Away from the basketball court, Paul Sanders is a quiet, unassuming teenager who likes to eat pizza and watch Jimmy Neutron cartoons.

Rams point guard Zach Miller said the coaches nicknamed him ‘Big Silence.’
Put Sanders in the red, black and white uniform of Glenbard East and his play speaks more volumes than he ever would.

The on-court results were seen by many people in many places, securing him several accolades, including the 2009 Press Publications Player of the Year.

“I think he really came into his own as a player and a person this year,” said Rams coach Scott Miller. “He’s a quiet kid but played with a lot of tenacious firepower.”

“He was one of our leaders by example,” Miller added. “He worked hard every day and the kids really respected him.”

A transfer from Willowbrook after sophomore year, Sanders averaged 13 points and six rebounds during the second half of last season with the Rams. His numbers didn’t change much but consistency was one of his biggest contributions.

“You could always count on him every night,” said teammate Zach Miller. “You could count on at least 10 points, 10 rebounds, alternating shots in the post. He was so athletic and this season his jump shot was a lot better, making it tough for other teams to sag off him.”

Even with expanding his game and his range out to 15 feet, Sanders still sank his shots at a ridiculous clip. His 71-percent shooting from the field set a new DuPage Valley Conference record. But there’s no denying he felt at home right around the rim, blending in impressive post moves with natural athletic ability that allowed him to dunk in each of the Rams’ first eight games.

He would record perhaps 20 dunks on the season and average two blocked shots per game, despite being somewhat undersized for a power forward.

“Paul was really only about 6-2-1/2 (listed on roster at 6-4) but he played much bigger than he really was,” Coach Miller said. “He’s strong with broad shoulders, an explosive jumper and had very good body control. Paul could go over and around people.”

But when he first started playing high school ball, Sanders didn’t concern himself much with any of that.

“I used to be kind of lazy so I’ve just been trying to work harder every day,” Sanders said. “It’s been my uncle pushing me and me just wanting to be the best player I can be.”

While it’s not the only part of his game, Sanders’ ability to dunk may be the most well-known. From his first dunk freshman year to the circus-like one he threw down in an overtime win over Downers Grove South, Sanders’ jams left an impression.

“You get really excited, get that burst of energy and the crowd gets into it,” Zach Miller said. “Paul then usually got a block on defense, and we’d be off and running.”

Next season, the Rams get to deal every day with a little-seen problem this past season — playing without Sanders, the lone senior in the starting lineup.

The few times he sat, Glenbard East became much more perimeter-oriented. Though the Rams had impressive shooters, guys like Zach Miller and Jack Merrithey couldn’t get a lot of their open looks without Sanders’ ability to recognize defenses and release a solid pass.

And that will enhance his chances at the next level. Sanders wants to keep playing basketball and is considering schools like Aurora University, Carthage, Millikin and Kishwaukee Junior College.

“Since he’ll probably play a wing or even a small four, he’ll need to expand his game by being able to step out on the perimeter a bit more consistently and improving putting the ball on the floor,” Coach Miller said. “But I have no doubt that he’ll deal with that really well. What colleges like about him is he doesn’t have to have the ball in his hands all the time.”

Not that Sanders would ever tell them that.

Meet the 2009 all-area boys basketball team:

Reggie Greenwood
Junior
Timothy Christian
POSITION Guard
STATS 11.9 points, 3.0 assists, 2.9 steals
ACHIEVEMENTS A transfer from Fenwick, this lightning-quick point guard helped propel the Trojans to the Private School League title. The all-conference selection and Lisle all-tournament pick topped Timothy Christian in scoring. A steady player who rarely forced a shot, Greenwood hit 45 percent from the floor and 87 percent from the charity stripe while also leading the team with 73 steals.

Ian Horvath
Senior
Addison Trail
POSITION Forward
STATS 16.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals
ACHIEVEMENTS An 11.5 point per game scorer as a junior, Horvath upped his offensive game another notch and was a major all-around contributor for the Blazers. The team’s leader in scoring, rebounds and steals, Horvath also hit over 50 three-pointers and was virtually automatic at the free throw line with accuracy of over 80 percent. He averaged six free throw attempts per game, and made 9-of-10 in the second half of Addison Trail’s 50-41 loss to West Suburban Gold co-champion Downers South.

Matt Kaban
Senior
Driscoll
POSITION Forward/center
STATS 14.4 points, 7.9 rebounds
ACHIEVEMENTS An unselfish and uniquely skilled big man, Kaban ended his career in fine fashion by leading the Highlanders in scoring this winter. The 6-foot-7 senior could score with his back to the basket but was also comfortable from the perimeter, causing matchup problems for most of his opponents. The all-Suburban Catholic Conference pick is a solid offensive rebounder and plans to continue his career at the Division III level.

Kyler Market
Senior
Willowbrook
POSITION Forward
STATS 12.8 points, 6.0 rebounds
ACHIEVEMENTS Over the span of four years, Market became one of the top players ever to wear a Willowbrook forward. The 6-foot-5 forward spent four years on the varsity team and developed into a versatile inside-outside threat. He could drive to the basket, hit a mid-range shot or drill shots from beyond the arc. Market led the team in scoring and rebounds this season — more than a point per game and rebound per game higher than his junior year. Market leaves Willowbrook as the all-time career leader in scoring and games played.

Jack Merrithey
Junior
Glenbard East
POSITION Guard
STATS 12.0 points, 2.0 steals
ACHIEVEMENTS One of the smaller players on the court, the 5-foot-8, 145-pound Merrithey could come up big at any time, from anywhere. All-DuPage Valley Conference and all-area in both football and basketball, Merrithey excelled at taking over games both with defense, ball-handling and his shooting touch from the three-point line, and well beyond it. He knocked down seven 3-pointers and poured in a career-high 29 points in blowout of Naperville North and made five treys in wins over West Chicago and Wheaton North.

Zach Miller
Sophomore
Glenbard East
POSITION Guard
STATS 14.0 points, 6.0 assists, 2.5 steals
ACHIEVEMENTS In his first full varsity season, the 5-foot-9 Miller played like a veteran. Not only did he earn unanimous all-DuPage Valley Conference honors, he earned all-tournament honors at Glenbard West. As the Rams’ point guard, Miller could find the open man (12 assists at Wheaton North) or be one. He scored 15 of a season-high 25 points in the last 4:45 of a loss at Naperville Central.

Matt Purdom
Senior
Immaculate Conception
POSITION Center
STATS 16.9 points, 9.0 points, 38 blocks
ACHIEVEMENTS Purdom ends his career as the third all-time leading scorer in IC history with 1,191 points and third all-time leading rebounder with 673 boards. The 6-foot-5 senior is a two-time all-Suburban Catholic Conference pick who tallied nearly two blocks per game and led the Knights to their most victories (17) since the 1985-86 campaign.

Paul Sanders
Senior
Glenbard East
POSITION Forward
STATS 14.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks
ACHIEVEMENTS If you didn’t deny the 2009 Press Player of the Year the entry pass into the post, you were toast. A unanimous all-DuPage Valley Conference pick and all-tournament at the Elgin Holiday Classic, he was maybe 6-foot-2-1/2 but played even taller than the 6-4 listed on the roster. An explosive leaper, Sanders spoke loudly down low and set a DVC record by making 71 percent of his shots.

Will Sullivan
Sophomore
York
POSITION Guard/forward
STATS 14.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists
ACHIEVEMENTS It’s hard to imagine what’s still to come after Sullivan’s impressive sophomore campaign. Fans may have caught a glimpse in the postseason after his career-high 32 points in an upset of Foreman and an average of 21.7 points, three rebounds and three assists in three playoff games. During the regular season, Sullivan shot 58 percent from two-point range (117-204) and 81.2-percent from the foul line (81-101). He led the team in scoring, was third with 90 rebounds (team-high 30 offensive), fourth with 50 assists and tied for first with 45 steals.

Antonio Taylor
Senior
Immaculate Conception
POSITION Forward
STATS 9.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 64 steals
ACHIEVEMENTS More than just an athletic presence for the Knights, this senior did just about everything on the court. The three-year varsity player and all-Suburban Catholic Conference pick was the team’s best on-ball defender and the vocal leader on and off the court. Taylor connected on 76.2 percent of his attempts from the free throw line and had a hand in a pair of regional titles.

HONORABLE MENTION

ADDISON TRAIL Alex Dimaris
DRISCOLL Austin Baker
FENTON Justin Southward, Peter Surma
GLENBARD EAST Lee Skinner
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Demetrius Mobley
MONTINI Anthony Blashewski
TIMOTHY CHRISTIAN Jaaron Holmes, Rob White
WILLOWBROOK Phillip Reid
YORK Tom Judge, Tom Roth

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

UPSET CITY After an up-and-down regular season, York turned it on in the playoffs by beating Kelly and then upsetting No. 5 Foreman in the regional semifinals. The Dukes had a strong showing in a loss to Morton in the finals.

MULTIPLE WEAPONS With four starters averaging double figures, Glenbard East won 20 games and had its fourth winning season in the last five years.

SWEET 17 Immaculate Conception won 17 games this winter, the highest victory total for the team since the 1985-86 campaign.

TWICE IS NICE Montini knocked off Immaculate Conception both times this season, including a 67-53 win in Lombard on Jan. 31.

PERFECT FINISH With a 61-58 win over Illiana Christian, Timothy Christian finished off an undefeated run through the Private School League.

QUICK START Willowbrook wasted no time getting on the board this season, going 4-0 at the Stagg Invite, including an overtime win over St. Laurence and an eight-point win over Tinley Park.

BIG WIN Driscoll picked up a 45-40 win on Jan. 10 over a Marmion squad that went on to finish second in the Suburban Catholic Conference.

BLAZERS WARM UP Addison Trail’s season was highlighted by a two-game West Suburban Gold winning streak in January over Willowbrook and Hinsdale South. The Blazers won just one conference game in all of 2007-08.

METRO STREAK Fenton’s season was decimated by several injuries to key players, but the Bison had some nice early season moments like a 2-0 start in the Metro Suburban Conference and Justin Southward’s three-pointer at the buzzer to beat Reavis.