Coaching change, transfer drama doesn’t faze Hyde Park

Considering everything Hyde Park has been through over the past two months it is rather remarkable that the Thunderbirds are 5-2 after knocking off Harlan 76-43 on Thursday. They’ve had to deal with a preseason coaching change and all sorts of transfer drama.

Hyde Park coach Jevon Mamon left the team in mid-October, just weeks before the season began, to take the Director of Basketball Operations position at Loyola University. Sophomore coach Antonio Wiltz, a varsity assistant at Vocational the past 12 years, stepped up into the head coach job for Hyde Park.

“The opportunity just popped up for Jevon,” Wiltz said. “They didn’t feel like bringing in a new coach so late in the game. They felt it was best to leave everything in place, the guys were used to me.”

Most of Hyde Park’s players are now on their third coach in three years. Mamon was new last season.

Then there is the transfer saga. Malik Onyeali, a senior transfer from Marist, and Jibreel Green, a senior transfer from St. Rita, were both forced to sit out the first six games of the season while they waited and appealed transfer rulings from Chicago Public Schools.

Onyeali and Green both received word on Thursday morning that they were eligible to play.

“I was just happy,” Onyeali said. “I felt like I could finally breathe again.”

Onyeali came off the bench to score 13 points and grab six rebounds against the host Falcons (3-4, 0-4 Red-South/Central).

“It meant something to me, being able to be out there playing with my brothers,” Onyeali said. “First game senior year, first game with a new team. I was just happy to be back on the court.”

Hyde Park led 22-20 at half thanks to nine consecutive points from Lavance Agee to close the second quarter.

“All the missing pieces are together now,” Agee said. “We’ve handled it all well, the coaching change, the guys sitting out. It kind of hit us when [Mamon] left but now we are out here competing and getting the job done.”

Agee scored 13 points and Dequan Fairley led Hyde Park (5-2, 4-0) with 15 points.

Harlan is playing several freshman and some upperclassmen that sat out last season. The Falcons don’t have much size and were out-rebounded 38-22.

Senior Tim Turner scored 13 for Harlan in the first half but was held scoreless in the second half.

“He gets tired, he has to get in better shape,” Harlan coach Walt Woghiren said. “He didn’t play last year so he’s still getting in the flow of things. He’s one of the better unsigned seniors in the state. If we do what we are supposed to do he will get the recognition he deserves.”

Freshman LaShaun Glover scored 10 for the Falcons and freshman Eddie Niles Jr. added eight. Freshman guard Terrance Ford was held scoreless, but he’s played well in some other games this season and has a reputation around the city.

Harlan is Onyeali’s neighborhood school. The CPS initially told him he had to go to Harlan if he wanted to play basketball this year. So he knows all about Ford and the Harlan freshmen.

“Those are my little brothers, I live down the street from here,” Onyeali said. “I went to grammar school with T-Baby [Ford]. They are freshman, they have to get used to this.”