Naperville Central senior forward Nate Abrahamson has always been known as a 3-point shooter.
That was his niche, and he was comfortable residing in it.
Then Naperville Central coach Mike Wilson kicked him out of it. Wilson needed the 6-foot-6 Abrahamson to expand his game.
“He worked on his game a lot in the offseason,” Naperville Central senior point guard TJ Hillman said. “He came into the program as just a shooter. That was his role.
“He was 6-6, and he could shoot, and that was about it.”
Abrahamson’s repertoire of skills is still a work in progress, but he’s no longer a one-trick pony.
“Now he can block shots, he can rebound, he can play defense,” Hillman said. “He’s really become a way better all-around player.”
Abrahamson got off to a slow start this season but has been stepping up lately.
“He’s been trying to find other ways to get himself going offensively, meaning other phases of the game,” Naperville Central assistant Mike Ortiz said. “So he’s been rebounding more, getting a little bit more physical.
“He’s definitely been a help presence for us, leading us in shot blocks the last four games.”
Abrahamson demonstrated his newfound versatility again Wednesday. He scored 14 points, all in the second half, but also had three rebounds, three assists, three blocked shots and two steals in the Redhawks’ 66-59 loss to Downers Grove South in Naperville.
“(Wilson) asked me to block a lot of shots and be more aware of the help side,” Abrahamson said. “Sometimes I’m tasked with guarding a less effective player so that I can kind of sit back on them and mess things up with their good players, like I did today.”
Abrahamson attempted just two shots in the first half. But he contributed in other ways, assisting on Hillman’s 3-pointer that tied the game at 3-3 and on junior guard/forward Quinn Oeth’s 3-pointer that pulled the Redhawks (3-6) into a 15-15 tie late in the first quarter.
When the Mustangs (5-2) opened up a 45-31 lead in the third quarter, Abrahamson started looking for his shot more. Hillman found him for a 3-pointer that awoke him.
Abrahamson made another 3-pointer late in the third quarter and then hit back-to-back 3-pointers early in the fourth. Hillman followed with a drive to cut the gap to 57-54.
“It helps when your offense is going to get your defense going, but it’s really going to start on defense,” Abrahamson said. “Really for the whole team, it starts on defense, it starts with communication, and then eventually your offense gets going, like how we did in the second half.”
Hillman, who finished with a team-high 20 points, later fed Abrahamson for an inside basket and then hit a 3-pointer to make it 63-59 with 1:35 left, but the Mustangs scored the final three points.
“Sometimes the scoring doesn’t start right away,” Hillman said. “I think I scored a couple early, and they started getting guys on me, and then Nate was opening up and hitting the shots that we need him to.
“I thought he played great tonight. We need that from him every night, and if he gives us that every night, we’re going to be a dangerous team.”
That is Abrahamson’s hope too.
“It was a rough start to the season, but I appreciate the coaching and all my teammates having faith in me,” he said. “I credit TJ a lot. We’ve been together since we were sophomores on varsity, so we’re really close. He’s probably my biggest supporter. I’m probably his biggest supporter.”
Hillman and Abrahamson trained together during the offseason.
“We got in the gym together, came to open gyms,” Hillman said. “We ran team drills where I was attacking him. He’s being used to guard guys who are quicker than him, and he’s getting better at it.”
Hard work and good instruction have been the keys.
“I wasn’t a threat to drive the last two years,” Abrahamson said. “I wasn’t really ever taught how to drive, so I put a bunch of work in the offseason into my quickness and lifting in the weight room, which really helped me drive and open up my 3-pointer.”
Now Abrahamson, who has an offer from St. Mary’s in Minnesota, is opening up possibilities for the Redhawks.
“He’s really started to take that step forward and, in a sense, start to re-create his identity,” Ortiz said. “That’s just him trying to be a more mature player and having success with that.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
