On a recent frigid Sunday, there were no classes or practices to occupy North Chicago’s Levi Finch, but he didn’t sit idle.
Rather than roll over in bed or seek the comfort of a warm couch, the senior guard awoke, like he does every other day, thinking about how he could get better. So he braved the cold to get to a gym and a weight room.
“I’ve got to stay on my toes,” Finch said. “There’s always someone out there trying to get better than you. I haven’t always thought like that. But as I’ve gotten older, I understand how seriously you have to take this.”
If Finch sounds like someone who has been around the block, that’s because he has been a mainstay in North Chicago’s program longer than he has been a student at the school. Longtime boys basketball coach Gerald “King” Coleman, who has since retired, heard about Finch’s exploits at a local youth center and invited him to play with the varsity team in the summer before his freshman year.
That forced Finch to grow up quickly on the court. There were bumps in the road along the way, but the experience benefited him in the long term.
“I do wish sometimes that I got to play one freshman or JV game to see how much I could go for,” Finch said. “I still definitely enjoyed my experience being on varsity. I do think it made me a better player.”
No one could argue with that. Finch took a major step forward last season, when he averaged 18.0 points for a much-improved team that was more competitive in the Northern Lake County Conference. He’s averaging 14.6 points and 3.0 assists for the Warhawks (5-4, 1-2) so far this season, but he has also stepped forward in other ways on and off the court.
“I think of his leadership and character first and foremost,” North Chicago coach Rico McCoy said. “He sets the tone in practice every day, and that’s so important when you have four sophomores getting major minutes. He represents the school and the program with a lot of class and maturity.”
Reflecting that maturity, Finch realizes the Warhawks will be more successful if he doesn’t try to do too much.
“I can keep using all of my good traits, but it’s all of us, it’s not just me attacking the other team,” he said. “I cannot beat another team by myself. That’s why I need my teammates to have my back, and vice versa.”
Which means Finch’s younger teammates need to get comfortable on the varsity level.
“I told them that when they get up here, it’ll be a big change,” Finch said. “I tell them what they need to fix in practice, and I tell them that if there’s something they don’t understand, I’ll help them during a timeout or at halftime.”
Finch, whose father, Levi, is a former three-sport standout at North Chicago and played football at St. Norbert College, draws inspiration from former NBA stars.
“I’m a big fan of old-school basketball and love hearing stories of how vets helped newcomers and guided them,” he said. “I try to emulate guys like Steve Francis, Penny Hardaway and Isiah Thomas.”
Finch also leads by example.
“When I was younger, I did look to Levi because of his scoring ability,” North Chicago sophomore guard Jonce Robinson said. “But I also look up to how he keeps his composure all the time. There were times earlier in my career that I had trouble keeping my emotions. But we’re on the same page, and it makes me better.”
At this stage of Finch’s career, winning is at the forefront of his mind. His first two varsity seasons yielded a total of six wins. The Warhawks then won 12 games last season, but Finch hopes that was only the beginning.
“The difference between last year and this year is that I told myself I knew I could be better,” he said. “Twelve wins left me wanting more.
“I’m constantly driving and working to help make the team one that after I leave the school that younger kids coming up will want to aspire to be like.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
