For Jack Huber and Libertyville, trust goes both ways. Wins follow. That and more in boys basketball notes.

Jack Huber is a basketball purist’s kind of player.

The 6-foot-3 senior point guard’s unwavering command of Libertyville’s offense and his vigorous perimeter defense also make him the floor leader a team wants.

“I’m definitely a pass-first guard, and I’ve always liked getting an assist instead of a basket,” Huber said. “Over time, I’ve gotten more aggressive on defense to where I’m trying to make plays happen instead of just reacting.”

When Huber has the ball in his hands, opposing teams have to react to him. His ballhandling, an unsung trait that often goes unnoticed, is a decided advantage for the North Suburban Conference champion Wildcats (25-5, 13-1), who are the top seed in the Class 4A Barrington Sectional and will play either Zion-Benton or Round Lake in a Warren Regional semifinal on Wednesday.

“He’s a difficult guy to guard because he does such a good job creating space with the ball,” Libertyville coach Brian Zyrkowski said. “He understands where pressure comes from and recognizes double teams because of his high basketball IQ. We trust him to make a lot of his own decisions.”

Zyrkowski also pointed out how hard it can be for opponents to be successful pressing the Wildcats when Huber is running the show. That’s a key factor in the Wildcats’ ability to hold leads.

And Huber essentially never comes off the floor.

“I love getting every minute of playing time I can get,” he said. “I’ve definitely gotten more confident handling the ball, and with the guys on this team, I don’t have a second thought passing to anyone.”

Primack in prime form: Good things come to those who wait.

For Cade Primack, waiting behind a senior last season to secure Lakes’ role as the starting point guard wasn’t easy.

But the benefits for both player and team have been far-reaching. Lakes (20-7, 12-2), the Northern Lake County Conference co-champion with Grayslake Central, enters the postseason with its most wins in a decade. The Eagles are seeded sixth in the Class 3A Grayslake Central Sectional and will play 11th-seeded Vernon Hills in a regional semifinal at home on Wednesday.

“I’m not going to lie, it was difficult because I thought I had the talent, and I believed in myself,” Primack said, referring to last season. “Looking back now, I realize it helped me also grow as a person, and now that I have the trust of my teammates and coaches, that means a lot.”

He certainly does. Primack’s commitment to improving showed a sense of maturity and made him the calm, productive floor general the Eagles have learned to depend upon.

The 5-11 senior doesn’t score much. But it’s probably not a coincidence that Primack finished with 12 points — going 8 for 8 from the line — in Lakes’ biggest win of the season, a 55-43 victory against Grayslake Central on Feb. 7.

That helped the Eagles win their first conference title since the current alignment took shape in 2016.

“I was driving a lot that game and got fouled,” Primack said. “Making free throws in those situations is way more mental than anything. You have to step up to the line and believe they’re going in.”

Mustangs still kicking: This is the time of year for teams to be rounding into the best versions of themselves, and Mundelein may be doing just that.

The Mustangs (12-18, 4-10) created a jolt of positive momentum ahead of regionals with a 56-49 win against North Suburban Conference runner-up Stevenson on Tuesday.

“I think it does a lot for us, and it helps us understand what we’re capable of,” Mundelein coach Matt Badgley said. “It solidifies that it’s a process, and if we can put it all together like that, we can have success.”

Mundelein has been close to that threshold, losing seven games by five points or less. Too often in those close losses, the Mustangs had a brief rough patch, like in their loss to St. Charles East on Saturday. They went scoreless for five consecutive possessions as the Saints hit five 3-pointers.

The Mustangs, who will open the postseason against conference rival Warren on Wednesday, are not lacking talent. Senior forward Emmanuel Willoughby and sophomore guard Derek Bishop combined for 34 points against Stevenson.

Pivotal on the defensive end has been Michael Farina, who set the program’s single-season record for most charges taken with 36.

“That means a lot to me because it’s something that I knew I could be good at since the beginning of the year,” Farina said. “I always saw myself more as a defender, and my energy there is a key for us.”

Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.