This season has been a homecoming of sorts for 21st Century senior Jerry Triplett III, and a happy one at that.
The 6-foot-2 guard/forward is in his first season with the Cougars after transferring from Andrean last spring. But even before he arrived, he knew players such as star senior guard Terrence Hayes Jr., senior guard Jacolby Donaldson and senior guard Ronald Mosley from Banneker Elementary School, the nearby YMCA or both.
“It’s been really good,” Triplett said. “I grew up with a lot of these kids over here, like T, Colby, Ron. Coming over here, I felt like it was family. They accepted me. Everything just felt natural when I came over here.
“My mom, she loves these kids like they’re her own kids. I’m just playing with my brothers again.”
Triplett would rather not play against them anymore anyway. Andrean lost to 21st Century in sectional games in each of his first three seasons.
“If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em,” he said with a smile.
Triplett has joined the Cougars (10-6) and made them even better. He was averaging 10.6 points, with Hayes, Mosley and Donaldson also in double figures, and a team-high 7.0 rebounds before a game against Hebron on Friday.
Triplett’s production on the boards is emblematic of his ability.
“He’s a dawg,” Missouri State recruit Hayes said. “He’s a flat-out dawg. His will is crazy. He separates himself just by how hard he plays. He’ll get every rebound — every rebound. On defense, he’s very talkative. He’s just a great kid. He brings a lot of energy to the team that we need.”
Quincy Taylor, who took over as 21st Century’s coach during the season, expressed similar sentiments about Triplett.
“He’s been a great addition to our team,” Taylor said. “He’s brought a different kind of energy. He works hard every single day in no matter what he does, when it comes to runs, when it comes to weightlifting. He sets the tone. He’s motivated a lot of guys to challenge themselves and go a little bit further and go a little bit harder, which ultimately helps us out on the floor.
“He communicates well. He always has a positive attitude. He’s not one of those guys that’s like, ‘Gimme the ball, gimme the ball.’ If he doesn’t get it within our set, he’ll go get it off the glass. He puts in the work every day. He’s been an awesome addition, just a perfect fit.”
Triplett has been willing to do whatever it takes for a talented and experienced team that aspires to win the Class 2A state title. He averaged around 13 points and seven rebounds for Andrean last season.
“I just play my role,” Triplett said. “Came from Andrean, doing my thing over there. Came over here and accepted a role and just continued to play that way. I have to bring the energy. I’m like the motor. I rebound a lot. I get a lot of second-chance points for the team, a lot of putbacks. I feel like I do a lot of the dirty work.
“I’ve become way more physical this year. My teammates in practice push me all the time. I’m more explosive. I’m more unselfish. I feel like I’ve developed more maturity in the game. Everything has just slowed down for me because of the intensity in practice that my teammates bring. If we’re guarding each other in practice like it’s a real game, nobody can mess with us in the Region. I feel like that makes me better as a person too. We hang out on and off the court. We’re just really close.”
Me’Trell Harbin, a 6-10 senior center, and Kayleb Young, a 6-8 junior forward/center, each has been limited to seven games this season. Harbin, who transferred from Portage after also attending Bishop Noll and Don Bosco, gained eligibility, and Young returned after suffering a broken hand.
Without those two big men, the Cougars further built their depth, according to Taylor.
“It helped Mr. Triplett and Jordan Jackson be able to grow up,” he said. “Now that we put it all together, we have an excellent frontcourt, a full frontcourt.”
Triplett has embraced being part of the group.
“You have to be real selfless when it comes to basketball and when it comes to this team,” he said. “I’m on a team with Terrence Hayes, one of the best players in the state. I’m on a team with Ronald Mosley. I got a 7-footer on my team. I have a lot of great players on my team. You have to be real selfless. You make them look better, they make you look better. It’s win-win.”
The Cougars have done a lot of winning in recent years, claiming nine sectional titles and five regional titles in 10 seasons.
“I really just wanted to win, and I looked at the curriculum at 21st Century, and it was a lot of college classes,” Triplett said. “There were a lot of pathways for me, and I just felt like it was a better opportunity for me. … Don’t get me wrong, Andrean really did develop me, my body and everything and skill-wise. I thank them for that. But coming over here, it’s been great.”
Triplett and the Cougars, who handed Class 4A power Crown Point its only loss this season, are seeking that next level of greatness.
“The team’s looking good,” he said. “It’s real competitive in practice, all of my teammates pushing each other every day. We’re just making each other better every day. It’s a team effort.
“Win a state championship — that’s the goal in mind. No. 1 team in the state. That’s the goal. Try to make history.”
