St. Viator backcourt of Trey Calvin, Jeremiah Hernandez fueled by neglect

When the high school basketball season begins this winter and there is talk of the top perimeter attacks in the Chicago area, there will be plenty to choose from, starting in the Chicago Public League.

The addition of D.J. Steward at Young gives the Dolphins a potent 1-2 punch with Steward and fellow junior Tyler Beard.

Morgan Park, which mass produces high-level guards, is at it again with not only Adam Miller, the state’s top-ranked junior prospect, but junior Marcus Watson and Lincoln Park transfer Chris Roberts.

In the suburbs, Bolingbrook has a pair of Division I guards in Drake-bound Joseph Yesufu and NIU commit Tyler Cochran.

Then there is the talented and productive, yet still often overlooked, tandem of Jeremiah Hernandez and Treyvon Calvin at St. Viator. There is no question Calvin and Hernandez live in the shadow of the aforementioned backcourts — at least they do today.

Whether its towards their individual games or their high school team, these two are more than aware of the disregard to both.

Calvin and Hernandez led St. Viator to 24 wins and a perfect record in the East Suburban Catholic Conference while averaging a combined 32 points between them. The Lions will be favored again in the ESCC and a likely top 25 team when the season begins in November.

Both Calvin and Hernandez went through some recruiting hiccups in the process. And both dealt with some frustration along the way.

Calvin, a shot-making point guard and City/Suburban Hoops Report top 20 prospect, should have had a surplus of Division I offers. Instead, he had just two as he was offered last spring by Wright State and by UIC in the summer.

“There was some frustration in the beginning,” Calvin admitted. “But over time I just appreciated Wright State and their belief in me and their interest. Their coaching staff stood out to me and coach [Scott] Nagy is a proven winner.”

Wright State’s continued pursuit, from being the first offer last spring all the way through the official visit two weeks ago, was enough for Calvin.

Hernandez received more offers and interest. While there were plenty of options, there should have been more. But like Calvin, Hernandez ignored what he called “frustration at times” and focused on the schools that were interested.

“I appreciate those who are showing the interest in me,” says Hernandez, who has taken official visits to both Drake and Kent State in recent weeks.

But even as productive guards headed to play Division I basketball following their days at St. Viator, Calvin and Hernandez tend to be the forgotten star backcourt in high school basketball. There is no denying the confidence these two have as both believe and feel the neglect.

“Every day,” says Hernandez when asked if he thinks about the lack of notoriety. “Every single day. We don’t think we receive the respect we deserve. We want to show people suburban kids can play and compete against city kids.

“We know we didn’t play on the EYBL circuit and don’t play at a program like Young or Simeon, but we aren’t scared to play against the best.”

Calvin, a 6-0 point guard, filled the stat sheet and shot 44 percent from the three-point line last season. He then put an exclamation point on the season by winning the Class 4A IHSA State Three-Point Shootout in March. But the recruiting interest and fanfare was slow to come by.

“We are definitely underrated,” says Calvin, who last week committed to Wright State, the lone Division I school to extend an offer. “I do believe we have the best backcourt in the state. But that lack of attention motivates us, makes you work harder to prove the doubters wrong.”

With Calvin headed to Wright State and Hernandez set to decide between Kent State and Drake next week, their attention will soon turn to leading St. Viator to bigger and better things this season. They head into their senior year with significant goals and a chip on their shoulder.

“We want to win state, that’s our goal,” says Calvin, whose St. Viator team will drop from Class 4A to Class 3A this year.

Hernandez, the smooth 6-4 jack-of-all-trades guard, likes his teams chances, especially with the move to Class 3A.

“Trey and I talk about way more than just a league title,” Hernandez says of the upcoming season. “We want to get to Peoria.”

Follow Joe Henricksen and the City/Suburban Hoops Report on Twitter @joehoopsreport