Jan. 08--Sydney Kopp heard her coaches' pleas but preferred not to answer them until a year later.
Last season, Hinsdale South coach Brett Love implored his then-junior point guard to shoot more frequently. More shots by Kopp, Love said, would equal more points that would, in turn, help the Hornets win more games.
"I told her, 'Hey, I need you to score at least 20 points a game,'" Love recalled. "At that time, I knew she had the ability, but she wasn't thinking about being that type of player last year."
A cerebral player, evidenced by her 5.38 grade-point-average on a 5.0 scale, Kopp preferred to bid her time before hoisting more shots. Kopp was concerned padding her scoring total would affect her role on the team -- the Hornets started four seniors for most of last season.
"We had a lot of different players on last year's team, and I was a junior and didn't want to take charge and do the things that I'm doing now," Kopp said. "I think I could've scored more. I didn't want to step on anybody's toes last year, and start any drama or be a ball hog."
Kopp laid the groundwork for a breakout season by scoring 30 points in a loss to Morton in late January. She averaged 16.5 points per game last season for the 15-15 Hornets.
"Last year I was preparing her to move in that direction for her senior year knowing we would need that lift with her being the only scorer coming back from the previous season," he said. "She started making that progress toward the end of last year.
"Sydney has a lot of ability, a strong work ethic, plays hard, hustles and sees the game. What I had planned for her last year was kind of stepping up in that leadership role as well."
Kopp seems to be taking Love's words to heart during a sterling senior season. The 5-foot-7 Kopp poured in 35 points in a November win against Bradley-Bourbonnais. Two games later, she scored a team record-tying 40 points against Plainfield South. She outscored the entire Addison Trail team with 33 points in a 65-32 win Dec. 5.
Kopp, a captain and four-year varsity player, is leading the 13-5 Hornets in scoring (25.4 points per game), assists (3.4) and steals (3.3) and is second in rebounds (5.8).
"I know I have the green light for any shot, for that's what my coach told me this season," Kopp said. "I worked really hard on my 3s. I've worked really hard every summer, and I'm ecstatic that I can make an impact for my team in my last year. I'm just glad that all my hard work is showing off in my numbers."
More than halfway through the season, the formerly reluctant shooter embraces her expanded scoring role on a team with five senior starters. The Hornets, who won back-to-back West Suburban Gold titles from 2012-13, will challenge No. 10 Proviso East for the conference crown. They've already won the Riverside-Brookfield Holiday Classic, with Kopp scoring 21 against Morton in the title game.
"This year Sydney has really embodied what it takes to be a true leader, not just scoring but making everybody involved and better," Love said. "She does a lot for us. She does whatever the team needs to do to win. That's the biggest change for her from last year. I think she's definitely overlooked. She's a player that can go Division I."
Kopp, though, plans to take a different route to college than most traditional long-time hoopers. Among the schools Kopp is interested are high-academic schools, such as DePauw and Dartmouth.
"I want to go somewhere that would help me in my life," she said. "I turned down a lot of offers early in the season because of academics alone. I have a few months left in my senior season. Our team wants to make the most of it. We started off shaky, but we're playing well."
Bob Narang is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
