There has been a significant shift in high school basketball in the last several years, and elite freshmen are ready to succeed immediately. They skip right past the sophomore team and bypass bench minutes and often are the best players on their varsity team right away.
Neuqua Valley freshman Cole Kelly is the big name in the Class of 2028 in Illinois, and he lived up to the billing in his highly anticipated debut Monday in Oswego.
‘‘Nerves were a factor,’’ said Kelly, a 6-6 guard. ‘‘But once you get out there on the court and hit your first shot, you settle down, and it is all good from there.’’
Kelly made his first shot, a three-pointer. Then he slammed home a dunk on the next possession. In his first two minutes of high school basketball, he made it all look easy.
‘‘After that, I thought it was going to be a good game,’’ Kelly said. ‘‘But [point guard] Travis Brown [and West Aurora] can hoop. I had to stay calm, cool and collected.’’
Kelly finished with 21 points, seven rebounds, three blocks, three steals and several assists in the Wildcats’ 47-45 victory. Sophomore Mason Minor made the go-ahead three-pointer with five seconds left.
‘‘The play wasn’t even for me,’’ Minor said. ‘‘I just found an open look and knocked it down. First game, it was super-scrappy. You just have to have confidence and knock it down.’’
Neuqua Valley coach Todd Sutton said Kelly, who already has scholarship offers from Illinois and DePaul, has been attending basketball camps at the school for years.
‘‘[The upperclassmen] have known him forever,’’ Sutton said. ‘‘There are no secrets. They’ve known he was the best player. Everyone was aware.
‘‘He’s a legit 6-6 with long arms. He’s the best passer I’ve ever seen. He’s Magic Johnson. I’ve never seen anything like it.’’
He only has played one game, but Kelly is already the biggest basketball star in school history and might become the best player out of Naperville. That means something to him.
‘‘I never thought about leaving and going to a prep school or something,’’ Kelly said. ‘‘Staying home and doing something for the people in my city, my hometown, felt right.’’
The score was tied at 24 at halftime, and the Blackhawks led by five points early in the fourth quarter. Neuqua Valley took the lead on a steal and dunk by Kelly with 3:12 left.
‘‘I knew I had to get us going,’’ Kelly said. ‘‘A layup wasn’t going to get us going, but I knew a dunk was going to get some momentum going.’’
Neuqua Valley freshman Cole Kelly makes his first varsity shot. Then follows it up with a dunk on the next possession. pic.twitter.com/ENmTc2RP97
— Michael O'Brien (@michaelsobrien) November 25, 2024
Brown, a sophomore, made a similarly significant impact for West Aurora. He played some varsity minutes last season, but this was his first start. He scored 18 points.
‘‘He has a good lineage,’’ Blackhawks coach Mike Fowler said. ‘‘His father played at East Aurora. He still has a little growing to do, but I’m comfortable with him with the ball in his hands and making plays. He’ll learn, and he’ll be great for us this season and the next two after that.’’
West Aurora played without star senior Terrence Smith, who was on crutches. Smith, an Iowa recruit in football, is one of the most athletic players in the state. He said he’s hoping to be back before the Pontiac Holiday Tournament in late December.
