O’Brien: “Baby Dwyane Wade” lifts Proviso East past Downers Grove South

Antonio Williams isn’t your average high school basketball star player, around Maywood he’s known as “Baby Dwyane Wade.”

Williams has that extra something, the athleticism and natural feel for the game that generally leads to college stardom. It was all on display on Friday in Downers Grove. Williams scored 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead No. 17 Proviso East to a 61-58 win over Downers Grove South.

Williams provided the winning margin with an alley-oop slam with thirty seconds to play. He was able to get the basket at will throughout the game

“That’s just my game, its how I love to play,” Williams, a six-foot guard, said. “Two is easier than three to me.”

Basketball has always been easy for Williams, it’s the classroom that has been a challenge. He’s a smart kid, but hasn’t always applied himself. Williams was ineligible for the second half last season and the first half of this season.

“My grades are good enough now, I just have to keep them that way,” Williams said. “Right now I’m on the honor roll. I want to stay on the court, I hate sitting out and watching so I’ve been working hard in the classroom.

“I have a ton of junior colleges recruiting me. All the D-1’s are sitting back and waiting to see if I qualify.”

The Pirates (11-5, 5-2 West Suburban Gold) needed every bit of Williams’ skill on Friday. The game was tied after the first, second and third quarters. Williams gave Proviso East its first significant cushion of the game by scoring four points to open the fourth quarter.

Downers Grove South (16-7, 7-1) had a chance to tie at the buzzer but TJ Clifford missed a heavily-contested three-pointer.

Senior Tajuan Johnson was the other offensive star for the Pirates he scored 10 consecutive points in the second quarter and finished with 19 points and eight rebounds. Senior guard Raishon Alexander added 13 points.

“We realized the middle of the fourth quarter that we didn’t have to shoot the ball, we could just go to the basket,” Johnson said.

Sam Ebersold led the Mustangs with 15 points and 16 rebounds. He played most of the game with cotton in his nose. That look typifies his game. He’s a warrior, fighting for every loose ball and rebound.

“(Denis Alibegovic and Clifford) are very good players and I don’t want to take anything away from them,” Proviso East coach Cedric McCullough said. “But Ebersold just makes that team go. He does so many things for them, we knew we had to focus on him.”

Alibegovic scored 15 points and Clifford finished with nine points and nine rebounds.

“It was a really tough game,” Williams said. “We had to get this game to win conference so it meant a ton to our team.”

The Pirates have been a Super 25 fixture since Williams returned to the court.

“It’s been amazing since I’ve been back,” Williams said. “I love finding our team name and watching it move up the rankings. We want to show people that we can play with everybody. I believe in my team, I actually think we can go downstate.”