a drill alongside head coach Greg Fleming (right) Luke Elder/The Elder Sportsman Shortly after running wind sprints, Clemente forward John Rivera wipes the sweat from his brow, flips his jersey and jumps back into full-court play during a Sunday practice. He shuffles slowly to the line to inbound. Just as he steps on the court, something shifts in his gaze. Like a man possessed, he dives for a loose ball, viciously thrashing it away from two of his teammates before making a great pass from the ground, which leads to an easy layup. The next possession he snatches the ball off the glass, and drives the length of the court to bank a tough shot in traffic. This kid can play, I thought. Rivera wasn’t a highly-touted recruit coming to Clemente, far from it. In fact, head coach Greg Fleming didn’t recruit him at all. He had no idea who he was. “John’s older brother, Jacob (a Clemente senior guard), brought him in over summer workouts,” Fleming said, “he's like coach, I got a little brother in eighth grade that’s coming here. He walks in here with this big kid I'm just like holy ****, this is your little brother?” Assistant coach Tony Lumpkin is very high on Rivera. Often lacking seniority and intensity, Clemente has been in desperate need of a catalyst for change. “John has really stepped into the leader role in games, he’s really caught on to what we're trying to do,” Lumpkin said, “we finally have somebody who is ready and willing to bring the energy that we need for the team.” With Clemete’s first playoff game coming against Foreman on Friday night (Feb. 4), Lumpkin trusts that Rivera is ready to play. “Absolutely. He’s fired up. Last game versus Phoenix he showed me that he is ready to take on all challenges coming towards him now,” Lumpkin said. “John took a charge--we've been trying to get guys to commit to doing it, and he finally did. That's really what changed the momentum of the game, guys were yelling and clapping. John does everything we need him to do. He hits the easy shots he needs to make, plays great defense and is aggressive on rebounds.” "That’s why I’m going to build my team around him.” Rivera was so key to Clemete’s narrow 55-53 victory over Phoenix Military Academy that he was named MaxPreps’ player of the game, scoring nine points alongside seven rebounds, three steals and three blocks. He can do it all. Great attitude is a trait mentioned consistently with those who cross paths with Rivera. “He's a good kid. Good energy. I love John, he’s one of my favorites. Respectful, well mannered, I can’t really ask for anything more than that,” coach Fleming added. “With the young guys we have coming in, John’s energy and mindset will be a tool that’ll help the group transition. It’ll pass down to the other guys. That’s why I’m going to build my team around him.” Assistant Brandon Onuselogu agreed–He thinks Rivera is the hardest worker on the team. “He does a really good job and is very coachable, really tries to learn new things,” Onuselogu said. “He's able to take some feedback and that's what has helped him step up and make plays. He’s been that guy, the one that helps us be more consistent, and has continued to learn.” This is Rivera’s first year of organized basketball. The weight of being both a basketball and varsity rookie? It doesn’t seem like it’s gotten to him. The key is toughness, both mental and physical. John’s coaches say he’s got plenty of both. “Being a freshman playing up against a lot of upperclassmen and still being able to hang tough and be competitive is huge,” coach Onuselogu said. Rivera’s rising stardom has his coaching staff already thinking ahead–Not just for Clemente, but beyond. “I think John could play college ball, definitely,” coach Fleming said. “If he continues his development, getting stronger like he has in the weight room. He’s committed to the work. I don’t think he’s done growing yet either. I’d give him six-foot-five.” “Him being only a freshman, and as good as he is now with so many years to develop, John can definitely be a college basketball player.” Coach Lumpkin said. “John doesn't back down from anyone—he's very coachable—takes in what’s told to him and has all the tangibles plus the skill. That's why we truly believe that he can be a college basketball player.” Roberto Clemente Community Academy men's basketball runs sprints during practice on Sunday. Luke Elder/The Elder Sportsman By Luke Elder Phosphorescent white lights hiss and rattle high above the floor, like Roberto Clemente Community Academy’s players are running on a giant operating table. Sneakers snap and squeak like rubber gloves, and the buzzer’s hum resembles hospital equipment. The buzz makes your heart beat fast – a palpable sense of pressure, as if you’re going under the knife. This suits head coach Greg Fleming, who demands surgical precision from his players. He doesn’t seem to notice the buzz at all. As I walk into the gym, a player runs around the perimeter of the court. “Until I tell you to stop,” Fleming says. “Well, he was late.” To the left of the royal blue bleachers, another is doing pushups and jumping jacks alone, breathing heavily. “His mind’s not in it today, he doesn’t want to compete,” Fleming said. Clemente has taken their fair share of hits this season. Coming off a 37-point loss to Perspectives-IIT last Friday, a look of exhaustion paints the faces of Fleming’s players as they spend over three hours in the gym on Sunday during the heat of the NFL postseason. While the Rams’ Matthew Stafford completes a 44-yard completion to Cooper Kupp to set up Matt Gay's 30-yard game-winning field goal, Clemente is running suicides. Many of them. “It’s been a tough season, but we’re trying to get better,” Clemente junior John Rivera says. “We get down by a certain amount and guys just start to give up,” Assistant Coach Tony Lumpkin said. “All you can tell ‘em is to keep fighting, that the games are not over until the last buzzer. You have to show some pride and some heart.” His optimism is heartening, considering the team’s 2-16 record this season. He and Fleming enact a good cop, bad cop coaching style with Lumpkin empathetically translating Fleming’s heated and intense remarks. Lumpkin sources many of the team’s troubles to their youth. A squad with just two seniors, Clemente desperately needs player leadership, someone to step up. They can’t seem to find it anywhere. “Our seniors have been inconsistent. They’ve had good times where they did excel and were great leaders, but have had times where it gets to them,” Lumpkin said. “They lack mental toughness.” Women’s varsity assistant Shamarra Simon echoed many of Lumpkin’s thoughts, especially about the team's youth. She added that the players take too much to heart. Complain for too long after a foul, or mumble too often when asked to execute a difficult play. She runs the box on Sunday, keeping track of score and stats to help aid Fleming’s demand for competition. A Clemente Senior stumbles, yet hits a layup. Simon won’t count it, though. She said it was a travel. “Take it with a grain of salt and move on,” she said. As a Community Academy, many of Clemente’s students live a long way from campus, and have plenty on their plates when they’re around. They don’t have many opportunities to form strong relationships with their teammates outside of practice. Unlike many cases, where athletes are far more concerned with athletics than their studies, Clemente’s problems are backwards. “Academically, no. It’s just not a problem for them. They all have good grade points. We don’t have too many guys that are dedicated – Guys that love basketball. We have a couple that like basketball, they like being with their friends. We have very few that actually love it and it’s what they want to do with their life.” Lumpkin, ‘the good cop’, made one thing crystal clear. “We’re never going to give up on them.” The whistle blows sharply, and Clemente players surround assistant coach Brandon “Cheese” Onuselogu, who will run the next drill. Players are shuffled into a single file line, from shortest to tallest. You can hear the team’s murmurs, like they know exactly which drill this is. The whistle blows again, as each player follows the other, jumping to bounce the ball off the glass, sprinting around the court to get back in single file and do it again. This goes on for quite some time, until a mistake is made. The guilty party is brought to half court, where he does pushups and jumping jacks while his teammates run another suicide.  Clemente Head Coach Greg Fleming (Right) and Assistant Tony Lumpkin (Left) look on as their team practices a rebounding drill on Sunday. Luke Elder/The Elder Sportsman “We can make excuses,” Cheese says, “or we can get it done. Y’all complaining, fix it then.” The whistle blows again, and players sprint out of the gym. Where are they going? The drinking fountain, to enjoy the smallest taste of fresh water, savoring each sip as though it’s the last time they’ll ever drink. The failure of Clemente’s season is not for lack of trying. Their effort is obvious, and the players' resolve is strong. This lack of discipline, ‘lack of basketball lovers’, is the primary ailment that curses this team. In hopes of patching this hole, Fleming has consistently brought in talented, local eighth graders with a love of basketball on Sundays. As an academy, Clemente has the luxury of recruiting, a blessing that Fleming hopes to utilize fully. He not only wants great and passionate players, but young men he can connect with, as his upbringing in Cabrini Green is not dissimilar to the experiences of many recruits. “I want to build a relationship with them. I come from what they come from, I know their struggle,” Fleming said. “We are building something special. I’m already putting lineups in my head that’ll work” “The selling point is that we don’t care if you’re a freshman, you have a chance to play varsity,” coach Lumpkin said. “As long as you show us you can compete, you’re gonna get that spot. As long as you compete on that level, then you can come play right away.” Unwilling to forfeit this season, yet looking towards the future, Clemente inches closer to building a program. The coaching staff possesses all the right qualities, and players have plenty of athleticism. Even the team’s smallest player, standing no more than five-foot-six and measly 100 pounds, Chris Escobar hustles through each drill with intention and desire. “I’m just waiting for my growth spurt,” He laughs. The same is true for his team, like a pre-teen vying for adulthood. A guarded optimism surrounds Clemente as if they can see excellence in the distance, but are unsure if it’s worth the struggle. Practice shifts to full-court game simulation, and the gym erupts. John Rivera drives feverishly to the basket and hits a tough layup in traffic. His teammates clap and chirp. “Let’s go John!” “Ok John!” “Uh-oh!” The ship of Clemente basketball may be off course, but it still has plenty of wind in its sails. By Luke Elder
RCCA head coach Greg Fleming emphasized defensive posture for practice this week. Following Friday’s Jones Prep. loss, he made two simple points. “Keep up the good transition defense, plus we’ve just got to get buckets.” Resolving many of the team’s COVID-19 cancellations due to school closures, RCCA will have many opportunities to prove their practice efforts this week, traveling to Legal Prep. on Wednesday @ 5 PM immediately followed by a home outing versus Raby on Thursday @ 5 PM. RCCA is poised for redemption, as Legal Prep’s record stands at 5-13, while Raby is 3-9. |
AuthorLuke is a Master's student at DePaul, and a fan of all things sports. Archives
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