Hayven Smith ascends to leadership of Lincoln-Way East

If you spend some time on the sidelines of Lincoln-Way East practice, it’s not hard to spot the senior center Hayven Smith.

The Illinois game is the most animated of the players watching the Griffins charge, waving their arms and encouraging their teammates.

“Attack, attack,” he implores as he stands among his fellow guard veterans Lana Kerley and forward Maddie Yacobozzi. “Rebound, rebound,” he encourages when a shot falls short of the basket.

Then he hits the ground and does just that: attacks and rebounds. That’s his leadership philosophy, and it’s the most important thing to Kerley.

“He’s not just one of those people who says it out loud; he backs up his words,” Kerley said. “If he’s telling us to work harder, if we’re not rebounding well, he’s telling us to rebound more.

“He determines this first. “He’s doing it, and we’re following in his footsteps.”

It’s been that way all season for the Griffins, who took advantage of advancing in Tuesday’s Class 4A Joliet West Regional semifinal against Sandburg (19-14).

Lincoln-Way East (27-5) has beaten the Eagles four times this winter.

Not only did Smith surpass the 1,000-point career threshold, he also averaged a team-best 13 points and 8 rebounds. He shoots 67% from the floor and 73% from the free throw line.

His team’s performance, especially its stellar record, came as no surprise to Smith. The plan was to be in this position in the play-offs and go further.

“It’s satisfying to see everything fall into place,” he said. “We had some losses that were big wins, but it was also one of the best seasons Lincoln-Way East has had in a while.”

High school basketball has been a whirlwind for the 6-foot-10 Smith, who committed to Illinois last spring. He received his first Division I offer from Purdue following his freshman season.

Note that this is during the pandemic, so there are a lot of phone calls and Zoom meetings. But when the first offer came in, it looked like the recruiting process was just getting started.

“I never knew everything would fall into place,” he recalled. “They’re waiting and trying to figure out if they want to try their luck with me.

“When someone finally gave me that chance, I think it opened up a whole other world, not just for the coaches to realize they could give me a chance, but for me as well.”

Smith has stepped into that world with both feet and is now on the verge of special things, not just this postseason but well beyond.

So what kind of player is Illinois recruiting? Lincoln-Way East coach Jim Nair He has no doubt, especially as he continues to produce despite almost constant double-teaming.

“I think Hayven’s limits are very high because his basketball IQ is very high,” Nair said. “He has a great touch and his shot is outstanding.

“It will get stronger and faster with the University of Illinois.”

Many people taught Smith how to play the post effectively. his father’s best friend, former Chicago Bulls center Will Perdue. And Perdue’s advocacy wasn’t just about the on-field stuff.

“It helped me a lot as I was trying to figure out who I was, what I wanted to do, where I wanted to be,” he said. “He’s just giving me his two cents.”

And now Smith is close to a trip to state. This all starts again Tuesday night against the Eagles, a dangerous team that defeated Romeoville 62-58 in the district final.

But as always, Smith brings his teammates together.

“This time it only comes in with a small chip,” he said before correcting himself.

“There’s not even a tiny chip,” he said. “Because I’m not losing.”

Gregg Voss is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.