De La Salle’s Chaden Harvey wanted to pay the ultimate tribute to the players who shaped him.
The junior shooting guard then went out Friday night and made sure to do everything possible to extend the high school basketball careers of his beloved senior teammates.
“I knew we were getting close to the end and I had to put it on for my seniors,” Harvey said. “I kept attacking the rim, doing everything I needed — rebounding or just putting my body on the line.”
Harvey did that and them some, tying for team-high scoring honors with nine points for the host Meteors in a 43-40 loss to top-seeded Hyde Park in the Class 3A De La Salle Sectional championship game in Chicago.
Sophomore point guard Stephen Dixon matched Harvey by scoring nine points for the third-seeded Meteors (18-17). His 3-point attempt with only one second remaining rimmed out.
Senior forward Remi Edwards contributed eight points and nine rebounds for De La Salle, but Hyde Park (25-9) advanced to play at 6 p.m. Monday against Leo (27-6) in the UIC Supersectional at Credit Union 1 Arena.
Conning off the bench, Harvey showed determination and grit with his hustle plays. His drive with 14.9 seconds left pulled the Meteors within 42-40. Senior forward Lucas Johnson was impressed.
“Chaden played great,” Johnson said. “I feel like he always attacks the basket. He always hustles and he does everything you want from somebody. I’ve seen his confidence grow.”
The 6-foot-3 Harvey played above his position Friday as a physical presence who crashed the boards and helped protect the rim. He added six rebounds and two blocked shots.
“He plays so hard,” Edwards said of Harvey. “He can hustle and dribble and really do it all for us. He makes free throws. He makes layups. There’s really not much he can’t do.”
In his first season on the varsity, Harvey became an indispensable part of the team.
“At the beginning of the season, I was timid because I was new to varsity,” he said. “By the end, I felt confident, knowing my team believed in me, the coaches believed in me and I believed in me.”
De La Salle traveled seemingly to every corner of the country to prepare for the rigors of the Catholic League.
Harvey found his voice and his role on the team during consecutive Christmas holiday tournaments in Hawaii and Florida.
“Being able to see teams from Hawaii, Arizona, Idaho and then Florida helped prepare us for the teams we went up against in Illinois,” he said. “Going up against all of those teams and different competition really brought us together.”
He also underwent a positional transformation. At the lower levels, Harvey played point guard. He alternated among three varsity positions — point guard, shooting guard and small forward.
He’s also a sprinter and jumper in track. Basketball is his first love, following in the footsteps of his father and brother. His older brother, Chaz, plays for Taylor, an NAIA program in Upland, Indiana.
“I just wanted to beat him every time I was in the gym with him,” Harvey said of Chaz. “He went to Brooks and played all the great city teams like Kenwood and Simeon.
“He played all the best competition, and playing against him just got me better. He made me tougher and able to handle anything.”
Quiet by nature and curious about life, Harvey loves to read nonfiction and play video games. His hustle, determination and energy on the court are his calling cards.
“I’ve been playing forever and always felt like I had a special knack for the game,” Harvey said. “I’ve trained for my whole life. I work hard every day, going to the gym and getting up shots.
“I keep getting better and better.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
