When Bass Takes Charge, Lake Forest Follows Initiative

in the first round of last week's Hinsdale South Holiday Tournament, coach Phil LaScala challenged his team to play harder and more aggressively in the next three games. 

Junior guard Carter Bass took on that challenge and put it into practice, averaging more than 17 points a game in the final three games of the tournament.

“He (Carter) did a great job for us,” LaScala said. “He really played with a lot of confidence in those last three games.” 

After scoring only 7 points in the tournament opener, Bass took the . He was smarter with his shot selection and made more drives to the basket, showing off his versatility and aggressiveness as a shooter.

“It’s a big plus to be diverse,” Bass said. “It’s all about being smart with the basketball and seeing the opportunities.”

His aggressive style of play seemed to inspire his teammates. The Scouts went on a pair of huge runs to stake a 35-16 halftime advantage. Bass scored 16 points in the first half alone and finished with a game-high 22. He did not play the last 11 minutes of the game as the Scouts posted a 65-31 win. 

“He (Carter) has been on fire,” Lake Forest forward Evan Boudreaux said. “The team really needs him to be aggressive. It seems to inspire the rest of the team.”

Boudreaux, the only freshman on the team and the likely future leader for the Scouts, followed Bass’s example with aggressive play on both sides of the ball, averaging close to a double-double for the tournament. 

. While fellow guard Thomas Durrett led the way with 16 points, Bass converted a number of key shots for the Scouts and a pair of steals in the third quarter that halted a potential rally in a 67-49 win.

, Bass set the tempo early for the Scouts, scoring 13 first-half points on 6 of 7 shooting and grabbing three rebounds. The Hornets responded in the second half by double-teaming Bass and assigning star center Brock Benson to guard him. However, Bass did not back down. He remained aggressive and forced his way to the free throw line, hitting 4 of 7 and finished with 19 points. 

“He (Carter) is a very aggressive kid,” LaScala said. “There’s nothing he steps away from and you like to have that.” 

While the Hornets prevailed 54-51, the Scouts matched them step for step most of the way but fell into severe foul trouble in the second half. As they enter North Suburban Conference play against Stevenson on Friday, LaScala believes they have something to build on for the future. 

“We definitely got better as the week went on,” LaScala said.

Bass agreed. “I think we grew tremendously as a team. We’ve gotten better and we have to keep getting better as a team if we want to compete.”