Victory at BG adds to the legacy for Conant's McCormack

When Tom McCormack was graduating from St. Patrick High School in Chicago during the spring of 1970, a Scottish group called Marmalade had a Top 10 hit in the U.S. titled "Reflections Of My Life."

While for McCormack the time for such reflection won't take place until the Conant basketball squad's season and his coaching career with it comes to an end, he still had time to share a moment of introspection after coaching his final home game on Friday.

McCormack mixed both graciousness and gratitude to the two men who hired him from IC Catholic Prep 32 years ago: William Perry and Don Crandall, the school's Principal and Athletic Director at the time.

"I'm thankful to them for giving me the opportunity and for seeing something in me that led them to believe that I could be a success in terms of both teaching (physical education) and re-establishing the program here at Conant - particularly after those first two years," McCormack said.

It was after those first two years, when McCormack and Conant lost 48 of 50 games, that the program broke through with a 14-12 mark in the 1987-88 season.

Since then, his teams have had 26 winning seasons that have included:

• 12 seasons of 20 or more wins

• 8 MSL divisional titles

• 5 MSL titles

• 12 regional titles

• 5 sectional titles

• 2 Elite Eight qualifiers

On Tuesday night, McCormack added one more accomplishment: a new best for wins in a regular season (24) with a 57-48 victory at Buffalo Grove in the teams' MSL crossover.

The host Bison (16-10) gave the visiting Cougars (24-4) all they could handle in the first half as they shot 7 of 14 from beyond the arc to grab a 27-25 lead with 1:38 remaining in the second quarter on junior guard Jack Vaselaney's third triple of the second period.

Then Jimmy Sotos took over.

The 6-foot-3 senior guard put Conant ahead to stay, scoring the team's final 7 points over the final 1:20 of the half.

The Bucknell signee then added 4 more of his game-high 32 points, and Conant led 36-27 with 4:54 left in the third quarter. Back-to-back baskets from 6-9 center Ryan Davis (back from missing Friday's game due to illness) opened the lead up to 40-27 as Conant held Buffalo Grove scoreless in the third quarter.

"We made some defensive adjustments at half," said Sotos, who went 10-for-10 at the foul line while adding 6 rebounds. "We did a better job in responding to what they threw at us in the first half."

"It was great to see our guys battle back from what Buffalo Grove was doing in the first half," McCormack said.

Buffalo Grove was led by senior sharpshooter Colin Calcagno's 14 points; he had four 3s.

For Conant, the No. 2 seed in the Elk Grove sectional complex, both McCormack and Sotos are well aware of the reality that their season could end as early as next week in regional play at Palatine - or perhaps as late as three and a half weeks from now, in Peoria and the Class 4A state finals.

"Sometimes you don't want to scare your kids, but it's true," McCormack said. "Especially if Palatine wins its opener (Monday versus Grayslake Central). They're way better than their record indicates. Even though we've beaten them twice, they were two very difficult wins. More importantly, it's on their floor where they play everybody real tough so we know that we will have our work cut out for us."

"We've learned to take it one game at a time," Sotos said. "Personally, I'd like it if it (our season) ended later than sooner."

The sixth-seeded Bison will open their postseason at Prospect with a Wednesday date against the winner of Monday's play-in game between 11th-seeded Lake Park and No. 22 Elk Grove.