Highland sophomore Cameron Katz is learning and leading at the same time.
The 5-foot-9 point guard is among the most experienced and influential players on a roster without a senior.
“Last year, I was a freshman on varsity, I had seniors to look up to and lean on,” Katz said. “Coming in sophomore year, I was like, ‘Oh, I have to be a leader.’ You think about it, it’s really like, ‘Wow, I’m going to be a leader on the team at such a young age.’
“I have to take care of people. We’re bonding. We’re all learning at the same time. It’s great.”
Katz has been flourishing in his central role, averaging 11.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, a team-high 3.1 assists and 1.5 steals as the Trojans (7-9, 1-2) prepare for a Northwest Crossroads Conference game against Kankakee Valley on Friday. Three juniors and two sophomores have been starting since junior guard Danijel Zekavica suffered a torn ACL at the beginning of the season.
Highland relied heavily upon seniors such as Justin Pack and Walter Glover Jr. last season, when Katz averaged 3.9 points, 1.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 steals.
“We had a good group of seniors,” Katz said. “I had so many role models. I shared two lockers with seniors. They were right next to me. I just made a bond with the seniors. They made me feel good about myself, and it just really helped me as a freshman.
“Seeing these guys, it just makes you think about myself and how I can be that role model that I saw, how I can be one to them.”
Katz is making that kind of an impact.
“He’s a great teammate,” Highland sophomore guard Brady Boyd said. “I love playing with him. He’s had two years — one year and a half — under his belt, and he knows what he’s doing. This is my first year on varsity — I was a crossover last year — and he’s been coaching me and being right here with me.”
Katz said he absorbed as much as he could as a freshman.
“It’s an honor,” he said. “It’s great to see your hard work pay off. It’s always the best feeling.”
Katz suffered a dislocated left shoulder during AAU basketball in late May, and he was sidelined for a month. But aside from that bump in the road, his work has been consistent. During the fall, it wasn’t uncommon for Katz to ask coaches to let him into the gym early in the morning.
“I was getting shots up on the machine, things like that,” he said. “I feel like I’m dedicated to the sport more. I’m dedicating my life to the sport more. I love it. Ball is love, ball is life. It’s a great thing.
“My confidence is higher this year. It’s just great. I’m not saying the game is easy, but it’s easier. I see the court better. I know where I am. I already know the plays from last year. It’s like I know what to do on this, I know what to do on that. You master the plays, you master the defense, and the bond we have with each other really helps.”
Highland coach JD Fabian recognized Katz’s skills and potential from the outset.
“He’s a great kid, great family,” Fabian said. “He always has a smile on his face. He works hard. He definitely has a passion for the game.
“We knew when he came in last year, when we saw his ability as a freshman, he could be somebody special for his four years. He contributed last year, and we knew he’d be a starter this year. We knew his ability and basketball IQ was something that was really going to help us for four years. He can shoot it. He can pass it. He can do a little bit of everything.”
Fabian likes the direction the Trojans are heading in his fifth season as coach.
“This is probably the highest-IQ team that I’ve coached since I’ve been here,” he said. “They have good instincts. We have guys that have good court vision, can make passes, guys that can shoot. This is the best shooting team we’ve had all around as a whole. We battle.
“Next year, if we’re healthy, we’ll be really solid. Everything that we’re going through this year with the ups and downs and competing, it’s going to pay off in the long run.”
Katz agreed. The Trojans haven’t finished above .500 since they went 12-11 in 2020-21, and they haven’t posted more than 12 victories since they went 17-7 in 2011-12, which is also the last time they won a sectional game. But Katz sees a bright future.
“I really have no complaints about our team,” he said. “We’re really young. If we lose, we get right back to work next practice, next game. We work really hard as such a young team.
“A lot of these guys, it’s the first time even playing JV, varsity-level basketball. As much as we’re young and inexperienced, we handle it well.”
