Sandwich's Jimmy Braddish enjoying a record run

SANDWICH — It’s been a big two weeks for Jimmy Braddish.

Sandwich’s senior guard has broken two school records, including one big one.

He’s made his college decision.

Best of all, his team is playing its best basketball of the season.

The Indians won six straight games heading into Tuesday night's meeting with Wilmington, and eight of nine since the first week of January. Already Interstate Eight Conference tournament champs, they’re very much alive in the I-8 regular-season race, a game back in the loss column.

Braddish doesn’t sound surprised.

“We looked at this part of the schedule as a time that we could get on a run,” Braddish said. “We started on the defensive end and play well there. When we’re making shots, we’re really tough. We’ve been locked in lately.”

Sandwich’s defense has indeed been a constant. The Indians allow just a tick over 44 points per game. Only one opponent has broken 50 points since the calendar flipped to 2019. In a win over top-seeded Westmont in the I-8 Tournament semifinals, the Indians held the Sentinels to just 14 second-half points to rally from 10 points down.

Braddish himself achieved a milestone last Friday against Lisle, passing Seth Hill’s career total of 1,560 points to become Sandwich’s all-time leading scorer. Braddish, after 40 points Saturday against Stillman Valley – and a single-game program record eight 3-pointers – was at 1,602 heading into Tuesday.

“It’s a pretty special feeling,” Braddish said. “It shows that all the hard work I put in through my whole life has paid off. It also shows that you can achieve anything. It was a humbling experience, and good to get the win.”

It was but one highlight of a huge week for Sandwich basketball.

Braddish scored 35 points in Sandwich’s win over Manteno for the I-8 Tournament championship, Sandwich’s first.

“That was one of our goals,” Braddish said. “It’s good to be able to check one off.”

Braddish checked off another box on Jan. 28, when he made his commitment to Cornell College, a Division III program in Mount Vernon, Iowa.

“Their coach, he’s been on me for a while now,” Braddish said. “I was a big priority to them, which meant a lot to me. When I was on a visit there, I clicked with the guys. It was a good family-type feeling. I could see myself being there in the future.”

Braddish, though, still has plenty left to accomplish at Sandwich.

The Indians have two conference games this week, a tough nonconference game at Dixon on Feb. 19 and wrap up the regular season at home Feb. 22 against rival Plano.

“Potentially, conference could be on the line, depending on how the Lisle-Westmont game goes,” Braddish said. “We controlled the whole game the first time we played [Plano], in the tournament.

"I don’t see why we shouldn’t come out confident.”