Tre Davis, whose father played at Wisconsin and grandfather at Marquette, leads way as Marian Catholic’s point guard.

Marian Catholic’s Tre Davis has never had to look far for role models.

The senior guard’s father, Travon, played basketball at Wisconsin after starring at Nazareth. His grandfather, Tony, scored over 1,100 points at Argo before playing at Marquette.

“It’s great to have two mentors like them to teach me and guide me,” Davis said. “I know whatever they tell me, they always have my best interest in mind, and I know it’s always good advice.

“Getting to go to games at Wisconsin and Marquette and seeing what it’s really like to play college basketball at that level, it’s great.”

Davis’ knowledge of the game is evident as he leads the Spartans from the point guard position. His steady, versatile play helped Marian Catholic (10-5) finish third in the Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic.

After losing 44-27 to the host and eventual champion Red Devils in a semifinal, the Spartans battled back to beat DePaul Prep 43-30 in the third-place game.

“With Tre, it starts with his love for the game and then he brings toughness, both physical and mental, that you don’t always find,” Marian Catholic coach Mike Taylor said. “He’s a joy to coach. He might be getting tired of me after 3 1/2 years.”

A four-year varsity player, Davis is adept at setting up his teammates, playing strong defense and scoring when he needs to.

At Hinsdale, he averaged 8.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists over four games.

“Doing the little things is important,” Davis said. “We’ve got a couple of guys that will do the little things and that makes the game easier for the rest of them, guys like Quentin (Jones).

“For me, I try to control the team. When I drive and kick and Quentin’s there, I know nine times out of 10, it’s a bucket.”

Jones, a Cal Poly recruit and Marian Catholic’s leading scorer, sees Davis as the ideal right-hand man.

“Tre is a big help,” Jones said. “He really runs the offense. He takes control of the team. He’s one of the hardest working people I know, so I can trust him out there to make plays and defend.”

Davis said he gets that from his father and grandfather.

“More than anything, I learned work ethic from them,” he said. “Not only in basketball, but they’ve taught me to work hard in life. They’re always preaching, ‘You’ve got to go get it yourself.’ They talk to me about being a complete player.”

Shepard success: When Shepard beat the host Maroons 45-41 in the championship game of the Elgin Holiday Classic, it marked the Astros’ first Christmas tournament title since winning the Big Dipper in 2001.

“I’m excited about it because it’s been a long time coming,” Shepard coach Tony Chiuccariello said. “It helps the guys confident-wise, without a doubt. It helps us sell that if you keep working hard and keep grinding, you can get there.

“Hopefully, when we have a bad day and lose to somebody, we’ll bounce back because we’ve had some success now and the guys will keep believing.”

Jermell Lymon scored 18 points and Payton Crims had 12 points for Shepard (8-7) in the championship game.

Chiuccariello, meanwhile, earned his 300th career coaching victory in a 70-66 second-round win over Waukegan.

“The guys were great and they were really happy for me afterward,” Chiuccariello said. “I told them, ‘I haven’t made a single basket. Players win the game.’ For me, it’s more about teaching life through basketball.”

Travel trophies: Mount Carmel, Lincoln-Way East and Beecher had some happy, long bus rides after winning Christmas championships.

Mount Carmel (15-1) won its second straight Pekin Holiday Tournament title with a huge 74-61 victory over Moline, which was No. 2 in the Class 4A AP rankings.

Lincoln-Way East (14-1) won the Effingham-Teutopolis Christmas Classic, while Beecher (14-1) captured the Warkins Memorial Tournament title at Erie-Prophetstown.

Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.