Glasper excels for Warriors
The Illinois High School Association’s new state tournament format had the playoffs starting Saturday. Regional quarterfinal games between the lowest-seeded teams in each sectional took place all over the state.
The revamped format provided a weekend showcase for teams that are typically far out of the spotlight.
Collins is one of those schools. The Warriors play in the WhiteWest. They only played 16 games, but even that was enough for a careful observer to notice sophomore Antoine Glasper.
He is one of the city’s most promising young guards. He burst onto the scene as a freshman, posting big numbers in several games and attracting interest from DePaul.
Glasper scored 31 points in his sophomore season opener against Chicago Academy and has pretty much kept up that pace. He recorded a season-high 35 against Raby and has averaged 26 points, six assists, four rebounds and three steals.
The Warriors easily dispatched Air Force 72-30 in a Class 1A regional quarterfinal Saturday.
Glasper scored 18 points. The crafty 6-1 point guard delivered nolook and behind-the-back passes early in the first quarter.
“He goes on YouTube and watches film,” said Collins coach Arristede Glasper, Antoine’s dad. “He studies the game. He told me he sees a lot on there that shows him what not to do. But he likes watching how Maurice Cheeks played. That’s the next step, to try to get him to be more vocal and that kind of leader.”
Glasper played with the loaded Meanstreets club team over the summer. He was teammates with Lemont sophomore Nojus Indrusaitis, one of the most highly recruited prospects in the state. He plans to switch to Fred Van Vleet’s club team this spring.
“I just want to make a name for myself,” Glasper said. “I’m willing to put the work in to make it happen.”
Glasper’s work ethic is strong. He arrives at Collins before school every morning and practices with his dad from 6 to 7:30 a.m. Then he heads to class and has practice with the team after school.
There’s a good chance that Glasper won’t return to Collins next season. He’s going to take a visit to Victory Rock Prep in Bradenton, Florida, this spring. Former Julian coach Loren Jackson runs the basketball program at Victory Rock.
“We want him to see other things besides for Chicago,” his father said. “He’s kind of hesitating, but when we go down for the visit and he sees it, he will understand. We will break it down for him, and he will see that it is the right place for a gym rat.”
Before the Florida trip, there is state-playoff business to attend to. Collins (6-10) will face Marshall, one of the best teams in Class 1A, in the regional semifinals Wednesday. The Warriors likely will be overmatched against the Red-North/ West team, but Glasper thinks his team has a shot.
“As long as we come out and play defense, I think we can win,” Glasper said. “That’s going to be the key.”