Hicks Emerges as Finisher for Bloom Boys Basketball Team

Henry Hicks has a new nickname—Finisher.

Hicks turned good work on the defensive end into scoring opportunities in Bloom Township’s 55-35 boys basketball victory over Joliet Central on Tuesday night in Joliet.

He guarded his man, slapped the ball away, ran the floor and finished fast breaks in a rare show of his offensive firepower. He scored a season-high 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting.

Hicks, a 6-foot-2 senior guard, strayed from his norm when hit a 3-pointer to launch a 19-0 first-quarter scoring run for the Trojans (14-2). Then, he reverted back to his old self.

His role—and his mindset—is to play defense first. His points came not by accident, but, rather, as a result of Bloom forcing Joliet Central to turn the ball over 26 times.

“Yeah, I was just playing defense,” Hicks said. “Then, I was running the lane like I’m supposed to, and I was open so I just called for the ball. Donald (Moore) got it to me.”

Hicks made 5-of-6 shots in the third quarter alone, all in transition. He was more determined than ever to get the job done and to help Bloom right the ship following back-to-back losses to Rich South and Bogan.

“I think that encouraged us to be hungry for this game,” he said. “We came out Monday in practice hungry. And then we came back today even hungrier. I think that two-game losing streak helped. It made us realize we’re not going to win every game. I think it made us come together as a team.”

coach Jasper Williams has been tickled with how well Hicks has bought into his role as one of the Trojans’ top defensive players.

“Hopefully, he’ll stay in that mindset,” Williams said. “He’s a pretty good defender. And he runs the floor very well. He is one our best kids to run the wing, and he’ll shoot layups.

“And, tonight, especially to start the game, he ran the floor very hard, which led to easy shots. If he continues to run the floor, the guards—Donald Moore and Lejavius Johnson—will get him the ball. We can get some easy points that way.

“I hope he continues to finish,” Williams said, laughing at the thought of “Finisher” as a name for Hicks.

“Hitting that 3-point shot from the corner—our first shot—that really got him loosened up a little bit,” Williams said. “He’s been pressing the last two or three games, I guess trying to expand his game. When they get to be seniors, they try to do things that they think college coaches want to see, which may not be good for us. For us, he’s a defender and he runs the wing.”

And finishes.