'It's a work in progress': East Peoria emerging as a basketball contender
EAST PEORIA — Semester grades should be out soon, and for now, East Peoria boys basketball team has an incomplete.
But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, the Raiders showed flashes of being very dangerous in Monday’s 51-50 overtime win over Mid-Illini Conference visitor Morton.
“It’s a work in progress,” East Peoria coach Jon Grzanich said of his team’s style of play. “It’s something we want to try to do more of because we think we have the athletes. We’re trying to develop our depth and you know, you just can’t go full-go like that for 32 straight minutes.”
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As it turns out, East Peoria (6-3, 4-1) went hard for the entire contest in snapping a two-game skid. An assist from newcomer Justin Page to Jack Dubois with 2.1 seconds to play ended up being the game-winning basket in the extra frame.
Dubois finished with a game-high 16 points, including nine in the fourth quarter and OT.
“You look back,” the 6-foot-3 senior said, “and we haven’t performed in big games like this in previous years. … I think it’s a step in the right direction, for sure.”
Grzanich echoes the sentiment as his team is one Mid-Illini victory away from matching last season’s total.
“We’ve been in a lot of these games since I’ve been here,” the sixth-year coach said, “and haven’t been able to finish these games. When you learn how to win these games, then you start how to win period.
“We needed this from a confidence standpoint the ability to finish the game off.”
Adding a transfer from Manual
Adding Page to the mix has given EP a newly found swagger. The Manual transfer commands attention from opposing defenses, leaving his teammates like Dubois, Sol Chown, AJ Reinders and Cam Mables more offensive opportunities.
Page says he loves playing for East Peoria, noting how Grzanich has pushed him to improve every single day, even when he’s getting in two-a-day workouts.
“We play real scrappy,” the 6-foot-5 senior guard said. “Real hard. Everybody has a role, and they play it very well, so I feel that’s really beneficial to us."
Page will shadow opponents’ top scorers all game, while Grzanich calls the starting guard "an elite passer" and someone who made an immediate impact on the program. Every EP player has stepped up their level of play due to Page’s presence.
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“He’s forced our other guys to raise their game, as well, which has been great,” Grzanich said, “You need that competition in practice.”
Added Dubois, “He’s a great player and makes everyone around him better, which is a key thing for us right now.”
During the summer, Page worked to improve his playmaking skills. He says those have evolved a lot, specifically his ability to break defenses down and get his teammates open.
Also, this has contributed to him making more plays on both ends as well as figuring out how to score more easily.
“Last year, I was kind of settling, taking bad shots,” said Page, who scored 10 points against Morton.
Now, the former all-Big 12 Conference first-team player is reaping the rewards of his hard work. He’s signed to play college basketball at Cal Poly, a Division I member of the Big Sky Conference located in San Luis Obispo County, Calif. He says the coaching staff and team showed him a lot of love.
“That was a big thing for me trying to commit before the season,” Page said, “so I can just relax and play ball.”
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Bigger goals this season
Last season, East Peoria finished 16-14 and 5-9 in conference play and lost to Peoria Notre Dame in a Class 3A regional semifinal. The Raiders did, however, win the Williamsville Tournament and return there this season.
A tough test in Richwoods awaits East Peoria this week, while two games with reigning league champion Metamora, Lincoln and the rest of the Mid-Illini are still on the schedule.
“We’re going to fight all four quarters,” Page said. “We don’t want to lose.”
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: IHSA basketball: East Peoria boys emerging as Mid-Illini contender
