Bloom’s Keiwon Gulley is too irrepressible and in the moment to ever feel sorry for himself.
In the final seconds Sunday afternoon, the 6-foot freshman point guard missed a free throw that would allow De La Salle to force overtime with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
“The rest of the players on the team look at me as a contributor and a leader,” Gulley said. “I felt like I let them down. I knew that I had to not worry about it and make up for it in other ways.
“Do whatever else I could out there.”
Gulley went out in the extra session and got things done, scoring the first four points of OT to spark the Blazing Trojans to a 67-56 win in the MLK Dream Shootout at Homewood-Flossmoor.
Gulley finished with a team-high 18 points for Bloom (11-8). Senior forward Troy Garner followed with 17 points to go along with seven rebounds and two blocked shots.
Sophomore guard Stephen Dixon delivered a game-high 19 points for De La Salle (7-13). Junior forward Chaden Harvey, who hit the 3-pointer to create OT, had 13 points and seven rebounds.
After Gulley fouled out early in OT, sophomore guard Jaqun Harris scored seven of his 12 points for the Blazing Trojans. Harris marveled at Gulley’s ball pressure and the six steals he generated.
“He’s one of the best on the ball defenders in the state, regardless off class,” Harris said of Gulley. “I’ve seen it with my own eyes, and he has the motor that goes with it.
“He never lets up and always plays hard.”
Garner has watched that young talent blossom in his first year.
“Being around the south suburbs for so long, you see certain types of guys,” Garner said. “The moment I saw him come into the Bloom gym, I immediately looked upon Keiwon as a little brother.
“The way he impacts the game, I see him as a younger version of myself.”
Gulley, who is averaging nearly 14 points a game as a 15 year old, showed electric bounce off the dribble and ability to get to the basket Sunday. Defensive prowess has been his early calling card.
“I’ve always had that dog in me,” Gulley said. “I love to go out there and disrupt passing lanes and be physical and play really hard defense.
“The coaches have put a lot of faith in me, and that’s really boosted my confidence. That’s helped me be a leader, and the best version of myself.”
Gulley’s play, composure and manner belie his youth, but he’s linked to Chicago basketball royalty. His older cousin is Cappie Pondexter, the legendary high school player at Marshall.
Pondexter, a WNBA standout, won an Olympic gold medal in 2008 with the U.S. national team.
“It meant so much to me growing up and watching her play because I got to see her play,” Gulley said. ”She really inspired me to want to become a player, and get involved in the game.”
Gulley’s quickness and speed in the open floor unlock Bloom’s attack. He assisted on three of Garner’s five baskets. He ended up with a team-best six assists.
“You see somebody like that, his competitive spirit and how he carries himself — that’s so big for me,” Garner said. “I always look out for him when I’m out there. I know he’ll make the play.”
Like most young players, decision-making is still a work in progress. He had two late offensive infractions that led to him fouling out.
Still, every game is an opportunity to show off his talents.
”My personality is outgoing and I like talking with people,” Gulley said. “I’m young. There are going to be mistakes. The rest of the team expects me to get it out of my head and play through it.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
