Junior forward Tommy Diamond knows his ultimate future is on the football field in the fall, but he still enjoys playing basketball in the winter for Geneva.
The change of seasons, however, does not determine Diamond’s mentality.
His style of play stays the same.
“I would say I’m a hustler,” he said. “I try to play like a horse. I just hustle and give it my all.”
The 6-foot-3 Diamond put those attributes on display Tuesday night in a rugged 35-33 DuKane Conference victory over host St. Charles North.
Although he only scored six points and missed the second quarter due to foul trouble, Diamond filled the stat sheet in other ways for Geneva (21-4, 8-2).
Diamond had seven rebounds, two blocked shots and two steals. He also set a screen in the final seconds for Mick Lawrence, who turned that into three free throws to win the game.
“It was crucial,” Diamond said. “We needed to win this game. I didn’t think we played our best, but we found a way. That’s all that matters.”
Last season, Geneva coach Scott Hennig brought Diamond up to varsity over the holidays. This season, he has developed into one of the Vikings’ most important players.
“We joke about it all the time,” Hennig said. “It’s like night and day.
“Tommy and I have a great relationship in terms of we took it slow as a sophomore minutes-wise, got him into the flow of things.”
Diamond didn’t play basketball as a freshman. He started the football season on the sophomore team but was elevated to varsity for the playoffs.
Then, Diamond made a big impact in the playoffs against St. Rita, giving him confidence to join the varsity in basketball shortly thereafter.
“I kind of felt like ‘the guy,'” Diamond said. “I was feeling good about myself, so that made it a little easier.”
Diamond acknowledged he didn’t feel like a basketball player yet, though. An offseason balancing the two sports helped him turn a corner for this winter.
“It’s just a credit to him as a person,” Hennig said. “He’s strong. He’s tough. His biggest attribute, outside of the skill, is that he competes. He comes in with a businesslike attitude. He does all the little things. He’s just one of the best kids to coach.
“We’re real fortunate, and he’s only a junior, too. He’s only going to get better.”
Geneva let an eight-point halftime lead slip away in the opening minutes of the third quarter. It was nip-and-tuck from there.
St. Charles North (5-19, 0-10) led 33-30 late in the fourth before Diamond hit a layup to cut the deficit to one. He then set a screen for Lawrence, who pulled up for 3-pointer and drew contact.
Geneva was only 8-for-19 from the free-throw line at that point, but Lawrence calmly hit all three to give the Vikings the win. Lawrence led all scorers with 10 points.
“Smart move, savvy,” Hennig said. “It was a great defensive battle. I thought we were a step slow. We have a couple guys sick, banged up. That’s not an excuse, but it’s that time of year.
“I give our kids credit. They gutted it out. These kids are resilient.”
St. Charles North coach Tom Poulin lamented another tough loss. Parker Reinke paced the North Stars with eight points.
“It’s just tough because it’s another one, and we’ve had quite a few where we could have or should have,” Poulin said. “You have to credit Geneva. They did enough to take that game in the end.”
While Diamond looks to continue to make an impact in basketball, he’s also keeping an eye on his football recruiting.
“I just love the guys,” Diamond said. “It’s a lot of fun coming to practice every day. I enjoy it, so I’m going to stick with it.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
