Warren’s Drew Dolan swished his first 3-pointer late in the second quarter Tuesday night.
Although Dolan had to wait until that point of the game to hit his trademark jumper, the senior shooting guard had already made numerous contributions in other ways against Fremd.
Dolan, who hit another 3-pointer and finished with a team-high 12 points in a 56-41 loss in Palatine, said the biggest improvement in his game since joining the varsity level during his sophomore season is how much he can affect a game for Warren (6-3) beyond shooting from outside.
“I feel I needed to drive more this year,” Dolan said. “I can’t settle for (jumpers). I want to get everyone involved, get assists and help the team win. We’re obviously the underdogs this year. I want to help in every way this year.
“My playmaking is better now. I like having the ball in my hands. I used to come off screens more, be a spot-up shooter. I now like having the ball in my hands, being able to hit my teammates when they’re open.”
After averaging 14 points per game during the abbreviated season earlier this year, the 5-foot-11 Dolan is a tough matchup for opponents. His deadeye shooting from beyond the arc meshes well with his toughness and hard driving ability.
Dolan’s second 3-pointer against Fremd (8-1), late in the third quarter, cut the lead to 41-30. He added an old-fashioned 3-point play off a strong drive to the basket — with a nifty stop-and-start move — early in the fourth quarter.
“I’ve been coming out more aggressive and having more confidence this year,” Dolan said. “Being a three-year varsity player, I have to come in there and be a good teammate and help everyone out and get everybody to be involved to get a win. It was a tough loss tonight, but we will get better. I know when I’m not shooting well, so I try to get my teammates involved by driving and playing good defense and try to get a foul.”
Dolan pairs up well with senior point guard Gavin Cartwright to form a unique duo for the Blue Devils, a rare team with two left-handed guards in the starting lineup. That leads to matchup problems at times.
“It’s cool having another lefty, and I like it,” Dolan said. “Me and Gavin have been playing together a long time. He’s a good teammate. Love the kid.”
Dolan wants to continue playing in college but understands it could be a drawn-out process.
“I have some Division III choices, but we will see,” he said.
The Blue Devils struggled scoring points against the Vikings. Junior forward Adam Panek had 10 points, and senior forward Cooper Stacey entered the game averaging a team-high 16 points but was held to six.
Warren coach Jon Jasnoch said the added layers to Dolan’s game can help diversify the offense.
“Fremd has scoring from a lot of places, and we struggled with that,” Jasnoch said. “Tonight was a good example of Drew Dolan’s improvement. He just fought. His fight never ran out, even when things weren’t going our way. He battled. That’s what he’s done this season. He’s a good scorer, but there’s been nights when his shot is not on. But he’s made great defensive plays, winning those 50-50 balls. That’s something that we didn’t see as much when he was a sophomore.
“He was little bit more aggressive last year, but his aggressiveness is the biggest change I’ve seen this year. He has that never-give-up fight.”
Bob Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
