No. 1 Bloom begins basketball season ‘aiming for state title’

Bloom fans are a special bunch. They are among the area’s most vocal, ready to eviscerate the opposition, an official or even their own coach at any moment.

Former coaches Gary Meyer, Jasper Williams and Ron Ashlaw were regularly on the receiving end of that vitriol over the past 20 years.

Dante Maddox Sr., the Blazing Trojans’ current coach, has been spared for the most part. Possibly because he’s a Bloom graduate, one of their own. The Bloom fans didn’t seem to mind taking some lumps while starting four sophomores two years ago.

This is the season where it is expected to pay off. The Blazing Trojans are the Sun-Times’ preseason top-ranked team. Maddox Sr. started the hype himself two years ago, promising the group was “really going to be something special.”

The core four that has started since sophomore year all signed college scholarships last week. Their futures are secured. Now it is time to win some hardware for the fans in Chicago Heights.

“Obviously we are aiming for the state title,” Bloom’s Martice Mitchell said. “We have been driven for that since we were all freshmen together playing varsity. This year I think we really have a chance to do it.”

Mitchell, a 6-9 senior signed with Minnesota, is fast and agile. He’s a big that can hit a three-pointer and block shots all over the court. When he’s playing his best Bloom is at its most dangerous.

The other three D-1 signees are guards: Dante Maddox Jr. (Cal State-Fullerton), Donovan Newby (Wisconsin-Milwaukee) and Keshawn Williams (Tulsa). Senior Christian Shumate, a strong and athletic 6-5 wing with multiple D-1 offers, has transferred in from Plainfield East.

Maddox Jr. has been the most consistent player the past two seasons. Williams is the flashiest, the most athletic and has the most upside as a prospect. Newby is all positives, an excellent defender that does whatever the team needs offensively.

“We have to come in every day locked in and focused,” Newby said. “There are going to be a lot of haters and a lot of people trying to throw us off track. We just need to focus on our team and we will be ok and definitely go downstate this year.”

Bloom was 15-11 two years ago and 26-4 last season. The Blazing Trojans earned respect in the city by defeating Morgan Park at the Team Rose Classic but fell short at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament, losing to Curie in the title game and in the state tournament where they were upset by Homewood-Flossmoor, a team they had beaten twice in the regular season.

“After we played Morgan Park everyone knew we were serious,” Maddox Jr. said. “This year we are just going to take it one game at a time. Personally, I don’t plan on losing. I plan on dominating any competition that is in front of us, no matter what name, what school. If we keep that mindset and don’t get too far ahead of ourselves we can be very successful.”

Bloom’s schedule is loaded. The Blazing Trojans could face two ranked teams the first week of the season in the Chicago Heights Classic. They’ll be at Pontiac over the holidays and travel to New Orleans for the National Prep Basketball Classic Tournament in early January.

“I said this is going to be a special group,” Maddox Sr. said. “My vision for them was that they would all qualify and go D1 and make noise senior year. There is just one part left.”

The full Super 25 preseason basketball rankings will be revealed online Thursday, listen to No Shot Clock to get them now.