The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Lorain’s Grant taking game to another level
Junior has been best player on the court in big-time games, Rositano says
No one player has impressed quite like Devon Grant over the course of the playoffs.
The 6-foot-1 Lorain junior has been arguably one of the best players on the court in any given game since the season tipped off in early December. But when the Titans began their historic postseason run a few weeks ago, Grant laid to rest to any lingering argument.
He averaged an already impressive 21.0 points per game during the regular season as the Titans’ leading scorer and emerged as one of the top shooters in the area, making 48 percent from the field (37 percent from 3-point range) and a team-high 79 percent from the free-throw line.
The postseason version of Grant is on a whole other level.
He has averaged 25.4 points per game over five games and
put on one of the most exciting performances all year in the Titans’ regional semifinal win over St. Edward on March 14 when he scored a gamehigh 34 points, including all 12 Lorain points in overtime — eight of which came on perfect 8-for-8 free-throw shooting in the period.
As if that were no big deal — and let’s face it, for Grant, it almost isn’t — he turned around the next game and dropped 29 points on fifth-ranked Toledo St. John’s, 21 of which came in the second half.
“He’s been the best player on the court in two big-time basketball games,” Lorain coach John Rositano said. “He’s been playing pretty much like this all year, just the fact that he’s made plays down the stretch in big games I think has really elevated what he’s done.
“As a fan, he’s had to be fun to watch. He’s put on quite a show.”
But flash and showmanship have never been Grant’s style.
His humility has set him apart from other players of his caliber, assistant coach Matt Kielian said.
“He’s not the rah-rah guy because he doesn’t need to be, but I think when you’re not that, I think sometimes you fly under the radar a little bit,” Kielian said.
“This has given him a stage to showcase and display who he is. He’s leading by example and I think people are starting to take notice because he hasn’t gotten rattled. He’s been cool under pressure and when we’ve been down, he’s stepped up.”
People are certainly starting to take notice.
This week, after having gone the entire season without so much as a look from college coaches, Grant received his first offer from Bowling Green.
With the team as a whole generally feeling like it doesn’t get the respect it deserves from those outside Lorain, however, the lack of offers wasn’t something new or even the least bit bothersome to Grant, who simply stayed true to his reserved, hard-working nature.
“It wasn’t frustrating at all,” Grant said. “People say, like my family, that my time is gonna come. I also say that to myself and just stayed patient. That’s basically the key: Being humble and patient is the key to everything.
“It feels great to have an offer and I’m looking forward to more but I’m blessed to have (one) and I just appreciate it a lot.”
His coaches call him a silent assassin for his icy, emotionless play in pressure situations and it’s that calm demeanor that has helped balance his teammates as they face challenge after challenge this postseason with stateranked opponents waiting at every turn.
Even Grant himself said before the Titans took on St. Edward that he’s trying to play heartlessly.
To him, it means showing no weakness, and so far it has worked.
“I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: The really, really good (players) understand when it’s show time, when the bright lights are really bright ... he’s taken it upon himself to do everything he can to help this team win,” Rositano said. “He’s been terrific for us, obviously along with everybody else, but the really good ones, they get it and he has it.”