Boys Basketball: James Ruzicka a man of many roles for fast-starting Hinsdale South

CICERO – James Ruzicka plays many roles for the Hinsdale South boys basketball team.

At 6-foot-1 and a solid 175 pounds, Ruzicka often hits the boards and uses his strength to corral rebounds in traffic.

But the senior guard can also put the ball on the floor, relying on a shifty crossover to attack the basket. He can drive with either hand, or provide spacing by hitting an occasional 3-pointer.

One of Ruzicka’s best attributes is his toughness on defense.

Ruzicka put all those traits on display in a 70-52 rout over Morton on Friday night in Cicero. Ruzicka scored a team-high 16 points and added five rebounds in a West Suburban Gold road victory.

Hinsdale South (5-0, 1-0) has been one of the season's early surprises, but after seizing a 33-10 lead against a solid Morton (3-3, 0-1) team, the Hornets showed they should be a frontrunner for the conference title.

Coach Brett Moore said Ruzicka is a key reason behind his team’s early-season play.

“James is a great defender, plays so hard and accepts coaching,” Moore said. “He’s a kid you can survive some mistakes because he plays so hard. He and Daeshawn Amy are really setting the tone for us defensively, and other guys are playing off that.

“We knew as a sophomore James could play. We knew he was going to be good. I didn’t know he could play defense like he could.”

Ruzicka, a second-year starter, was one of five players to score in double figures for a balanced effort by the Hornets.

“I feel this year I have a more leadership role,” Ruzicka said. “I was still learning last year and getting experience. I’m just trying to help the team win. I’ll do whatever it takes to win, whether that’s rebounding, passing or shooting. Whatever helps the team. My ballhandling really improved from last year, so mainly me and Billy (Durkin).”

Ruzicka, wearing a brace on his left wrist, decided to play football this fall. He drilled a top-of-key 3-pointer in the fourth quarter that helped put the game out of reach.

Amy, a 5-9 senior guard, was a disruptive force on defense but his shooting (14 points, four 3-pointers) was a factor in Hinsdale South’s strong start. Billy Durkin added 12 and Bobby Durkin and Aaron Tims both had 11.

Despite his size, Amy, a first-time varsity starter, attacked the defensive boards and played solid defense on Morton's diminutive and shifty point guard Jesus Perez (12 points).

“My defense is what I mostly depend on, but on offense my 3-point shooting and attacking the basket helped today,” Amy said. “My main job last year was play defense and shoot the three. This year my role is playing a leadership role, talking and helping the younger players and to make sure they know what they are doing.”