Coming from an athletic family, Geneva’s Nathan Palmer had reason to believe in himself.
Four games into the 6-foot guard’s senior season, he’s demonstrating why.
Last week, Palmer averaged 14.7 points over three games and was named MVP of the Bob Schick Thanksgiving Tournament, a step up from his role last winter coming off the bench
“I was in the weight room a lot this past offseason,” Palmer said. “I just worked on my game a lot, practicing to make sure I got my shot right. I knew my time was coming.
“I just had to be patient with the work.”
Palmer kept it going Tuesday night, scoring a game-high 14 points in little more than a half as the Vikings cruised to a 50-34 nonconference victory over visiting Bartlett.
Making his presence felt all over the floor, Palmer grabbed three rebounds, picked up three steals and dished out three assists for Geneva (4-0).
“That’s what I’m trying to do,” Palmer said. “I want to be an all-around player. Helping out with rebounding has been a big emphasis. (Coach Scott) Hennig has been telling everyone, ‘Just go in and crash the boards.’ On steals, I just try to be aggressive.”
Two of those assists came on feeds that 6-7 senior forward Kyle Suger put down for dunks.
“Coach always says strength to the basket and he’s right,” said Suger, who’s not averse to shooting a 3-pointer either. “I’m 6-7. If I’m open, I’ll shoot it, but my strength is going to the basket to get some dunks. It’s great, gets the crowd into it.”
The dunks helped fuel a 14-0 run for Geneva that extended a 5-3 edge to a 19-3 advantage on the way to a 27-7 halftime lead.
Junior guard Joey Cwik scored 10 points for the struggling Hawks (0-4), who were overmatched.
And twice, Palmer made a steal and took it in for a layup the other way.
“He does a great job of passing the ball, shooting the ball,” Hennig said of Palmer. “He’s just gotten stronger and quicker. He’s grown. About 18 months ago he was probably 5-8 or 5-9.
“He’s a late bloomer, but a really good basketball player and I think he’s shown that in the last few games.”
Palmer’s parents were both college athletes. His dad, Shaun, pitched for Troy’s baseball team. His mom, Melissa, played soccer at Northern Illinois. But, according to Hennig, “it’s a basketball family.”
Nathan’s oldest sister Kate, a recent Illinois Wesleyan graduate, played four years in college. His sister, Leah, is a redshirt freshman playing for Lewis.
“They were a big influence on me,” Nathan said. “They both killed at Geneva.”
Nathan, who gave up baseball in eighth grade to focus on AAU basketball in the summer, plays for Mercury Elite and would like to follow suit at the next level.
“It’s what I want to do, we’ll see what comes,” he said.
Sugar has noticed his friend’s improvement.
“We’ve played together since fourth grade,” Sugar said. “I remember back in the day, he was always the shortest guy on the team but it never held him back. He was really shifty, great scorer.
“His height now helps him get more shots over people and helps with his defense, so I’m not shocked it’s happening for Nate.”
Palmer believes Geneva has the all-around talent that could carry this team far as well, with three senior starters back in guards Dane Turner and Gabe Jensen and post Ben Peterson.
His role will be even more important than last season, when the Viking finished 29-5.
“He was our eighth or ninth guy,” Hennig said. “He’s just a basketball guy. He works and works and works and he’s gotten taller and stronger. Skill-wise, he’s fantastic. He does what he’s asked.”