If senior guard Connor Kimme isn’t the most improved player this season for Kaneland, he’s certainly in the running.
After scrapping for playing time off the bench as a junior, the 6-foot-3 Kimme used plenty of offseason work to turn into a fixture in the starting lineup and the Knights’ third-leading scorer.
“I help space the court,” said Kimme, who’s averaging 11 points. “We have great guys on this team like Marshawn Cocroft who’s going to Grand Valley State and Jeffrey Hassan who had D-I offers, so a lot of focus is going to be on them. That’s where I’ll start getting opportunities.
“If I can hit some shots, the defense has to focus on me more. It gives those two guys more room to get to the basket, which is what they’re good at.”
That formula worked just fine Wednesday night. Kimme scored nine points as host Kaneland continued to roll, cruising to a 77-45 nonconference win against St. Charles North in Maple Park.
Cocroft, a senior point guard, scored a game-high 24 points for Kaneland (17-0). Senior guard Isaiah Gipson added 10 points off the bench. Hassan, a 6-9 senior forward, had eight points and 13 rebounds.
Senior forward EJ Mondesir scored eight points to lead the North Stars (7-12).
“That’s a good team,” St. Charles North coach Tom Poulin said of the Knights. “I couldn’t tell you a weakness. I couldn’t find one (Wednesday night), but we also made them better.
“I feel like we’ve played teams on par with them and competed much better. Our energy level was just not there. In the first quarter, you knew it was trouble.”
Kaneland coach Ernie Colombe couldn’t come up with any complaints.
“Our guys came out with a lot of energy,” he said. “We knew they’d probably go with a 1-2-2 and we didn’t want to settle for jumpers. We did early then started attacking and things opened up.
“Defensively, the energy was there all night. We took care of the ball with just seven turnovers. We usually don’t, knock on wood, turn it over much. If you’re in single digits, you’re going to be tough.”
Colombe likes the work Kimme has put in that has led to him receiving six roster spot offers from NCAA Division III schools, including the latest from Aurora University.
“Connor is arguably the best shooter on the team,” Colombe said. “He’s spent a lot of time in the weight room and put on muscle. He had a few guys ahead of him last year.
“But he’s worked his way up and has become a key guy.”
Kimme doesn’t think he’s a self-made player, however. He credited his father, Kyle, for much of his improvement. A banker who concentrated on baseball at Northern Illinois, Kyle played both basketball and baseball at Mahomet-Seymour.
“He’s taught me a lot,” Connor said of his dad. “That includes a bunch of skill work with basketball and being an athlete all his life, a lot about mindset and keeping your head space strong.
“He’s definitely been the lead person in all of my recent success.”
Kimme has also worked with a trainer in Sycamore to help improve his speed.
“Last year, I was known as one of our shooters,” he said. “I kept working on my shot but also a ton on my speed, strength and defense.”
Kimme’s family has a half-court indoor gym and weight room in the backyard, a setup that Colombe described as an outbuilding.
“Connor is in there all the time,” Colombe said. “I’m sure it’s helped him stick with it. In terms of being a junior and not seeing a lot of minutes, it’s easy to shy away from that work.
“The kids who stick with it and put in the work usually reap the benefits. Obviously, Connor has. It’s nice to see.”