With college cleared up, Citadel recruit Marcos Gonzales ramps things up for Brother Rice. ‘I can play freely now.’

Senior guard Marcos Gonzales said he’s playing free, with a whole bunch of weight off his shoulders, after signing last month with The Citadel.

Make no mistake about it, though. Gonzales does not hesitate about taking on a different kind of weight. He’s more than willing to put Brother Rice on his back when he needs to.

“Everything starts with me, I believe, and everybody on my team believes,” Gonzales said. “The coaches look to me to take the reins and lead our squad.

“My teammates, though, are right there with me. They’re not following me. They’re right by my side.”

Gonzales certainly led the way Saturday. He poured in 36 points, including 24 in the second half, to help the Crusaders rally for an 85-77 win over Oak Lawn in the Team Rose Shootout at Mount Carmel in Chicago.

Jack Weigus, a transfer from Hinsdale South, scored 20 points and pulled down seven rebounds for Brother Rice (8-0). KJ Morris added 17 points and Caden Workman chipped in seven points.

Jack Dempsey and Donte Montgomery led Oak Lawn (7-2) with 20 points apiece. Omar Saleh provided 17 points, while Marc Harvey finished with 12 points and seven rebounds.

The Spartans led most of the way and threatened to pull away a few times, leading by nine points on four different occasions in the third quarter.

But Gonzales made sure the Crusaders stayed in it, pouring in 18 points in the third quarter alone.

“I thought we were struggling early on, especially getting stops, so I was more focused on the defensive end rather than offensively,” Gonzales said. “But I just took what the defense gives me and did what I do.”

Oak Lawn led 72-71 with 4:45 left in the game before Brother Rice went on a 13-0 run to take control. Gonzales had six points during that surge.

Weigus is a new teammate for Gonzales, but it did not take him long to see Gonzales has a killer instinct.

“Besides his great game, it’s just his leadership,” Weigus said. “He’s always able to put us on his back and lead the team, especially when we’re down. He’s probably one of the best leaders I’ve ever played with.

“His commitment and focus rub off on everyone, and in times like (Saturday’s) game, he’s able to help rally us when we’re down.”

Brother Rice coach Conte Stamas has seen Gonzales turn into an all-around player.

In spite of Gonzales’ offensive outburst, Stamas was more impressed by what he did on the other end against Oak Lawn.

“There was no question offensively, he and Jack Weigus carried us,” Stamas said. “But it was the defense that Marcos played on (Dempsey) because he was really hurting us.

“I’m proud of the way Marcos played on both ends of the floor.”

Dempsey scored 17 points in the first half but was held to three after halftime.

“Defense and shooting are what I’ve worked on,” Gonzales said. “I think I took that to a new level this year. Last year, I was mostly a driver only. This year, I’ve taken that step with my 3-point shooting and defense.

“That’s what I worked on most this summer and I’m glad to see it’s coming out in games.”

With his future as a Division I basketball player secured, Gonzales feels more comfortable just being himself on the court.

“It was a big thing in the back of my head when I was playing the last couple months,” he said. “But now that I’ve made the commitment to The Citadel, I’ve lost a lot of weight on my shoulders.

“I can play freely now.”