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By: Eric Short

      Ten potential Division one prospects; two of them amongst the elite juniors in the state, #14 national ranking, two huge transfers… one team. Whitney Young high school is set to kick off one of their most anticipated seasons ever, yet Head Coach Tyrone Slaughter, as well as the rest of the team, do not believe that talent alone will lead them to that coveted state championship in March. Most of their success will be thanks to the fact that the team has come together to become more than just a simple basketball team; they have become a family.

     “The biggest part of this summer wasn’t the transfers, it was the way that the team came together,” said Slaughter. “All 15 guys on our team are important.” All 15 guys are important, and Slaughter is sure to have a lot of talent on the floor at all times with those 15 “important” players at his disposal.

     “We want to play a team oriented type of basketball, whoever works the hardest will play,” said Slaughter of his game-plan going into the season. “We are going to play whichever style works to our advantage, if that means that we have to play with five guards than that is what we will do.”

     The men who have the job of keeping all 15 guys focused are senior guards A.J. Rompza and Bryan Hall. Rompza, a 5-9 Central Florida Commit and Hall, a 6-2 Northern Illinois commit, have both been three-year varsity starters and they now face the task of managing what is widely regarded as the best team in Illinois.

     “We just have to make sure that we keep all of the guys humble,” Rompza said of his teammates. “We have an X on our back and we have to know that we can’t take any plays off.”

     While Rompza may be the more vocal of the two, Hall is a key component in the Dolphins success. He is one of the best on ball defenders in the state and enjoys being out of the limelight. He is also a stellar student. “I just want to win, I care more about the team’s success than my own, I like being the sleeper,” said Hall.

            While talent may be the reason that Young is so highly regarded, their confidence will be a key component in their state tournament run. “I believe that it was a little low, we belong in the top five,” said Slaughter of their national ranking. “Winning is the optimum thing that we want to do.” “We want to win every single game we play in.” Rompza added.

Two big time summer transfers enhanced Whitney Young’s chances for success, as well as raising their “profile” quite a bit. The acquisitions of 6’7 senior post Jake Hager and 6’2 junior guard Marcus Jordan, added to an already star studded Dolphin lineup. Hager, who transferred from Plymouth High School in Michigan, will help an all junior front line that consists of 6’7 Stan Brown, 6’4 Franklin Griffin and 6’4 Antonio Johnson.

     Jordan is one of the premier players in his class and he is excited to play with his new team. And in case you didn’t know; Jordan has some big shoes to fill, as he is the younger son of the great Michael Jordan.

      “It has been an easy transition from Loyola [Jordan’s former school] to here,” stated Jordan. “We have been hanging out so much, and I think that chemistry will translate on to the court.”

     Joining Jordan in the backcourt will be 6’2 Chris Colvin: one of the top three juniors in the state, 6’2 Anthony Johnson: one of the top three sophomores in the state, and 5’7 Ahmad Starks: one of the top ten sophomores in the state, as well as Rompza and Hall. All of this talent helps create the best group of guards in the state, and possibly the top group in the nation.

     No matter how talented the Dolphins may be; their journey downstate and national prominence will not come easy. They have a schedule which includes state powers Homewood Flossmoor, and Champaign Central as well as out of state trips to Kentucky and New York: to play #15 ranked Scott County and #4 ranked Rice, not to mention the always-loaded Proviso West Holiday tournament. Everyone will see how good the Dolphins can be when they open up their season against possibly the #1 team in the state, Hales Franciscan, on December 2nd at Chicago State.

     “I just can’t wait to play Hales,” said Anthony Johnson. “That game is going to be crazy.”

The Dolphins’ goals of being city and state champions will not be easy, but if they do achieve what they have set out to, it will be because they realized that although five players may start a game, it will take all 15 to finish one.