Boys Basketball: O’Brien’s ‘fantastic year’ continues
BY DEREK REINGLASS Contributor February 10, 2012 10:36PM
Mundelein's Sean O'Brien, seen here shooting over Lake Forest big man Creighton Titus, is putting up big numbers this winter. | Michael Schmidt~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: March 17, 2012 8:09AM
With a unique ability to blow by defenders on the dribble-drive, rise up and drain three-pointers — or finish above the rim — Mundelein High School’s Sean O’Brien is a matchup nightmare for opposing teams.
Lean, long, quick and strong, the junior forward/center has developed into the total package.
“Sean has always been amongst the most skilled for his age, but when he grew he never lost any of those skills,” said Mustangs boys basketball coach Richard Knar. “Now he’s like a 6-foot-6 point guard who can score from anywhere, and has tremendous court awareness. He’s had an all-conference, all-area, all-state type of season. It’s just been a fantastic year for him, and he’s only going to get better.”
Averaging 15 points, 11 rebounds, 4.0 blocks and 4.5 assists, O’Brien has helped lead the Mustangs build a 21-6 overall record.
During Mundelein’s Senior Night, on Friday, O’Brien and his fellow underclassmen propelled the Mustangs to a 71-63 overtime win over North Suburban Lake rival Libertyville.
In a back-and-forth battle, offensive rebounding and clutch free-throw shooting proved to be the difference.
“When a team plays a zone like Libertyville does, it makes it really difficult for them to rebound,” O’Brien said. “We were able to stretch them out by shooting the three, and then use our length to grab the boards on the misses. Last year, we beat them on their Senior Night, so we knew they were going to come out extra motivated to get revenge. But we weren’t going to let that happen. We made sure we sent our seniors out with a win.”
It’s no fluke that Mundelein is now 3-0 in overtime games.
“We utilize a lot of situational drills at the end of practice in order to simulate executing various scenarios,” coach Knar said. “The practice definitely helps them remain relaxed, but the biggest thing is, we have guys on this team who are confident under pressure.”
Mundelein was led by Robert Knar’s 18 points, including seven points on free throws in OT. O’Brien finished with 14 points, while Chino Ebube added 15 points and 14 rebounds.
“I thought it was Chino’s best game of the year,” coach Knar said. “He’s just so explosive and aggressive around the rim that if you don’t keep multiple bodies on him he’s tough to stop.”
Despite another 20-win season for a program that has become a perennial force, Knar is hoping the team uses the remaining three regular season games as a way to improve, and build even more momentum going into the postseason.
“We’re excited about the playoffs being right around the corner, but we have the same approach we’ve had all season — one game at a time,” coach Knar said. “What I always say is, ‘Live in the moment, learn from the past, but be ready for the future.’ We have to have consistent effort and complete focus every day.”
On the schedule: Mundelein visits Stevenson on Friday, and will face one of the elite teams in Wisconsin with a game against Milwaukee Hamilton at Gordon Tech on Sunday. The Mustangs close out the regular season at Lakes on Feb. 21.
The postseason: The Mustangs picked up the No. 3 seed in the Barrington Sectional. Warren and St. Viator went 1-2 while Waukegan and Lake Forest are 4-5.
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