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George likely to enroll in Point Guard U
Maine East's Abby George brings the ball up the court against Von Steuben during Class 4A Glenbrook South Regional opening-round basketball game in Glenview, Monday, February 25, 2013 I David Banks~for Sun-Times Media
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Updated: April 1, 2013 6:59AM
GLENVIEW — The Maine East boys basketball team ended its season with 14-consecutive losses, but there’s a plan in place for turning the program around.
It calls for developing young players, and helping those players experience higher levels of basketball.
Maine East, which lost to Von Steuben 61-48 Monday in the opening round of the Glenbrook South Regional, has two pillars to build around heading into next season. Point guard Abby George and forward Ezeke Omeke both started as sophomores and will likely play on Illinois Old School’s 16U Elite team during the offseason.
George also is likely to attend Dave DeVenzio’s National Point Guard Camp this summer thanks in part to the financial aid provided by the Maine East boys basketball program.
DeVenzio’s camp “is intense; class-room stuff (and) on the court,” Maine East coach Dave Genis said. “They have it at St. Xavier (University), so it’s really close by. ... He’ll get an opportunity to really experience what a point guard should be. ... He doesn’t have that full understanding of how to manage the floor and run the floor. But it will come.”
The highly-regarded point guard camp will take place from July 6-10 at St. Xavier University in Chicago.
George will likely focus on improving his ball-handling, command of an offense and scoring throughout the offseason. But those five days figure to be key in helping the sophomore achieve a greater level of comfort and understanding as a point guard.
“Being more decisive with the ball; protecting the ball more (and) being more aggressive” said George of his primary goals heading into the offseason. “I’m more of a passer right now.”
George said he will pay $175 of the $500 it costs to participate in DeVenzio’s camp, and the Maine East basketball program will pay the other $325 with money it raised this season.
Sending a young point guard to what Genis called Point Guard University is something the Maine East coach hopes to continue to do in the future.
“We’re subsidizing some of (the cost) with the fundraising that we do, so we’ll kind of scholarship a kid every year to go to that,” Genis said. “My deal with (George) and with everybody else is that the down payment, they (pay), and we subsidize the rest of it.”
