Disabato: Marist, St. Rita rank among elite

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St. Rita basketball coach Gary DeCesare. | Gary Middendorf~For Sun-Times Media

Updated: January 9, 2012 9:13AM

When the final horn sounded, signifying an end to a thrill-a-minute basketball contest Tuesday night between Marist and St. Rita, it was evident why these two teams rank among the area’s elite.

The Mustangs are No. 4, the RedHawks No. 5 in the SouthtownStar hoops poll. In time, their greatness should extend throughout the state.

I’m not willing to predict a state championship for either Marist or St. Rita, though both will pile up wins, compete for supremacy in their respective conferences and likely enjoy extended postseason runs.

However, there’s no denying the abundance of skill that was on display during Marist’s 74-71 victory.

While St. Rita senior Tony Hicks notched a game-high 26 points, this was not a game dominated by players in the Class of 2012.

Marist’s Lexus Williams, who earned Most Valuable Player honors for his 25-point performance, and L.J. McIntosh, who added 11 points, are juniors. Yes, each has started on varsity the past two seasons, but they still have this season and next to hone their skills, which are considerable.

Then there’s Marist sophomore Nic Weishar. If the name rings a bell, it should. Weishar is an All-Area receiver on the RedHawks football team who already has fielded scholarship offers from several Division I programs. He poured in 23 points Tuesday and, similar to the Energizer bunny, keeps going and going and going on both ends of the court.

I can say this with confidence about Weishar: By the time his high school career is complete, he will go down as one of the best two-sport athletes the Southland ever has produced.

“Nic’s the type of kid whose motor just never lets up,” said Marist coach Gene Nolan, whose RedHawks are 5-0. “It’s one of the many great qualities he has.”

Where Marist heavily relies on Williams, McIntosh and Weishar to produce points — and, rightly so — as each is a budding star in his own right, St. Rita spreads the wealth.

What coach Gary DeCesare, in his second year at St. Rita, has assembled in regard to talent is borderline absurd.

Understand, the Mustangs fought the RedHawks tooth and nail despite the absence of two starters, Western Michigan recruit A.J. Avery, a senior, and Dominique Matthews, a sophomore. Both are out with injuries.

Not only that, four of the Mustangs starters fouled out against Marist.

That type of attrition would devastate most teams, resulting in a 20-point defeat.

But DeCesare, who won two state titles and four city championships at St. Raymond’s School in New York, has assembled a deep, talented squad, one that went nine-deep against the RedHawks.

Hicks, who has committed to Penn, has scored 38, 31 and 26 points, respectively, through the first three games this season. He’s a stud.

“What a steal for Penn,” said DeCesare, formerly an assistant coach at DePaul under Jerry Wainright. “He might go down as one of the all-time leading scorers in the Ivy League when he’s done.”

There are others on the Mustangs roster, all underclassmen, whom, dare I say, have similar, if not more potential, than Hicks.

Sophomore Victor Law and freshman Charles Matthews, brother of injured Dominique, put on quite a show against Marist. The duo combined for 33 points and didn’t look the least bit out of place at such impressionable stages of their varsity careers.

Law is leaps and bounds better than he was a year ago.

“We’re fortunate enough where we have a very, very good team with two starters out,” DeCesare said. “All of our guys are better than they were last year, better as students and athletes. It’s the whole package. They should get better or they should fire me.”

I’m betting on them getting better.