Sherman comes up big for Warriors
Second-half run propels Deerfield to victory
Deerfield isn’t going to pass the eye test this year. Nothing about the Warriors screams they’re a team on the rise. They have no size and don’t shoot the ball really well. Jordan Sherman, a 6-4 senior, is their only real post player.
“Well, that’s Deerfield High School for you,” Warriors coach Dan McKendrick said.
Despite his physical limitations, Sherman was a force Tuesday in Waukegan. He scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Deerfield to a 50-44 win over Waukegan.
“[Sherman] has been like that his whole career,” McKendrick said. “He has a big heart, and he’s willing to fight. He doesn’t get all the accolades, but he works his tail off against bigger guys every night.”
Versatile University of Chicago recruit Jordan Baum is the key for the Warriors (5-0). He finished with 12 points and six rebounds. Baum and Sherman account for the vast majority of Deerfield’s offense.
“I know every time I get the ball [Sherman] is going to be in an open spot,” Baum said. “We have trust in each other. We know where the other one is going to be at all times, and it shows. It’s just fun to play with him.”
The Bulldogs (4-2) led by seven with two minutes left in the third quarter. A 13-0 Deerfield run, ignited by the full-court press, put the Warriors ahead for good.
“As a coach, I’m learning to trust my players,” McKendrick said. “It’s what our kids like to do the most, and it paid off.”
Deerfield beat Jacobs, another well-regarded team, last week and finds itself on the cusp of the Super 25 rankings.
“I don’t know if other people expected anything from us, but we did,” Baum said. “We lost a lot from last year, but we’ve been working our butts off in practice.”
Senior Ross Agins was a key to the game-changing full-court pressure, as was sophomore guard Alex Casieri.
“We were so inexperienced we thought we might take some lumps early,” McKendrick said. “We knew we were talented, thought we would get better as the season went on. They’ve just been really solid. The moment hasn’t been too big for them.”
Junior DeShawn Davidson scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds for Waukegan, and junior Carson Newsome added 11 points. The Bulldogs have a solid junior class and a trio of freshmen who have opened plenty of eyes.
Bryant Brown started and had four points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Jordan Brown played a few minutes, and Ja’Dyn Brown did not play.
Yes, three hyped freshmen all named Brown and not related.
The future is bright at Waukegan.
Sophomore Kirk Myers was a contributor, and only one senior, Cameron Miller, is playing major minutes.