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Cashaw grows into leading role at Stevenson

Big brother used to cast a pretty big shadow. Literally.

Connor Cashaw's brother Colby was Stevenson's big 6-foot-7 senior center of attention three years ago. Connor was just a freshman on the varsity then, trying to learn the ropes.

"I've always looked up to (Colby)," said Connor Cashaw, now a senior guard on the Stevenson basketball team, and ahead in his personal 1-on-1 competition with Colby, 10-6. "We've always been really close. I was a little surprised I made it up to the varsity that year. It made the transition a little easier to be able to play on the same team as him when he was the senior and knew what was going on."

Another freshman on Stevenson's varsity that year was Cashaw's buddy Jalen Brunson, who has cast his own gigantic shadow over the years. Brunson is rated as the best point guard in the nation for the Class of 2015. He was the Illinois Gatorade player of the year last season and had every college in the country after him until he decided on Villanova this fall.

Yet, as someone who might be perceived as being the Robin to a couple of Batmans over his career, Cashaw has found a way to circumvent the shadows and shine brightly on his own merits.

Stevenson's back-to-back runs downstate wouldn't have gone nearly as well had Cashaw not evolved into a Division I talent himself. A threat anywhere on the floor, the 6-foot-4 Cashaw, who recently committed to Rice, averaged 17.8 points and a team-leading 6.7 rebounds last season in helping Stevenson to a third-place finish in Class 4A. The Patriots lost in the state semifinal to eventual state champion Whitney Young.

Cashaw, Brunson and the rest of the Patriots, who open up the season on Monday at the Lyons Thanksgiving tournament, are ready to make another, more fruitful run at a state championship. Two years ago, Stevenson finished as the Class 4A runner-up.

"That feeling that we had (of coming up short again at state last year) was our motor during the off-season," Cashaw said. "I think it would (be a disappointment) if we can't win it this year. We've put so much hard work into this. I think we're poised for another really good season."

Cashaw has been a part of many good seasons since his family moved to Lincolnshire from Atlanta when he was in fifth grade. By eighth grade, he and Brunson were good buddies and playing on the same school and AAU teams.

"I'm so grateful that I've grown up with such good teammates," Cashaw said. "Jalen and I really connected on the court and off the court, too. We've trained together and worked out together all this time and I think we just push each other. We feed off of each other and we've been able to help each other.

"We would love to finish on a high note together."

When Cashaw's long, four-year varsity odyssey finally comes to an end in March, he will gear up for a career at Rice. He chose Rice this fall over other finalists Harvard and Lehigh. The recruiting process really heated up for Cashaw after he played well in a cross-country trip this summer with his elite, Chicago-based AAU team, Mac Irvin Fire. Cashaw and the Fire played everywhere from Dallas to Sacramento to Las Vegas and Minnesota.

When Cashaw made his official commitment announcement, he was wearing an old-time No. 52 Rice jersey, loaned to him by his uncle Terrance, who was a 6-foot-7 forward for Rice 20 years ago.

Cashaw also has other family in Houston. His mother Robin and father Brad grew up there and met in high school.

"The fact that I have family there and I know about (Rice) had a part in it, but I also really loved the school and everyone I met there," Cashaw said. "I'm going to get a great education and I think the coaching staff there is going to make me a better player and person."

Cashaw says that being more vocal and improving his defense will make him a better player this season. He says that defense was his No. 1 focus during the off-season.

"It's one thing the entire team really focused on," Cashaw said. "Defense wins championships."

pbabcock@dailyherald.com

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