Tigers using last year’s pain to fuel workouts

Crystal Lake Central's Chase Cane says he can handle the pressure of playing point guard. (Travis Haughton – thaughton@nwherald.com)

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CRYSTAL LAKE – When Chase Cane was promoted to Crystal Lake Central’s varsity boys basketball team midway through last season, the pace of the game at first caught the then-sophomore off guard.

Things moved so much quicker; passes were crisper and reaction time was reduced. But the Tigers needed a point guard, Cane needed a challenge and the move became mutually beneficial.

This season Central will rely more heavily on Cane than the Tigers needed to last season, and by watching his uninhibited play during Central’s summer basketball league it is clear Cane isn’t fazed by the pressures of the job.

“I think I handle that better than I ever have now,” Cane said Tuesday as he waited for Central’s first game of the night against St. Edward. “I’m ready for this season, for sure, especially because I know we’ll be a lot better.”

Central had a disappointing season that ended in an IHSA Class 3A regional semifinal and a 9-18 record. But the Tigers were growing and learning with a roster full of juniors, who all are focused now on success this season.

“There’s just something about a veteran team,” Central coach Rich Czeslawski said.

Cane will be a part of that this year, too.

“He’s got this innate leadership quality about him, a calm and a poise on the court,” Czeslawski said. “He understands the game in a way that can’t be taught or coached. I’ve started to see over the summer that our seniors are following his lead.”

One of those seniors is post player Matt Gleixner, who Czeslawski also expects to contribute substantially this season.

Gleixner’s evolution stems from his work with Central assistant coach Gary Collins, who works with post players on sharpening their skills and making them into bigger threats down low.

Gleixner said in addition to everything Collins has taught him, he has challenged himself to have a better year.

“Last year it was almost as if I felt like I didn’t need to do anything,” Gleixner said, “but … I lost some playing time because I wasn’t committed to playing. I realized that you can be so gifted, but you have to put in the time. No one is going to go out and just be Dwight Howard.”

Gleixner intends to be that player this year and Czeslawski can already see the turnaround.

“You can tell how much stronger and more confident he is on the court,” Czeslawski said. “A lot of the credit certainly goes to Gary Collins, who does a wonderful job with the post players. Matt really has benefited from his tutelage.”

Along with Gleixner and Cane, the Tigers return their two leading scorers from last season – seniors Joe Pijanowski (10 points a game) and Jake Chrystal (seven points).

“A lot of guys have matured and found where they fit on the team,” Pijanowski said. “We went through a lot of ups and downs last season, but we’re confident that’s not going to happen this year.”

“The goal always is to win a state championship,” Chrystal said, “but realistically we want to win the conference title first and foremost. Anything less than that is going to be disappointing.”