Disabato: Hillcrest among the elite again

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Talented rebounder Jalen Loving and Hillcrest seek their 24th straight conference title. | Patrick Gleason ~ For Sun-Times Media

Updated: February 25, 2012 8:15AM

There are few certainties in life, beyond death and taxes.

And, oh, of course, Hillcrest producing a boys basketball team that ranks among the best in the Chicagoland area.

Don’t believe me?

The Hawks are embarking on their 24th straight conference championship.

And accompanying most of those titles, like ears attached to a head, have been 20-plus win seasons. The last time the Hawks finished below .500 was 1987, which is also the last time they didn’t win a conference championship.

That, my friends, is a remarkable stretch of excellence.

This year is no different.

With one exception: Most publications, this one excluded, left Hillcrest out of their preseason rankings.

The loss of four-year starting guard Julius Brown, averaging 12.2 points and 5.6 points as a freshman at Toledo, mixed with a good dose of inexperience, had many expecting some growing pains to occur.

But here’s the thing about the Hawks: There’s always another skilled group developing at the lower levels, ready to sustain varsity success.

This senior class, in fact, was undefeated as sophomores.

As you can imagine, the omission from the polls didn’t sit well with the Hawks, just two years removed from a Class 3A state title.

“The kids took it personally that we weren’t ranked,” Hillcrest coach Don Houston said. “They asked me why we weren’t ranked. And I told them, ‘what have you guys done? Nobody knows about you guys. You have to go out and make a name for yourselves.’”

Slowly but surely, that’s precisely what’s happening.

The Hawks are 15-4 overall and 7-0 in the South Suburban Blue. Count Houston, for one, among those not surprised by the success.

“While a lot of guys didn’t play major minutes last year, they did play some,” Houston said. “And my lower levels coaches do a phenomenal job of getting the kids ready for the varsity. That’s a big reason for the smooth transition. Also, we put in a lot of time during the summer and the kids put in a lot of time on their own.”

The additional work is paying dividends. Jalen Loving and Jovan Mooring, somewhat unknown prior to the season, are becoming household names.

Mooring has a couple of 20-point performances under his belt and Loving has developed into one of the most consistent rebounders in the area.

“I didn’t know Jovan would score like he has,” Houston said. “He’s averaging 15 points a game and he’s scored 25 a few times. Jalen has been extremely tough rebounding and helping us out down low.”

Another key has been the emergence of Brent Buchanan. The senior was a reserve until cracking the starting lineup at the Proviso West holiday tournament. He’s provided the Hawks with an outside scoring threat.

Kyle Oden, asked to fill the massive shoes of Brown, has done a nice job manning the point.

“Brent hit four three-pointers in his first start,” Houston said. “He’s been a nice surprise.”

As good as the Hawks have played, Houston sees room for improvement. In fact, he has yet to see the Hawks put it all together during a game, like they have at practice.

“We’ve had games where two guys have a good game and three guys have a bad game, or three guys have a good game and two guys have a bad game,” Houston said. “Not a game where all five guys have played well. Which is why our best ball is ahead of us.”

That statement should not only make the rest of the conference a little queasy, it also should put the Class 3A field on alert.

The Hawks will compete in the Rich East Sectional, which feeds into the Joliet Central Supersectional. The road is tough, with the likes of locals Rich South, Morgan Park, Lemont and an emerging Rich East as potential road blocks.

But it’s not like there’s a Simeon standing in the way. Hillcrest has as good a shot as any at winning the sectional.

“I think we have the potential to go pretty far,” Houston said. “My biggest concern is if we don’t click on all cylinders and just rely on two players. But the kids are really starting to buy into their roles. If that happens, the sky is the limit.”