Jan. 08--Through four seasons, two head coaches and numerous comings and goings, change has been the constant around Nick Robinson at Kenwood.
A transfer, an injury and a return have characterized junior Manny Patterson's prep career.
Led by arguably the top big-man tandem in the city, the 6-foot-6 Robinson and the 6-8 Patterson, No. 5 Kenwood has reached its goal of becoming one of the Public League's elite programs.
The Broncos appeared well on their way in Marlo Finner's first season as coach in 2014-15 before Patterson's season-ending shoulder injury, but even with the lofty ranking and a 10-1 record so far this season, they didn't truly feel validated until Tuesday.
That's when Kenwood fought back from a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter to defeat No. 2 Curie 60-57, and Robinson and Finner weren't going to let DePaul recruit Devin Gage's absence from Curie's lineup because of an ankle injury diminish the significance of the win.
"It's been hard," Robinson said. "I've been on four different varsity teams, a lot of different players every year. We've got to jell together as a team. This was a big win. It told us a lot."
"To beat Curie, whether it is Devin Gage or Michael Jordan over there on the bench, was a huge win for Kenwood," Finner said. "It shows us we are getting tougher and let's us see we can play with the big boys of the Public League. It's a momentum builder for us."
The Indiana State-bound Robinson, Patterson and senior guard Zion Morgan are Division I prospects, but as a group Kenwood essentially started from scratch this season.
Nobody else was back, and Patterson missed most of last year after transferring to Kenwood from North Lawndale.
While he looks like a grown man physically, Patterson's game is still developing, but his obvious light feet and athletic ability could take him -- and the Broncos -- deep into the postseason.
"Manny wants to get better every day," said Finner, a 6-6 former Public League star himself at Phillips before playing at Missouri. "He is a sponge. He loves spending time working on his face-ups, post moves. He has come a long way."
Robinson is an impressive physical specimen in his own right.
Strong and lean, he was extremely active down the stretch against Curie, coming up with steals, rebounds and loose balls, and he also showed off his feel for the game with a drive-and-dish for a crucial 3-pointer by David Hunt.
One of the newcomers, Hunt transferred in from Young and made his first big imprint with 19 points and the winning shot against Curie.
The 6-3 Hunt looks small next to Patterson and Robinson, but he looks like a football player compared to the rest of his teammates.
Few frontcourts are more imposing.
"What you're seeing now is nowhere near what you will see come playoff time," Finner said. "Our guard play is getting better and we are just beginning to jell."
Mike Helfgot is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
