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FRANKFORT — Clinton Prairie basketball coaches knew Nick Curtin could become a special player.
But there's a difference between them knowing it and Curtin believing it.
"He really realized his potential, and how much he's grown not only this year but since he's playing high school basketball," Clinton Prairie assistant coach Bailey Good said. "He's kind of always had it whether he's realized it or not."
Curtin might be considered a late bloomer.
He never had an interest in playing basketball and while he was born in Frankfort, he moved around with his mother during his youth to Chicago and Colorado Springs.
More: Clinton Prairie boys basketball assistant coaches carry Final Four, NCAA Tourney knowledge
After deciding to play basketball in the sixth grade, he felt behind the curve.
"When I watched my friends play, I was always the worst one," Curtin said. "I just started working a little harder to become better than all of them."
He worked with local trainers like Ben Gibbs, the father of Illinois guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn and Frankfort guard Travis Best — who played at Purdue and Louisville, respectively — helped develop McCutcheon point guard and Indiana underclassmen All-Star Lillie Graves.
He became a better shooter. A growth spurt boosted the junior forward to 6-foot-3.
More: Like father like son: It's Clinton Prairie's Chad Peckinpaugh's turn
"I started putting in the work," Curtin said.
Curtin's opportunity came when Clinton Prairie with needing an offensive spark in the IHSAA class A regional championship Saturday against Central Catholic.
Senior Clinton Prairie leading scorers Jake McGraw and Alex Farley were defended well by the Knights, who defeated the Gophers in the 2024 IHSAA sectional playoffs.
"With Alex and Jake being face guarded, it opened up opportunities for me," Curtin said.
Curtin scored a career-high 28 points and Clinton Prairie beat Central Catholic 58-55 in overtime to capture its first IHSAA regional title.
"(Jake) has been pushing me a lot this year and they've been pushing me a lot last year,' Curtin said. "My teammates have helped me a lot coming into this."
Clinton Prairie (24-2) plays Triton (22-4) at noon Saturday in an IHSAA semi-state game at Crawley Center. Triton's No. 1 ranked defense will test Clinton Prairie's poise.
More: Clinton Prairie boys basketball survives Central Catholic in OT, wins first IHSAA regional
With Curtin's emergence, the floor has opened up for McGraw and Farley.
"We've been pushing him all year and he finally decided to take over," McGraw said.
Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at [email protected], on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Clinton Prairie forward Nick Curtin reaching potential
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But there's a difference between them knowing it and Curtin believing it.
"He really realized his potential, and how much he's grown not only this year but since he's playing high school basketball," Clinton Prairie assistant coach Bailey Good said. "He's kind of always had it whether he's realized it or not."
Curtin might be considered a late bloomer.
He never had an interest in playing basketball and while he was born in Frankfort, he moved around with his mother during his youth to Chicago and Colorado Springs.
More: Clinton Prairie boys basketball assistant coaches carry Final Four, NCAA Tourney knowledge
After deciding to play basketball in the sixth grade, he felt behind the curve.
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"When I watched my friends play, I was always the worst one," Curtin said. "I just started working a little harder to become better than all of them."
He worked with local trainers like Ben Gibbs, the father of Illinois guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn and Frankfort guard Travis Best — who played at Purdue and Louisville, respectively — helped develop McCutcheon point guard and Indiana underclassmen All-Star Lillie Graves.
He became a better shooter. A growth spurt boosted the junior forward to 6-foot-3.
More: Like father like son: It's Clinton Prairie's Chad Peckinpaugh's turn
"I started putting in the work," Curtin said.
Curtin's opportunity came when Clinton Prairie with needing an offensive spark in the IHSAA class A regional championship Saturday against Central Catholic.
Senior Clinton Prairie leading scorers Jake McGraw and Alex Farley were defended well by the Knights, who defeated the Gophers in the 2024 IHSAA sectional playoffs.
"With Alex and Jake being face guarded, it opened up opportunities for me," Curtin said.
Curtin scored a career-high 28 points and Clinton Prairie beat Central Catholic 58-55 in overtime to capture its first IHSAA regional title.
"(Jake) has been pushing me a lot this year and they've been pushing me a lot last year,' Curtin said. "My teammates have helped me a lot coming into this."
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Clinton Prairie (24-2) plays Triton (22-4) at noon Saturday in an IHSAA semi-state game at Crawley Center. Triton's No. 1 ranked defense will test Clinton Prairie's poise.
More: Clinton Prairie boys basketball survives Central Catholic in OT, wins first IHSAA regional
With Curtin's emergence, the floor has opened up for McGraw and Farley.
"We've been pushing him all year and he finally decided to take over," McGraw said.
Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at [email protected], on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Clinton Prairie forward Nick Curtin reaching potential
Continue reading...
