Waukegan freshman Simereon Carter averages 20 points but is just getting up to speed: ‘I don’t want to stop now’

Waukegan’s Simereon Carter is getting his legs under him heading into the second half of his freshman season.

Knee surgery kept Carter from playing competitive basketball for most of eighth grade, and the 6-foot-1 wing is finally feeling close to 100% after the first 15 games of his high school career.

“It was a little tough early in the season just getting the knee back to normal because I wasn’t used to so much practice and work,” Carter said. “It was different because I had not played high school basketball before. Now I can’t wait for practices and games because I feel better physically.”

Waukegan’s upcoming opponents might not be so excited. Carter averaged 20 points while working himself back into top shape.

After averaging 19.7 points in four games against solid competition at the Elgin Holiday Tournament, Carter scored a game-high 23 points and had eight rebounds as the Bulldogs edged Zion-Benton 74-60 in a North Suburban Conference game in Waukegan on Tuesday afternoon.

Carter can score multiple ways, belying his youth, and his quickness and length make him a standout defensively for the Bulldogs (8-7, 2-1).

“My teammates get me the ball in the positions that make it easier to score,” he said. “And for defense, it has really been a team effort to make sure we are in the right place to make the plays.”

Waukegan coach Ron Ashlaw has had a few talented underclassmen on his teams over the years — namely Jereme Richmond and Bryant Brown — so he knows Carter has a high ceiling.

“What I really like about Simereon is that he’s a sponge,” Ashlaw said. “He listens, and he wants to learn. He has only played 15 high school games, and he has helped this team buy into the process of what we are trying to accomplish.”

Waukegan has had to make numerous adjustments to its roster to improve on its 3-27 record last season.

“We wanted players who would work together on the court and be good teammates in the locker room,” Ashlaw said. “This team has a lot of fun in practices, but they also know when it’s time to get work done.”

The Bulldogs’ lineup includes two freshmen and a sophomore at times.

“It was a little strange early in the season because we have so many different ages on this team, but we have found that we get along and we all want to do what it takes to make us win games,” Carter said.

Waukegan showed its balance on Tuesday, even with two of its top guards — freshman Carter Newsome and senior Devin Malone — out with injuries. Senior wing Rayshaun Aaron (21 points) and junior wing Brandon Phillips (12 points) joined Carter in double figures,

Carter said he knows he has to put in the work to continue to improve his game.

“I have so many different ways to get better that I can’t name them all,” he said. “It’s great to have this success early in my career, but I don’t want to stop now. I have a lot I want to accomplish and a lot I want to help my team accomplish.”

Zion-Benton also featured several talented underclassmen on Tuesday, including sophomore forward Kurtis Main (15 points) and sophomore guard Amare Simpson (9 points). But the Zee-Bees (0-10, 0-3) couldn’t execute down the stretch.

“It’s happened to us a couple of times this season, so we need to figure out how to close out games better,” Zion-Benton assistant Rod Henry said. “We are going to get there.”

Henry wasn’t surprised Carter had a big game.

“We see each other a lot during the summer and fall, so we know how talented someone like (Carter) is,” he said. “In a big rival game, players like that always seem to step up, and Waukegan had a couple of their key guys have good games.”

Darren Day is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.