Boys’ basketball looks to bounce back against Wheeling

By Devin Prassad, executive sports editor

With just a minute remaining in the boys’ basketball game on Tuesday, senior Dan Marshall went down hard and suffered a dislocated shoulder for the third time. The game was put on pause for nearly half an hour as trainers tended to Marshall. Just three quarters before that, junior Frankie Mack went up for a layup and came down hard on his ankle twisting it beneath him. Mack was on pace for 56 points after scoring 14 in the first. To make matters worse, the Knights fell 6 points short to Niles North, 70-64.
According to sophomore guard David Swedura, who scored 10 points, the game was tough and very physical. Prospect also fell trap to Niles North’s complete game full court press. According to Swedura, losing Mack early was rough on the team as they needed to find other ways to find scoring. Junior Michael Ritchie provided a spark for the Knights off the bench scoring 19 points including three 3-pointers. What really killed the Knights was a big scoring fourth from Niles North, which, according Swedura, included about five 3-pointers.
“A whole team effort has to be there [to overcome Marshall’s loss],” Swedura said. “One by one we need to cover our man.”
The loss of Marshall is also big for the Knights. Marshall usually plays strong on defense and plays with a lot of intensity, according to Swedura.
Tonight, the Knights take on Wheeling, which is 0-4 in conference and 4-10 overall. While their record does not reflect success in the east, in their most recent game, they fell short by just a point to Buffalo Grove. In order to win, Swedura feels the key is bringing pressure defensively.
“We just need intensity right from the start,” Swedura said. “We need a lot of shooters and a hand up defensively.”
The projected starting five — with Mack out day-to-day and Marshall out indefinitely — consists of Swedura, juniors Grant Whitebloom, Michael Ritchie, and Matt Szuba and senior Alec Busiel.