“Guys who will thrive in a new environment”
• Donnie Kirksey – Chicago Vocational
Returns to his alma-mater where he will attempt to restore the glory days to a once proud tradition. D.K. a colorful character will take some lumps year one, but the former UIC Assistant will prevail. The one-time Hyde Park Academy Coach will return to the side lines with an uphill climb as he looks to establish his program in the newly aligned Power Conference. His fashionable theatrics will make for good viewing as he seeks to build his program. He will succeed!
• Chris Pickett – Kankakee
Had many highs & some lows in the Red South battle field during his lengthy tenure at Vocational. His nights of sparring with the likes of Simeon, Morgan Park, and Bogan were taxing, but it will mentally prepare him for his new challenges. Strapping-up for his first season at Kankakee will seem as if he’s fixated in the corridors of an auxiliary gym setting as he looks to build his program. C.P. will ponder some nights about his decisions to leave the city environment. He will be faced with a daunting task of managing and developing the raw sometime emotional 6-9 junior, T.J. Wicks.
• Antonio Wiltz – Hyde Park Academy
The recent departure of Javon Mamon gave this deserving opportunity for Antonio to thrust into action immediately. Arriving from Conference Rival Vocational where he was a long-time valuable assistant to Chris Pickett, this opportunity can be more than “a short run in charge” in lieu of what outsiders think. He’s paid his dues through the years while coaching on the frosh-soph level for well over 10 years. Now it’s his time to shine and he will have the support system behind, including myself.
While recently trying to identify some of our best young talent in high-school coaching ranks, I came across several candidates who we view as our next wave of coaches whom may one day consider some interest of coaching college hoops. Then some are just content guiding & mentoring young people. I’m very high on my north-side guys and several coaches in the south suburbs. One of the obvious reasons that Chicago has shown a slippage in talent recently is due to a lack of arming our players with the proper basic fundamentals that would help in the growth of their game. “No finger pointing!”
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