A WINNING TUNE
Denver recruit Craig scores 25 points, including 20 in the second half, as Mount Carmel overcomes St. Laurence
Going from the lead singer to one who conducts the band is an evolution unto itself, but senior point guard DeAndre Craig can relate to the musical analogy for Mount Carmel.
Looking back at his freshman season on the varsity, the 6-foot-1 Craig charts the transformation in his game by how much his playing style has completely changed.
“That freshman season was the pandemic year, and I only played like eight or nine games,” Craig recalled. “Everything was hard, but I kept pushing through.
“I liked to dribble a lot my freshman year. Now, I am trying to be more of a director.”
Craig ran the show Tuesday night for the Caravan. The Denver recruit scored 25 points with five rebounds, four assists and two steals in a 66-52 victory over St. Laurence.
During a Catholic League crossover in Chicago, Craig scored 20 points in the second half as Mount Carmel (6-1, 1-0) overcame an eight-point halftime deficit.
Junior guard Angelo Ciaravino wasn’t surprised in the least.
“He could go to the basket every time or put up 50 points if he wanted,” Ciaravino said. “I feel like we are really starting to play well under him, and he is trusting us to score rather than just doing what he does best.”
Sophomore forward Jacob Rice did what he does best for St. Laurence (4-3, 1-1), coming through with 15 points and eight rebounds.
Craig, however, broke the game open for the Caravan with an 11-4 spurt to start the fourth quarter. He scored or assisted on five straight baskets.
Angelo Ciaravino added six points and six rebounds. His older brother Anthony, a senior guard, scored 11 points. Craig assisted on all three of Anthony’s 3-pointers.
At his height, Craig has the size and