Jacob Piceno flies below most radars for Marmion, but his contributions don’t go unnoticed.
Hardly.
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When it comes to the wow factor, the 6-foot-1 guard is often overshadowed by fellow senior starters Collin Wainscott, Jabe Haith and Trevon Roots, who check in at 6-1, 6-2 and 6-6, respectively.
“Obviously, they’re the main scorers on the team,” Piceno said. “I had to find my way to help the team and contribute. I go out and play like it’s my last game.
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“Coach (Joe Piekarz) talks about how we have to give more, and that’s my mentality. Playing defense is my main strength — finding open teammates, just hustling and playing as hard as I can.”
Marmion’s big three were at it on the offensive end Wednesday night, scoring 18 points apiece in an 84-64 nonconference victory over Bartlett at home that was the final tuneup for the playoffs.
“When we have scoring balance like that, we’re pretty tough,” Piekarz said.
Roots had eight assists, seven rebounds and five blocked shots. Wainscott, honored before the game for topping 1,000 career points, added eight rebounds and four assists. Haith had six rebounds and a pair of steals.
Their defense was also a factor in the frenetic-paced game against Bartlett (19-12), with Piceno drawing 6-2 senior guard Kelton McEwen.
The Cadets led by 14 points at halftime, limiting the Hawks to shooting 28% (10 of 36) while connecting at 58% (18 of 31).
The lead was 64-46 after three quarters, and a 15-2 spurt to open the fourth quarter sealed the win for Marmion (19-11).
Piceno scored all nine of his points in the first half, and with help from his friends, helped limit McEwen to five points while shooting 1 of 9 in that span.
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“Kelton McEwen is one of the best guards in the area, and the defensive effort Jacob put on was unbelievable,” Piekarz said. “He’s been doing that the entire year.
“That’s just what Jacob does. He loves to do it and does it without complaining or asking for anything.”
Junior guard Nathan Scearce scored 14 points, senior guard Keegan Kunzer added 13 and McEwen finished with 10 for Bartlett, which played the night before and beat Glenbard East 69-57.
“They defend well, they get after it,” Bartlett coach Jim Wolfsmith said of Marmion. “They’re athletic in the lane, don’t give you a lot of driving lanes and you saw the pace they play.
“Not every team can play at that pace.”
It’s why Wolfsmith and Piekarz agreed to the series starting last year and plan to continue.
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“It’s a great game for both of us to end the season,” Piekarz said.
Piceno agreed with his coach that the Cadets used a team effort on defense.
“We had a plan, trying to stop (McEwen) early,” Piceno said. “Jabe (Haith) and I were switching at times and I was getting good help side (support).”
Knowing a shot blocker like Roots has his back also helps, according to Piceno.
“Jacob doesn’t get a lot of credit, but he’s a big factor on the team,” Wainscott said. “His defense is outstanding. He’s always guarding the best player on the other team.
“You don’t want to sleep on his shooting ability either. He shoots really well.”
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The Hawks are seeded eighth in the Class 4A Bartlett Sectional and open at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday against ninth-seeded Batavia at the Addison Trail Regional.
Marmion is seeded second in the Class 3A Kaneland Regional and opens at 6 p.m. Wednesday against the winner of Saturday’s quarterfinal between the eighth and ninth seeds, Plano and IMSA.
The Cadets are focused on reaching 20 wins. Marmion hasn’t won that many in 47 years, since the 1975-76 team coached by Jim Newport went 24-6 and went to state in Class A.
“It’s huge,” Piekarz said. “These kids want to make a name for themselves here.”
