Trojans star logan pokorney adds an edge to his versatile basketball tool box in time for valpo and the postseason

Tom Keegan
Onwardtrojans.com

Since playing in summer league games with the varsity in the months after graduating from middle school, Logan Pokorney made it obvious he was the sort of basketball prospect college coaches would track closely.
The form on his jump shot, released from above his head with a sweet follow-through and serving only as a guide hand, looked like the shots you see from college players. He moved well and efficiently for his size. Nice handle. Good hops. Unselfish. Strong feel for the game at both ends. And he’s the kid brother of former state heavyweight wrestling champion, Eli, so there’s the strength gene too.
In many ways, Pokorney seemed like he was more the entire package as a basketball prospect than any guard at Chesterton in the past several years.
A sore back as a freshman delayed his start to the season, but when he caught up, he didn’t look out of place against varsity competition.
Then last year, as a sophomore in the starting lineup with a pair of players who started for the 29-1, state runner-up, it was natural for an athlete whose default position is unselfishness that he had a tendency to defer to Tyler Parrish and Justin Sims. Plus, a broken finger sidelined him for an extended stretch.
For the first time in his high school career, Pokorney has made it this far into the season without an injury, although he missed the game at Penn with pneumonia and the flu.
In his first half of the season-opener in this, his junior season, Pokorney buried five 3-pointers and scored 17 points. He had multiple other big 3-point shooting games. But at other times, his performance wasn’t quite as loud as his talent.
Here in the latter stages of his junior season, his talent is blaring more loudly than ever.
“He is getting more rebounds, he’s doing more things in the game that lead to winning that he’s fully capable of outside of just scoring,” Chesterton coach Marc Urban said. “Not that he was just focused on scoring, but he’s rebounding, he’s taking care of the ball, he’s defending better.”
And Chesterton is winning more. His more complete game arrived in time for the rivalry game at Valparaiso Friday night and sectional play there March 4-8. Sectional pairings will be released on IHSAAtv.org Sunday from 5 to 7 p.m.
Pokorney’s push to the season’s finish line isn’t the only factor in Chesterton coming on, but it’s an important one.
Urban explained what from his perspective has been the difference in his best player’s game of late.
“Sometimes you’re playing the game, OK, I’m on defense, I’m defending. He’s in the right spot. He’s doing the right thing. Yes, you’re doing the right thing,” Urban said. “But I feel that he’s added the competitive piece to it. He’s competing, doing all those things that kind of take you to that next level. There’s a difference between playing and competing, not that he was being resistant to it.”
Playing against a Portage squad that features a trio of seniors who have committed to play basketball at Air Force, Grace College and Bethel University, Pokorney was the best player on the floor in a 44-42 victory.
“There’s a difference between playing and competing, not that he was being resistant to it. I just think that he’s flipped the switch,” Urban said. “When you rebound like he has of late, I think that’s a sign that you’re trying to impact the game more and understand that that rebound is very important, we’ve got to get it and he gets it. It’s not a knock on him, it’s just sometimes you have to flip that switch to where you’re competing more, so I think that’s what’s allowed him to take the step he’s taken the last month, and his play has been very good for us.”
Pokorney scored a team-high 16 points in the Portage win, but it was the job the team did defensively and on the boards that was on his mind after the win.
“I think we’ve come a really long way,” Pokorney said of the Trojans at the defensive end. “Obviously, recently we’ve been emphasizing it, trying to get stops but also, this game, they’re tall, they’re big, they’re strong, we have to rebound and finish the possession, and I think we finished more possessions than they did tonight.”
A look at Pokorney’s season stats shows that he’s an efficient shooter but also reveals his deficiencies as a rebounder. Pokorney is fifth on the team with a 3.1 rebounding average, ranking behind Jaylon Watts (4.4), Rob Czarniecki (4.0), Caden Schneider (3.7) and Bradly Basila (3.6). He's shooting .493 from the field, .386 from 3 and .844 from the line and led the team with 21 steals.
Sophomore Tobias Ray, whose late-season improvement is another big influence on the team performing better of late, spoke of Pokorney’s efficiency.
“Logan’s special. He’s really good and he knows how to play basketball,” Ray said. “Most all his shots, you’re like, ‘That’s a good shot.’ I wouldn’t want to have anyone else as a leader. Also, he can help us in so many ways. He’s very good at playing defense, he plays really hard and he can shoot and drive.”
Ray explained how more than Pokorney’s versatile skillset and unselfish style of play make him such a popular teammate, saying, “Even if it’s game day or practice, we’re very focused, locked in you could say, and we want to get the practice done. But outside of basketball and in school, he’s the nicest person, the funniest person. He’s always smiling and very funny.”