The guys did a great job throughout the game. [La Lumiere] wasn't used to facing an aggressive defense like we play. – Wasatch Academy coach Curtis Condie
LAPORTE, Ind. – When Curtis Condie accepted Wasatch Academy’s head coaching job last summer, one of his main goals was simple: to play, and compete, with the best teams possible.
That dream is coming to fruition, as the Tigers edged No. 3 La Lumiere, 80-71, on the road Friday night.
“It was a complete team win,” Condie said. “Our guys played so hard and stayed together as a team. I’m so happy for them.”
La Lumiere has earned its ranking, as it boasts a frontcourt with two five-star forwards, Brian Bowen and Jeremiah Tilmon. Bowen has offers from teams in every Power 5 conference, while Tilmon has offers from Kansas and North Carolina, among others.
Both are Class of 2017 recruits.
“Our game plan was to make them beat us from outside, and that’s why we were able to cut down on them getting the ball into the post,” said Condie. “We contested their shots. … The guys did a great job throughout the game. [La Lumiere] wasn't used to facing an aggressive defense like we play.”
On a court with some of the nation’s top recruits, Wasatch’s Koby McEwen wasn’t going to be outshined. The four-star Utah State commit put up 29 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals to pace the Tigers.
“Big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games,” Condie said of McEwen.
When the Tigers lost to La Lumiere last season, Kentucky and Hall of Fame coach John Calipari was in attendance. On Friday, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo and Notre Dame legend Digger Phelps watched Wasatch Academy take down one of the country’s elite prep programs.
“Digger Phelps came into our locker room (after the game) and praised our players for how hard they played and how impressed he was with them. We had to explain to the guys who he was,” Condie said with a laugh.
The Tigers have already faced Lone Peak, Centennial (Nevada) and Findlay Prep (Nevada), but their schedule only gets tougher. This weekend, they face St. Joseph’s (Illinois) and Chicago Metro in the Bob Hambric Classic. They round out the road trips with Durango (Nevada) and two games in Los Angeles against some of California’s top teams, followed by three games in Mondverde, Florida.
Wasatch Academy’s season finishes with a respectable slate of instate teams, starting with Layton Christian at Vivint Arena, followed by home contests against West, Summit Academy, Weber and Jordan.
“I don’t think people in Salt Lake or along the Wasatch Front understand what we’re trying to do,” said Condie. “We can’t get Findlay Prep or La Lumiere to come to Mt. Pleasant to play, so we have to travel the country.
“We may play the hardest high school schedule in the nation. It’s tough.”
While Condie wants the state to recognize his team’s on-the-court successes, he notes that they are just as successful in their everyday lives.
“I want our guys to get better each day,” Condie said. “What most people don't understand is that my (players) are pretty good basketball players, but they're better people and even better students. They are really good on the court, really good off of the court and really good in the classroom.”
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