All things considered, people around Homewood-Flossmoor High School boys basketball consider this season a successful one.
Coach Jamere Dismukes was hired only about a month before the first day of practice after previously accepting a job at Rich. The Vikings didn’t get the usual offseason training, open gyms or summer league with him in charge. That’s when teams not only grow as a unit but also develop chemistry.
“I honestly took the offseason for granted for my entire career until this year,” Dismukes said. “I think it plays a huge role in the success you have throughout the year, and I’m excited to finally have a full offseason ahead of us.”
His system is more uptempo and full-court than his predecessor Marc Condotti’s, and players had to adapt quickly. Considering that, Dismukes said H-F’s 18-14 (3-5 Southwest Suburban Blue) record was a successful one.
The record could’ve been even better with a lucky bounce here or there. Of the 14 losses, 11 were by 10 points or fewer and five were by less than five.
“We were in almost every game except the last game against St. Rita, and when we played Bloom in the Chicago Heights classic,” Dismukes said. “With no returning varsity players from last year outside of Kamrin Vincent and Jahlil Birchette, to win 18 games is really good. I’m excited about the future and I’m happy and content with this year.”
The benefit of playing such a young lineup is that most of the production will be back next winter. Only Vincent, Birchette and Vincent Davis III will be lost to graduation. Dismukes said 89% of the production will be on the court next November.
“The foundation was laid this year for what we want to do and how we want to play,” Dismukes said. “Winning 18 games with a team with no experience and coming back with a team with a bunch of experience, that’s pretty big.”
The season ended with a 71-41 loss to St. Rita in the regional championship. The Mustangs are a juggernaut, with three juniors committed to major college basketball teams. James Brown is headed to the University of North Carolina, forward Morez Johnson will play for the University of Illinois and Nojus Indrusaitis is pledged to Iowa State. The trio is ranked Nos. 1, 2 and 4 in the state by 247Sports.
Point guard Nashawn Holmes, who was at H-F last season, is Rita’s starting point guard.
“When you look at their rankings, that should be one of the top teams in the country,” Dismukes said. “I think we were just honestly outmanned. They were bigger than us and a little more skilled than we were.”
The Vikings are shy about what the goals are for the near future. Conference titles, regional titles and sectional titles are the aim. Dismukes wants to cross those things off the list sooner than later.
“The guys are buying into what we want to do on the court but off the court, the administration have all come up to me and my assistants to tell us they love the way our guys carried themselves. They were respectful. They played hard, fought every single game, scratched and clawed,” Dismukes said. “I think that’s a step in the right direction. We’re just making sure we build that culture, keep that culture and continue to grow that culture.”